DESIGN · BUILD · AUTOMATE
LONE TREE SERVICES
Excavation in Lone Tree
Licensed excavation services for Lone Tree and Douglas County. Groundwork done right.
- Full Design Lifecycle
- Construction & Tenant Finish
- Smart Home · A/V · Edge Compute
Groundwork done right
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EVERY PROJECT STARTS WITH DESIGN
Local Service
Excavation Services in Lone Tree, Colorado
Autotelic provides professional excavation services throughout Lone Tree and the surrounding Douglas County area. Foundation excavation, utility trenching, grading, and backfill services for residential and commercial construction. Whether you're in Lone Tree (Park Meadows and RidgeGate) or nearby communities, our team delivers quality workmanship backed by Colorado licensing and full insurance coverage.
Permit Thresholds
Lone Tree permit thresholds
- Code reference
- This aligns with the adopted 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) and amendments (along with other 2021 I-Codes and the 2023 National Electrical Code), as set forth in the City’s municipal code Chapter 18 (Building Regulations).
- Building
- Fences under 7 feet tall; retaining walls under 4 feet; concrete walks, patios, and driveways; painting; swings/playground equipment; same-size window replacements (like-for-like size; changing opening size requires a permit).
- Code reference
- Re-roofing generally requires a permit when replacing more than 1 square (100 sq ft).
- Code reference
- Emergency repairs allow a 24-hour grace period to apply.
- Code reference
- No use tax, building permit valuation-based tax, or similar rate (with or without a basis such as “applied to X% of valuation”) is specified in Lone Tree’s publicly available building department materials.
Codes are amended regularly — verify current requirements with **The City of Lone Tree Building Division (part of the City of Lone Tree Community Development Department) issues residential building permits.
Energy Code
Lone Tree energy code quick facts
- Code reference
- 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) with local amendments (per City of Lone Tree Municipal Code Chapter 18, adopted via Ordinance No. 22-07, Series of 2022).Ordinance No. 22-07
- Code reference
- Lone Tree (Douglas County, climate zone 5B) adopts the 2021 IECC by reference with amendments as part of its building regulations.
- Code reference
- State law (HB 22-1362 and related provisions) requires jurisdictions updating building codes to adopt at least the 2021 IECC plus the Colorado Model Electric Ready and Solar Ready Code (with amendments that cannot reduce stringency).
- Code reference
- Key prescriptive requirements relevant to remodels/additions (drawn from the base 2021 IECC for CZ 5B, as specific local numeric energy amendments are not detailed in available municipal sources beyond the general adoption; confirm with the Building Division for exact local tweaks):
- Wall insulation
- R-20 or 13+5 ci (continuous insulation) for wood-frame walls (2021 IECC Table R402.1.2 or equivalent prescriptive path).
- Ceiling/attic insulation
- R-49 (2021 IECC Table R402.1.2).
- Air leakage/air-sealing
- ≤ 3 ACH50 (air changes per hour at 50 Pascals) with blower-door testing required for verification (2021 IECC R402.4; state baseline aligns with this).
- Fenestration U-factor
- Maximum 0.30 for windows (or as per prescriptive table; SHGC requirements also apply in CZ 5).
Codes are amended regularly — verify current requirements with **The City of Lone Tree Building Division (part of the City of Lone Tree Community Development Department) issues residential building permits.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 Lone Tree and Douglas County
We serve Lone Tree, 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 Lone Tree 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
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