Custom Kitchens for Denver Homes
Castle Rock Kitchens designs and remodels kitchens in Denver, where the housing stock covers more than a century and a half. The city was founded in November 1858 during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush and became the consolidated City and County of Denver in 1902. City Council first enacted the Denver Landmark ordinance in 1967, and the city now has designated historic districts as well as individual landmarks.
If a house is a landmark or sits in a historic district, check with Landmark Preservation before changing windows or adding on. Interior kitchens in older homes bring their own puzzles: plaster, out-of-square rooms, limited electrical service and plumbing that has been modified many times.
The Mile-High Derate
At 5,280 feet, the National Fuel Gas Code derate is roughly 13 percent, so an 18,000 BTU burner delivers about 15,600 BTU. Water boils near 202°F according to CSU Extension. It's a modest change, but worth checking against a range's high-altitude specification.
Permits Through Community Planning and Development
Denver issues its own permits as a consolidated city and county. Residential work goes through Community Planning and Development. A remodel that moves plumbing, gas, electrical or walls generally needs plan review and inspections, and in an older house, opening walls can reveal wiring or plumbing that needs attention too.
Hail, Service Lines and Denver Water
Colorado ranks second in the country for hail insurance claims, and the May 8, 2017 Front Range hailstorm was the state's costliest at $2.3 billion in insured losses, according to the Rocky Mountain Insurance Information Association. Skylights, replacement windows and new exterior vent caps should be specified with that in mind.
Denver Water says homes built before 1951 are more likely to have lead service lines and replaces them at no direct cost. Its water averages 89 mg/L hardness, soft to moderately hard and slightly harder in winter, so scale is a mild concern rather than a major one.
Design, Cabinetry and Remodeling in Denver
Older Denver kitchens reward careful planning. Design work resolves layout and ventilation around the house as it is; custom cabinetry is scribed to walls that are rarely straight; and the remodel follows Denver's permit and inspection sequence.
Denver Kitchen Remodeling Questions
Do I need a permit for a kitchen remodel in Denver?
Work that moves plumbing, gas, electrical or walls generally needs one from Denver Community Planning and Development. Replacing finishes in place may not; the city decides.
My Denver home is in a historic district. Does that affect a kitchen remodel?
Interior kitchen work is a different matter from exterior changes, but check with Denver Landmark Preservation before changing windows, doors or adding on to a landmark or district property.
Should I replace my service line during a Denver kitchen remodel?
If the house was built before 1951, ask Denver Water. It says older homes are more likely to have lead service lines and replaces them at no direct cost.
Nearby Service Areas
Our Front Range service area runs from Colorado Springs to Fort Collins. We also work in Boulder and the rest of the corridor.