Building Better for the Future
The Summit Sustainable Building Code requires energy and water efficient design and construction for residential and commercial buildings, helping our community meet important carbon reduction and water conservation goals.
Compliance with the 2020 Summit Sustainable Building code is required in the following jurisdictions:
- Breckenridge, Colorado
- Dillon, Colorado
- Frisco, Colorado
- Summit County, Colorado
Residential New Construction
In summer 2022, Breckenridge and Summit County Government adopted new code pathways for residential building projects within their jurisdictions. Before starting your project, confirm with the relevant building department which codes apply.
The Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home program is still a compliance option in all participating communities. This program applies to R-2 and R-3 occupancies as well as R-4 occupancies above 3 stories (but not more than 5 stories).
A Zero Energy Ready Home maximizes energy efficiency, air quality, and water conservation. The result is a home that’s more affordable to operate and healthy to live in. In fact, all certified Zero Energy Ready Homes are so efficient, a renewable energy system can offset most or all annual energy consumption
Commercial New Construction
New commercial construction must demonstrate 10% energy savings above a building built to the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). In jurisdictions that have adopted the Summit Sustainable Building Code, the IECC has been amended to provide guidance on program requirements.
Ready to build your first Zero Energy Ready Home?
- The Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home Partner Central has all the information designers and builders need to get started:
- First, register as a program partner.
- Then watch the Zero Energy Ready Home Orientation Webinar.
- Zero Energy Ready Home program requirements
- When designing a home, review these requirements with your architect and consult with a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Rater early in the process to determine the required HERS score for your project. Here’s a list of local HERS Raters serving Summit County.
Training & Resources
For more guidance on energy efficient design and construction, check out these resources:
The Building America Solution Center
provides access to expert information on hundreds of high-performance construction topics, including air sealing and insulation, HVAC components, windows, indoor air quality, and much more.
The Colorado Energy Office
offers code webinars for building officials, builders, and designers. Past webinars and slides are posted here.
Questions?
For questions related to a specific building project, permitting, or compliance, please contact the appropriate building department.
- Town of Breckenridge Building Department | (970) 453-3180
- Town of Frisco Building Department | (970) 668-5276
- Summit County Building Inspection | (970) 668-3170
For questions about HERS ratings or the Zero Energy Ready Home program, call HC3 at (970) 668-5703.
