Vanessa, we built a custom home in Grand County in 2017 (it was lost in the East Troublesome fire in 2020) and the initial costs were roughly $250/sq ft. When we had it re-bid just 3 years later it was over $450/sq ft. I’m betting it’s close to $600/sq foot now. A good, reliable builder can be hard to find in the mountains; good reliable contractors even harder. Often they have to truck materials up from Denver ($$), they really can’t start your foundation till the snow melts, then they have to really hustle to get it dried in before the snow starts (as early as September or October) so there may be additional costs there. We moved to the front range after the fire, and a new home just went up in our neighborhood and they paid over $600/sq ft - and that’s not the mountains. I wish you well on your journey!

Oh… and I would caution against your thoughts “I don’t need much HVAC” - in floor heating (which we had) was very expensive but fabulous (compared to forced air) and we had to have an ERV unit (you may have to have two) because of how well it was insulated (another higher cost)…

Thanks Candace, very helpful. Yes, we have two ERVs, one per unit because we have open cell spray insulation.

EVERYTHING costs more now than it did 5 years ago. The price of everything has skyrocketed due to inflation in the past 4 years. Skilled labor is in great demand and short supply. Demographics, covid, stricter legal regulations on businesses, especially the fossil fuel industry, higher interest rates, all have contributed to the inflation we have in our economy now.

Digging for frost depth in Colorado would be different than Texas. How much would that factor into the cost?

I agree and can understand product, wage and transportation inflation but I can still build a pretty nice home here for $300 ft, Lumber, sheetrock, cabinet grade plywood, sheathing, tile... are nearly identical in price in CO and TX.

J. from Lakes Country - you make a good point and that's the kind of specific info I'm looking for - would digging to frost differ greatly from a foundation in Houston with respect to cost? We have horrible soil here with high plasticity and underground water. A well done engineered foundation for a 4,500 ft. two story house will have 60+ piers and will cost $80,000+. Assuming I'm not building on the edge of a cliff in CO on a reasonable lot, does anyone know a ballpark cost to put down a similar foundation?

I'm beginning to think that "labor" is the biggest issue. You have too many wealthy people all fighting for the same thing and willing to pay over sticker for what they want. Layered up management of the project etc. With a good set of plans it might be better for me to send up a framing crew, or have all my cabinets made here then ship them up.

Most of the mountain homes I see have dramatic exposed wood beams inside and out that I have to imagine add to the cost substantially, like the attached picture. We're not really interested in any of that so I can only assume that helps with cost.

East Fort Geroge Remodel and Addition · More Info

Permitting costs are ridonkulous in CO, especially in the towns with a large second home population. It’s a fundraising opportunity for the locals. You may
(Pitkin County for sure) also be charged estimated local sales tax ahead of the build on all your materials, so accurate record keeping is a must ! We also were building on an area with mine tailings, so that all had to be excavated, and a superfund cleanup site (lead from the mining) and that all had to be properly thrown away.

TX is a stupid cheap place, with some ridiculously cheap building practices that's been fueled by low immigrant labor costs for decades. You won't get that cheap for large homes anywhere else in the entire US.

CO high desert mountains presents a much bigger logistical challenge, a much more challenging environmental cost and assessment, with permitting also challenging. It's one of the more expensive locations to build. Considering the TX cost has probably almost doubled, and CO was double TX to begin with, you probably should expect 4-5x the cost of your build in TX, for something "similar". Except, you should never build TX bouffant style homes in CO.

fiss fiss and Minardi - I appreicate the input, especially around permitting, environmental, sales tax, possible clean-up, etc. All that is a big turn off for me, I'm not willing to pay for other peoples problems, nor do I want this to be non-deductible charity for locals. Probably won't build.

I agree we do have cheaper labor in TX but there are crappy houses everywhere.

Change gears: How about doing substantial interior remodeling? If I'm trying to do all or most under the radar is this possible or are there "minders"? I'd be doing some of the work myself.

Remodeling costs more per square foot than buying new. As soon as you have a dumpster, or an electrician's van, your neighbors are going to be nosy. And then you get the fines.

Floor warming costs a fortune (at least that's my take from the board) and then you still need the HVAC for AC. You will want AC.

High local building costs and short building seasons are good reasons to consider panelized or modular construction. That will speed up on-site construction and take advantage of lower labor rates where panels are manufactured. Colorado has both expansive soils and risk of earthquakes. I'd take a look at a pre-cast foundation system such as Superior Walls combined with a home constructed of structural insulated panels (SIPS.)

Thanks everyone, 99% sure after this conversation and a few others we won't build.

It wouldn't occur to me to remodel without a building permit. If you do any electrical, you'll want it inspected - which you can't do without a permit (or without alerting the permitting authorities, which in my experience are in the same office).

You might save some money on remodeling "under the radar", but I suspect the fines when you get caught will be a lot more expensive - and you will eventually get caught.