General Contractor in Denver, CO
Remodels, additions, and basement work on Denver's older urban lots, planned around city zoning review and constrained site access.
Building in Denver
Denver remodeling is defined by two things: the age of the housing and the size of the lot. Neighborhoods like Berkeley, Sloan's Lake, Congress Park, Park Hill, and Washington Park are largely pre-1940 brick bungalows and Denver squares — knob-and-tube remnants, plaster over wood lath, unreinforced brick, and a 25-by-125 lot with an alley behind it.
That combination changes how a job runs. There is often no room for a dumpster on the street without a right-of-way permit, material has to come through the alley, and the neighbor's foundation may be a few feet from your excavation. We plan staging, protection, and haul-off before the first day rather than improvising around it.
Denver's zoning code also does more work than most Front Range jurisdictions. Bulk plane limits, lot coverage, and building form standards can decide whether a pop-top or a rear addition is feasible at all, and landmark or historic district overlays add design review on top of building permit review. We check those constraints during scoping, not after drawings exist.
Permitting and approvals
- Denver Development Services building permits, submitted and tracked through the city's online permitting system.
- Zoning review for additions, pop-tops, and accessory structures against bulk plane, height, and lot coverage standards.
- Landmark or historic district design review where an overlay applies, in advance of the building permit.
- Right-of-way, dumpster, and street occupancy permits for work staged from the street or alley.
What shapes a Denver project
Pre-1940 construction methods
Plaster and lath, unreinforced masonry, undersized rafters, and original cast-iron waste lines are normal here. Any structural opening in a brick wall needs a lintel detail an engineer signs, and demolition needs to account for materials that may require testing before removal.
Alley access and tight setbacks
Most older Denver lots have alley access and only a few feet of side yard. Excavators, concrete trucks, and material deliveries all have to be sequenced, and neighboring foundations may need shoring or monitoring during any deep dig.
Bulk plane and lot coverage limits
Denver zoning restricts how tall and how far back a second story can go and how much of the lot can be covered. Those rules often shape a pop-top or rear addition more than the budget does.
Historic and landmark overlays
Several Denver neighborhoods sit inside landmark districts where exterior changes go through design review before a building permit is issued. That review adds real calendar time and needs to be built into the schedule.
What we build in Denver
Neighborhoods and areas we cover
- Berkeley
- Sloan's Lake
- Highlands
- Congress Park
- Washington Park
- Park Hill
- Platt Park
- Cherry Creek
Denver questions, answered
How much does a residential general contractor cost in Denver?
Denver projects usually price higher per square foot than the south suburbs for reasons that have nothing to do with finishes: tighter lots, alley-only access, more hand labor, longer plan review, and older systems behind the walls. Rather than quote a rate, we walk the house, itemize the scope in writing, and identify what is likely hiding — knob-and-tube remnants, undersized service, cast-iron waste lines — so the estimate reflects the house you actually own.
How long does Denver permit review take on a remodel?
It varies by scope and by whether design review is involved. Interior work with no structural change moves fastest; anything touching the exterior in a landmark or historic district, adding square footage, or changing the building envelope adds review time on Denver's own calendar. We start the permitting path early and schedule trades around review milestones instead of assuming approval dates.
Do you work in Denver as well as the south metro?
Yes. We are based in Littleton and work north into Denver proper as well as through Englewood, Lakewood, Centennial, and Highlands Ranch. Denver work is permitted and inspected by the city rather than a county, which is the main practical difference in how a project is scheduled.
Can I add a second story to a Denver bungalow?
Sometimes, but zoning decides before structure does. Denver's bulk plane and height standards limit how much of a second story can sit near the side property lines, and the existing foundation and framing have to be evaluated for the added load. We check both before anyone pays for full drawings.
How does a landmark district affect my remodel?
If the property is in a landmark or historic district, exterior changes visible from the street generally need design review before a building permit is issued. Interior work is usually unaffected. The main impact is schedule — that review runs on its own calendar and should be started early.
What makes Denver lots harder to build on than suburban ones?
Space. With alley-only access, minimal side yards, and neighboring structures close to the property line, everything from excavation to material staging takes more planning and often more labor hours than the same scope on a suburban lot.
Do you handle ADUs and garage conversions in Denver?
We build accessory structures and conversions where zoning permits them. Denver has expanded where accessory dwelling units are allowed, but the specific rules for your zone district, lot size, and alley access still need to be confirmed against the current code before design.
Read before you start
Planning something in Denver?
Tell us what you have in mind. We walk the site, talk through what it actually takes here, and send a line-item estimate you can read.