Builders are busy this summer as demand for new single-family homes is picking up.
The city of Durango issued 34 building permits for single-family residences through June, up from 29 during the same period in 2013.
The building industry has recovered strongly from the postrecession doldrums. As recently as 2010, the city issued only 10 single-family building permits during the first half of the year.
“It’s steady,” said Frank Enea, owner of Classique Builders in Durango.
Statewide, single-family building permits are up 13 percent for the first six months of the year, according to the National Association of Home Builders.
Classique is at work on four homes, and starts are planned for five or six more this fall, Enea said. A basic home takes about four months to build.
“For us personally, this fall is going to be a lot busier than this summer,” he said.
Jerry Pope, co-owner of Timberline Group, said his company has completed five homes this year. Seven more are underway, and Timberline has seven starts planned.
“It’s been incredibly busy,” Pope said.
The rush to build caught many in the building industry by surprise.
“We just can’t find enough people,” Pope said. “That’s the hardest part of all right now. Across the board, whether it’s suppliers or subcontractors, there is just a severe lack of help.
“No one was ready for this,” he added. “We were asleep at the wheel for so long. This just hit us like a ton of bricks.”
Pope said Timberline, which he owns with Emil Wanatka, has enough work to stay busy for the next three years.
Buyers are looking for functional spaces, outdoor areas and luxurious finishes, Enea said.
Many homes being built this summer are less than 2,000 square feet – far smaller than homes even a few years ago. Many homeowners are seeking to downsize, according to builders and real-estate agents.
Classique is at work on a 1,850-square-foot custom home in Edgemont Highlands for a Bayfield family. The house has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and an oversized garage.
“A few years ago, this might’ve been 2,400 (square feet),” Enea said.
Timberline is at work on a series of Animas Valley homes that are 1,700 square feet, Pope said.
cslothower@durangoherald.com
