How Long Does It Take to Build an ADU in Colorado Springs?

Plan on roughly 6 to 12 months from starting design to moving someone in, per local builders' published timelines. The surprise for most people is where the time goes: the building department's plan review is rarely the long pole. Design, engineering, contractor scheduling, and construction itself dominate the calendar.

Where the months go

• Feasibility and design (1 to 3 months): zoning checks, the utility question, architectural drawings, structural engineering, soils testing, and survey work. Fact-finding here prevents resubmittals later.
• Permitting (variable, watch the live queue): PPRBD publishes its plan-review queue on pprbd.org showing exactly which submittal date each department is processing; when we checked in August 2026, construction reviews were turning around in days. Do not trust fixed review-time claims from any article, including this one: look at today's queue. Two things genuinely stretch this phase: incomplete submittals (plans cannot be amended mid-review, so mistakes mean rejoining the queue) and the city's mandatory 14-day public-notice posting before the permit can issue.
• Construction (3 to 6+ months): foundation, framing, utilities, finishes, and phased inspections, with weather and contractor availability the usual wildcards. Colorado's building season concentrates demand in spring and summer; a winter design phase positions you to break ground early.
• Final inspections and certificate of occupancy: the unit legally becomes a dwelling only when the certificate of occupancy issues; that is the moment it can be rented.

Once submitted, you can watch your own plan move: PPRBD's Plan Check tool tracks progress by plan number or address. Getting the first submittal complete is the highest-leverage time saver, and it has a price signal attached: from the third review PPRBD charges $100 per hour, and changes after the permit issues (a "splice") run $50 per hour. Builders who submit clean packages simply move faster.

One calendar rule with money attached: once Colorado Springs Utilities development charges are paid, the building permit must be pulled within 120 days or you reapply at current rates. Sequence the utility payment against permit readiness, not before it.

The full sequence, including who reviews what and how to track your plan, is in the permit walkthrough; the budget side, including carrying costs during the build, is in the cost guide.