Remodeling in Baker, Denver, CO | Apollo Construction

Late-Victorian and Craftsman homes on a residential street in Baker, Denver — Baker’s housing stock is mostly late-Victorian brick cottages and 1920s Craftsman bungalows — illustrative reference image, not a project photo.

Remodeling Services for Baker Homes

Hello Baker neighbours, I’m Kfir G., owner of Apollo Construction. Baker is one of Denver’s oldest residential neighbourhoods, and remodeling here means working with Victorian and Craftsman-era construction inside a nationally recognised historic district. From our Englewood base we work throughout Denver County, and Baker is one of the areas where knowing the local approval path matters as much as knowing the trade.

“A remodel goes wrong in the paperwork long before it goes wrong on site. Get the review path right and the build is the easy part.” – Kfir G.

This page covers what a Baker remodel actually involves: which permits apply, which extra reviews the neighbourhood triggers, and what the older housing stock here tends to hide behind the plaster. Everything below is drawn from Denver’s own published permitting guidance.

How Permitting Works for a Baker Remodel

Every permit for a Baker project is issued and inspected by Denver Community Planning and Development (CPD), through its Development Services group. There is no separate neighborhood permit office, so the same code suite that governs the rest of the City and County of Denver governs your block.

Denver’s currently adopted residential code suite is the 2025 Denver Residential Code (DRC), based on the 2024 International Residential Code with Denver amendments, together with the 2025 Denver Building Code (DBC) (2024 IBC-based) and the 2025 Denver Energy Code (DEC), which is based on the 2021 IECC with Denver amendments. Zoning is governed by the 2010 Denver Zoning Code (DZC), with Former Chapter 59 (FC59) still applying to legacy-zoned properties – something worth checking early on an older Baker lot, because it changes which setback and bulk rules your drawings have to satisfy.

Two Denver-specific rules matter to homeowners here. First, Denver does not reciprocate contractor licenses issued by other jurisdictions: whoever pulls and performs the permitted work must hold a Denver license. Second, an owner-occupant of a single-family home may pull their own permit under Admin Policy 131.4 – but that exemption does not extend to accessory dwelling units. Permit fees themselves are calculated from the project-valuation bracket table in Denver’s ADMIN 125/138 building permit fee policy, not as a flat rate, and a plan review fee is calculated as a percentage of the permit fee.

Historic Review: What Baker Homeowners Need to Check First

Baker is documented on the National Register of Historic Places as the South Side–Baker Historic District, a district-type resource roughly bounded by W. Fifth Ave., Broadway, W. Alameda Ave. and W. Fox St. The National Register record lists the district’s architectural styles as Bungalow/Craftsman and Late Victorian, with periods of significance running from the 1850s through the 1940s.

That housing profile is the practical starting point for any Baker remodel. Late Victorian and Craftsman-era construction here means original wood windows and trim, plaster over lath, balloon or early platform framing, and mechanical systems that have been added and re-added over a century. None of that is a problem; it simply changes what a scope of work has to account for before demolition starts.

The approval question that matters most is whether the specific parcel is a designated Denver landmark or sits inside a Denver-designated historic district – which is a separate question from National Register listing. Where it applies, exterior work requiring a permit needs Landmark Preservation design review in addition to ordinary building and zoning review, and Denver’s own guidance states that quick permits involving exterior work on individual landmarks or buildings in historic districts cannot be issued online until Landmark approval is obtained. Roof replacement, window replacement and new siding all fall into that category. We verify designation status for the address with Denver Landmark Preservation, reachable at (720) 865-2709, before quoting an exterior scope in Baker.

Kitchen Remodeling in Baker

A Baker kitchen project needs a building permit as soon as it touches plumbing, electrical, gas or structure – which in practice covers almost any layout change. Denver’s permitting checklist cites the DRC and DEC directly: habitable rooms are held to a ventilation minimum of 15 cfm per occupant under DEC R402.2.10, and mechanical work is reviewed against the current DRC.

Older Baker kitchens usually involve more than cabinetry. Undersized service, ungrounded circuits, cast-iron waste lines and non-standard framing dimensions are normal in homes of this era, and they surface the moment the walls open. We plan for that up front rather than mid-project: the scope, the drawings and the inspection sequence are set before demolition, so the permit does not stall waiting for a revision.

Bathroom Remodeling in Baker

Bathroom remodels follow the same permit trigger – plumbing, electrical, gas or structural work brings the project under review against the 2025 DRC. The one number Denver states plainly in its own checklist is bathroom ventilation: 50 cfm intermittent, per DRC R325.1. Fixture clearances, shower dimensions and backer-board rules come from the adopted code text itself and are confirmed at plan review rather than published as a Denver handout.

