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ENGLEWOOD SERVICES
ADU / Backyard Cottage in Englewood
Licensed ADU / backyard cottage services for Englewood and Arapahoe County. Build an income-producing unit in your backyard.
- Full Design Lifecycle
- Construction & Tenant Finish
- Smart Home · A/V · Edge Compute
Build an income-producing unit in your backyard
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Local Service
ADU / Backyard Cottage Services in Englewood, Colorado
Autotelic provides professional ADU / backyard cottage services throughout Englewood and the surrounding Arapahoe County area. Accessory dwelling unit construction across the Denver metro — detached new builds, garage conversions, and basement conversions compliant with Colorado HB 24-1152. One veteran-owned design-build team runs the full Denver sequence under a single contract: zoning verification and concept design, municipal zoning and building permit reviews, then construction and inspections through certificate of occupancy. Whether you're in Englewood (south central Denver metro) or nearby communities, our team delivers quality workmanship backed by Colorado licensing and full insurance coverage.
Permit Thresholds
Englewood permit thresholds
- Code reference
- In Englewood, Colorado, building permits for residential remodel work are generally required based on the specific type of work performed rather than a fixed valuation threshold. The City requires permits for most construction projects to ensure compliance with adopted building codes (including
- Code reference
- Repair of roofing or siding when the repaired area is less than 100 square feet.
- Code reference
- Decks under 200 square feet that are not attached to the house, do not serve an exit door, and are not more than 30 inches above grade (zoning approval still required).
- Code reference
- The City’s use tax rate is 3.80% applied to 50% of the project valuation (an estimate assuming 50% of valuation represents taxable construction materials).
- Code reference
- A reconciliation process is available post-project if actual materials differ from the 50% estimate.
- Code reference
- Relevant references include the City’s “To Permit or Not To Permit” guidance and the Sales, Use and Other Taxes page (with citations to EMC Title 4, Chapter 4 for sales/use tax rules).
Codes are amended regularly — verify current requirements with **The City of Englewood’s Building and Codes Division (part of the Community Development Department) issues residential building permits.
Zoning & ADU
Englewood zoning & ADU quick facts
- R-1-A — Minimum Lot Area
- 9000 sfR-1-A
- R-1-A — Minimum Lot Width
- 75'R-1-A
- R-1-A — Front Setback (min)
- 25'R-1-A
- R-1-A — Side Interior Setback (min)
- 7'R-1-A
- R-1-A — Rear Setback (min)
- 20'R-1-A
- R-1-A — Lot Coverage (max)
- 40%R-1-A
- R-1-A — Building Height (max)
- 30'R-1-A
- R-1-A — Bulk Plane Front 60% Height at Side Lot (Table 5-5)
- 12'R-1-A
Codes are amended regularly — verify current requirements with **The City of Englewood’s Building and Codes Division (part of the Community Development Department) issues residential building permits.
A recent build
Backyard ADU in Denver
Denver · 2026
- Status
- Under construction — 2026
- Managed on
- Buildbot — Autotelic’s own PM platform
- Architecture, site plans, and full MEP design completed in-house
- Permits pulled — electric and plumbing rough-ins permitted and underway
- Spray-foam insulation and exterior work in progress
- First project managed end-to-end on Buildbot, Autotelic’s construction-PM platform
A ground-up backyard ADU in Denver — designed, permitted, and now under construction by Autotelic, and the first project managed end-to-end on Buildbot, Autotelic’s own construction-management platform.
The build sequence for a ADU / Backyard Cottage project
This service is a component of How a ADU project works in Englewood.
Energy Code
Englewood energy code quick facts
- Code reference
- 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), adopted by the City of Englewood with no specific local amendments detailed on the official building division page (effective for all permits submitted after May 31, 2026).
- Code reference
- This applies to the Denver-metro area (Climate Zone 5B).
- Code reference
- Key prescriptive requirements from the 2024 IECC (relevant to remodels/additions via the residential or existing-building provisions, e.g., R402 and related sections) include the following (standard base-code values, as no local amendments are specified):
- Code reference
- Vertical fenestration U-factor ≤ 0.28 (Table R402.1.2, Climate Zone 5 and Marine 4).
- Code reference
- Skylight U-factor ≤ 0.50 (Table R402.1.2, Climate Zone 5 and Marine 4).
- Code reference
- Air leakage ≤ 3.0 ACH50 at 50 Pa for detached one-family dwellings in Climate Zones 3–5 (or ≤ 0.27 cfm/ft² of enclosure area for smaller homes/attached units); testing required (R402.4.1.2).
- Code reference
- Additional common prescriptive envelope items (from 2024 IECC Tables R402.1.2/R402.1.3 for CZ 5) typically cover ceiling/attic, wall, and other assemblies, but exact R-values/U-factors should be verified directly from the adopted code edition as they involve trade-offs and footnotes.
Codes are amended regularly — verify current requirements with **The City of Englewood’s Building and Codes Division (part of the Community Development Department) issues residential building permits.
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What this covers
Detached or attached accessory dwelling on a Denver lot: foundation or module, envelope, and utility tie-in. Height and massing follow Denver bulk-plane and ADU rules for the zone; confirm with CPD before drawings freeze.
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How the work is coordinated
A municipally licensed Denver general contractor coordinates licensed specialty trades for electrical and plumbing. Denver-metro work is permitted locally. Colorado has no statewide general-contractor license. Cities and counties license general contractors. DORA licenses electrical and plumbing (and similar regulated trades), not general contractors. Autotelic is a municipally licensed Denver general contractor that coordinates licensed specialty trades. Denver building permits run through Community Planning and Development (CPD). Costs are project-specific; no dollar figures.
