Last updated on May 27th, 2024 at 01:45 pm
Homes in Denver are an eclectic mix of traditional and modern architecture set against the stunning backdrop of the Rocky Mountains. Victorian homes, Grand Colonial Revivals, and Tudor houses make up some of the city’s more classic and older homes, while Mid-century Modern houses and Contemporary bungalows reflect a new age of home styles in the suburbs. Mountain homes and chalets are popular as a second or vacation homes, while the practical “Denver Square” homestyle appears in almost every tree-lined street in the Mile High City.
Young professionals and families looking to buy or build a home have plenty of suburb neighborhoods to choose from, including Cherry Creek, Stapleton, and Washington Park. Other neighborhoods to consider are Hilltop, where Tudor homes are common, and Observatory Park, which features beautiful single-family homes and upscale apartments.
Helping people build their dream homes in Denver are expert and talented local contractors, of which the top 15 are featured here. These contractors were chosen and ranked based on their accolades, press recognition, and stellar reviews. On the other hand, if you want to learn more about the cost of building a custom home in Denver, check out our other article.
If you are thinking about building a custom home, we recommend checking each builder’s license with the local licensing board, speaking to past clients, and using our bidding system to get competitive quotes from at least 3 contractors. Getting multiple bids is the best way to ensure you get a fair price and that bids include the complete scope of work.
DIRC Homes
2100 Downing Street. Denver, CO 80205
Since 2012, boutique builder DIRC Homes has been revitalizing Colorado’s urban neighborhoods, collaborating with local architects to create high-design, low-maintenance structures that complement homeowners’ lifestyles. President Randy Henckel leads the team, bringing over 30 years of general contracting, high-end residential construction, and management experience to the firm. In addition to luxury homes, DIRC Homes also specializes in urban infill and transit-oriented developments.
Murphy Mears Architects designed this sprawling twin-gable home that will be built by DIRC Homes in Cherry Hills Village, set against the backdrop of the Southern Rocky Mountains. Stone-cladding will frame the arched main entry, with tall, black metal-framed windows lining the rest of the façade. Lush landscaping will surround the home, enclosing the covered patio on one end, and continuing all the way to the backyard.
Latsis Homes
8875 East Mexico Dr., Denver, CO 80231
Latsis Homes is an award-winning home builder that specializes in both custom homes and renovations. The firm is run by husband-and-wife team Jim and Kathryn Latsis. Jim is a Denver native who has been building custom homes since 1995. He manages the building process from start to finish, while Kathryn oversees operations and client support.
The firm aims to create homes that have both the craftsmanship and fine details of older homes as well as modern, high-tech infrastructure to support today’s working and living styles. The firm’s portfolio features a mix of Contemporary Craftsman homes, European Revival manors, and French cottages.
The firm has won a 2016 Colorado Award for Remodeling Excellence for a whole house remodel as well as a 2016 Marketing and Merchandising Excellence Award for Best Architectural Design of a Custom Home. The award-winning home featured here is a Modern home with energy-efficient features and large spaces that transition seamlessly into expanded entertaining areas.
Tuscany Homes
4169 Sinton Rd., Colorado Springs, CO 80907
Tuscany Homes is an award-winning, Colorado Springs-based home builder founded by Stan Campbell in 2005. The firm specializes in custom homes that combine Old World architecture with modern convenience. Although its name suggests specialization in Tuscan-inspired villas, the firm’s portfolio features many different styles, including Modern Contemporary, Craftsman, Colonial, Log homes, Southwestern/Spanish, and Mountain/Chalet. Along with custom homes, the firm also constructs spec homes in the Colorado Springs and Denver areas.
The firm has won many Parade of Homes awards from the Home Building Association (HBA) of Colorado Springs, including Best Overall Home for 2013 and 2014. This award-winning Colorado Transitional home mixes Tuscan elements with classic European and Mountain Villa elements. As a leader in age-in-place and universal home design, the firm also incorporated more than 50 housing design elements into the home, including wide hallways, contiguous living areas, and an elevator.
Galiant Homes
50 S Steele St., Denver, CO 80209
Galiant Homes is a local custom home builder known for its classic Colorado homes that blend seamlessly into the mountain landscape. Whether a Modern mountain home or a classic European-inspired cottage, the firm builds beautiful homes in high-end neighborhoods throughout Denver and Colorado Springs.
Former Army officer and West Point graduate Steve Miller is the firm’s owner and president. He has more than 13 years of experience as a home builder and has built nearly 1,000 homes during his career. He led the firm to win nine awards in the 2016 Parade of Homes of the Home HBA of Colorado Springs. He has also developed a design-build method known as “Flow of Living,” which prioritizes the accommodation of the way clients want to live in their new home.
