Hygiene is one of the oldest communities in the area. It started as Pella in the 1870s and took its name from the Hygiene Home, a sanitarium Jacob S. Flory opened in 1881 for people seeking clean air and sunshine. Today it is a quiet, unincorporated community with farmland, acreage homes, and the 1880 Church of the Brethren meetinghouse.
Our office at 609 Terry St, Unit A, is a short drive east. Since Hygiene is unincorporated, we pull the permit through Boulder County and handle every county inspection.
Hygiene is one of several communities we cover as a remodeler, with the same crews and the same process.
Below is what we build here, how county permits work, the BuildSmart energy rules, and what to know about contractor licensing.
What We Build Here
Most of our work as a remodeler around here falls into a few groups:
- Kitchen remodeling in farmhouses and acreage homes
- Bathroom remodeling, from hall baths to primary suites
- Basement finishing for extra bedrooms and family space
- Home additions on larger rural lots
Permits Go Through the County
Because the community is unincorporated, a remodeler working here pulls permits from Boulder County, not a town. The county requires a permit for any non-cosmetic remodel, including:
- Finishing a basement
- Remodeling a kitchen or bathroom
- Converting a garage to living space
- Replacing windows, re-siding, or re-roofing
- Drywalling and insulating
- Any repair to a structural part of the house
The county builds to the 2021 international codes, with local amendments that took effect July 1, 2026. Interior-only work does not need a site plan, but every permit needs a full set of plans.
BuildSmart Energy Rules
Every remodeler in unincorporated Boulder County has to plan around BuildSmart, the county's energy efficiency code. If a project adds or changes heated or cooled floor area, like a basement finish or an addition, the plans have to show design details that meet the BuildSmart requirements.
That usually means more insulation and tighter air sealing than a basic code build. A remodeler who knows the county includes those details in the drawings, so the plan review goes smoothly.
Contractor Licensing
Any remodeler paid to do permitted work in unincorporated Boulder County needs a county contractor license. Applicants show proof of liability and workers' compensation insurance and a passing ICC exam, or a license from another Colorado jurisdiction that uses the ICC exam.
Plumbers and electricians are licensed by the State of Colorado instead. Property owners doing work on their own homes are not considered contractors, though they are still responsible for passing every inspection.
Exterior Work and Wildfire Zones
Before a remodeler changes the outside of a house here, it is worth checking whether the property sits in a county wildfire zone. If it does, the plans have to label every exterior material to show it meets that zone's ignition-resistant requirements.
That can affect siding, decks, and roofing on additions and exterior remodels. We check the zone during design so the materials are right before the plans go in.
Nearby Towns We Serve
Beyond Hygiene, we work as a remodeler in Lyons, Mead, and Erie, plus Lakeshore, Fox Hill, and other neighborhoods near our office.