Despite recent headlines about tariffs, trade wars, and economic uncertainty, there are still strong reasons for homeowners to move forward with their dream construction projects—whether it’s a custom home, an accessory dwelling unit (ADU), or a major home addition. At Sustainable Design Build (SDB), we understand how economic changes can feel daunting, but we also see the opportunities—and we’re here to help you navigate them with confidence.

The National Association of Home Builders published a study recently covering the Cost of Construction of new single-family homes. The Survey shows varying percentages of components that contribute to the overall cost, interestingly, the overall cost of these components have been reported as staying relatively consistent in recent years.

On April 14th, 2025, Mayor Mike Johnston signed an Executive Order as part of a new initiative to overhaul Denver’s permitting process. This initiative will bring about 300 employees responsible for the permitting review across seven city departments together under a new office, the Denver Permitting Office (DPO). Even more, the initiative promises that all building permits — regardless of size and scope, commercial or residential — will be fully reviewed within 180 days. If the permitting process is not completed within that timeframe, specialized city officials will step in to expedite the plan reviews within a short, designated period, and applicants may even receive partial refunds of permitting fees.

DENVER – Sustainable Design Build has been building along the Front range since 2016. But co-owner and general contractor Zach McKendry says he still doesn’t know what to expect while trying to get construction permits approved by the City of Denver, something he calls a “huge pain.”

Mayor Mike Johnston announced on April 14, 2025 his first executive order, the creation of the Denver Permitting Office, or DPO. Executive Order 151 takes aim at the infamous Denver City and County Department of Neighborhood Development along with all of the related department services that are intertwined with permitting processes for any type of construction in Denver. For years following the pandemic, Denver’s Developmental Services have been inundated with a boom of permitting and plan review requests which have led to astronomically long wait times. These wait times have even breached 300 days in recent years, leaving anybody; Developer, homeowner, or general contractor at the mercy of an overburdened bureaucratic system.