It could be your family dream HQ. Or it could be a dream escape for vacations. There are plenty of reasons why you’re building a house in Colorado.  It’s how to build in the mountains that can muddy the waters.

Paffrath & Thomas not only helps you find the perfect piece of land, we can share the factors involved with building a house in Summit County around Breckenridge, and in Park County as well. Our team has spent over 40 years sharing our knowledge of the area with potential homebuilders.

Contact us, and let’s talk about the factors that go into building a house in the mountains in our area.

Factor 1: Your Budget

Like with any large project, you need to know what your budget limitations are. As part of creating your construction budget, you need to factor in that building in the mountains has a larger fiscal impact than in most other areas of the country. 

• Lot price. In our mountain towns, land is more expensive than most of the country. 
• Lumber/supplies. Because our communities tend to be smaller, we don’t have the on-hand supplies that larger communities do. Much of the lumber/supplies will have to be trucked in per order, which is more expensive.
• Labor costs. Simply put, it costs more to live here than elsewhere. That means a smaller pool of manual labor to actually do the work.

This isn’t meant to scare anyone away. Many people build their dream house in Breckenridge, Frisco, Copper Mountain, Keystone, Dillon, and more! 

Our team at Paffrath & Thomas is happy to help you understand the costs of building a house in Colorado. We can help you create a realistic budget, based on your goals for the property, that will match your expectations to the right-sized investment.

Factor 2: Finding the Perfect Lot

There’s a reason why generations at Paffrath & Thomas have made Breck and the surrounding area our home: Summit County and Park County are beautiful!

But there’s more than natural beauty to the goal of a mountain lifestyle. We can help you drill down and analyze what your goals are for building a house in Colorado. 

For example, several features of the lot may impact your goals and comfort zones. 

• Close to town. This kind of lot/property provides more convenience and better social opportunities.
• Privacy. This land will usually be further from town, frequently with natural features that can “hide” the house from other properties.
• Larger parcel. This kind of acreage is generally found further from population centers.
• Rentability. This impacts the location and the type of house you want to build.
• Access to skiing. Very few lots remain with true ski in/ski out access. However, you may be able to find land within minutes of a slope. 

You’ll also need to think through how you want to care for the property. 

• Will you need to mow in summer? 
• How comfortable are you with shoveling snow?
• How much of a slope can you handle walking/working on? 
• How does the property’s natural features impact accessibility to roads?
• How will utilities reach your house?
• And several other questions that need to be answered. 

Colorado is also very forward-thinking when it comes to building codes and land governance.

 At Paffrath & Thomas, we stay on top of rules and regulations so that we can help you determine the best fit for how you want to enjoy your land, your house, and your time there.

Factor 3: Your House Plans

Nobody knows how to build in the mountains better than the people who live there. At Paffrath & Thomas, we have strong relationships with many architects, designers, and contractors in Breckenridge and Summit County. 

We can make the connections so that you may choose from a qualified, vetted group of professionals. 

To begin, we’ll walk the lot with you. We’ll discuss the view, the lot features, what you want out of living there, and how the location does—or doesn’t—hit the hot points on your list of needs.

When the lot fits, time to start figuring out the plans.

We know construction more than most real estate agents and brokers because of our past experience in the industry. Not only does our staff have expert real estate capabilities, many of us have decades of background in home building, home remodeling, and project management. 

With this kind of knowledge, we can make solid, vetted recommendations for home styles to match your desired lifestyle. 

• Single-level ranch style for easier passage throughout?
• Big views?
• Walkout basement?
• Social/entertainment goals?
• Luxury or cabin?
• HOA requirements?

Everyone has some sort of vision, and we can help you solidify that into a goal. Then, we can make sure that goal fits, because certain lots require certain kinds of housing. There may be restrictions in place in that area regarding home style, utility access, the size of the home, and more.

Finding an architect

When you discover the perfect mountain land for building a house in Colorado, you can rely on Paffrath & Thomas for connecting to the big names in architects and builders. We are happy to make the introductions.

We can even help in the design phase, and sit down with you and your designer/builder.  Or we can look over your plans for a 3rd opinion. Either way, we’re happy to put our 40-plus years of experience here to work for you.

