Do you need a gas riser diagram for your Denver-area permit?

What a gas riser diagram is

A gas riser diagram is a drawing of your gas piping system. It shows every pipe run from the meter to the most remote appliance, the size of each section of pipe, and the total connected load in BTUs. Its job is to prove to the building department that your gas system is sized correctly, so that no appliance will be starved for gas and the system meets code.

Projects that typically require a diagram

You'll generally need a gas riser diagram for:

• •New residential construction with gas service
• •Additions that add or extend gas piping
• •ADUs (accessory dwelling units) with gas appliances
• •Adding, replacing, or relocating gas appliances: furnaces, water heaters (including tankless), ranges, fireplaces, outdoor kitchens
• •Any permit where gas piping is part of the scope

If you're adding gas load or changing the piping, assume you'll need one. When in doubt, your plan reviewer will ask for it, so it's faster to have it ready.

The code your reviewer is checking against

Colorado adopts the International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC) statewide, and each jurisdiction adopts its own amended edition. Denver enforces the Denver Fuel Gas Code, based on the 2021 IFGC with local amendments. Surrounding jurisdictions enforce their own adopted editions. This matters because a diagram sized to the wrong edition can come back for corrections. A stamped diagram prepared to your specific jurisdiction's code avoids that round trip.

The fast way to get a stamped diagram

You don't need to draw it yourself or schedule an engineer to visit the site. Send us your floor plans, a list of your gas appliances, and their BTU inputs. A licensed mechanical engineer sizes the system, produces the diagram, and stamps it, with most residential projects done in two business days at a flat rate. If your plans aren't to scale, we'll tell you what dimensions we need.