Work through these in order

Stop at the first one that applies, then confirm directly with that jurisdiction.

  • IfYour property tax notice or county assessor record lists the City of Littleton as the taxing cityThenStart with the City of Littleton's building services for permits and inspections.
  • IfThe assessor record shows Englewood, Sheridan, Centennial or another cityThenThat city's building department or its contracted building services handles permits.
  • IfThe record shows no city, and the county is Jefferson, as is common in Ken Caryl and ColumbineThenContact Jefferson County's building division.
  • IfThe record shows no city, and the county is Douglas, as in Highlands Ranch and RoxboroughThenContact Douglas County's building division.
  • IfThe record shows no city, and the county is ArapahoeThenContact Arapahoe County's building division.
  • IfYou still are not sureThenCall the county assessor with the parcel number and ask which jurisdiction the property is in.

Why this gets confusing

Mailing address
Set by the postal service; Littleton addresses extend well beyond city limits
Counties involved
Littleton-addressed properties fall in Arapahoe, Jefferson or Douglas County
City limits
The City of Littleton covers only part of the Littleton postal area
Special districts
Water, sewer and fire districts can differ from the permitting jurisdiction

What changes with the jurisdiction

Each jurisdiction adopts its own edition of the building codes, sets its own amendments, and runs its own permit application and inspection scheduling. Some require contractors to register or hold a local license before pulling permits. Review times and the documents required for a rebuild, such as drawings or an engineer's letter for structural work, can differ.

Floodplain review, historic review and fire district requirements also follow the property's location. A house in the City of Littleton near the South Platte may involve the city's floodplain administrator; a commercial building downtown may involve historic review; a home in unincorporated Jefferson County will follow county processes for both.

Ask any contractor you are considering which jurisdiction they expect to pull the permit from. A confident, correct answer is a small but useful sign they know the area.

Have these ready when you call the building department

  • Property address and county parcel number
  • A short description of the damage and what will be rebuilt
  • Whether structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical or roofing work is involved
  • Whether the property is a single-family home, townhome, condo or commercial building
  • The contractor's name, if one has been chosen

General information for Littleton, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.