Commercial Change of Occupancy

Whenever a new business moves into an existing building/unit with a previous use or as a new commercial infill a Commercial Change of Occupancy permit is required. This is required even if the business does or does not plan on performing any construction to modify the building. If an existing business changes its use or changes its ownership, a Commercial Change of Occupancy permit is also required.

After filling out the initial permit application City Staff will review all the information that is provided to determine if the new business is a Change of Occupancy or Change of Use. The review will also determine if any additional permitting is needed (i.e. Remodel Building Permit, MEP Building Permit, or a Land Use Application). Please click here for change of occupancy permit.

The overall intent of this process is to ensure that the new business moving into the building/space meets the basic life safety needs of the building code to protect the well-being of the occupants of the new occupancy. A change of occupancy inspection will be performed by the City's building inspector and the City's fire department to determine if the building is safe to occupy and if it meets the current accessibility guides. Exit signage, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers and other safety issues are some of the items that will be looked at, along with ADA parking and signage, accessible entry into the building and accessible restrooms.

The new business owner will be asked to provide a key to the main door of the business so it can be placed into the key vault attached to the building. If the building does not have a key vault, one will be required to be installed at either the business or building owner's expense.

The cost for the Change of Occupancy application submittal is $80 and is due when the application is made. The fee includes the $50 Occupancy Change Permit (accounts for the review and inspection conducted by City Staff) and for the review by the 3rd party consultant.