DENVER, CO — Love them or hate them, home scrapes are making a major comeback in Denver, driven by homebuyers who want suburban-sized living in the heart of the city.
“You see the highest concentrations in our most popular neighborhoods,” said Caryn Champine, Director of Planning Services for the City of Denver.
What’s Fueling the Comeback
A “scrape” involves purchasing and demolishing an existing house to rebuild a larger, modern home on the same lot. The practice mirrors the housing market’s ups and downs.
According to the Denver Office of Community Planning and Development, demolition permits climbed from roughly 100 per year in the mid-1990s to nearly 400 in 2007, before dropping to just 92 in 2011. As the market recovered, permits rose again — reaching 373 last year, signaling strong renewed demand.
“Scrapes have tracked the housing market almost exactly,” said Dave Jackson, owner of Jackson Design Build in Centennial.
A Builder’s Perspective: Jackson Design Build Returns to Speculative Projects
After pulling back following the 2008 downturn, Dave Jackson is once again investing in speculative home development. This month, his firm is marketing a new project — a pair of 3,000-square-foot duplexes at 611 and 615 S. Clarkson Street in Denver’s West Washington Park neighborhood.
Jackson purchased and demolished a 1,760-square-foot duplex built in 1921 for $460,000, replacing it with two contemporary homes featuring:
- Basements for added living space.
- Large windows providing natural light.
- Coffee-brown brick exteriors, complementing local architectural styles.
Each home, listed at $889,000, offers approximately four times the space of the original duplex and incorporates modern amenities and energy efficiency that older homes often lack.
“On the buy is where you make your margin,” Jackson said. “Homes that sold for $250,000 in 2009 now go for about $450,000.”
The Scrape Buyer Profile
Unlike the last boom, today’s scrapes aren’t dominated solely by developers. Wealthier owner-occupants are increasingly purchasing old properties to build their dream homes.
“Demand from end-users is higher than I’ve ever seen,” said John Mattingly, Principal at Chalet, which designs and builds custom homes priced over $1.5 million. “Buyers with cash can outbid spec builders — they’ll write a check on the spot.”
Mattingly noted that Sloan’s Lake has emerged as an up-and-coming community for high-end construction, with new builds raising the bar for design and pricing throughout the area.
City Views: Keeping Residents in Denver
City planners see scrapes as a way to retain families who might otherwise move to the suburbs.
“A lot of growing families need more space,” said Champine. “By rebuilding in established neighborhoods, families can stay close to their jobs, schools, and urban amenities.”
Each demolition must pass a landmark preservation review to ensure the existing structure isn’t historically significant. While the city doesn’t regulate home design aesthetics, some residents have voiced concerns about scrapes altering neighborhood character.
With more owner-driven projects and fewer speculative builds, Jackson and Mattingly believe those complaints are easing.
“Homeowners care about curb appeal — they want designs that fit but still feel modern,” said Jackson.
Changing Demographics and Design Trends
Today’s buyers often prefer larger, modern homes that mirror the spaces they grew up in.
“Young professionals didn’t grow up in 700-square-foot bungalows,” said Kathleen Genereux, Realtor at Cherry Creek Properties. “They want open floor plans, basements, and fenced backyards — but close to the city.”
While many buyers could renovate instead of rebuild, the economics of Denver’s market often favor full replacement. Rising land values and surging demand make new construction more profitable — assuming zoning and financing align.
A Geographic Shift
Scrapes are concentrated in northwest Denver (Berkeley, Highland) and the park neighborhoods (Washington Park, Platt Park, University Park). As lots become scarce, redevelopment is spreading into Sunnyside, Regis, Sloan’s Lake, and Hilltop.
Demolitions remain rare in southwestern and northeastern Denver and most suburbs, though Wheat Ridge could soon see more activity.
Nearby Jackson’s current project, rebuilding is already visible — a new home is rising next door, and another across the street is adding a second story.
“There’s a scarcity of buildable lots in Denver,” Jackson said. “You have to fight for every parcel — and that drives prices higher.”
The Ongoing Evolution of Denver’s Neighborhoods
Denver’s scrape trend underscores the city’s evolution from a bungalow-dotted landscape into a hub for urban infill, contemporary design, and adaptive reuse. Builders and homeowners alike are redefining what urban living means — bigger spaces, smarter sustainability, and tailored functionality — all without leaving the neighborhoods that define Denver’s character.
“It’s competitive, creative, and constantly moving forward,” Jackson said. “That’s what makes building in Denver exciting.”