One item specific to the whole city: Denver sits in EPA Radon Zone 1, the highest radon-potential category, and Denver’s adopted code includes a radon-resistant construction appendix (DRC Appendix BE). Any Baker bathroom project that disturbs a slab is worth discussing in that light before the concrete is cut.

Basement Finishing in Baker

Finishing a basement adds habitable space, so it requires a building permit. Egress is reviewed under the DRC sections cited in Denver’s checklist, and the radon-resistant appendix applies here more than anywhere else in the house. In Baker’s older housing stock, basements often have lower head height and smaller original window openings than the current code contemplates, so the honest first step is measuring what is there and confirming what an egress opening will require before any layout is drawn.

Home Additions in Baker

Additions are reviewed under Denver’s checklist for new homes and additions, against both the building code suite and the applicable zoning code. The application packet requires a survey, and a geotechnical/soils report where applicable. If any part of the proposed structure sits less than three feet from a required setback line, Denver requires a survey confirming the exact distance – a common trigger on the narrow, deep lots typical of central Denver neighborhoods.

Roofing in Baker

Roof replacement in Denver requires a building permit. The detail most homeowners have never heard is that required wind ratings for roofing materials change at specific street lines – Federal Blvd, Sheridan Blvd and Kipling St – so the correct material spec depends on which side of those boundaries the property sits on. We confirm that against the address rather than assuming.

Two clarifications save Baker homeowners money and worry. Denver’s Green Buildings Ordinance cool-roof requirement applies only to buildings of 25,000 square feet or more, so it does not apply to a single-family or duplex re-roof. And on older homes, removing existing roofing material may require an asbestos inspection before the permit can be issued – a realistic possibility given the age of much of the housing here.

Decks, Porches and Patios in Baker

Denver’s thresholds are lower than most of the Front Range, and this catches people out. Per Denver’s official residential deck and porch guide: a deck 12 inches or less above grade needs no permit; more than 12 inches above grade requires a zoning permit; and 30 inches or more above grade requires both a zoning permit and a building permit. Any covered patio, porch, pergola or carport requires both permits regardless of height.

Working With Apollo Construction in Baker

We work out of Englewood and cover Baker as part of our Denver County service area. What we bring to a neighborhood like this one is less about square footage and more about sequence: knowing which approval has to land before which, what an older structure is likely to hide, and how to keep a permitted project moving through Denver’s review process without surprises billed back to the homeowner.

Tell us the address and what you want to change, and we will tell you what review path it falls into before you commit to anything.

Remodeled kitchen in an older Denver bungalow — Typical kitchen scope in a bungalow of this era — illustrative reference image, not a project photo.

Frequently Asked Questions About Remodeling in Baker

Do I need Landmark approval to replace my roof in Baker?

If your property is a designated Denver landmark or sits inside a Denver-designated historic district, yes – exterior work requiring a permit needs Landmark Preservation design review, and Denver will not issue that permit through its online quick-permit path until Landmark approval is obtained. National Register listing of the South Side–Baker Historic District is not the same thing as local designation, so the parcel has to be checked individually. Denver Landmark Preservation: (720) 865-2709.

What building code applies to a Baker remodel?

The 2025 Denver Residential Code (based on the 2024 IRC with Denver amendments), together with the 2025 Denver Building Code and the 2025 Denver Energy Code (2021 IECC-based). Zoning falls under the 2010 Denver Zoning Code, or Former Chapter 59 if the lot is legacy-zoned.

Can I pull my own permit for work on my Baker home?

If you are the owner-occupant of a single-family home, Denver Admin Policy 131.4 allows you to pull your own permit. The exemption does not apply to accessory dwelling units. Any contractor doing permitted work must hold a Denver contractor license – Denver does not recognise licenses from other jurisdictions.

Does my low backyard deck in Baker need a permit?

A deck 12 inches or less above grade needs no permit. More than 12 inches above grade requires a zoning permit, and 30 inches or more requires both a zoning permit and a building permit. Any covered porch, patio, pergola or carport requires both permits regardless of height.

Is radon a concern for a Baker basement project?

Denver is rated EPA Radon Zone 1, the highest radon-potential category, and Denver’s adopted residential code includes a radon-resistant construction appendix (DRC Appendix BE). It is worth addressing on any basement finish or slab-disturbing project.

Services We Provide in Baker

All work below is permitted and inspected by Denver Community Planning and Development, the authority with jurisdiction over Baker.

Nearby Denver Neighborhoods

We work throughout Denver County. Nearby neighborhoods:

Remodeling Services in Baker, Denver, CO