Certificate of Occupancy Important Information
One of the most important milestones in the rebuilding process is receiving your Certificate of Occupancy, or C.O. This document is issued to you and certifies that your new home has passed all inspections and meets all Town codes and requirements.
Why is a C.O. important?
Without a C.O., it is not legal to occupy, or live in, your new home. While it is true that your home may be safe in its “almost ready” status, the Town cannot issue the C.O. until everything is complete and has passed all final inspections. The issuance of a C.O. is important for a few reasons:
- This process ensures that your builder sees the entire project through to the end, and you get what you’ve paid for. If a C.O. is issued prior to all work being complete, some builders may lose their urgency to return to your home to finish up all those last details.
- Mortgage and lending companies rely on C.O.s to ensure the new home is actually complete. Occupying your home prior to issuance of a C.O. can compromise the status of any mortgage on the home.
- Insurance companies rely on C.O.s to ensure your home is complete and insurable. Homes may not be insured, or fully insured, without a C.O., and moving in before your home is final may void your Builders Risk policy.
What happens during the final inspections process?
In order to receive a C.O., four entities within the Town must sign off on final inspections to ensure that all inspections, certifications, and requirements have been met; the Building Department, the Planning Department, the Public Works Department, and Mountain View Fire District (if you elected to add sprinklers). Once you pass the final inspections for the Building Department, the three other divisions are notified for their final inspections. Expect another 2 business days for these inspections to be scheduled and occur. If these inspections pass, your water meter will be set and the C.O. will be issued by the next business day. If these inspections don’t pass, your builder will correct the issues and call for reinspection. Your builder received checklists with all requirements to pass final inspections when the building permit was issued. If you or your builder have any questions on what is required, please contact the Town, or click here to learn more.
What happens if I’m running out of ALE or my lease is up and my home isn’t done?
The Town understands that the next few months are critical for those receiving Additional Living Expenses (ALE) expiring at the end of the year. If you are not confident your builder will get your home finished in time and you need financial assistance for living expenses after ALE, please contact your Recovery Navigator. If you haven’t opened a case with a Recovery Navigator yet, and you are concerned you may find yourself in this situation, please note that no new cases will be opened after December 1, so it may be valuable to open an account with them in November. For more information and to schedule an appointment: https://bouldercountynavigatingdisaster.gov/
Have more questions?
Please contact the Planning and Building Department at planning@superiorcolorado.gov or (303) 499-3675.
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