Open plains grassland and a line of cottonwoods along a ditch, with the snow-capped Front Range along the western horizon.
Arapahoe County, Colorado Denver & the Metro

Barndominium Builders in Centennial, Colorado

Centennial is one of the most settled suburbs in the south metro, so most of the families here who ask about a barndominium are planning a move to land rather than a teardown on their street. We build for both situations. For owners buying acreage within a reasonable drive of Centennial, we design and put up post frame homes with room for a workshop, RVs or horses, and steel homes for buyers who want a bolted frame; for the rare city parcel that can take one, we work through Centennial's own Building Division and its plan checklist. Colorado has no single statewide residential code, so each city or county you might build in sets its own adopted codes and design loads, and we draw to the one that applies. If you are comparing barndominium contractors before you buy land, start the survey and tell us which areas you are considering.

Centennial at a glance

Principal county
Arapahoe County
Building permit
City or town building department
Local facts on this page
4, each linked to its source

Before you build in Centennial

The local answers that shape a build here, each taken from the office or document that publishes it. Rules change, so we confirm them again against your parcel before drawing.

City or town permitWho issues the permit

City of Centennial Building Division

Centennial's Building Division issues building permits and inspects construction inside the city, and all permit applications are made online. Fire code review is handled separately: South Metro Fire Rescue enforces the fire code and applicants apply to it on their own. Land outside the city limits is permitted by the county it sits in.

Source: Building Division - City of Centennial (centennialco.gov)

Adopted codes
The City of Centennial lists its current building codes as including the 2021 International Residential Code and 2021 International Building Code, the 2023 National Electrical Code, and the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code.

Source: Building Division - City of Centennial (centennialco.gov)

Fire code review
Centennial states that the 2021 International Fire Code is enforced by South Metro Fire Rescue, and that applicants must apply separately to South Metro Fire.

Source: Building Division - City of Centennial (centennialco.gov)

Stamped plans and soils report
The city's one- and two-family residential plans checklist asks for architectural and structural plans signed and sealed by a Colorado registered design professional, plus a soils report giving soil type, recommended allowable bearing pressure and foundation type.

Source: One-and Two-Family Residential Plans Checklist - City of Centennial (centennialco.gov)

Where the design loads come from
The same checklist says drawings must show local design loads, including frost depth, snow, wind and earthquake data, and points to Centennial Municipal Code Sec. 18-2-30, Table R301.2(1), for the city's climatic and geographic design criteria.

Source: One-and Two-Family Residential Plans Checklist - City of Centennial (centennialco.gov)

Building on land near Centennial

Centennial is almost fully built out, and its residential lots sit under zoning and, in many subdivisions, HOA covenants that leave little space for a large shop house. We would rather say that plainly than sell a plan that stalls at zoning. Most Centennial buyers find acreage to the east or south: in the unincorporated eastern plains of [Arapahoe County](/areas/arapahoe-county-co/), in [Douglas County](/areas/douglas-county-co/), or further out in [Elbert County](/areas/elbert-county-co/). Those parcels usually bring a well, a septic system and a longer drive into the plan. If you are looking at land near Centennial, send the listing through the survey before you commit, and our [site preparation](/services/site-preparation/) team will flag access and utility issues early.

Have land in or near Centennial? Tell us about the parcel and what you want to build, and we will check it against the local rules before anything is drawn.

Building in Centennial: questions

Start the survey
How much does it cost to build a barndominium for a Centennial family?
Because most projects move out to rural land, the site often shapes the total as much as the building: a well, septic, power extension and drive length all add up. We price each job against the actual parcel. The barndominium cost guide covers sourced ranges and the factors behind them, and the survey is where you give us the land details.
Do I need a building permit for a barndominium in Centennial?
Yes. Inside the city, the Centennial Building Division requires a permit for any new structure and reviews stamped plans against the 2021 International Residential Code, with fire review going separately to South Metro Fire Rescue. On land outside the city, the county issues the permit instead. Our permitting service handles either path, and a Colorado-licensed engineer stamps the drawings where review requires it.
Are barndominium kits or metal building homes a good fit for Centennial buyers?
Metal building homes suit the acreage most Centennial buyers end up on, as long as the package is designed to the snow, wind and frost criteria of the jurisdiction where it will stand. A kit drawn for somewhere else may need its frame and foundation reworked. We can check a package you already have or supply barndominium kits drawn for the parcel; licensed plumbers and electricians handle those trades on site.

Barndominium builders near Centennial

Nearby places we also build in. Across a city limit or a county line the permit office, zoning and septic rules can change, so each has its own page.

Building in Centennial?

Start with the survey. Tell us where the land is and what you want on it, and we will come back with which office permits it, what it will allow, and a plan to fit.