What the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code Means for Durango Homeowners

Everything you need to know about the April 2026 deadline — and why it matters even if you're not building a new home.

If you own a home in or around Durango, there's a good chance you've heard whispers about new wildfire building codes coming to Colorado. Maybe your insurance agent mentioned it. Maybe you saw something on Nextdoor. But the details? They've been buried in government documents and industry jargon that nobody has bothered to translate into plain English.

Here's what's actually happening, what it means for your home, and what you should do about it.

The Short Version

On April 1, 2026, every county and municipality in Colorado that sits within a Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) zone must adopt the new Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (CWRC). La Plata County, Archuleta County, and most of the Four Corners region fall squarely within WUI zones.

This isn't optional for local governments. The state legislature created the Wildfire Resiliency Code Board through Senate Bill 23-166, and the board officially adopted the code on July 1, 2025. Local jurisdictions now have until April 1, 2026 to adopt it as their minimum standard — though they can choose to go even stricter.

What the Code Actually Requires

The CWRC divides WUI properties into fire intensity classifications — Low, Moderate, and High — based on terrain, vegetation, and proximity to wildland fuels. Your requirements depend on your classification.

Class 1 Hardening (Low Fire Intensity Zones)

If your property falls in a low-intensity zone, the baseline requirements include:

• Class A roofing — your roof covering or assembly must be rated Class A when tested to ASTM E108 or UL 790. Most modern asphalt shingles qualify, but older wood shake roofs do not.
• Ember-resistant roof gaps — if your roof covering creates gaps between the covering and the deck (like barrel tile), those gaps must be sealed with noncombustible material to prevent ember entry.
• Noncombustible gutters — metal gutters with gutter guards that prevent debris accumulation.

Class 2 Hardening (Moderate to High Fire Intensity Zones)

This is where it gets more involved. In addition to all Class 1 requirements, moderate and high-intensity zones require:

• Fire-resistant exterior walls — siding must be noncombustible or ignition-resistant. Fiber cement (like James Hardie), stucco, brick, and stone all qualify. Vinyl and untreated wood siding do not.
• Tempered or fire-rated windows — standard single-pane windows are a significant vulnerability.
• Enclosed eaves and soffits — open eaves are one of the most common ember entry points. They must be enclosed with noncombustible or ignition-resistant materials.
• Sealed garage doors — gaps no larger than 1/8 inch to prevent ember intrusion.
• Ignition-resistant or noncombustible decks — this is a big one for Durango, where wood decks are everywhere. Composite decking that meets ignition-resistant standards or noncombustible materials are required.
• Defensible space landscaping — combustible materials must be removed or managed within specific distances from the structure, typically starting with a 5-foot noncombustible zone immediately around the home.
• Ember-resistant vents — attic, crawl space, and soffit vents must resist ember entry. Standard mesh vents are not sufficient; you need vents tested to ASTM E2886 or equivalent.

"But I'm Not Building a New Home"

This is the most common misconception. The CWRC applies to new construction, yes — but it also kicks in for:

• Additions over 500 square feet. Planning to add that master suite or expand the garage? If it's over 500 sq ft, the entire project must comply.
• Significant alterations. If your renovation affects more than 25% of your roof or exterior walls, compliance may be triggered.
• Relocated structures. Moving a manufactured or modular home into a WUI zone triggers full compliance.

Routine maintenance and minor repairs — replacing a few boards of siding, patching a section of roof — generally don't trigger the code, as long as you stay under the 25% threshold. But here's the thing: even if your home is technically grandfathered in, your insurance company doesn't care about grandfathering. More on that in a moment.

Why This Matters Beyond the Code

The CWRC doesn't exist in a vacuum. It's part of a broader shift in Colorado that includes House Bill 25-1182, signed into law in May 2025. This bill requires insurance companies that use wildfire risk models to:

1. Factor in your mitigation efforts when calculating your risk score. If you've hardened your home, that must be reflected in your premium.
2. Disclose your wildfire risk score and explain how it was calculated.
3. Give you the right to appeal if you believe the score is inaccurate.
4. Publish mitigation discounts on their websites so you know exactly what actions lower your costs.

This is huge. For years, Colorado homeowners have invested thousands of dollars in defensible space and fire-resistant materials, only to see their premiums climb anyway — or worse, receive a nonrenewal letter. HB25-1182 is designed to change that, but the burden is on you to document what you've done.

Which means the homeowners who can clearly demonstrate CWRC-level hardening — with professional documentation and an itemized report — are the ones who will benefit most from HB25-1182's protections.

What Durango Homeowners Should Do Now

You don't need to panic, but you shouldn't wait until March 2026 either. Here's a practical sequence:

Understand your zone classification. Once La Plata County adopts the CWRC and publishes its WUI map (expected by April 2026), you'll know whether you're in a Low, Moderate, or High fire intensity zone. In the meantime, if your home is in or near forested areas — which describes a huge portion of Durango — plan for Class 2 requirements as a reasonable baseline.

Walk your own property with fresh eyes. Look at your roof, your vents, your eaves, your deck, and your siding. Those are the five biggest vulnerability points. Wood shake roof? Open eaves? Lattice skirting under your deck? Standard mesh attic vents? Each of these is a known ember entry pathway.

Get a professional wildfire home assessment. A trained assessor can evaluate your property against CWRC standards and NFPA/IBHS best practices, identify the highest-priority fixes, estimate costs, and produce documentation your insurance company will actually accept.

Prioritize by ROI. Not every upgrade costs the same or delivers the same risk reduction. Replacing attic vents with ember-resistant models might cost $200-400 and dramatically reduce your ignition risk. A full siding replacement might cost $15,000-25,000. A good assessment will help you spend smart.

Document everything. Under HB25-1182, you can appeal your wildfire risk score — but only if you have evidence. Before-and-after photos, receipts, and a professional assessment report are your ammunition.

The Bottom Line

The CWRC isn't just another government regulation. It's the state's response to the reality that Colorado's wildfire seasons are getting longer, more intense, and more destructive. All 20 of the state's most destructive wildfires have occurred in the last 20 years.

For Durango homeowners, the convergence of the CWRC, HB25-1182, and the insurance market's increasing reliance on wildfire risk scoring creates both urgency and opportunity. The homes that get hardened — and properly documented — will be the ones that keep their insurance, maintain their property values, and protect their families.

The April 1, 2026 deadline is coming. The question isn't whether this will affect you — it's whether you'll be ahead of it or scrambling to catch up.