Thrive Home Builders
1875 Lawrence St. Suite #900, Denver, CO 80202
Thrive Home Builders has been staying ahead of trends with its energy-efficient homes, which are designed to provide unmatched sustainability, cost savings, and comfort. The firm’s progressive building techniques include making every home qualified under the EPA’s Indoor airPLUS program for healthier indoor living as well as building Energy Star-certified homes.
Led by its principal, Gene Myers, the firm has become a leader in the green building movement and has won multiple Grand Awards for Housing Innovation from the U.S. Department of Energy. It has won an unprecedented eight Grand Awards in the past six years. Additionally, the firm has won an HBA Metro Denver MAME Award for Green Home Design and HBA Builder of the Year Award in 2016. Thrive Home Builders was hailed by Professional Builder as the publication’s Builder of the Year in 2017.
Timber Ridge Properties
5445 DTC Pkwy. Penthouse #4, Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Timber Ridge Properties is a custom home builder and luxury remodeler that boasts intricate detail and high functionality in its homes. The firm is a two-time recipient of the Denver Luxury Custom Home Builders Award. One of its projects won Best Overall, Best Master Suite, Best Kitchen, and Best Architecture in the Denver HBA Annual Parade of Homes, while one of the firm’s luxurious laundry rooms won second place in the 2015 National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) Rocky Mountain Chapter Peak Awards.
The Wise family has owned and operated the firm for more than 30 years. Tim Wise is the creative force that drives most of the firm’s projects, while Dusty and Tara Wise, having both grown up in the world of home building, manage day-to-day operations. The firm builds exceptional custom homes that start at $1 million. It specializes in incorporating luxury in every aspect of a home and in a number of styles, including Classic, Modern, Timber Frame, and Craftsman.
Thomas Sattler Homes
3535 S Platte River Dr. Unit F, Englewood, CO 80110
With an impressive list of accolades and an equally impressive portfolio of European-inspired homes, Thomas Sattler Homes sit well among the top custom home builders of Denver. The firm was once hailed as America’s Best Builder by Builder Magazine and has earned multiple awards from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the HBA of Denver for its custom homes.
Thomas Sattler founded the firm in 1983. Since then, his superior in-house staff and extensive network of subcontractors have built hundreds of homes in Denver and the surrounding areas. These homes range from custom built estates to spec homes that accommodate any client’s budget. European styles like French cottages and Mediterranean villas are popular among the firm’s clients but Transitional and Modern homes can also be spotted in its portfolio. These homes can be found in upscale communities such as The Preserve in Greenwood Village and the Ravenna Golf Club.
Stone Cloud Design Build
1280 S Clayton St., Denver, CO 80210
Stone Cloud Design Build is a design-build firm that executes luxurious modern homes in the Denver area. Founded by Bryan Bozeman, the firm is operated by a modest four-man team that delivers big results in design, architecture, and construction.
Mid-century architecture and Modern Contemporary layouts are specialties of the firm, as seen in its portfolio of Prairie and Ranch homes. Clean and straight rooflines paired with brick and stucco walls are prominent in the firm’s projects. These features have been recognized in magazines such as Dwell, 5280 Magazine, and Denver Life Home & Design.
The firm’s most notable home, Project 558, effectively showcases what Stone Cloud is capable of. The Modern, Prairie-style home is an ode to renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright and his Frederick C. Robie House. The iconic brick facade and red vertical and gray horizontal mortar joints were paired with abundant horizontal lines and bands of windows.
Celebrity Custom Homes
10463 Park Meadows Dr. Suite #207, Littleton, CO 80124
Celebrity Custom Homes is a luxury custom home builder known for its award-winning designs and craftsmanship. The 50-year-old firm is led by second-generation builders Dan Verdoorn and Kurt Miller. With a combined experience of more than 60 years in the business, they constantly integrate new technology and refine plans for better homes and projects. The firm builds an average of 20 homes per year in various architectural styles, including Mediterranean and Modern Contemporary.
The firm has built custom homes in the most desirable neighborhoods around Denver as wells as spec homes in the city’s luxury communities. Its residences have gained local and national acclaim through awards earned from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and multiple MAME awards from the HBA of Denver. The firm also earned a Homebuilders and Associates in Partnership (HAP) Award for recognized excellence among construction peers.
