Custom home builder in Evergreen and the foothills.
Custom mountain homes in Evergreen, Conifer, Genesee and the Jefferson County foothills west of Denver.
Building in the mountains
Mountain lots ask more before the first board goes up.
Colorado Custom Home Builder plans and builds custom homes in Evergreen, Conifer, Genesee, Golden and the foothills west of Denver. Mountain lots offer the views people move here for, and they raise questions a suburban lot never does: steep grades, wells, septic systems, wildfire and winter access.
- Permits
- Evergreen and Conifer are unincorporated, so Jefferson County handles building permits there. Golden is a city with its own building division.
- Water
- Most mountain lots rely on private wells, permitted by the state Division of Water Resources, and many of those permits limit how the water can be used.
- Wastewater
- Without sewer service, a home needs an onsite wastewater system designed from soil testing and permitted by Jefferson County Public Health.
Local conditions
What shapes a custom home in the foothills.
Steep sites and rock
Granite close to the surface and steep grades often mean stepped foundations, retaining walls and a structural engineer involved from the first site visit.
Driveways and winter access
Fire districts set driveway width, grade and turnaround rules, and the same driveway has to work for concrete trucks and for snowplows every winter.
Forest and wildfire
Dense forest brings wildfire exposure. Defensible space, a Class A roof, ember-resistant vents and careful deck materials all belong in the design.
Snow at elevation
Evergreen sits around 7,000 feet, and higher lots see more snow. The design snow load comes from the county and drives roof framing and pitch.
Before you buy a lot in Evergreen
- Confirm the well permit and what uses it allows.
- Test the soil for septic feasibility.
- Check driveway grade and fire access requirements.
- Ask the county for the design snow load at the site's elevation.
Where we build around Evergreen
We plan custom homes on mountain and foothills sites across western Jefferson County and in Golden.
- Evergreen
- Conifer
- Genesee
- Kittredge
- Indian Hills
- Golden
Local questions
Evergreen building questions.
How do I know if a mountain lot can support a septic system?
An engineer tests the soil on the lot and designs a system to fit it, and the local public health agency issues the permit. Steep slopes, shallow rock or setbacks from a well or stream can limit where a system fits, so test before you buy if you can.
Do I need a well permit before building in Evergreen?
A home needs a legal water supply before a building permit is issued. If the lot has an existing well, confirm its permit and what uses it allows with the Division of Water Resources. A new well needs its own permit.
Is it harder to build in the mountains during winter?
It can be. Excavation slows in frozen ground, concrete needs protection from cold, and snow can limit access for deliveries. A schedule that plans foundation work around the seasons avoids most of the trouble.
Start here
Looking at a mountain lot?
Send the address and any well, septic or survey records you have. We'll help you sort out what the site will ask of the house.