15.05.010 Adoption of the 2021 International Mechanical Code.
The following code section was adopted by Resolution No. 25-303 by the Pueblo County Board of County Commissioners on December 22, 2025, with an effective date of December 31, 2025 and pursuant to C.R.S. 30-28-201 hereby adopts the 2021 International Mechanical Code and the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code, both published by the International Code Council, Inc., and providing penalties and remedies for the violation thereof.
The ordinance and code adopted in this Resolution shall be part of and cited as the "Pueblo County Mechanical Code," and are referred to in this Resolution as "the Code."
The purpose of the code is to provide minimum standards to protect the public health and safety by controlling and regulating buildings, structures and equipment including but not limited to electrical, plumbing, heating, ventilation, comfort cooling, refrigeration systems; signs and sign structures; elevators, dumbwaiters and escalators; boilers and pressure vessels; plumbing and drainage systems; single and multiple dwellings; business and commercial buildings and structures; electrical conductors and equipment; and the storage and handling of hazardous materials in the County of Pueblo.
The provisions of the Code and the other codes adopted by reference shall apply to the construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, removal, conversion, demolition, occupancy, use, storage, height, area, maintenance, installation, inspection, design, operation, testing, handling, erection and fabrication of equipment, structures and buildings within the County of Pueblo: except work located in a public way, public utility towers and poles, mechanical equipment not specifically regulated in the Code, and hydraulic flood control structures. Where in any specific case, different sections of the Code, the County zoning resolution, or any other resolution of the County or other governmental body specify different requirements, the most restrictive provision shall govern.
Pursuant to C.R.S. § 30-28-201(1), 12-115-107(2) and 12-155-106, except for provisions addressing electrical and plumbing matters, buildings or structures used for the sole purpose of providing shelter for agricultural implements, farm products, livestock, or poultry are exempted from the Code. All provisions of the Code apply to agricultural buildings and structures unless expressly exempted from the Code.
The Code shall apply to all unincorporated areas in Pueblo County.
The adoption of the Resolution shall not create any duty to any person, firm, corporation or other entity with regard to the enforcement or nonenforcement of said Resolution or the Code. No person, firm, corporation or other entity shall have any private right of action, claim or civil liability remedy against the County of Pueblo, or their commissions, boards of review, or officers, employees or agents of such bodies or entities, for any damage arising out of or in any way connected with the adoption, enforcement or nonenforcement of said resolution or the Code. Nothing in said Resolution or in the Code shall be construed to create any liability, or to waive any of the immunities, limitations on liability, or other provisions of the Governmental Immunity Act, C.R.S. § 24-10-101, or to waive any immunities or limitations on liability otherwise available to the County of Pueblo or their commissions, boards of review, or officers, employees or agents of such bodies or entities.
If any part, section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this resolution of the Code is held to be invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this resolution or the Code.
All ordinances, resolutions, regulations and building codes of Pueblo County are repealed and superseded to the extent the same are inconsistent or in conflict with any term or provision of the Code. However, if the Code, this resolution, or any part of either is declared invalid, so that after such declaration of invalidity a building code for any matter covered in the Code shall not be in effect, the previous building or plumbing code covering the same matter shall not be deemed to have been repealed and shall be deemed reenacted and in effect.
As provided in C.R.S. § 30-28-210, any person, firm or corporation violating any provision of the Code may be subject to a civil infraction. Each day after issuance of the county court order during which such unlawful activity continues shall he deemed a separate violation. Any civil penalty ordered by the county court may be collected as provided in C.R.S. § 30-28-110. In case any building or structure is, or is proposed to be, erected, constructed, reconstructed, altered, or remodeled, used, or maintained in violation of any provision of the Code, the Pueblo County Attorney, pursuant to C.R.S. § 30-28-209 and in addition to other remedies provided by law, may institute an injunction, mandamus, abatement, or other appropriate action or proceeding to prevent, enjoin, abate, or remove such unlawful erection, construction, reconstruction, alteration, remodeling, maintenance, or use.