Factor 4: Connecting the Design to Reality

You’ll need to consider other mountain-property realities involved with building a house in Colorado. Some of the biggest realities include:

Sewage

You need to make sure this is planned out. Lots may or may not have access to city sewer. If not, the location of the septic tank remediation system is important. Colorado is one of the most regulated states for septic systems, plus the counties and towns have their own regulations.

This makes sense, because the higher elevations exist at the top of a lot of people’s water sources. The protocols put into effect to ensure water quality will also incur a lot of soft costs—for example, the need for a 3-tank septic system.

Utilities

Your proximity to towns will predict a number of these costs. Most properties close to towns can hook up to gas and electricity.  However, if you value privacy, larger parcels, and/or more natural views, you’ll find that some of these locations have no gas, so you’ll need a propane tank. 

We do strongly recommend having natural gas over propane if possible, so you may need to work bringing a gas line to the house into your budget. Plus, you may have to pay a premium to get electric from the main line(s) out to your location.

Water

If you live far enough from a town, you may have to drill your own well for water. This has costs involved for the drilling and the pipes. Plus, you may want filters built into your home’s water source. These have initial costs, and both monetary and time costs for maintenance. 

Insulation

Houses in the mountains are built very differently than at lower elevations. You have to remember that winter up here can be brutal. Houses here heavily insulate the roofs—not just to keep heat in, but to keep the roof cold so that ice doesn’t stick.  

Our R values are much higher than in the rest of the nation, which means more expense for insulation. We also apply lots of spray foam to tighten leaks and keep that important insulation in place. 

In the mountains we strive to build net zero homes, so we focus on houses that are very tight and very insulated.

Snow Load and Windshear

Snow is great for skiing, but not so great when it piles up on your roof. When you’re building a house in Colorado, as a Summit County homeowner you can expect up to twice the snow load than what most homes get. This means a lot more beams and trusses and steel go into the design and construction.

As for the roof composition, you won’t see clay up here. A necessary consideration is how quickly and easily the snow must slide off your roof to ease the weight. Most roofs are asphalt or metal, so the snow slides easier, and so that water runs off the roof more readily, rather than into the attic and the house.  

The direction the roof faces also impacts design. Having as much southern exposure as possible is great so you can let the sun do some of the snow melt work for you in the winter months. As if that’s not enough, roof design and construction and the roof lines must face sudden, strong winds that can change direction in a heartbeat (wind shear). Reinforcing roofs like this adds to the cost of the build.

Accessibility

When building a house, have you had to think about if the driveway faces north/south? Again, southern exposure is your friend and you will find that your driveway will have a lot more snow in it if it faces north compared to south.

As for snow, where do you push it when you have your driveway plowed? Snow storage is a real thing up, and having a plan is crucial. Another thing to consider is that plow trucks can’t get close to retaining walls, so your driveway may get a bit narrower in the winter months  

You’ll have to build your access routes in a way that compliments the home- but also allows remediation in winter.

Factor 5: Construction Begins!

The Rocky Mountains got that name for a reason: they’re rocky! Digging foundations here takes more time than in many other locations in the country, and costs more. 

Most towns do not have concrete sources nearby, so concrete trucks may be coming from an hour or more away from your location. That increases construction costs too.

Generally speaking, every cost is higher at higher elevations. Construction, supplies, utilities, food. It’s just reality.

You’ll need to make other decisions too— like what your plans are for power outages, how comfortable you are with migrating wildlife, what kind of internet connectivity you will need, or maybe whether you want to be a part of an HOA?

Don’t be afraid, though. When the right lot, the right design, and the right builder come together—dreams happen! 

We promise that once you have your first holiday there as the snow falls and the world sparkles, or you enjoy your first fire in the fireplace or out on the patio with your favorite people, you’ll realize: it was so very worth it.

Let’s Build Your Dream Together

At Paffrath & Thomas, we love our work, and we love where we work. To us, there’s nothing like living in a house in the mountains in Summit County.

We invite you to stop by our office on Main Street in Breckenridge. We’d love to share a hot cup of coffee with you, and talk about your vision for your own place here.

A lot of friends come for the winter, and stay for the summer. Contact us, and let’s explore the possibilities. Allow our Paffrath & Thomas family to guide your family home.

Find out what your home’s worth for free!