Shed and equipment pads are usually reinforced slabs over a compacted aggregate base, while workshops, garages and additions need thicker slabs, footings and often engineering because of expansive soils. The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department handles permits and contractor licensing for Colorado Springs and most surrounding communities. Contact Colorado 811 before digging.
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Sheds, workshops, detached garages, hot tubs, generators and home additions all need something solid underneath. In Colorado Springs, where many lots sit on clay that swells and shrinks, that foundation deserves more thought than a quick pad of concrete. Small structures can often sit on a simple slab; anything attached to the house or built as living space needs foundation work that meets the building code and passes inspection.
Common slab and foundation projects
- Pads for storage sheds, greenhouses and playhouses
- Slabs for workshops, detached garages and RV or equipment storage, common on the larger lots east of the city
- Pads for hot tubs, generators and HVAC equipment
- Footings and slabs for room additions, sunrooms and covered patios
Who regulates building here
The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD) handles building permits and contractor licensing for Colorado Springs, unincorporated El Paso County, Fountain, Manitou Springs, Monument, Woodland Park, Palmer Lake, Green Mountain Falls and Calhan. PPRBD licenses building contractors in several classes, including home builder, specialty and maintenance-and-remodeling licenses, and permitted structural work generally has to be done by a contractor holding the right class. Accessory buildings above a size threshold, additions and garages generally need permits and inspections. Rules and thresholds change, so confirm with PPRBD before you pour.
Small structures and pads
A shed or equipment pad is usually a reinforced slab over a compacted aggregate base, often with a thickened edge. Size it to the building plus a little extra, make it level for the structure but able to shed water at the edges, and confirm setbacks from property lines, easements and any septic system. HOAs and metro districts in many newer neighborhoods have their own rules on accessory buildings.
Workshops and garages
A slab that will hold vehicles or heavy equipment needs more thickness and reinforcement than a shed pad, plus thickened edges or footings to carry the walls. If you plan to heat or finish the space, talk about a vapor retarder, insulation and where plumbing or electrical conduit goes before the pour.
Additions and structural work
Foundations for additions carry the building and must follow the code PPRBD enforces, which typically means a permit, footings below the required frost depth, inspections before concrete is placed and, on many sites, engineered drawings. Because of expansive soils along the Front Range, engineers commonly ask for a soils report and may design deeper or specialized foundations. Concrete subcontractors often pour these under a licensed builder or general contractor who holds the permit, so make sure everyone's role is clear.
Site factors in the Pikes Peak region
- Expansive clay: keep water away from the slab with grading, gutters and sprinkler placement.
- Frost depth: footings must extend to the depth the regional building code requires. Ask PPRBD or your designer for the current figure.
- Snow load: PPRBD design criteria use a higher ground snow load for sites at or above 7,000 feet, which can affect structures in higher areas around Monument and Woodland Park.
- Utilities: Colorado law requires contacting Colorado 811 before digging so underground lines can be marked.
Questions to ask
- Does this project need a PPRBD permit, and who will pull it?
- What license class do you hold, and is it the right one for this work?
- Do you need a soils report or engineered drawings?
- What thickness, reinforcement and base are included?
Planning a building or addition? Request a slab or foundation contractor and include the structure's size and use.
See how it works
Frequently asked questions
Does a concrete contractor need a license in Colorado Springs?
Colorado doesn't issue a statewide general contractor license; licensing is local. The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department licenses building contractors for permitted work in its member jurisdictions, and the City of Colorado Springs separately licenses contractors for concrete work in the public right-of-way. Ask which licenses a contractor holds.
Do I need a permit for a shed slab?
It depends on the building's size and use, and PPRBD sets the thresholds. HOAs, metro districts and setback rules also apply. Check with PPRBD before pouring.
Will I need a soils report for an addition?
Many additions along the Front Range are designed with a soils report because of expansive clay and bedrock. Your designer, engineer or builder can tell you what PPRBD will require for your site.
Sources and further reading
- American Concrete Institute (ACI)
- Portland Cement Association (PCA)
- Colorado Geological Survey: expansive soil
- Colorado Geological Survey seminar paper on Colorado Springs and Pueblo area soils
- CSU Extension PlantTalk: Expansive Soils
- Pikes Peak Regional Building Department
- PPRBD contractor license and registration types
- PPRBD basic design information (snow loads)
- City of Colorado Springs: Engineering, Inspections, Permitting and Fees
- El Paso County Public Works: Work in the Right-of-Way Permit FAQ
- City of Manitou Springs: CGS debris flow map
- Colorado Springs Utilities: 811 before you dig
- Colorado 811: homeowners