ADU Design in Cheraw, CO

ADU Design in Colorado: what governs your project

Colorado enacted statewide ADU legislation in 2024 requiring covered local governments to allow accessory dwelling units, limiting local restrictions on where they can be built. Implementation details and local standards are still being worked out in many jurisdictions.

Energy code

Permitting runs through local building departments with plan review for zoning compliance, snow-load and wildfire-interface requirements where applicable. Impact fees and utility tap fees vary by jurisdiction.

Permitting & plan check

Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs, and other large cities run their own development review centers with electronic submittal. Many mountain towns add design review for wildfire and aesthetic standards. Third-party review is common in smaller jurisdictions. Denver's permitting volume makes published review timelines an important planning input.

Good to know

• Expansive bentonite soils are a defining geotechnical challenge along Colorado's Front Range.
• Denver enforces its own Denver Energy Code beyond state requirements.
• The Mile High Flood District's drainage standards are widely referenced across the Denver metro.

Every discipline, one team