Building code guide
The Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code is in effect
The adoption and enforcement deadlines have passed. In WUI jurisdictions across Colorado, the CWRC is what your permit is reviewed against — including post-fire rebuilds.
SB23-166 created a state code board, which established the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code on July 1, 2025. WUI jurisdictions had until April 1, 2026 to adopt it and July 1, 2026 to enforce it. It regulates roofing, vents, exterior materials, decks, glazing, and defensible space. Post-fire rebuilds are permitted under it, even when the original home predated the code. Your building department confirms how it lands on your parcel.
Where it came from
Senate Bill 23-166 (2023) created the Wildfire Resiliency Code Board within the Division of Fire Prevention and Control. The board wrote the code; local governments adopt and enforce it. It replaces a patchwork of county WUI codes with a statewide minimum, and shifts the emphasis from defensive spacing alone to hardening the structure itself — the assemblies embers actually ignite.
Key dates
| Date | Milestone | Status |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2025 | 2025 CWRC established by the state code board | Done |
| April 1, 2026 | Adoption deadline for jurisdictions with WUI areas | Passed |
| July 1, 2026 | Jurisdictions compliant and enforcing | Passed |
Most of what's online about the CWRC was written before enforcement, in "get ahead of the code" terms. That window closed July 1. In adopting WUI jurisdictions, it's now the review standard on the plan checker's desk.
Where it applies
- The WUI mapState mapping classifies wildland-urban interface areas by fire intensity. Foothills, mountain, and canyon parcels across Colorado — including large parts of Custer, Huerfano, Fremont, Pueblo, and El Paso counties — are in it.
- Your jurisdiction's adoptionLocal governments adopted the code as written or with amendments; existing WUI codes at least as strict could stand. The state code is the floor.
The definitive answer for a parcel comes from the building department. Start with DFPC's code board pages and the state's WUI code resources.
What it regulates
| Element | What changes |
|---|---|
| Roofing | Class A fire-rated assemblies — the highest-leverage hardening choice on the structure. |
| Vents & openings | Ember- and flame-resistant venting at attics, eaves, and crawl spaces. |
| Exterior walls & siding | Noncombustible or ignition-resistant materials. |
| Gutters | Noncombustible. |
| Decks & attached structures | Ignition-resistant or noncombustible decking and attachments. |
| Windows & glazing | Glazing that survives radiant heat — tempered or multi-pane assemblies. |
| Near-home zone | Defensible space, including keeping the first feet around the structure free of combustibles. |
Requirements vary with WUI classification and local amendments — the adopted code governs. We confirm the governing edition with the building department before design, on every project.
Rebuilding after a fire? It applies to you
A post-fire rebuild is new construction. A like-for-like footprint streamlines the permit pathway, not the code edition — rebuild permits issued after enforcement are reviewed under the code in force, even though the home that burned predated it.
For the recoveries we're mobilized on — Aspen Acres in Custer and Pueblo counties, Big Sheep in Huerfano County — fire-hardened assemblies are part of the rebuild scope by default. The money side:
- Ordinance & law (code upgrade) coverage pays for code-required scope — if your policy carries it. We flag code-driven lines separately in Xactimate so the coverage gets applied.
- No O&L coverage? The delta between minimum-legal and cheapest-possible is smallest at rebuild time. Price it up front, not at plan review.
- Class A roofing, ember-resistant venting, and defensible space qualify for premium credits with many carriers.
Cost and insurability
Insurers are tightening in WUI Colorado, and a home built to the CWRC is a better risk on paper — IBHS research shows hardening plus defensible space is what keeps buildings standing in ember storms. Built to code now means no retrofit later, and premiums that reflect it. Back on track, and better.
Planning a build in 2026 or later
- Already permitted? Applications accepted before your jurisdiction's enforcement date are generally reviewed under the rules at application — confirm with the building department.
- Designing now? Design to the CWRC from day one. Early material selections cost a conversation; the same selections at plan-review rejection cost a redesign.
- Hardening an existing home? The Colorado State Forest Service guides are the retrofit version of the same checklist.
Common questions
- Is the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code in effect right now?
- Yes. Established July 1, 2025; adoption required by April 1, 2026; enforcement expected by July 1, 2026. All three dates have passed.
- Does the CWRC apply to my property?
- If your parcel is in a designated WUI area of an adopting jurisdiction and the work is regulated — new construction, certain remodels and roofing — yes. Your building department gives the definitive answer.
- Does it apply to rebuilds after the Aspen Acres Fire?
- Rebuild permits issued after enforcement are reviewed under current code, like-for-like or not. See the Aspen Acres permits page and confirm with the county.
- Will it make my rebuild more expensive?
- Some assemblies cost more, but the premium is smallest at build time, carrier credits offset ongoing costs, and ordinance & law coverage — if you have it — puts code scope in the claim.
- Does insurance pay for code-required upgrades?
- Only through ordinance & law (code upgrade) coverage, which many policies carry in limited amounts. Ask your carrier early; have your contractor flag code-driven scope separately.
- What if my county already had a WUI code?
- Standards at least as protective can stand — the state code sets the minimum. The building department can tell you which edition and amendments govern.
- Who enforces it?
- Local building departments, through normal permits and inspections. DFPC can support local enforcement on request.
Start your rebuild or call 719-460-0433
Sources: SB23-166 · DFPC Wildfire Resiliency Code Board · Colorado Municipal League · Colorado Resiliency Office · Planning for Hazards · IBHS. Summary of public information as of September 2, 2026 — not code text, not legal advice; the adopted code and your building department govern.