Permit sets submitted after April 1, 2026 in Fort Collins are reviewed under the 2024 International Building Code with local amendments, and that single date shapes how we schedule design for owners who are still deciding on scope. The city keeps the 2021 codes available for reference until October 1, 2026, so a project that started under the old basis can still be checked against it, but the controlling edition for a new submission is the 2024 code. We build industrial, advanced manufacturing and technical facilities in the city, and we begin each project by confirming which side of that date it falls on.
Beyond code timing, the work in Fort Collins is largely about large technical buildings: new campuses, expansions of existing plants and the conversion of space that a previous occupant no longer needs. We carry the structure, the utility interconnects and the commissioning plan together, so a building that must hold precision equipment is built, verified and handed over as one system.
The 2024 IBC with local amendments
The city treats the 2024 International Building Code with local amendments as the current code for permits submitted on or after April 1, 2026. For design teams, the practical consequences are in the details: structural provisions, fire and life safety, accessibility and the energy envelope. A shell designed to the 2021 edition may need revisions, and a drawing set already submitted under the earlier rules may be handled differently, so we ask the building staff how a given project will be treated.
Our proposal states the edition assumed, and our preconstruction deliverables include a code matrix listing the sections that changed and what each change does to the design. With our industrial design-build contracts, the architect, engineer and builder work from that matrix together, so the permit set arrives complete. For owners in advanced manufacturing, that matrix also lists which equipment foundations, exhaust systems and utility connections are affected, so the engineers can see the cost of a late submission before it happens.
Precision manufacturing campuses and reused facilities
Woodward's Lincoln Campus in Fort Collins sits on 101 acres, was planned to reach 660,000 sq ft and was projected to hold up to 1,700 employees when fully built out; the first two phases totaled 363,320 sq ft at about $134 million. The figures date from a 2016 report, but they show a campus delivered in phases for a precision manufacturer, which is a model we follow: infrastructure sized for the final build-out, buildings added as demand allows.
In March 2024 Intel announced it would sell its Fort Collins facility on the Harmony Road corridor while seeking smaller space in the market, with the sale handled by a brokerage. A large technical building in the market means an eventual buyer or tenant who will need to reconfigure it. We do that work: a condition assessment of structure, slab and utilities, a plan for demolition of redundant process areas and a new fit-out for the new owner's equipment. Our industrial renovations and modernization team starts with the as-built record and field verification, not with assumptions.
What we build for precision users
Precision equipment calls for floors, pads and utilities that are built to tolerance and verified. We place slabs to the flatness and levelness the equipment vendor requires, build isolated pads for vibration-sensitive tools and provide structural supports for heavy mechanical equipment. We schedule the concrete placement, inspect the embeds and survey the results, and the surveys go into the closeout package.
For clean or controlled areas, we coordinate partitions, pressurization and filtration with the owner's engineers and verify with testing before handover. The testing agency's report, the balancing report and the commissioning log are the verification step, and we do not close out until the owner's technical lead has accepted them.
Working inside live technical campuses
A technical campus operates around the clock, and construction near it needs controls for vibration, dust, noise and access. We set up work zones, measure vibration where sensitive equipment is nearby and agree on acceptable limits with the owner before starting. Hot work, confined space entry and crane operations follow written permits issued by the owner's safety lead and our superintendent.
Delivery routes use the roads the city has: Interstate 25 runs along the east side, U.S. 287 becomes College Avenue through the city, and State Highway 14 leaves on Mulberry Street after an I-25 interchange. We plan oversize and steel deliveries along those routes during off-peak hours.
Freight, rail and university-linked work
Freight rail service in Fort Collins is provided by Union Pacific and BNSF, and the city has no intercity passenger rail service. Owners who rely on rail can use our rail spur site improvements service to evaluate connection feasibility, clearances and yard layout.
Colorado State University reported an all-time high fall 2025 enrollment of 34,412 students, including a first-year class of 5,376, and the research and supplier ecosystem around it produces demand for lab-support, fabrication and prototype space. We build that space as flex light industrial buildings, and we compare options with owners in Loveland and Windsor using the same scope outline for each, so differences in land cost, utilities and permit path are visible.
Send the building record and the equipment list
Send the as-built drawings, the equipment list and your submission target. We will return a code matrix for the 2024 edition, a condition assessment plan and a phased schedule.
Common Questions
Which code edition applies to my Fort Collins permit?
The city treats the 2024 International Building Code with local amendments as the current code for permits submitted on or after April 1, 2026, and keeps the 2021 codes available for reference until October 1, 2026. We confirm with the building staff how your submission date will be handled.
Can you convert a large technical building for a new occupant?
Yes. We begin with a condition assessment of structure, slab and utilities, then plan demolition of obsolete process areas, structural modifications and new fit-out. The Intel facility on Harmony Road, announced for sale in March 2024, is an example of the kind of building that may need this work.
How do you build a campus in phases?
We size utilities, detention and roads for the final build-out, build the first building, and leave pads ready for the next. Woodward's Lincoln Campus, delivered in phases, is the pattern we follow.
What vibration controls do you use near sensitive equipment?
We agree on acceptable limits with the owner, measure during demolition and compaction and choose methods accordingly, such as saw-cutting instead of hammering. Isolated pads are built for the sensitive tools themselves.
Is rail service available for Fort Collins industrial sites?
Union Pacific and BNSF provide freight service in the city. Whether a specific site can connect depends on track location and the railroads' requirements, which we review early.
What drawings do you need to assess an existing building before a conversion?
Original structural and architectural drawings, any later modification sets, the utility one-lines and the slab and roof load records if they exist. We verify them in the field with scanning, coring and survey because drawings often differ from what was built, and we report differences before pricing.