The cost of wildfire-resilient construction in Colorado

This report provides a geographically stratified, component-level assessment of the cost implications of wildfire-resilient construction in Colorado. The authors evaluated representative single-family homes in eight counties—Boulder, Jefferson, El Paso, Summit, Grand, Delta, La Plata, and Las Animas—covering Colorado's major wildfire and development contexts. Using county assessor-derived prototype homes and a standardized bill-of-materials approach based on RSMeans cost data, the study estimated costs for five construction pathways: pre-code baseline, Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (CWRC) Class 1 and Class 2, and Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) Wildfire Prepared Home Essential and Enhanced standards. Boulder County, which uses local standards, was analyzed separately.

The report finds that lower-tier wildfire resilience pathways such as CWRC Class 1 and IBHS Essential add only 0.6 to 1.1 percent to new construction costs, while upper-tier standards like CWRC Class 2 and IBHS Enhanced produce larger though still moderate increases of 4.2 to 10.8 percent. Most premiums are concentrated in a limited set of exterior components, especially deck assemblies, with core construction elements unaffected. Cost impacts were consistent across regions, reflecting material requirements rather than local construction conditions, and final costs depend substantially on compliant material selection. The authors recommend providing clear guidance on lower-cost compliant products to reduce affordability impacts and emphasize that maintaining protective building conditions over time is essential. Recurring maintenance costs and potential benefits such as avoided damages or insurance savings are not included in this assessment.