General Contractor in Highlands Ranch, Colorado
Highlands Ranch is a master-planned unincorporated community in Douglas County with strong architectural review across its sub-associations. Abricos LLC works with Highlands Ranch homeowners on basements, kitchens, bathrooms, additions, decks and exterior projects — planning scope around both the community's design standards and Douglas County's permit process.
Planning notes for Highlands Ranch
Highlands Ranch is not an incorporated city. Building permits and inspections are administered by Douglas County, while the Highlands Ranch Community Association and sub-associations run their own architectural review for exterior changes, decks, additions and outbuildings. A well-assembled submittal package moves faster and avoids repeated resubmittals, and time for that review is planned into the schedule.
Common Highlands Ranch project types
Basement finishing
Bedrooms with egress, bathrooms, media rooms, wet bars and multi-use lower levels — common in the community's two-story homes.
Kitchen and bathroom remodels
Layout changes, cabinetry, tile assemblies and fixture rough-in — coordinated with appropriately licensed trades.
Decks and outdoor living
Composite and covered decks that meet both structural code and community design guidelines.
Additions and exterior work
Bump-outs, family-room additions, windows and exterior refresh — planned around HRCA architectural standards.
What to line up before starting
Community architectural review
HRCA and sub-association review is standard for exterior changes. Submittal quality directly affects approval time.
Douglas County permit path
Douglas County administers residential building review and inspections for Highlands Ranch parcels.
Existing conditions
Foundation, framing and mechanicals are reviewed before locking scope on additions or larger remodels.
Exterior color and material palette
Community standards constrain some color, material and profile choices for siding, roofing and trim.
What HRCA architectural review actually looks at
Most delays on Highlands Ranch exterior projects come from a submittal that answers fewer questions than the reviewer needs to answer. A package that shows the proposed structure in plan and elevation, names the exact material and colour, and shows the relationship to the existing house and lot lines usually moves in one pass; a sketch with a material described only as 'composite' usually does not.
- —Decks and covered structures. Height, railing style, post and beam profile, decking material and colour, and whether any roof structure is visible from the street.
- —Additions. Roofline, siding and trim match to the existing house, window profile and any change to the front elevation.
- —Exterior refresh. Siding, roofing and paint selections taken from the approved palette for the sub-association, which is not the same list community-wide.
Basement finishing is the common exception — an interior-only lower level normally needs the Douglas County permit but no architectural submittal, which is one reason basement remodeling tends to be the fastest large project to start here.
Decks and outdoor living in Highlands Ranch
Deck work is the project type where the county and the covenant most often disagree in detail, because the structural answer (footing depth, snow load, ledger flashing) and the design answer (colour, rail profile, visibility) are decided by different reviewers. We plan the structure first and then test the finish selections against the applicable guidelines, rather than designing to a look and discovering the framing implications later. The approach is described in full on our decks and outdoor living page.
For a nearby finished example, the ground-level Trex composite deck built in Littleton documents the framing and material decisions on a comparable south-metro lot.
Lower-level projects are the other common request here — the Denver basement finishing cost guide sets out the existing-condition checks, egress and mechanical items that decide a basement budget, with Douglas County permit requirements confirmed per parcel. Deck budgets are broken down in the Denver deck cost guide.
Exposure and weather on Highlands Ranch lots
Highlands Ranch sits on the higher, more exposed ground south of the Denver basin, where wind off the Front Range and open sightlines across the community make hail, driven rain and UV a real factor for decks, siding, trim and window flashing. South- and west-facing elevations on the community's two-story homes weather fastest, so decking material, coatings and glass packages are chosen for the specific exposure of the elevation rather than a single house-wide default.
Douglas County permits and HRCA review run in parallel
Two review tracks run in parallel for most exterior work here. Douglas County administers the building permit, plan review and inspections; the Highlands Ranch Community Association and the applicable sub-association review design — material, colour, profile, placement and, on decks and additions, how the structure reads from the street and from neighbouring lots. Neither track substitutes for the other, and neither timeline is assumed: both are confirmed for the specific parcel before a schedule is committed.
Architectural approval is not a building permit, and a building permit does not satisfy the covenant. Where permit coordination is in our scope, it is written into the agreement rather than implied.
How a Highlands Ranch project starts
For Highlands Ranch projects, an initial conversation is followed by a site visit and a written scope with a preliminary budget band. Where architectural review applies, we assemble the required package so the community review and Douglas County permit tracks move in parallel where the process allows.
Where dual review applies, the sequencing matters more than the paperwork — how our ten-step process runs shows where the architectural submittal and the county permit sit relative to construction.
Coordination with appropriately licensed trade and design professionals may be required depending on scope. Actual availability, scope, and permitting depend on the specific property and jurisdiction.
Services most requested in Highlands Ranch
Basement Remodeling
Usually the fastest large project to start in Highlands Ranch — a Douglas County permit applies, architectural review normally does not.
Learn more about Basement RemodelingKitchen Remodeling
Layout changes, cabinetry, counters, appliances and lighting — coordinated end to end.
Learn more about Kitchen RemodelingDecks & Outdoor Living
Structure reviewed by Douglas County, appearance reviewed by HRCA and the sub-association; both are planned before material is ordered.
Learn more about Decks & Outdoor LivingHome Additions
Structural additions, second-story additions, and bump-outs tied cleanly into the existing home.
Learn more about Home AdditionsExterior Remodeling
Siding, roofing, windows, doors and outdoor structures that hold up in Colorado weather.
Learn more about Exterior RemodelingNot sure where your project fits? See the full list of services or browse recent projects.
Confirming the reviewing authority
Highlands Ranch is unincorporated. Residential building review is administered by Douglas County, and community architectural review is handled by the Highlands Ranch Community Association and applicable sub-associations. The two tracks are planned together during scoping.
Permit issuance and code approval are decisions of the reviewing authority, not guarantees we can make on their behalf. Timelines are factored into the schedule once the applicable process is confirmed.
Questions we hear from Highlands Ranch homeowners
For exterior changes, additions, decks and outbuildings, yes. Community architectural review runs alongside the county permit, and both are required.
Nearby south-metro communities we serve
Not sure if we cover your address? Reach out — we work throughout the Denver metro and travel to selected Colorado communities for larger projects. Call (720) 722-1707.
Recent Colorado projects
A category-diverse sample of recent work. Full details are added once each customer approves publication.