Chalet Colorado
517 E Bayaud Ave., Denver, CO 80209
Chalet Colorado is a custom home builder and renovator in Denver that uses bespoke designs and architecture in its projects. It upholds the Master Builder tradition, in which construction and design professionals work together under one roof.
The firm builds a variety of home styles, including French cottages, Cotswold cottages, and English manors. These aesthetics are achieved with the use of various materials, such as reclaimed brick, limestone, wood, and granite. John Mattingly, the firm’s owner, and principal architectural designer aims to build homes and buildings that are completely original and yet blend seamlessly into their environment.
This English manor the firm recently finished became a 2018 Custom Home of the Year finalist in Colorado Homes & Lifestyles. The Hilltop home is a contemporary spin on a traditional English country home, as its lime-washed brick exterior brings out a rustic vibe.
Cornerstone Homes
1005 S 120th St. Unit #201, Lafayette, CO 80026
Cornerstone Homes builds unique and distinctive homes in Denver, Boulder, and throughout Colorado. Its Traditional, Ranch and Lodge homes are often defined by a variety of woodwork elements, such as hand-hewn beams and rafters, while much of its Modern Contemporary homes can be found on the hillsides of the Colorado landscape. As a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and a leader in green building, all of its homes are made using sustainable building techniques that reduce energy costs and overall environmental footprint.
This 20-year-old firm is owned by brothers Keenan and Tirion Tompkins. The duo also owns Colorado Timberframe—a timber manufacturer and builder of custom timber homes in the state. Keenan serves as president of the firm and has been featured in an episode of HGTV’s “Professional Grade.” Tirion is the lead project manager and ensures that all projects meet the green building specifications and are constructed to meet the firm’s sustainability standards.
The firm’s work has been featured in various magazines, including Homes & Garden, Daily Camera, and Dwell. Its notable fireproof home in Boulder built for advertising executive Evan Fry was featured in the New York Times and Modern In Denver. Evan is known for his quirky commercials for Volkswagen, Harley-Davidson, Burger King, and Gap. After he and his wife lost their home to the 2010 Fourmile Canyon fire, they had Cornerstone Homes build them a new Modern home that cantilevers off a hill at an elevation of 7,300 feet. The passive house is set on tall steel columns and encased in corrugated, fire-resistant steel siding. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer panoramic views of Sunshine Canyon.
Jackson Design Build
9033 E Easter Pl. Suite #200, Centennial, CO 80112
Established in 1980, Jackson Design Build has grown into a nationally acclaimed custom home builder with its energy-efficient and accessible-ready homes. It has built and renovated more than 100 homes in the Southern Denver Area, which include single-family homes, row houses, and duplexes. Tuscan villas, English and French country homes, and Modern Contemporary houses are some of the common styles the firm builds.
At the firm’s helm is father-and-son team Dave and Billy Jackson. The two have extensive experience in residential and commercial building, which they have used to drive the company to success. Under their leadership, the firm has won a Homebuilders and Associates in Partnership (HAP) Award for recognized excellence among construction peers in the HBA of Metro Denver. The firm’s New Idea Home won multiple awards, including a gold medal at the 2017 Colorado Awards for Remodeling Excellence (CARE) and another gold medal at the prestigious 2018 NAHB 55+ Housing Awards.
The New Idea Home was designed and built to set a standard in universal design. The 6,174 square-foot home has fully electronic “smart home” systems integration, barrier-free entries and bathrooms, and a dedicated location for the installation of a four-level elevator.
Cadre General Contractors
2950 S Fox St., Englewood, CO 80110
Cadre General Contractors is a partnership of three Colorado building veterans that has built luxury custom homes and conducted high-end renovations throughout Denver. Partner Kevin Collins has a career spanning more than 40 years in the industry and has worked on custom homes and historic renovations. Partner Rusty Conway started as a trim carpenter in the firm and brings 23 years of experience to the team, while partner Mark Drexel grew up in the construction industry in Boulder and now heads some of the firm’s most challenging projects.
Its portfolio is a mix of Modern Contemporary and Traditional architecture made with a variety of innovative materials. These homes have been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, Modern In Denver, Colorado Homes & Lifestyle, 5280 Home, and Luxe Interiors + Design.
This Modern home built among the mountain gardens of Castle Pines was named Custom Home of the Year in 2012 by Colorado Homes & Lifestyles. The sleek yet warm feel was achieved by using a palette of board-form concrete; clear, vertical-grain cedar; and rift-sawn, white oak. Steel-framed glass windows and doors maximize the illusion of the interior being one with the outside environment.
