Tile Installation in Longmont, CO

Tile in Longmont almost never carries its own permit. It rides on whatever permit governs the room it’s going into, which means the real planning question is not “does tile need a permit” but “what does the rest of this bathroom or kitchen scope require.” Apollo Construction starts every tile project by answering that question first, because the permit, the inspection points, and the licensing requirements all follow from it.

Tile Follows the Permit for the Room, Not Its Own Permit

Longmont’s permit page lists what triggers a building permit rather than publishing a list of exemptions, and it tells owners to contact Building Services directly when a scope is unclear. A tile project tied to a bathroom or kitchen remodel that involves plumbing changes, wall or floor substrate work, or is part of a larger interior alteration falls under that project’s building permit. A tile-only refresh with no substrate change and no plumbing work is not addressed by a published exemption on the city’s site, so we confirm that specific scenario with Building Services rather than assume it is automatically permit-free.

We treat this as a planning step, not a technicality. If a tile scope is riding inside a larger remodel permit, the tile work has to be sequenced against that permit’s inspections, not scheduled independently.

Shower Dimensions That Longmont’s Guide Actually Sets

Longmont’s basement finish guidance sets specific shower dimensions that directly shape a tiled shower layout: a minimum interior area of 900 square inches, large enough to contain a 30-inch circle, finished to a height of 70 inches above the drain with non-absorbent material. Those figures set the floor for how small a tiled shower stall can be built and how high the waterproofed, tiled surface has to run.

We lay out shower tile against these numbers before ordering material, since a layout that looks fine on paper can fall short of the 900-square-inch or 30-inch circle requirement once trim, curb, and bench details are added. The 70-inch finish height also affects where a tile pattern or accent band can reasonably end.

No Published Shower-Pan Inspection — Here’s What That Means for Scheduling

Longmont does not publish a stand-alone shower-pan-liner or waterproofing inspection checkpoint on its site. Where a tile and shower scope is part of a permitted bathroom remodel, the waterproofing and pan work fall inside that permit’s general inspection sequence: footing, foundation, rough (framing, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical together), insulation where applicable, drywall nail where required, and final. Whether the city’s inspector will specifically ask to see the pan or liner before it’s covered is not something we assume either way; we confirm it with Building Services for the specific permit rather than skip a step the inspector may in fact expect.

Because the requirement isn’t published, we default to the more conservative approach on our own jobs: the shower liner or pan is water-tested and left accessible for review before tile goes over it, whether or not the city’s inspector asks to see it directly, since a leak found after tile is set is a far larger problem than a short hold for a look at the pan.

Asbestos Testing Before Old Tile Comes Out

Removing existing tile and backer board counts as interior demolition disturbance, and Longmont’s demolition application sets the same threshold that applies to any interior tear-out: asbestos testing is required once the disturbance exceeds 32 square feet for a residential structure. A full bathroom floor or shower surround tear-out reaches that figure quickly, especially once backer board, mortar bed, and old flooring underneath are included in the measured area.

We factor this into scheduling for any re-tile that starts with demolition of an existing tiled surface, testing before the old material comes out rather than after the room is already opened up.

Licensed Plumbing Work Inside a Tile Scope

A tile project that involves moving a drain, relocating a shower valve, or changing fixture locations is not just a tile scope once plumbing is involved. Longmont’s licensing requirement applies here the same as anywhere else in the city: plumbing work must be performed by, or pulled under, a plumbing contractor holding a current State of Colorado license and a City of Longmont contractor license, and the city has stated that no inspection will be made on subcontracted work performed by an unlicensed subcontractor.

We separate the tile-setting portion of a job from the plumbing portion at the estimate stage for exactly this reason. A shower remodel that repositions a drain or valve needs a licensed plumber on the permit before a single tile is set, regardless of how straightforward the tile pattern itself looks.

How We Sequence a Longmont Tile Installation

We start by identifying the permit the tile scope rides under, whether that’s a bathroom remodel, kitchen remodel, or another interior alteration, and confirm any ambiguous tile-only scope directly with Building Services. Where old tile is coming out, asbestos testing is scheduled ahead of demolition once the disturbed area is likely to cross the 32-square-foot threshold.

Shower layouts are checked against the city’s 900-square-inch, 30-inch-circle, and 70-inch height figures before material is ordered. Any plumbing relocation is scoped to a licensed plumbing contractor and built into the permit’s rough inspection. The waterproofing assembly is tested and held open for review before tile is set, and the tile work itself is sequenced against the rough, insulation, and drywall-nail inspections in the governing permit before layout, setting, and grouting close the room out.

Common Questions

Does retiling a shower in Longmont need its own permit?
Usually the tile rides under the permit for the bathroom remodel it’s part of. A tile-only refresh with no plumbing or substrate change is not addressed by a published exemption on the city’s site, so we confirm that specific case with Building Services.

How big does a tiled shower have to be in Longmont?
The city’s basement finish guidance sets a minimum interior area of 900 square inches, large enough to contain a 30-inch circle, finished to 70 inches above the drain with non-absorbent material.

Does Longmont inspect the shower pan before tile goes over it?
The city has not published a stand-alone shower-pan inspection checkpoint. It falls inside the general inspection sequence for the governing permit, so we confirm with Building Services for the specific permit and water-test the pan ourselves regardless.

Do I need a licensed plumber for a shower retile?
Only if the scope moves a drain or valve or relocates fixtures. Longmont requires plumbing work to be done by a licensed plumbing contractor, and the city will not inspect plumbing work performed by an unlicensed subcontractor.

Talk to Us About Your Project

Tell us the room, whether plumbing is moving, and the condition of any existing tile being removed. We will confirm the governing permit, check the shower dimensions against the city’s figures, and sequence the tile work against the required inspections.