Adding a Primary Suite With a Pop Top: Planning a Second-Story Retreat in Denver

Adding a Primary Suite With a Pop Top: Planning a Second-Story Retreat in Denver

Adding a primary suite with a pop top means building a new second story on top of your existing home to hold a private bedroom, bathroom and walk-in closet. In Denver, the plan comes down to four checks: whether your foundation and framing can carry a second floor, whether the design fits the city’s bulk plane and height limits, a building permit, and a realistic budget. At SDB, pop tops typically run about 550–650 per square foot, with a fixed price set before construction begins.

Can I Build an ADU in Greenwood Village?

Can I Build an ADU in Greenwood Village?

Yes. Since June 30, 2025, Colorado’s ADU law (HB24-1152) requires Greenwood Village to allow one accessory dwelling unit on lots zoned for a single-family home. It can be detached, attached or inside the house, and approval is administrative, with no public hearing. Your lot’s setbacks, size limits and utilities decide what fits.

Moving Your Laundry Room Upstairs

Moving Your Laundry Room Upstairs

Can you move your laundry room upstairs? Yes. Most two-story homes can move the washer and dryer to the second floor. The project needs a water supply, a properly trapped and vented drain, a dryer vent to the outside within code length limits, the right electrical or gas service, and leak protection like a drain pan and shutoff valve. Nationally, a move from the basement to a second floor commonly runs about $12,000 to $20,000 when it’s a standalone project.

The Denver Custom Home Building Process, Step by Step

The Denver Custom Home Building Process, Step by Step

Building a custom home in Denver typically takes about 15 to 23 months from the first conversation to move-in, and less than two-thirds of that is construction. Most custom homes we build start at $500 to $700 per square foot and land between $1.2 million and $1.5 million. The difference between a project that stays on budget and one that doesn’t is almost always decided before the first shovel hits the ground.

Burnham Yard Small Area Plan Draft Released: What It Means for La Alma Lincoln Park and Central Denver

Burnham Yard Small Area Plan Draft Released: What It Means for La Alma Lincoln Park and Central Denver

The City of Denver has released the first draft of the Burnham Yard Small Area Plan, a 61-page document that will guide the city’s priorities for the former railyard where the Denver Broncos plan to build their next stadium. The draft contains more than 30 policy recommendations and reflects roughly a year of community input from residents who attended open houses and submitted feedback on the future of the 58-acre site in La Alma Lincoln Park.

Essential Home Remodeling Ideas for a Growing Family

Essential Home Remodeling Ideas for a Growing Family

At Sustainable Design Build, we understand that remodeling a home is about more than adding square footage or updating finishes. It’s about designing spaces that accommodate life’s important transitions. For Denver homeowners preparing for a new baby or planning for a larger family, the following home remodeling ideas offer practical ways to create a more comfortable, adaptable living environment.

Building an ADU for Family: Creating a Support System for New Mothers and Growing Families

Building an ADU for Family: Creating a Support System for New Mothers and Growing Families

An accessory dwelling unit (ADU) can help new and expecting parents build a stronger family support system by providing independent housing for grandparents or other relatives on the same property. For a new mother, having trusted family members living steps away can make everyday support more accessible during pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and the first years of raising a child. Unlike simply adding another bedroom to a home, an ADU gives extended family a private residence with its own living space, kitchen, bathroom, and entrance while keeping them close enough to help with childcare, meals, errands, household responsibilities, and the everyday demands of a growing family.

Why Warm Natural Kitchens Are Becoming One of the Most Popular Remodeling Trends in Denver

Why Warm Natural Kitchens Are Becoming One of the Most Popular Remodeling Trends in Denver

Warm natural kitchens are becoming one of the most popular remodeling trends in Denver as homeowners move away from overly sterile designs and prioritize organic materials, layered lighting, natural wood tones, and functional layouts. These kitchens combine modern functionality with timeless interior design elements that improve both everyday living and long-term home value.

The Complete Guide to Building an ADU in Denver

The Complete Guide to Building an ADU in Denver

Accessory Dwelling Units have become one of the most practical ways Denver homeowners can add functional living space, increase the usefulness of their property, and create flexible housing for family, guests, work, or long-term rental use. But just because these projects are well known and growing in popularity, does not mean that they are easy. Building an ADU is a large home remodeling project and comes with numerous steps all of which need to be considered carefully. Which is why Sustainable Design Build wants to provide an updated and complete guide to building an ADU in Denver.

Beyond the Guest Suite: Unique Functional Rooms for a Denver ADU

Beyond the Guest Suite: Unique Functional Rooms for a Denver ADU

A Denver ADU can do more than add a bedroom and kitchen. Thoughtful interior design can create a dedicated bathing room, flexible work area, adaptable guest space, or storage that supports everyday living. Sustainable Design Build, an ADU general contractor with in-house design services, coordinates these features with the layout and construction plan from the start.

