--- title: "Constructive Alternatives — General Contractors | Houzz" canonical_html_url: https://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractors/constructive-alternatives-pfvwus-pf~1925522958 markdown_url: https://www.houzz.com/md/professionals/pf~1925522958.md entity_type: LocalBusiness business_name: "Constructive Alternatives" category: ["General Contractors"] image: https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/be93cc540386a0f9_4433-w400-h400-b0-p0--.jpg address: "Boulder, Colorado 80308, United States" phone: "(303) 748-2861" website: "" rating: 5 review_count: 9 best_of_houzz_awards: 1 last_updated: 2026-09-03 --- # Constructive Alternatives Original Houzz profile: [Constructive Alternatives](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractors/constructive-alternatives-pfvwus-pf~1925522958) ## Professional summary - **Primary category:** General Contractors - **Location:** Boulder, CO - **Serves:** Arvada, Westminster, Boulder, Longmont, Broomfield, Brighton, Lafayette, Erie, Louisville, Golden, Superior, Gunbarrel, Evergreen, Estes Park, Niwot, Coal Creek, Lyons, Nederland, Paragon Estates, Pine Brook Hill, Central City, Sugarloaf, Tall Timber, Eldora, Eldorado Springs, Jamestown, Gold Hill, Sunshine, Rollinsville, Crisman, Mountain Meadows, Seven Hills, Bark Ranch, Valmont, Black Hawk, Ward, Flagstaff, Golden Gate, Hygiene, Leyner, Pinecliffe, Salina - **Houzz rating:** 5.0 out of 5 (9 reviews) - **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2024), for Service. ## About ### Houzz Badges - Recommended on Houzz - 25 Ideabook Saves - Eco-friendly - Woman owned - Veteran owned Constructive Alternatives was first established in the 1990s to redirect our hotel and high-rise experience towards high performance, earth-sheltered, net zero, and off-grid luxury homes, ranches, recording studios, monasteries, and sanctuaries. It’s been our life’s work honing our construction trades skills and renewable systems practices while creating some phenomenal commercial and residential structures. We bring an ICC Class A (Building Unlimited) General Contractor license and decades of experience completing more award-winning, eclectic, green-built homes and ranches than we can count. Our clients and partners have also been able to leverage our past experience leading huge crews as the superintendent for iconic buildings such as downtown Denver's 30-story Tabor Center, Denver Tech Center's 10-story Empower Retirement Triple Towers; picturesque Vail Marriott Mountain Resort; and the highly energy-efficient Boulder County Justice Center and Boulder County Jail. All told, we've built, remodeled, or "renewably" energized hundreds of homes, commercial properties, executive hangars, earth-sheltered dwellings, sound studios, and luxury housing developments. Our sweet spot today is combining high performance building envelopes with renewable energy, HRV/ERV, battery storage, smart home, and reclaimed water systems. We love erecting high R-value, super strong structures that use recycled or sustainably-sourced building products like insulated concrete forms and cross-laminated timber; installing geothermal and solar thermal hydronic heating & cooling systems; interconnecting HRV/ERV air handlers for healthy indoor environments' and designing/installing renewable power systems (solar PV, wind, and micro-hydro) with battery back-up for "off-grid" homes, pools, ranches, and remote commercial projects. When we have the opportunity to work with others who want to BUILD BETTER TOGETHER, that's where the magic happens! ### Services Provided - Home Remodeling - General Contracting - Home Additions - Custom Homes - New Home Construction - Home Extensions - Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) - Basement Remodeling - Guesthouse Design & Construction - Flooring Installation - Garage Building - Home Restoration - Pool House Design & Construction - Project Management - Multigenerational Homes - Energy-Efficient Homes - House Framing - Green Building - Stair Installation - Barn Design & Construction - Workshop Design & Construction - Staircase Design - Attic Restoration - Sustainable Design - Shed Design & Construction - Metal Roofing - Radiant Floor Heating - Spray Foam Insulation - Construction with Insulated Concrete Forms - Heating System Installation - Smart Homes - Solar Panel Installation - Solar Pool Heating - Solar Tube Installation - Solar Water Heating - Ventilation Installation & Repair ### Areas Served - Arvada - Westminster - Boulder - Longmont - Broomfield - Brighton - Lafayette - Erie - Louisville - Golden - Superior - Gunbarrel - Evergreen - Estes Park - Niwot - Coal Creek - Lyons - Nederland - Paragon Estates - Pine Brook Hill - Central City - Sugarloaf - Tall Timber - Eldora - Eldorado Springs - Jamestown - Gold Hill - Sunshine - Rollinsville - Crisman - Mountain Meadows - Seven Hills - Bark Ranch - Valmont - Black Hawk - Ward - Flagstaff - Golden Gate - Hygiene - Leyner - Pinecliffe - Salina ### Typical Job Cost $80,000 - 5 million We help clients create comfortable, cost-effective, and climate-conscious homes and buildings that are powered, heated, and cooled with 100% renewable resources. Solar PV and heating/cooling systems are often in the $35,000-$120,000 range. Typical off-grid, luxury, homes and buildings range from $600,000 to $4,000,000. Remodels, ADUs, workshops, and airplane hangars are in the $150,000-$750,000 range. ## Business Details | Field | Value | | --- | --- | | Business Name | Constructive Alternatives | | Address | Boulder, Colorado 80308, United States | | Phone | (303) 748-2861 | | License Number | CON-23-0034 | ## Contact - **Houzz profile:** [Constructive Alternatives](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractors/constructive-alternatives-pfvwus-pf~1925522958) - **Phone:** (303) 748-2861 ## Credentials **Certifications & Awards** - Best of Houzz 2024 - **Best of Houzz:** 1 award (2024), for Service. ## Reviews **Overall rating: 5.0 out of 5 — 9 reviews** *Aspect averages:* - Work Quality: 50.0 - Communication: 50.0 - Value: 50.0 ### All 9 reviews **★★★★★ — HU-499951987, Aug. 2023** > These guys have over 40 years experience creating smart and renewable energy systems. You get a self sustainable property with immediate equity growth potential, lasting value and low maintenance costs. They will build it right the first time so taking the risk of using someone who might be able to do it for less money is not worth it. **★★★★★ — Solasonic, Aug. 2023** > This is a great company! I can personally attest to their quality craftsmanship, cutting edge systems, and exceptional execution. We had our old home remodeled on 7th Street in Boulder overlooking North Boulder Park. What started out as a small and dated bungalow was completely transformed into a solar and green-built show piece. We built it with 80% recycled ICF block walls for the foundation and exterior...which no one would ever guess with its Craftsman home look and feel. Because of the high performance building envelope, only a small rooftop solar PV and thermal along with battery storage system was able to handle our 4,400 square foot homes energy, heating, and cooling needs. > > It was extra cool that I got to come up with my own little addition to the project...a trap door from my bedroom directly to the rec room in the basement! It was definitely a great place to have friends over to play pool, watch movies, or hang out in our oversized hot tub that was totally heated by the sun. How the final product turned out was so impressive, we submitted it for an Architect's Institute of America Award, which it won. Our home was also featured 3 years in a row on Boulder' Solar Home Tour. After that experience, I was hooked and began working on and off with this company. We broke ground on several other fully custom and off-grid homes and ranches (Vagabond, Roosevelt, Caribou, Conifer, Blackhawk) across Colorado's Front Range. One of the coolest projects I worked with them on after my own home was the Sunshine Canyon "Horseshoe Home." If you include the garage and showroom there ended up being over 8,000 square feet of conditioned space that was heated and powered with solar and geothermal. That house is epic! It has amazing views and insane craftsmanship. > > All in all, Constructive Alternatives is a future forward company with so much experience incorporating renewables to support a sustainable living experience for its customers (whether a barn, small bungalow, ADU, guest house, earth-sheltered dwelling, or large luxury home). It's been a privilege to live in one of their homes and then go on to work with them, allowing me to work side-by-side with so many master tradesmen who are creating the next generation of cool net zero homes. > > Highly Recommend! **★★★★★ — Bodhgaia Architecture, Aug. 2023** > I'm an architect and have worked with Davide Picard on several projects. Constructive Alternatives brings loads of skill and passion to every project, and their follow-through is thorough and detailed. This man has no fear of those building details that architects