Sustainable Design Build

Colorado’s largest lumber mill is shutting down, highlighting another challenge facing the state’s construction industry: access to locally produced building materials.
According to the Denver Post, Montrose Forest Products will close after struggling with limited timber supply and increasing operating costs. The closure is particularly notable because the facility was one of only three commercial-scale lumber mills remaining in Colorado, a state that already imports nearly 90% of the wood used for consumer and commercial products.
For homeowners planning a Denver home remodeling project, the closure does not necessarily mean lumber prices will suddenly increase. However, it does illustrate how material costs can be affected by circumstances far beyond the construction site.

What Colorado’s Largest Lumber Mill Closure Could Mean for Denver Home Remodeling Colorado’s largest lumber mill is shutting down, highlighting another challenge facing the state’s construction industry: access to locally produced building materials.

A home remodeler takes on many roles and responsibilities, and falling short in any one of them can seriously impact a project. The best home remodelers combine transparent pricing, proven construction experience, clear communication, proper licensing, and accountability. In Denver, homeowners should also expect their remodeler to navigate permitting, manage every phase of construction, and coordinate the necessary trades. Together, these qualities create a streamlined remodeling experience built on professionalism, experience, and attention to detail.

What Makes the Best Home Remodeler in Denver The best home remodelers offer transparent pricing, proven construction experience, good communication, proper licensing, and accountability.

Thinking about a custom home or a thoughtful whole home renovation? There may never be a more advantageous time to begin the design process. During slower construction cycles, homeowners gain increased flexibility, improved pricing opportunities, and the chance to plan with intention. Sustainable Design Build (SDB) often advises clients to begin design early, since thoughtful preparation can reduce stress and elevate the final outcome when construction is ready to begin.

Is Now the Best Time to Begin Your Home Remodel? Is now the best time to begin your your home remodel? SDB says, yes. But here is why you should seriously consider reaching out to a GC today!

Some builders struggle with making enough room in the kitchen. Our designers can maximize it. Working with the building code of Denver is what Sustainable Design Build does best. Ask us how we can remodel your home with an addition just like this today.

Building or substantially remodeling a home is one of the largest investments most homeowners will make. But the success of a project isn't determined by construction alone.
It begins much earlier—with realistic planning, thoughtful design, accurate budgeting, clear communication, and a construction team that understands how all of those pieces affect one another.
That philosophy has helped shape Sustainable Design Build, a Denver design-build firm specializing in custom homes, large home additions, whole-home remodels, second-story additions, and ADUs.
Sustainable Design Build co-founder and General Contractor Zach McKendry recently discussed that philosophy on the Edge of Success podcast. Drawing from a lifetime around residential construction and years of experience working directly with Denver homeowners, Zach spoke about something that has become fundamental to how we approach projects at SDB:
A successful home project has to work for the homeowner long before construction begins.
Here are three principles that continue to guide how Sustainable Design Build approaches residential design and construction in Denver.

Building Better Homes in Denver: The Sustainable Design Build Approach Sustainable Design Build co-founder and General Contractor Zach McKendry recently discussed on the Edge of Success podcast.

For many Denver homeowners, a Denver home addition can make more sense than tearing down an existing house and starting over. This is especially true when the existing home has a usable foundation, sound structure, favorable placement on the lot, or architectural character worth preserving.

Denver Home Addition vs. Rebuild: Why Denver homeowners add on instead of scraping and starting over The decision between a home addition vs. rebuild in Denver goes well beyond the cost of demolition.

Is a home addition worth the cost in Denver? Learn when adding onto your existing home makes more sense than moving, what costs to compare, and how to evaluate an addition before you build.

Home additions can create an uncomfortable financial question for homeowners.

If a primary suite addition, expanded kitchen, family room, or second-story addition costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, why not put that money toward buying a larger house instead?

It’s a reasonable question—and one that homeowners are asking.

In a recent online discussion, one homeowner described receiving a substantial quote for a roughly 500-square-foot primary-suite addition. They liked their existing house, neighborhood, school access, and favorable mortgage, but the construction price made them question whether adding onto the home still made financial sense.

The answer depends on what you’re actually comparing.

Can You Convert a Garage Into an ADU in Denver Is a home addition worth the cost in Denver? Learn when adding onto your existing home makes more sense than moving.

Yes, Denver zoning may allow an accessory dwelling unit where an existing garage is located—but that does not mean an existing detached garage can simply be converted into an ADU.

This is an important distinction for Denver homeowners.

Many existing detached garages were constructed as non-living accessory structures, often with garage-specific slab and foundation assemblies. Turning that structure into an accessory dwelling unit changes the project into habitable residential space and introduces different requirements for the foundation, structure, insulation, energy efficiency, utilities, life safety and building envelope.

Denver’s building code specifically distinguishes the two uses: garages are not considered living space.

For many homeowners, that means a project marketed as a simple “garage conversion” can actually require substantial reconstruction before the existing structure can become a compliant dwelling.

The better question isn’t simply, “Can Denver zoning allow an ADU here?”

It is:

“Can the existing garage actually be converted into compliant residential living space—and does converting it make financial sense compared with rebuilding it?”

That is where Sustainable Design Build recommends beginning.

Can You Convert a Garage Into an ADU in Denver Yes, Denver zoning may allow an accessory dwelling unit where an existing garage is located—but that does not mean an existing detached garage can simply be converted into an ADU.

A second-story addition, often called a pop-top addition, gives Denver homeowners something that can be difficult to find in established neighborhoods: significantly more living space without increasing the home’s footprint. For homeowners who like their neighborhood but have outgrown their house, building upward can provide the bedrooms, bathrooms, offices, and flexible living spaces they need without requiring a move.

Why Are Second-Story Additions So Popular in Denver? Learn why second-story additions are a popular Denver remodeling choice for homeowners who need more space without giving up their yard.