Service Area
Serving Englewood and Arapahoe County
We serve Englewood, CO and all surrounding Denver metro communities. Our team is based in Denver and operates throughout the Front Range, from Castle Rock to Longmont and everywhere in between. Contact us for a free estimate on your Englewood project.
FAQ
Common questions
Is an ADU allowed on my lot?
It depends on your city’s zoning — lot size, setbacks, and parking rules vary across the metro. We run the zoning check as the first step and tell you what your lot supports before you spend money on design.
Do you handle ADU permits and inspections?
Yes — ADU permitting is municipal, and we manage zoning review, permit application, and every inspection through certificate of occupancy.
Detached, attached, or garage conversion — which is right?
Each has different zoning, cost, and site implications. We design all three and recommend based on your lot, budget, and how you plan to use the unit.
What does an ADU cost?
Getting a real answer costs less than most people expect: an ADU feasibility consultation is $350, and the full ADU feasibility package — zoning check, site analysis, and concept direction — is $950, both listed at fixed prices on our booking page. Construction cost depends on the path: garage and basement conversions reuse existing structure, while a detached backyard cottage is new construction from the foundation up. After feasibility we quote the build itself as a fixed-price proposal, so you know the number before work starts.
How long does an ADU project take?
Three phases run in sequence: design (site measure, concept, construction documents), permitting (zoning and building review, which move on the municipality’s calendar), then construction. Conversions generally move faster than detached new builds because the shell and foundation already exist. We lay out the phase-by-phase schedule in your proposal, and you track progress on our operations platform once work starts.
How small a lot can support an ADU?
Smaller than most people assume — many Front Range single-unit lots that owners write off can carry a detached unit, and each city sets its own minimum lot size, setbacks, and building coverage. Whether your district’s standards leave room for a backyard cottage — or point you toward a garage or basement conversion instead — is exactly what the feasibility check answers for your address.
What is the ADU permit process?
Two municipal reviews run in order: a zoning review confirming the unit fits your district’s standards, then a building permit review of the construction documents, with inspections during the build and a certificate of occupancy at the end. Colorado HB 24-1152 now requires most Front Range municipalities to allow ADUs on single-unit lots, and we confirm how your city implements it as the first step of feasibility.
How It Runs
01
Survey
02
Design
03
Build
04
Verify
DESIGN SERVICES
Discovery & Site Analysis
Needs + preference programming, site survey, as-built documentation, feasibility.
We walk, measure, and photograph your property — existing conditions, utilities, structure, and constraints. You get the as-built documentation and feasibility read that every later decision rests on.
Learn more →Concept Design & Space Planning
Schematic design, floor plan studies, layout options.
Your scope becomes schematic floor plans you can compare side by side — circulation, daylight, adjacencies, and what each option does to the budget. Layout decisions happen on paper, where changes are cheap.
Learn more →Architectural Design & 3D Renderings
Design development, materials + finishes, photorealistic visualization.
The chosen concept resolves into materials, finishes, fixtures, and lighting — with the automation layer drawn in. Photorealistic renderings let you walk the space and adjust before anything is priced.
Learn more →Construction Documents & Permitting
Full CD sets, structural + MEP engineering coordination, permit-ready drawings.
Approved designs become coordinated architectural, structural, and MEP sheets — the set your jurisdiction permits from and trades build from. We submit, track, and answer review comments.
Learn more →CONSTRUCTION
New Construction & Custom Homes
Ground-up homes and light commercial, dirt to keys.
Ground-up residential and light commercial builds — foundations through finishes, including modular and steel construction. One accountable builder from dirt to keys.
Learn more →Remodels & Additions
Kitchens, baths, basements, pop-tops, whole-home.
Kitchens, baths, basements, pop-tops, and whole-home renovations that respect the house you already have. We handle structure, permits, and the dust.
Learn more →Commercial Tenant Finish & Build-Outs
Shells to working spaces — retail, office, restaurant, school.
Raw shells become working spaces — showrooms, offices, restaurants, schools. Dealer-spec finishes, code compliance, and opening dates held.
Learn more →ADUs & Modular Construction
Backyard cottages, garage conversions, factory-built homes.
Backyard cottages, garage conversions, and factory-built homes — zoning, design, permits, and set. Denver’s ADU rules are a specialty, not a surprise.
Learn more →Outdoor Living & Patio Structures
Decks, pergolas, and dining patios built for Colorado weather.
Decks, pergolas, and dining patios engineered for Colorado sun, snow, and hail — structure, shade, and drainage done right the first time.
Learn more →TECHNOLOGY
Smart Home Automation
Lighting, shades, climate, audio, security — one interface.
Whole-home control of lighting, shades, climate, audio, and security from a single interface — Crestron, Lutron, Savant, and Control4 designed in, not bolted on.
Learn more →A/V Systems
Theaters, distributed audio, video walls, commercial sound.
Theaters, distributed audio, video walls, and commercial sound — designed, installed, and tuned by the same team for over 20 years.
Learn more →Control Systems
Custom programming — scenes and schedules that fit the space.
Every subsystem brought into one elegant interface — custom programming for homes and venues, with scenes and schedules that match how the space is actually used.
Learn more →Networking & Edge Compute
Enterprise Wi-Fi, structured cabling, racks, on-prem compute.
Enterprise-grade Wi-Fi, structured cabling, racks, and on-premise compute — the backbone that makes everything else reliable, including our own Barbot platform.
Learn more →Solar & Energy Storage
Solar arrays, Tesla Powerwall, EV charging — certified install.
Solar arrays, Tesla Powerwall, and EV charging designed and installed by a Tesla Energy Certified team — roof, electrical, and app in one scope.
Learn more →Let's design your perfect ADU / Backyard Cottage together
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How This Works (2 minutes)
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