tend to draw (!) - though they may look amazing at the end, some contractors don't want to go out of their comfort zone. At Constructive Alternatives I found willing and able partners in creating beautiful buildings. Thank you CA team!! **★★★★★ — Muhammad Arshad, July 2023** > Incredible experience with Constructive Alternatives and I wholeheartedly recommend them to anyone in need of a professional solar company. From the moment contacted, knew was dealing with true experts in the field. > > The team was knowledgeable, courteous, and efficient. They patiently answered questions and guided through the entire process with clarity and transparency. Their attention to detail during the installation was impressive, and they ensured that every aspect of the solar system was set up perfectly. **★★★★★ — Joyce Ann Urban, July 2023** > I worked with Constructive Alternatives as an apprentice, specifically assisting with the self sustainable airport hangar project. I worked on acoustical soundboard panel fabrication for the executive hangar. I also helped support solar thermal, geothermal, and solar PV system installs, as well as painting, light tool, and some heavy machinery operation (e.g., magnetic drilling machine and scissor lift). > > For me Constructive Alternatives is aligned with my environmental protection and preservation values, as well as executing creative and eco-intuitive solutions to complex constructive projects. > > I am inspired by the way this company creates community and accomplishes impressive engineering, mechanical, and electrical feats so efficiently. This company, and the people in it, is one in a million, and I am always excited to see what problems they are going to solve next! **Comment from Constructive Alternatives:** > Kristine, we appreciated all of your hard work and diligence on the hangar project. You are a quick learner and very versatile. We were impressed with the way you would jump in to new work each day and your fearlessness learning the skills and attributes required of several different trades like welding, fabrication, concrete resurfacing, and renewable application support on the solar thermal and geothermal in floor heating and cooling we installed together. We hope that your experience taught you about how to approach a building, a project, and any challenge with a big picture, holistic, and solution-focused orientation. Good luck with your next endeavor. You are welcomed back to the crew anytime. **★★★★★ — Joyce DeCastecker, July 2023** > We had an unfinished attic room that we’ve wanted to finish into a bedroom for years. To make it a bedroom we had to remove a stationary window with an arch and make it code compliant for egress. This was challenging to find and install a specialty window for the space. The floor had to be leveled to take out a dropped step again to make the entry code compliant. The entry is now level with our loft floor upstairs. I was impressed with the expertise for the walls and ceiling adjustments because we had so many angles and it was a challenge from a framing and drywall perspective. This is probably why it was difficult to find a contractor who would take on the project. > > They were even able to remove some studs and further increase the room size and this made adding another storage space possible that we hadn’t even planned on. All told, we were able to get another 50 square feet added to the room. > > We had a skylight that they were able to install and they also put in an additional 5 flush round recessed LED lights that we could dim (including two more in the closets that they framed out and wired). This allowed a lot more light in the space, far more than I expected given the room is 420 square feet and we only have the one window. > > We had a vent pipe that they framed in and they additionally created another enclosed storage space with shelving and custom doors to match the custom arched door that they fabricated for the extra storage room. The door they made for the storage room looks like a cute little hobbit door that they stained to match the pergo flooring that they installed for us. > > They insulated the whole room and below the floor to make it tight and well weatherized so it can stay cool when it’s blazing outside and warm in the winter. Because there was no ductwork to that room, they installed a mini split to heat and cool the space. This was a very energy efficient path, and they advised us on the tax credits we could obtain for the insulation, high efficiency mini split, and the well insulated