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ERIE SERVICES
ADU / Backyard Cottage in Erie
Licensed ADU / backyard cottage services for Erie and Boulder/Weld 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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EVERY PROJECT STARTS WITH DESIGN
Local Service
ADU / Backyard Cottage Services in Erie, Colorado
Autotelic provides professional ADU / backyard cottage services throughout Erie and the surrounding Boulder/Weld 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 Erie (fast-growing between Denver and Boulder) or nearby communities, our team delivers quality workmanship backed by Colorado licensing and full insurance coverage.
Permit Thresholds
Erie permit thresholds
- Code reference
- The Town of Erie has adopted the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC).
- Code reference
- Roofing (more than 1 square aggregate)
- Code reference
- Retaining walls over 4 feet from the bottom of the trench to the top of the wall
- Code reference
- Detached accessory structures 200 sq. ft. or less (not including patio covers, and provided there is no electrical and/or plumbing work)
- Code reference
- Minor fence repair (3 sections or less)
- Code reference
- Minor roof repairs (1 square or less)
- Code reference
- Decks, platforms, walks, and driveways not more than 30 inches above grade and not over any basement or story below
- Code reference
- Examples of square foot construction costs for valuation (as of January 1, 2026):
Codes are amended regularly — verify current requirements with **Town of Erie Building Division (Town of Erie, Colorado).
Zoning & ADU
Erie zoning & ADU quick facts
- RR — Minimum Lot Area
- 80000 sfRR
- RR — Minimum Lot Width
- 150'RR
- RR — Front Setback (min)
- 40'RR
- RR — Side Interior Setback (min)
- 40'RR
- RR — Side Setback Abutting Street (min)
- 20'RR
- RR — Rear Setback (min)
- 40'RR
- RR — Building Height (max)
- 40'RR
- ER — Minimum Lot Area
- 40000 sfER
Codes are amended regularly — verify current requirements with **Town of Erie Building Division (Town of Erie, Colorado).
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 Erie.
Energy Code
Erie energy code quick facts
- Code reference
- The Town of Erie, Colorado, has adopted the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) with local amendments, effective April 24, 2026.
- Code reference
- This adoption was approved by the Erie Town Council via Ordinance No. 12-2026.Ord. No. 12-2026
- Code reference
- Erie is located in Climate Zone 5B.
- Code reference
- While Erie has adopted the 2024 IECC with local amendments, the specific details of these amendments relevant to prescriptive requirements for remodels and additions were not detailed in the publicly available information.
- Code reference
- Therefore, the following prescriptive requirements are based on the base 2024 IECC for Climate Zone 5B, which Erie adopted, and are subject to any specific local modifications enacted through Ordinance No. 12-2026.Ord. No. 12-2026
- Wall Insulation (Residential)
- The building thermal envelope for walls shall meet requirements specified in Table R402.1.2.
- Code reference
- A common prescriptive option for framed walls in Climate Zone 5B is R-20 continuous insulation, or R-13 cavity insulation plus R-5 continuous insulation (denoted as "13&5").
- Code reference
- The 2024 IECC also offers additional flexibility for wall insulation in Climate Zones 4 and 5 if additional credits are achieved.
Codes are amended regularly — verify current requirements with **Town of Erie Building Division (Town of Erie, Colorado).
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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 Erie and Boulder/Weld County
We serve Erie, 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 Erie 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
Get a personalized estimate in about 2 minutes — no pressure, no obligation.
How This Works (2 minutes)
- 1Tell us about your project (30 seconds)
- 2Answer a few quick questions for an accurate estimate (60 seconds)
- 3Get your personalized estimate instantly (30 seconds)
No pressure. No obligation. No spam calls. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you — and even recommend someone who is.
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