15.05.110 International Mechanical Code; adoption by reference.
(a) The International Mechanical Code, 2021 Edition, including all appendices, promulgated and published by the International Code Council, Inc., 4051 Flossmoor Road, Country Club Hills, IL 60478, hereinafter referred to as the "International Mechanical Code" or "I.M.C.," as amended by this Chapter, together with the minor code, entitled "International Fuel Gas Code," 2021 Edition, promulgated and published by the International Code Council, Inc., 4051 Flossmoor Road, Country Club Hills, IL 60478, hereinafter referred to as the "I.F.G.C.," are collectively adopted by reference; provided, however, that the following sections of the I.M.C. and I.F.G.C. are not adopted and are expressly deleted: I.M.C. Section 103.2, entitled "Appointment," Section 103.3, entitled "Deputies," Section 115, entitled "Violations," and Section 114, entitled "Means of Appeal," and I.F.G.C. Section 115, entitled "Violations," Section 113, entitled "Means of Appeal." And Section 114, entitled "Boards of Appeals".
(b) Copies of these codes are available in the office of the Pueblo County Building Division. The regulation, design, control, construction, installation, quality of materials, location, operation, alteration, repair and maintenance of heating, ventilating, cooling, refrigeration systems, incinerators and other miscellaneous heat-producing appliances or parts thereof within the County shall be in compliance with the terms and provisions of this Chapter and the International Mechanical Code, 2021 Edition, except as same may be excluded from and specifically not covered by this Chapter and said International Mechanical Code.
(a) Section 104.1 of the I.M.C., entitled "General," is amended to read as follows:
"104.1 Pueblo County Building Division - Enforcement Agency. Administration and enforcement of this Code and all related and secondary codes are hereby delegated to the Pueblo County Building Division. Wherever in this Code the phrase 'code official' appears, it shall be construed to refer to the Director or the Building Official of the Pueblo County Building Division or the Building Official's designated representative. The code official, the code official's designated representatives, and such mechanical inspectors as the code official may appoint, shall be vested with the authority of a law enforcement officer with respect to enforcing this Code and Title 15 of the Pueblo County Code, including the authority to issue summons and complaints for the violation thereof."
(b) Section 109.2 of the I.M.C., entitled "Schedule of permit fees," is amended to read as follows:
"Section 109.2 Fee schedule. Fees shall be as set forth in the fee schedule adopted by the County.”
15.05.130 Offenses; criminal penalties; permit revocation; other enforcement.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly violate, disobey, omit, neglect, refuse or fail to comply with or resist the enforcement of any provision of this Chapter or the International Mechanical Code.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to refuse or fail to timely comply with any order issued by the Director or Building Official of the Pueblo County Building Division or other designated mechanical inspector pursuant to the provision of this Chapter or the International Mechanical Code.
(c) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly make any false statement, representation or certification in any application, record, report, plan or other document filed or required to be maintained pursuant to any requirement of this Chapter or the International Mechanical Code.
(d) Any permit issued pursuant to the provisions of this Chapter or the International Mechanical Code may be suspended, terminated or revoked by the Code Official for:
(1) any of the reasons stated in subsection 106.4.5 of the International Mechanical Code' or
(2) any material violation of the terms of said permit or requirements applicable thereto.
(e) In the event any owner or occupant of premises within the County shall refuse entry to the Code Official or any building inspector, or if any premises are locked and the Code Official or any building inspector has been unable to obtain permission of the owner or occupant to enter, the Pueblo County Court is authorized to issue a search or inspection warrant authorizing such entry in accordance with the procedures set forth in the Colorado Court Rules.
(f) In the event any owner or occupant of premises within the County, or any licensed contractor, or any permittee, shall fail or refuse to comply with any provision of this Chapter, the I.M.C. or any license or permit issued thereunder, the County may initiate an action for injunctive relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to compel compliance with said chapter, I.M.C., license or permit.
(g) The enforcement remedies set forth in this Section are expressly declared to be cumulative, and the exercise of any one (1) or more of them is not dependent upon the exercise of any other remedy, nor does the exercise of any one (1) or more of them constitute any bar or limitation to the exercise of any other.