casement window. > > They did a good job of matching the knockdown pattern and paint color that is in the rest of our house. > > I was impressed with their creativity given all the different angles of the walls in the room, also with the cost effective approach to heating and cooling this large new space that once was just an attic. Our new “hobbit door” with an arched entry was custom fabricated it to fit the space and maximize head height. We even found the “just right handle” to bring together the old world style of our home. > > Because of all the different parts that had to be ordered and come together at just the right time, they were always good about communicating timeframes and making sure to always be there to keep the job moving forward even while waiting a long time on some things to arrive from vendors. > > Working with them was a joy. **Comment from Constructive Alternatives:** > Working with you was an absolute joy too! Thanks for the opportunity to create more value for you and your home. **★★★★★ — Ryan Hill, July 2023** > I have had the pleasure of consulting with Davide and Nichole on an equity land trust partnership development framework since 2020, and I have been consistently impressed with their skills, knowledge, and work ethic. They have a deep understanding of the principles of passive solar design, and they are always looking for new ways to use sustainable materials and practices in their designs. We have been reviewing options for ICF construction, photovoltaics, and battery storage so each project can be completely self-sustaining and intermittently off-grid. **★★★★★ — Ben, July 2023** > Nichole and Davide at Constructive Alternatives are simply amazing. If you're looking for an honest consultation, quality products, great workmanship, and customer service, you have to consider them. It's rare to come across a single company that can provide that and also a high level of expertise across a wide variety of equipment (Solar PV, Battery Storage, Geothermal, Solar Thermal, etc.) **Comment from Constructive Alternatives:** > Thanks Ben, we really appreciate partnering with you and the expertise and diligence you bring to every project. **★★★★★ — Phil Roth, July 2023** > I work for a manufacturer of one of the products that Constructive Alternatives utilize to help their customers be more energy efficient. Nichole and Davide have been a joy to work with. They took advantage of all of the training resources that we have to offer and brought lots of great questions to us. It's obvious that this is a company that really does their back-end research and due diligence. Wish I lived a little bit closer to Boulder (for lots of reasons haha) because I'd happily have them build and design my net-zero dream home. **Comment from Constructive Alternatives:** > Thanks so much Phil! We've found Lumin to be such a great group of folks to work with, especially on off-grid battery storage solutions. We can consult with a local builder whenever you're ready to build that dream net-zero home ;-) ## Selected projects - [Residential Renewable Energy and Battery Storage Systems](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/residential-renewable-energy-and-battery-storage-systems-pj-vj~7260677) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 3 - [Commercial/Utility Renewable Energy & Battery Systems](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/commercial-utility-renewable-energy-and-battery-systems-pj-vj~7149189) - Location: Not specified - Photos: 48 - Description: Check out a few of the different renewable (wind, solar PV, solar thermal, geothermal) systems and battery storage projects we've done over the years for our utility scale, commercial, and residential clients. - [Boulder Airport Self-Sustainable Executive Hangar](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/boulder-airport-self-sustainable-executive-hangar-pj-vj~7146521) - Location: Boulder, CO - Photos: 8 - Description: SUSTAINABLE, COOL, AND A SMOOTH FLIGHT FOR YOU This was the first Executive VIP CAT I & II Airport Hangar ever sold at the Boulder Municipal Airport. We completed the first phase of this pilot project in 2019. We completed a remodel for a national shoe brand's headquarters in 2022. The original build made it perfect for private aircraft/jet owners who want to be based right in the heart of the developing area of Boulder City. The first of three planned executive hangars is nestled in the premium… - [Net Zero Bungalow in North Boulder](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/net-zero-bungalow-in-north-boulder-pj-vj~7140564) - Location: Boulder, CO - Photos: 12 - Description: LET’S BUILD A NET-ZERO RESIDENTIAL HOME FOR YOUR FAMILY This 4,200 sq. ft. City of Boulder - Newlands neighborhood gem was featured on the Boulder Solar Home Tour. Our quaint and eclectic bungalow won several architectural and green building awards, including from AIA and NAHB. In the mid-90s we renovated from the old foundation up and designed the new home for our growing family. The bungalow was a trend-setting Craftsman Cottage style that the rest of the neighborhood eventually began emulatin… - [The Abbey of St. Walburga](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/the-abbey-of-st-walburga-pj-vj~7141503) - Location: Virginia Dale, CO - Photos: 6 - Description: HIGH PERFORMANCE ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE SACRED SPACES The professionals at Barrett Studio Architects always come up with the most appealing design and aesthetics while also achieving high performance structural integrity resulting in minimal maintenance and graceful aging. This is an understatement when it comes to the St. Walburga Abbey, which was featured in the New York Times and was the recipient of the Faith & Form Millennium Award for Religious Architecture. As a subcontractor to GH Phi… - [Caribou Ridge Net Zero Ranch Development](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/caribou-ridge-net-zero-ranch-development-pj-vj~7141462) - Location: Nederland, CO - Photos: 16 - Description: BUILD GREEN. BUILD BETTER. COMPROMISE NOTHING. We were commissioned to design, engineer and develop this 70-acre mountain sub-division northwest of Nederland, CO. The development offered platinum award-winning custom homes. When we finished the Flagship home we incorporated and installed a solar PV array and wind turbine connected to a localized battery back-up system. We also had solar thermal collectors that worked together with in-floor and domestic hot water heating systems. HRV/ERV environm… - [Sunshine Canyon Off-Grid Luxury Home](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sunshine-canyon-off-grid-luxury-home-pj-vj~7140604) - Location: Boulder, CO - Photos: 30 - Description: CONTACT CONSTRUCTIVE ALTERNATIVES WHEN YOU'RE READY TO BUILD BETTER IN THE MOUNTAINS! This one-of-a-kind custom luxury mountain residence applied high performance green building envelope, and other smart and renewable technologies. In addition to ample living space, the residence includes exquisite car rebuilding and show room facilities. We cut into the top of a mountain side to offer the homeowners 360 degree panoramic views of the Rocky Mountains, Boulder and Denver. We used 12”- 22” R-40+ ba… - [Blackhawk Off-Grid Artists Sanctuary & Recording Studio](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/blackhawk-off-grid-artists-sanctuary-and-recording-studio-pj-vj~7140544) - Location: Black Hawk, CO - Photos: 28 - Description: Mountain Star Studio started out as a private, off-grid, luxurious, mountain property perfectly situated on a lush 120-acre ranch. This custom mountain home and barn were oriented to provide spectacular views of the Continental Divide, aspen groves, and high mountain meadows where moose, elk, and other flora and fauna would provide the owners and their guests a daily feast of the sites and sounds of Colorado’s pristine Rocky Mountain Wilderness. The southern orientation and large glass areas enh… - [Sun Valley Net Zero Luxury Ranch](https://www.houzz.com/hznb/projects/sun-valley-net-zero-luxury-ranch-pj-vj~7140527) - Location: Hailey, ID - Photos: 6 - Description: LOOKING FOR IDEAS TO INSPIRE YOUR OWN NET-ZERO LUXURY LIFESTYLE? Check out this Sun Valley, Idaho net-zero property on 300 of the most pristine private acres with Hyndman Creek running through it. That made this project a perfect candidate for combining a 5kW continuous 24/7 and 365 days a year micro-hydro power system with solar thermal on the pool house, guest house, and main house. The ranch had 8M BTUs running the electric/propane boilers for the snow melt system alone, add another 8M BTUs t… [See all 9 projects](https://www.houzz.com/professionals/general-contractors/constructive-alternatives-pfvwus-pf~1925522958) ## Ideabooks - [My Project](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/157124829/list/my-project) — 1 idea [See all 1 ideabook](https://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/users/constructivealternatives) --- *Source: Houzz professional profile. Reflects the profile as of 2026-09-03.*