Character Builders Colorado
1212 Broadway, Denver, CO 80203
Since 2003, Character Builders Colorado has established itself as one of Denver’s premier custom home builders with its stunning architecture and outstanding building techniques. The firm was started by University of Denver graduates Matthew Piece and Stephen Stone. While studying Construction Management at D.U. in the late 90s, the two were already working in the field for a local developer. After establishing the firm, Piece and Stone went on to build Craftsman and Ranch homes in high-end Denver neighborhoods.
The firm’s homes and spaces are a perfect mix of ultra-modern design and high-end functionality. Traditional materials like wood, brick, and stone paired with light and dark palettes, state-of-the-art technology, and unique design details make the homes built by this firm a hit for many Denver residents. The firm also won a 2017 Crystal Award from the The American Society of Interior Designers Colorado Chapter for its Mediterranean-inspired pool house.
The firm’s impeccable craftsmanship has gained the attention of high-profile clients, such as musician Joe King. The Fray’s guitarist had his home in Washington Park built by Character Builders. The eye-catching custom home boasts all-steel construction fashioned with a stylish A-frame. Its vintage, white cedar ceilings, exposed brick walls, and a mahogany wood slat exterior are well known among Denverites, who named the house “the home on the park.”
Haley Custom Homes
5211 S Quebec St., Greenwood Village, CO 80111
Since its inception in 1998, Haley Custom Homes has set the standard in alluring architecture and innovative construction with its luxury homes in and around Denver. The firm has built hundreds of homes, which range in size from 4,500 square feet to 20,000 square feet and in style from Ultra Modern to East Coast Traditional. In addition to custom home building, the firm does extensive and high-end renovation and historical preservation.
Its principal and founder is Colorado native and entrepreneur Dan Haley Fuller, who has been active in the Colorado real estate market since 1991. Haley started out in the business by flipping houses for profit and gradually transitioned from renovating to new construction until he eventually established his own company. The firm’s custom homes soon gained recognition through various publications, such as Luxe Magazine and Colorado Homes & Lifestyles. The firm has been part of the Luxe Gold List since 2016 as a preferred Colorado home builder.
An example of the firm’s exceptional homes is this Hamptons-inspired, shingle-style home by the lake. It was a Colorado Homes & Lifestyles Home of the Year finalist in 2017. Telluride stone gives character to the home’s exterior, while the clean, white interior gives the home a beach vibe. An arched front door with traditional mullioned windows leads to the great room, which was emphasized with wood-clad and steel ceiling beams.
Larsen Development
1361 S Broadway., Suite #102, Denver, CO 80210
Award-winning residential contractor Larsen Development has proven to be one of the top custom home builders not only in Denver but also in the country. The firm’s impressive list of accolades includes multiple custom home building awards from the NAHB and numerous MAME awards from the HBA of Denver. In 2014, Colorado Homes & Lifestyles recognized one of the firm’s homes as the Custom Home of the Year.
The firm was founded 16 years ago by Larry Larsen—a builder with a degree in architecture from Kansas State University. He once worked for the U.S. Navy Corp of Engineers, where he oversaw the construction of hundreds of homes all over the world. With all this experience, Larsen established Larsen Development in 2002 and set a goal to build 12 custom homes a year, with a focus on affluent, infill neighborhoods in the Metro Denver area, such as Washington Park.
This Napa Valley-inspired farmhouse in Observatory Park is a multi-awarded home. It earned the prestigious 2018 NAHB Silver Award and the 2017 MAME Custom Home of the Year award. The firm successfully addressed the owner’s request of mixing Southern elements with the open-style of California homes. The traditional reverse board and batten facade in a white and gray palette complement the rustic ceiling beams.
How can I find a home builder near me?
Read our latest articles on the best custom home builders near Denver. If you don’t see your city below, just let us know – we are happy to create a tailored recommendation list just for you.
Custom home builders in Boulder
Custom home builders in Colorado Springs
Custom home builders in Colorado
About Our Rankings
This list takes a range of ranking criteria into consideration, including but not limited to: work history, customer satisfaction, awards and recognition, geographic area of work, cost, building permits, and clientele. We spent over 40 hours researching local contractors before calculating the final ranking for this post. If there is additional information about your business that could affect these rankings, please fill out this form and we will take it into consideration
Get Bids For Your Build
If you are thinking about building a custom home, we recommend checking each builder’s license with the local licensing board, speaking to past clients, and using our bidding system to get competitive quotes from at least 3 contractors. Getting multiple bids is the best way to ensure you get a fair price and that bids include the complete scope of work.
