Civil Engineering in Denver, Colorado.
We work with developers, architects, and landowners on civil engineering for Denver land development, from RiNo and GES brownfield redevelopment to TOD multifamily and mixed-use around RTD stations, Cherry Creek and downtown infill, and South Broadway corridor work.
Licensed Professional Engineer in Colorado. The engineer designing your Denver project is the same engineer answering your call.
(612) 567-2154 →How stormwater is regulated in Denver.
Denver projects design to two stacked criteria — Mile High Flood District and Denver's own — administered by DOTI Wastewater.
Urban Storm Drainage Criteria Manual (USDCM) Volumes 1-3, formerly UDFCD. The regional baseline for drainage and water-quality design across the Denver metro.
Denver's own Storm Drainage Design and Technical Criteria layers on top of MHFD with local detail. Plan review, master-plan compliance, and approvals run through DOTI.
State construction stormwater discharge permit. Required for any disturbance one acre or more. SWPPP and inspection cadence are standard scope.
Who reviews a Denver project.
A typical Denver land development project moves through city, state, federal, and transit review. We coordinate the full stack.
Department of Transportation & Infrastructure plan review (drainage, ROW, utilities), Community Planning & Development site review, and Wastewater stormwater compliance.
Access and frontage permits on I-25, I-70, US-6, US-285, and state-route streets crossing the city.
CDPS-COR400 construction stormwater permit, SWPPP review, and any 401 certification for in-water work.
Section 404 wetland and waters-of-the-US review for South Platte and Cherry Creek impacts.
RTD coordination for TOD-adjacent parcels, Xcel for electric/gas relocations, Denver Water for tap and main-line work.
What's different about engineering in Denver.
A few things shape how a project actually moves in Denver. We design with these baked in from day one.
- •TOD station area plans. 38th & Blake, Alameda, I-25/Broadway, and others all have their own master plans. Form-based standards, density expectations, and structured parking integration drive site design.
- •RiNo, GES, and National Western Center. Brownfield-to-mixed-use redevelopment along the South Platte and I-70. Soils, utility reconfiguration, and MHFD-compliant stormwater retrofit drive the civil scope.
- •Design Overlay (DO) and Use Overlay (UO) districts. The Denver Zoning Code layers overlays on top of base zones. Confirm which overlays apply at concept.
- •South Platte and Cherry Creek floodplain. FEMA floodplain development permit plus Denver's separate floodplain review. Elevation and flood-storage analysis routine for adjacent sites.
- •LoDo and other historic districts. Adaptive reuse and infill in historic districts run against landmark preservation and design-review standards.
What we work on in Denver.
Station area master plan compliance, form-based design, structured parking, and MHFD Volume 3 water quality / detention.
Utility reconfiguration, soils-aware grading, stormwater retrofit, and South Platte floodplain coordination.
Compact urban sites, historic-district sensitivity, tight stormwater BMP integration, and DOTI right-of-way coordination.
Site reuse, CDOT access, parking layout, and stormwater retrofit on tight arterial parcels.
Common questions about civil engineering in Denver.
Which drainage criteria apply to a Denver project?
Most Denver sites design to Mile High Flood District (MHFD, formerly UDFCD) criteria — Urban Storm Drainage Criteria Manual (USDCM) Volumes 1-3 — alongside Denver's own Storm Drainage Design and Technical Criteria administered by DOTI Wastewater. Both apply. CDPHE-WQCD issues the CDPS-COR400 construction stormwater discharge permit.
How do Denver TOD station area plans affect site design?
Sites within a Station Area Master Plan (38th & Blake, Alameda, I-25/Broadway, and others) face form-based design standards, density expectations, structured parking integration, and pedestrian-first circulation requirements that change site coverage and stormwater layout. TOD review runs alongside the Denver Zoning Code with Design Overlay (DO) and Use Overlay (UO) districts as applicable.
Do you handle South Platte or Cherry Creek floodplain projects?
Yes. Sites in or adjacent to the South Platte and Cherry Creek floodplains typically require both a FEMA floodplain development permit and Denver's separate floodplain review. Volume 3 of the MHFD criteria plus full-spectrum detention and WQCV (water quality capture volume) drive the stormwater scope.
Do you work on RiNo, GES, or National Western Center area projects?
Yes. RiNo / Brighton Boulevard, Globeville-Elyria-Swansea (GES), and the National Western Center area carry one of Denver's largest active redevelopment pipelines. Civil scope on these brownfield / industrial-to-mixed-use sites includes utility reconfiguration, soils review, and MHFD-compliant stormwater retrofit.
Do you coordinate CDOT Region 1 permits for Denver projects?
Yes. Denver sits in CDOT Region 1. Access and frontage permits are commonly required on I-25, I-70, US-6, US-285, and state-route streets. We prepare and submit CDOT applications as part of the civil package, along with RTD coordination for TOD-adjacent parcels.
Working on a Denver project?
Tell us about the site. You'll get a same-business-day response from Paul, with a real read on the civil scope, drainage criteria path, and likely permitting timeline.