Longmont custom home builder for remodels, additions and new homes

Longmont's older core and its newer subdivisions

Longmont began in the early 1870s as a planned colony town, and its oldest neighborhoods sit around Main Street and the downtown grid. Here you'll find Victorian-era and early 1900s houses, bungalows and small cottages on narrow lots with alleys, mixed with later infill.

Around that core, postwar ranches and 1960s and 1970s subdivisions fill in, followed by tract neighborhoods from the 1980s and 1990s. The newer edges of the city have master-planned subdivisions, including Prospect New Town, a traditional-style neighborhood with varied architecture and close-set homes. Most newer subdivisions carry HOA covenants and design review.

Old house, new subdivision: different first questions

In the older core, the first questions are about structure and history: the condition of an old foundation, knob-and-tube or undersized wiring, and whether the house sits in a historic district. In newer neighborhoods, the questions turn to covenants, unfinished basements and what to add to a house that's structurally sound.

Permits, utilities and building conditions in Longmont

Longmont sits mostly in Boulder County, with some areas in Weld County. Inside city limits, the City of Longmont reviews plans and issues building permits regardless of county. Properties outside city limits with a Longmont address are permitted by Boulder County or Weld County under their own rules.

Longmont also runs its own municipal electric utility, Longmont Power and Communications. For a new home, an addition or a service upgrade for an all-electric remodel, coordinate the electrical service early, since the city utility handles meters and service connections.

Historic districts and landmarks

Longmont has designated historic districts and individual landmarks near downtown. Exterior changes to a designated property can require historic review in addition to a building permit. Confirm a house's status before designing an addition or replacing windows and siding.

Creeks, soils and weather

St. Vrain Creek and Left Hand Creek run through Longmont, and lots in mapped floodplains carry extra requirements for new construction and additions. Expansive clay occurs in parts of the city, so a soils report should guide new foundations. Hail, strong sun and freeze-thaw cycles all test roofing, siding and the joints where water gets in.

The projects Longmont owners ask about

In the older core, a whole-home renovation often makes more sense than piecemeal updates, since wiring, plumbing, insulation and layout tend to need work at the same time. Narrow lots with alleys can suit a rear home addition, within setback and lot coverage limits.

In newer subdivisions, kitchen and bathroom remodeling and basement finishes lead the list, along with decks, and roofing and siding after hail. Master Builders of Colorado also builds new custom homes in Longmont on infill and subdivision lots.

• Test for radon before finishing a basement
• Plan egress windows for basement bedrooms
• Check HOA covenants before exterior changes in newer neighborhoods
• Check sewer lines and foundations in older houses before design

Starting a Longmont project

Confirm the jurisdiction, the floodplain status and any historic designation or HOA rules, then design to fit. That order prevents the most common redraws.

If you're comparing projects nearby, Boulder has its own historic and energy code requirements, and Loveland is the next city north. When you're ready, start a conversation about your Longmont house.