Historic Remodeling

A historic remodel is one that updates your home while preserving its historic character. In the Denver area, there are three main categories of historic remodels. These categories involve updates to:

Historic homes in designated historic districts
Newer homes in designated historic districts
Historic homes NOT in designated historic districts

Historic Remodel in Denver

Don’t sweat the Landmarks Commission’s review process.
Historic remodels in the Denver Metro area come in two primary flavors with several variations. In Denver’s historic districts, the design for any modifications to the exterior of an existing structure must pass a mandatory review by the Landmarks Commission. This applies to ALL homes, whether they are considered historic (Category 1) or not (Category 2). Hence, historic remodeling also involves homes that most people would not consider historic structures. Remodeling of these newer homes is similar to remodeling of newer homes in any location.

Of more historic interest to the Landmarks Commission are the many houses in Denver that were built before 1930. If you’re new to the process, the review system for your historic remodel can be anxiety-inducing and frustrating. However, having been through the review process on many of our historic remodel projects, we know how to work with the city in order to keep your remodel moving forward smoothly.

If your historic home (like most older homes in the Denver area) is NOT in a designated historic district (Category 3), your remodel only requires a standard building permit (whew!).

Update your historic home, but maintain its original style—or, restore your historic home to its original appearance.

H & H can help you with your historic home whether you want to modify the exterior or not. We can update your historic home but still preserve its charm and character; we can also simply restore an old home to its original appearance.

Remodeling old brick walls is tricky—consult a structural engineer.
Because of a lack of locally available lumber and an abundance of locally available clay—raw material for bricks—old homes in the Denver area usually have load-bearing brick walls.

Brick walls can be very unstable and are prone to collapse if they are not properly supported and reinforced during removal or modification. H & H Builders is owned by a structural engineer, so you won’t have any need to worry about structural issues resulting from the use of brick.