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New chief building official proposes county take over electrical permitting and inspections
Summary
Chief building official Tom Blevins told commissioners the county can assume state electrical inspections, keep related revenue (estimated residential revenue $322,952 for 2025), and could implement county-led inspections as early as July 1, 2027 if the state approves.
Tom Blevins, Elbert County's new chief building official, told the board on July 8 that Colorado law allows counties to assume electrical permitting and inspection responsibilities and outlined what that change would mean for county service delivery and revenue.
Blevins said integrating electrical inspections into the county's building department would improve customer service by providing a single point of contact for plan reviews and inspections, reduce separate calls to state offices, and allow Elbert County to retain fees currently collected by the state. Using 2025 activity as a baseline, staff estimated residential-only revenue of $322,952 if the county had been collecting electrical permit fees locally that year; commercial revenue estimates were incomplete in the presentation.
Blevins explained fee and staffing implications: the county could match current state fees (with an option to charge up to 15% more), add roughly $0.15 per residential square foot in fee structure (and cap solar permits at $500), and would be required to maintain a licensed electrical inspector on staff and perform contemporaneous review for state licensing compliance. He said staff would need to notify the State Electrical Board by October to begin the process and that the earliest practical start date the state indicated would be July 1, 2027.
Commissioners reacted favorably in principle and asked clarifying questions about fee categories and outbuildings; one commissioner called the proposal "a huge improvement" and emphasized increased revenue and customer service. Blevins recommended the board authorize staff to submit the statutory notice if commissioners agree to pursue the change.
What happens next: staff recommended preparing and sending a notice to the State Electrical Board and returning with detailed commercial permit revenue estimates and any required staffing or process changes before the board formally authorizes the statutory notice.
