Change of Use or Change of Occupancy

Breadcrumb: Change of Use or Change of Occupancy

Source: Change of Use or Change of Occupancy ↗ Last modified: Fri, 17 Apr 2026 19:55:44 GMT

What is it?

Before you buy, rent, or lease a site for your business

Please contact us. We can help you find out if:

Your proposed use is allowed at the location.
Any building or zoning requirements.
Any fees charged to offset impact on the City’s infrastructure

Are permits required?

A permit is required to document a change of use or occupancy classification of a building, even where no alterations ↗ are planned or required by the code.

Every building is given an occupancy classification when it is built. Each classification has different building code requirements. The requirements relate to the type of hazard or use in the building.

In a change of use or occupancy, everything is subject to the City zoning code. For example, an old house turning into an office building must follow life safety code requirements (for example, emergency exits) required for a new office building.

Research existing permitted occupancy ↗ classifications of a building.

Change of Use

A change of use happens when a building or a part of a building is used for something different than before.

For example, if a tenant space was used as an office and is now going to be used as a small café, that's a change of use.

Change of Occupancy

Where the change of use moves the space into a different building code occupancy classification, the change of use is also a change of occupancy.

Using the same example, it is a change of occupancy for the space that was used as an office to be used as a child care center. Whether a building is changing occupancy or just changing use, the space will need to address any requirements related to the new use.

Another less obvious example of a change of occupancy is when a restaurant offers seating for less than 50 people and wants to increase the number of seats to 50 or more.

Costs

Permit fees are based on the value of your project. For an estimate of permit fees, please use the online fee estimator ↗, or review the PP&D Fee Schedules ↗.

Systems Development Charges (SDCs)

In addition to building permit fees, the project may be subject to Systems Development Charges.

SDC fees help offset the impact the project will have on the City’s infrastructure of streets, water, storm and sanitary sewer systems, and parks and recreation facilities.

Depending on how much the business or project will impact infrastructure, these fees may be significant.