An 1859 gold-rush town in Clear Creek Canyon at about 7,500 feet.
Painter Hotline paints houses in Idaho Springs, Clear Creek County. 88.6% of homes there predate 1980, so every scope starts with the year built. Free estimates: 720-208-5645.
Close to 70 percent of homes in Idaho Springs were built before 1960, one of the highest shares anywhere we work. Many generations of paint, often including lead in the lower layers, are the norm. Porches and window trim were often rebuilt piecemeal over the decades, so one house can show three or four eras of woodwork.
Steep canyon walls keep some houses in shade for much of the winter, and snowmelt keeps walls damp into spring. Start dates depend on when the siding is actually dry.
When the sun does reach a wall, ultraviolet at this elevation is harder on coatings than in the metro.
Many houses sit on steep lots above Miner Street with long stairs and little parking. Ladder setup and carrying materials in take real time, and they are scoped at the estimate.
The historic storefronts along Miner Street mix brick, cast iron and wood. Each material gets its own primer, and work is phased so shops can stay open during the tourist season.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2019–2023 5-year estimates, table B25034. Small sample: ±12 points on the pre-1980 share.
| Built | Idaho Springs | Clear Creek County | Colorado |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1940 | 65.9% | 18.9% | 7.1% |
| 1940s | 0% | 1.4% | 2.3% |
| 1950s | 3.6% | 5.5% | 6.9% |
| 1960s | 2.8% | 12.6% | 7.8% |
| 1970s | 16.3% | 19.2% | 16.5% |
| 1980s | 3.4% | 13% | 13.5% |
| 1990s | 1.4% | 18.9% | 15.2% |
| 2000s | 5% | 8.7% | 16.7% |
| 2010s | 1.6% | 2% | 12.2% |
| 2020 or later | 0% | 0% | 1.8% |
| Before 1980, total | 88.6% | 57.4% | 40.6% |
Idaho Springs has about 832 homes, and an estimated 88.6% of them predate 1980, far above Colorado's 40.6% and far above Clear Creek County's 57.4%. The years before 1940 added the most (65.9%); 6.6% are from 2000 on.
| County | Clear Creek County |
|---|---|
| ZIP codes | 80452 |
| Neighborhoods | Downtown Idaho Springs, Soda Creek Road, Virginia Canyon and the Clear Creek corridor |
Yes, from Idaho Springs and Georgetown up to Silverthorne, Dillon, Frisco and Breckenridge.
Often, if most of the old paint is still bonded. Loose areas are removed with lead-safe methods and primed. If adhesion is poor across the house, the estimate will say how much has to come off.
By the Census count, 88.6% of homes in Idaho Springs predate 1980, and any of those could hide lead paint (banned for homes in 1978). Tell us your year built.
