General Contractor in Boulder

General Contractors Denver works as a general contractor in Boulder for all-electric new homes, net-zero custom homes, remodels and commercial projects. Boulder is the Boulder County seat, sitting against the Flatirons at roughly 5,400 feet, and its voters have a long record of shaping how the city builds: in 1959 they set the Blue Line above which city water would not be supplied, and in 1967 they became the first in any U.S. city to tax themselves specifically to buy open space. Its building rules follow the same pattern, and they shape design and budget before anything else.

Boulder's energy code drives the design

City of Boulder Planning and Development Services, at 1777 Broadway, issues permits through the EnerGov portal. City Council adopted the 2024 International Code Council codes with local amendments in Title 10 of the Boulder Revised Code, effective August 1, 2025. The defining document, though, is the 2024 City of Boulder Energy Conservation Code, in effect since December 1, 2024.

Commercial projects must also maximize roof space for renewables, with exceptions for uses such as commercial cooking, hospitals and labs. For a custom home in Boulder, that means the heat pump system, the envelope, the solar array and the roof design are worked out together. A house planned at 3,100 square feet and one at 2,900 square feet face different targets, so floor area is an energy decision here too.

Remodels and gas equipment

The energy code reaches existing homes as well. Level 3 alterations must achieve an Energy Rating Index of 50 or less or a 30 percent improvement over the existing home, and natural gas equipment may only be replaced with all-electric or other non-fossil equipment. A whole-home renovation in Boulder therefore often becomes an electrification project: panel capacity, heat pump sizing and envelope upgrades are scoped with the finishes.

Wildfire, wind and flash floods

Boulder first adopted the International Wildland Urban Interface Code in 2014, and its 2024 edition with local amendments applies to building permits in the city's WUI Area as of August 1, 2025. The code sets three classes of ignition-resistant construction by fire hazard severity, the requirements apply to the permitted scope of work, and new fence and gate sections within 8 feet of a structure must be noncombustible.

NOAA's Physical Sciences Laboratory says Boulder has some of the highest peak winds of any U.S. city, and its windstorm log records a 147 mph gust at NCAR on January 23, 1971. On December 30, 2021, the day of the Marshall Fire, it noted a 108 mph gust south-southwest of town. The city also says it has the highest risk of flash flooding in Colorado, with Boulder Creek, its 14 tributaries and Boulder Slough running through town, and work on a property may need a floodplain or wetland permit.

Height, the Blue Line and historic districts

Section 84 of the Boulder City Charter limits buildings and other structures throughout the city to a height not exceeding 55 feet. Boulder also has 10 historic districts, including the Downtown Boulder Historic District, and exterior changes to an individual landmark or a property in a district require a Landmark Alteration Certificate before work begins.

Deconstruction and site permits

Full structure deconstruction projects must divert 75 percent of waste by weight and post a refundable deposit of $1 per square foot, with a $1,500 minimum. A grading permit is required for more than 50 cubic yards of cut or fill, and erosion control permits for projects disturbing an acre or more. Under it all, the Colorado Geological Survey maps swelling soil and rock beneath every major Front Range city, so site-specific soils testing comes first. Our design-build approach keeps energy, structure and cost aligned through all of it.

Boulder on the map

Nearby, we also build in Louisville, Lafayette, Longmont and Broomfield. See every Front Range service area, or request a consultation for a Boulder project.