DESIGN · BUILD · AUTOMATE
GOLDEN SERVICES
Excavation in Golden
Licensed excavation services for Golden and Jefferson County. Groundwork done right.
- Full Design Lifecycle
- Construction & Tenant Finish
- Smart Home · A/V · Edge Compute
Groundwork done right
FREE PLANNING TOOLS
Both tools are free and take a couple of minutes — start in either one.
EVERY PROJECT STARTS WITH DESIGN
Local Service
Excavation Services in Golden, Colorado
Autotelic provides professional excavation services throughout Golden and the surrounding Jefferson County area. Foundation excavation, utility trenching, grading, and backfill services for residential and commercial construction. Whether you're in Golden (gateway to the mountains) or nearby communities, our team delivers quality workmanship backed by Colorado licensing and full insurance coverage.
Permit Thresholds
Golden permit thresholds
- Code reference
- Building Permit Fees table (effective 05/01/11, as modified by resolutions).
- Exterior
- One-story detached accessory structures ≤200 sq ft (residential only); fences ≤7 ft tall (unless front yard, corner lot, or historic district); landscaping; minor roof or siding repairs/replacement (10% or less of total area); minor maintenance/repairs; painting; retaining/landscape walls ≤4 ft tall
- Code reference
- Retaining/landscape walls over 4 ft (or supporting surcharge) also trigger requirements, often needing engineering.
- For homeowners doing their own work
- materials cost × 2.
- Building permit fees are calculated from a tiered table based on total valuation
- $1–$500 = $25.85; higher tiers add per-$100 or per-$1,000 increments up to $1M+).
- Additional plan review fee (when applicable)
- 65% of the permit fee.
- Building use tax
- 3% use tax on building materials, stated as 1.5% of total valuation.
Codes are amended regularly — verify current requirements with **The City of Golden (specifically its Building Division/Building Department) issues residential building permits for properties within Golden city limits.
Energy Code
Golden energy code quick facts
- Code reference
- 2024 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), adopted by the City of Golden with no energy-specific local amendments noted beyond the base code (and state electric-ready/solar-ready provisions where applicable).
- Code reference
- Golden (Jefferson County, climate zone 5B) lists the 2024 IECC among its adopted codes on the official Building Permit Process page.
- Code reference
- Adoption aligns with the city’s update to the 2024 I-Codes suite (effective after the July 22, 2025 council action referenced in related materials).
- Code reference
- The code applies to new construction, additions, and remodels/alterations as scoped in the IECC/IRC.
- Code reference
- Key prescriptive requirements (2024 IECC residential provisions, Table R402.1.2 / R402.1.3 and related sections, climate zone 5 / 5B; relevant to additions and remodels where the thermal envelope or systems are altered):
- Ceiling/attic insulation
- Minimum R-49 (or equivalent U-factor).
- Code reference
- (2024 IECC Table R402.1.3 / IRC N1102.1.3; note reduction from prior editions.)
- Wood-frame wall insulation
- R-20 + R-5 ci, or R-13 + R-10 ci, or R-0 + R-20 ci (or equivalent U-factor options).
Codes are amended regularly — verify current requirements with **The City of Golden (specifically its Building Division/Building Department) issues residential building permits for properties within Golden city limits.
text
What excavation work covers
Excavation in the Denver metro includes foundation cut, site grading, utility trenches, benching, sloping, and shoring when soils or lot-line conditions require it. Neighboring structures, utilities, and the public right-of-way often drive method. A municipally licensed Denver general contractor coordinates earthwork and licensed specialty trades. Cost is project-specific and depends on depth, soils, and protection of adjacent property.
text
When shoring and extra permits show up
Denver CPD commonly treats excavation, benching, or shoring as a separate permit when the cut is more than 4 feet deep, closer than 4 feet to a lot line, or steeper than 1.5 horizontal to 1 vertical. IRC houses follow building-code policy ADMIN 130/131 and DCBC 3307; those details often ride with the residential construction permit, with excavation issued first. Shoring and soils packages are typically sealed by design professionals. Work that abuts the public ROW may need a DOTI excavation bond; shoring that enters the ROW needs a temporary shoring ROW permit.
text
Permits and who coordinates the work
City and County of Denver Community Planning and Development reviews excavation and shoring. Denver DOTI reviews Sewer Use and Drainage (SUDP) for excavations, grading, floodplain, groundwater, and ROW impacts. The residential permitting guide also calls for DDPHE review on excavations. Check floodplain status at denvergov.org/flood before drawing. Cities and counties license general contractors. Colorado has no statewide general contractor license. Autotelic acts as a municipally licensed Denver general contractor and coordinates licensed specialty trades for excavation scopes.
text
What buyers should prepare
Proposed depth, distance to lot lines, any soils report, photos of neighboring structures, and whether the dig will touch the alley or street.
FAQ
Common questions
Do I need a separate excavation permit in Denver?
Often yes when the cut is over 4 feet deep, close to a lot line, or steeper than 1.5 to 1. Houses may include excavation details with the building permit, with excavation issued before construction.
Who handles excavation permits and licensing?
A municipally licensed Denver general contractor coordinates the project and licensed specialty trades. Colorado has no statewide general contractor license.
What is SUDP doing on a dig?
DOTI reviews sewer, storm grading, floodplain, groundwater, and ROW impacts for excavations. It is a separate review that typically runs with the building package.
When is shoring required?
When slopes cannot be laid back to the allowed ratio, when the cut is near a lot line or structure, or when the soils report requires it. Design professionals seal those packages.
What information helps define scope?
Depth, lot-line clearance, floodplain status, existing utilities, and city or county.
Service Area
Serving Golden and Jefferson County
We serve Golden, 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 Golden project.
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 →TRUSTED TO BUILD FOR
- Punch Bowl SocialFirst four locations
- Spectrum RetirementSenior living communities
- Denver HighlandsFirst modular custom home
Explore
Also serving
Explore