Custom home builder in Arvada, from Olde Town to Candelas

Arvada housing from Olde Town to the northwest

Arvada has three fairly distinct housing layers, and each one points to a different kind of project.

Olde Town and the older core

The streets around Olde Town Arvada hold the city's oldest houses, including early 1900s homes and small cottages. The G Line commuter rail stop at Olde Town has brought new attention and some infill nearby. Older houses here tend to need foundation, drainage and electrical work before finishes.

Bi-levels, tri-levels and ranches from the growth years

Much of Arvada's housing went up in the 1960s and 1970s: bi-levels with a raised entry, tri-levels, and ranches on full basements. These houses are solid but dated. Typical wish lists are a better lower level, a second updated bathroom and a usable deck off the main floor.

Newer planned communities

In northwest Arvada, Candelas and Leyden Rock are newer master-planned communities. Common projects there are basements, outdoor living and finish upgrades, and most exterior work runs through HOA or metro district design review.

Finishing the lower level of an Arvada bi-level or tri-level

A bi-level's lower floor sits partly above grade, so it gets larger windows and more daylight than a typical basement. That makes it one of the best spaces in the house to finish, but a few details decide whether the room works.

Any bedroom still needs a code-compliant egress opening, and existing windows are often too small or too high. Ductwork and beams can pull ceiling height down in places. On expansive soils, interior walls should be framed to float so the slab can move without pushing on them. Test for radon before walls close up, and fix gutters and grading first, because water at the grade line shows up on that new drywall. Our page on basement finishing goes further.

Arvada permits, two counties and creek corridors

Arvada lies mostly in Jefferson County, with part of the city in Adams County. Inside city limits, building permits come from the City of Arvada regardless of county. Unincorporated parcels nearby are permitted by their county, so confirm jurisdiction by address before drawings start.

Ralston Creek and other drainages cross the city, and lots along them can sit in a mapped floodplain. Check the flood map before planning a home addition or new home near a creek. In Candelas, Leyden Rock and other HOA communities, get design approval moving early, since it usually needs to happen before construction.

Building conditions behind Arvada projects

The ground and the weather shape Arvada work as much as the floor plan does:

• Expansive clay soils are common, so new foundations and additions start with a soils report.
• Hail is frequent along the Front Range, so impact-rated roofing is worth pricing whenever a roof comes due.
• Freeze-thaw cycles crack poorly drained concrete steps, patios and driveways.
• Radon is common in Colorado, which matters most in finished lower levels.

Projects Arvada homeowners ask about most

Bathrooms are a frequent request in houses from the 1960s and 1970s, which often have a single full bath upstairs and a small one below. See bathroom remodels for layout, waterproofing and ventilation choices.

Bi-levels also put the main floor several feet above the yard, so a deck off the kitchen is usually elevated. That puts the weight on the ledger connection, flashing and footings set below frost depth. Our decks and outdoor living page covers the details.

Next door, our Westminster and Golden pages cover what changes across those city lines. When you're ready, start a conversation about your Arvada house.