Adding a Primary Suite With a Pop Top: Planning a Second-Story Retreat in Denver

Why Are Denver Homeowners Choosing General Contractors Instead of Moving?

A Denver ADU can do more than add a bedroom and kitchen. Thoughtful interior design can create a dedicated bathing room, flexible work area, adaptable guest space, or storage that supports everyday living. Sustainable Design Build, an ADU general contractor with in-house design services, coordinates these features with the layout and construction plan from the start.

Building a Custom ADU in the Denver Metro Area with a general contractor

Building a Custom ADU in the Denver Metro Area with a general contractor

Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) are becoming one of the most effective ways Denver homeowners can add flexible living space, rental income, and long-term property value. With updated zoning laws and statewide legislation expanding access, building a custom ADU in the Denver metro area is now more achievable than ever. This guide explains ADU types, costs, regulations, and how Sustainable Design Build helps homeowners plan and construct well-designed ADUs that integrate seamlessly with existing properties.

Preparing for Home Addition Contractor in Littleton

Preparing for Home Addition Contractor in Littleton

Expanding your home with a home addition is one of the most effective ways to gain space, comfort, and long-term value without moving. Whether you’re planning a new family room, primary suite, or connected guest quarters, the addition process transforms both your home and how you live in it. Once the design and permitting phases are complete, construction begins—and with it comes the exciting (and busy) phase of activity at your property.

How Much Does A Contractor Charge to Finish a 2,500 Sq Ft Basement

How Much Does A Contractor Charge to Finish a 2,500 Sq Ft Basement

To finish a basement adds valuable living space and boosts property value, but the cost can vary widely on design and materials. According to sources and trends, the average cost to finish a basement ranges between $7 and $23 per square foot. For a 2,500-square-foot basement, homeowners can expect to invest between $17,500 and $57,500 on average

What Makes the Best Home Remodeler in Denver

What Makes the Best Home Remodeler in Denver

A home remodeler has many different roles and responsibilities, failing at any single one of those and a project can suffer severely. For homeowners, the best home remodelers offer transparent pricing, proven construction experience, good communication, proper licensing, and accountability. Throughout the entire remodeling process, these professionals should be able to provide a streamlined experience that is guided by experience, training, professionalism, and attention to detail. In Denver, homeowners should expect a remodeler to be able to navigate the permitting process, project manage every construction phase of the project, and collaborate with the necessary tradesmen. The very best home remodeler should be at the very least these things.

Can You Convert a Garage Into an ADU in Denver

Can You Convert a Garage Into an ADU in Denver

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.

Why Are Second-Story Additions So Popular in Denver?

Why Are Second-Story Additions So Popular in Denver?

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.

Building an ADU for Parents in Denver: What Homeowners Should Know Before They Build

Building an ADU for Parents in Denver: What Homeowners Should Know Before They Build

Yes. Many Denver homeowners can build an accessory dwelling unit to create a private residence for parents or other family members while keeping multiple generations close together. The most successful ADU projects begin with professional feasibility and zoning analysis to determine what can be built, what it may cost, and how the design can maximize the long-term usefulness of the property.

How Long Does a Home Addition Take in Denver?

How Long Does a Home Addition Take in Denver?

A home addition in Denver can take several months from initial planning to final completion depending on permitting, structural complexity, weather conditions, and project scope. While smaller additions may move faster, larger second-story additions, pop tops, and complex remodels often require extended architectural planning, engineering coordination, and phased construction scheduling.

Denver ADU Size and Zoning: What Homeowners Need to Know Before Building

Denver ADU Size and Zoning: What Homeowners Need to Know Before Building

For many Denver single-unit properties where ADUs are permitted, lots of 7,000 square feet or less may allow an ADU up to 864 square feet, while lots larger than 7,000 square feet may allow up to 1,000 square feet. However, maximum ADU size is not determined by lot size alone. Zoning, setbacks, building coverage, building form, access, and property-specific conditions can determine what can actually be constructed.

How Much Does a Home Addition Cost in Denver? Real-World Pricing and What Homeowners Should Expect

How Much Does a Home Addition Cost in Denver? Real-World Pricing and What Homeowners Should Expect

A home addition in Denver can cost roughly $200 to $600 or more per square foot, depending on the type of addition, structural requirements, finishes, plumbing, foundation work, and complexity of the existing home. Recent Denver homeowners discussing actual contractor quotes have reported figures around $350 to $450 per square foot, while more complex projects can reach the upper end of that range.

Sustainable Design Build Nominated Best Home Remodeler

Sustainable Design Build Nominated Best Home Remodeler

The Denver Post Best of the Front Range gives Colorado residents an opportunity to recognize businesses and professionals serving communities throughout Denver and the Front Range. In 2026, Sustainable Design Build is among the companies nominated for Best Home Remodeler, giving local residents an opportunity to vote for the remodeling company they believe deserves the recognition.