Home projects in Centennial

Centennial is a young city with older houses. It incorporated in 2001, but most of its neighborhoods (Southglenn, Willow Creek, Homestead, Walnut Hills, Piney Creek and the subdivisions east of I-25) were built in the 1970s, 80s and 90s as unincorporated Arapahoe County. That shapes what owners here deal with: houses that are 30 to 50 years old, second- or third-generation roofs and siding, original kitchens and baths, and an HOA on almost every block.

Permits come from the city

Centennial's Building Division issues permits for property inside city limits, and applications are submitted online, with plans uploaded as PDFs. If you hire someone, contractors and subcontractors working in Centennial must hold a city license, which the city issues and renews online. Ask for it, and check it.

You can pull a permit and do the work yourself, but only on the home you occupy. Centennial requires a signed Homeowners Agreement, in which you certify that you will personally perform the work you've selected and have it inspected before it's covered up and at completion. That's not a path for hiring an unlicensed handyman under your name. If someone else does the work, they need a license.

A practical note: plenty of addresses with a Centennial mailing label are outside the city (in unincorporated Arapahoe County or neighboring cities), and parts of the area are in special districts with their own covenants. Confirm your jurisdiction before you apply.

HOAs set the exterior rules

Most Centennial subdivisions have active HOAs with architectural committees. Expect to submit for approval before you change roofing material or color, replace siding, repaint in a new color, add a deck or patio cover, or install solar. Colorado law limits how far associations can go in restricting some upgrades, such as renewable energy devices and certain fire-hardened materials, but they can still set reasonable aesthetic rules. Get approval in writing before you schedule the work.

Soils, slabs and basements

The Colorado Geological Survey's map of potentially swelling soils along the Front Range corridor covers much of the south metro. In Centennial houses that tends to show up as heaved basement slabs, cracked garage floors, sticking doors and diagonal drywall cracks. If you're finishing a basement, have significant cracks evaluated, fix drainage first, and keep floating partition walls so a moving slab doesn't crack new drywall.

Hail, roofs and siding

South-metro neighborhoods get hit by hail regularly, and many Centennial homes have gone through several roofs. When you replace, price an impact-rated shingle and ask your insurer whether it affects your premium. Colorado's roofing contract law requires a written contract, a 72-hour cancellation window after signing, and a bold-type statement that the roofer will hold your payment in trust until materials are delivered or most of the work is done. Roofers can't pay or waive your deductible.

Hardboard siding from the 1970s-80s often swells and cracks. Replacing it with fiber cement or engineered wood is a common, durable upgrade, but it usually needs HOA approval for color and profile.

Projects that fit Centennial homes

Kitchens. Most are original or lightly updated. In two-story homes from the 1980s-90s the common project is new cabinets, counters and lighting within the existing layout. In ranches and split-levels, removing a wall may need a beam.

Bathrooms. Primary baths from this era often have a large tub deck and a small shower. Converting to a larger walk-in shower is popular.

Windows. Original double-pane windows have often failed seals. Low-E replacements help on west and south walls.

HVAC. Furnaces and ACs installed in the 2000s are reaching the end of their lives. Colorado's 2026 heat pump tax credit is $1,000 for air-source systems, and registered contractors must pass at least $333 of that to you as a discount. Xcel Energy rebates may stack. Check current terms.

Basement finishing. Many homes have unfinished or partly finished basements. Plan an egress window for any bedroom and test for radon before you frame.

Before you call contractors

Gather three things: your HOA's current design guidelines, the Arapahoe County assessor record for your house (year built and finished square footage), and any past permits for your address. With those in hand you can describe the project clearly, spot whether a previous owner finished the basement without a permit, and give every bidder the same information. That alone makes estimates far easier to compare.