Garage door costs in Denver

In the foothills around Denver, wildfire rules now reach the garage door. Two counties on the metro's west and south sides have adopted versions of Colorado's Wildfire Resiliency Code. Jefferson County approved its version on March 10, 2026, and it took effect July 1, 2026. It applies only to unincorporated properties in the county's wildland-urban interface. It isn't retroactive, and it covers new buildings and exterior alterations to existing ones. On the county's list of building parts to harden: vehicle access door perimeter gaps.

Douglas County's adopted code spells that rule out. In areas mapped for moderate or high fire intensity, called Class 2, an exterior vehicle access door has to keep embers out, with no gap over 1/8 inch at the head, the sill or the jambs. There are three ways to get there. One is weatherstripping made from materials that pass set sun-aging and flammability tests. Another is a door that overlaps the jambs and header. The third is metal flashing over the garage door jambs and header.

The garage door gets one break. Other exterior doors in Class 2 must be noncombustible, solid-core wood at least 1-3/4 inches thick, or rated for 20 minutes of fire. Vehicle access doors are an exception to that rule, so the gap is what the code asks about.

Douglas County's version covers interface areas outside city and town limits and outside fire protection districts. It also leaves out exterior repairs or alterations that affect less than 25 percent of a structure's exterior.