On June 2, 2026, Governor Jared Polis vetoed H.B. 26-1236, Arbitration Reform, bringing an end to the Colorado General Assembly’s latest attempt to impose additional restrictions on arbitration. Although the bill was not directed specifically at construction defect litigation, its proposed changes to the Colorado Uniform Arbitration Act would have affected arbitration proceedings generally, including […]
Colorado Construction Litigation Blog
Colorado built its reputation on opportunity. For decades, the state attracted families, workers, entrepreneurs, and employers who saw a place to build a future. Its mountains and quality of life remain extraordinary, but the economics of living here have changed. Increasingly, the question is not whether people want to live in Colorado. It is whether […]
Colorado’s new right-of-access statute may help address one of the unintended consequences of individually owned townhome developments, but it does not solve every problem associated with repairing interconnected building systems. The Problem: Six Homes, One Building Envelope Consider a hypothetical six-unit townhome building in Colorado. Each residence is individually owned. There is no homeowners association […]
Colorado’s construction defect statutes establish specific requirements for notices of claim and statutory tolling. It is time for courts and arbitrators to enforce them. There is a frustrating tendency in some Colorado construction defect litigation to treat virtually any written complaint about construction work as a statutory notice of claim under the Construction Defect Action […]
Fourteen years ago, we cautioned Colorado homeowners associations against a “ready, fire, aim” approach to construction-defect litigation. In The Hidden Dangers of Construction Defect Litigation, we suggested a fairly simple proposition: when legitimate construction defects exist, the goal should be to get them repaired. Litigation should be a last resort, not an end in itself. […]
In construction defect litigation, one scenario appears repeatedly: a subcontractor installs work in a manner that differs from the plans, specifications, manufacturer instructions, or industry standards after being verbally directed to do so by the general contractor, superintendent, architect, or owner’s representative. At the time, the decision may seem minor. The project is moving quickly, […]
In Michelle and Michael Parra v. Gillaspie Construction, Inc. and Johnson Excavation, Inc. (Colo. App. No. 18CA0800, Mar. 21, 2019), not selected for official publication, the Colorado Court of Appeals reaffirmed an essential principle for builders, homeowners, and insurers alike: under the Colorado Construction Defect Action Reform Act (“CDARA”), the statute of limitations begins to […]
In a recent Colorado Court of Appeals decision, Kritzer v. Qwest Corporation, the Colorado Court of Appeals reaffirmed the protections offered by the statute of repose under Colorado’s Construction Defect Action Reform Act (“CDARA”)—but also reminded practitioners that those protections are not absolute. For construction professionals, subcontractors, and public utilities, the case illustrates how ongoing […]
On May 9, 2025, Governor Jared Polis signed House Bill 25-1272, known as the “Colorado American Dream Act,” into law. The legislation, which takes effect January 1, 2026, aims to address the state’s well-documented shortage of for-sale multifamily housing, particularly condominiums and townhomes, by creating a voluntary program for developers and builders who agree to […]
On March 28, 2025, the Colorado House passed House Bill 25-1272 on second reading with floor amendments. The bill — titled the “Colorado American Dream Act” — seeks to address Colorado’s housing crisis by encouraging construction of for-sale multifamily housing, such as condominiums and townhomes, through targeted legal reforms. H.B. 25-1272 would create a new, […]