What services do you offer?

We provide commercial fire protection and insulation services including spray-applied fireproofing (SFRM), intumescent fireproofing (IFRM), firestopping systems, and spray-applied insulation (Monoglass, K-13).

What type of projects do you work on?

We handle commercial and industrial construction including hospitals, schools, offices, multi-family buildings, warehouses, and retail developments — both new construction and existing building renovations.

What is spray-applied fireproofing?

Spray-applied fireproofing is a protective material applied to structural steel to help maintain its strength during a fire. It's commonly known in the industry as Monokote. We use UL-classified products like BlazeShield II for 1-4 hour fire ratings.

What is intumescent fireproofing?

Intumescent coatings are thin-film fire-resistive materials that expand when exposed to high heat, forming an insulating protective layer on structural steel. They provide a clean, architectural finish while meeting code requirements.

Can you review project plans and provide a bid?

Yes. Send your plans and specs to our estimating team and we'll provide a competitive bid. We pride ourselves on fast turnaround.

Do you self-test thickness before calling for inspection?

Yes. Every area is self-tested with calibrated thickness gauges before we call for third-party inspection. This minimizes re-work and keeps your schedule on track.

Do your firestopping systems meet code requirements?

Yes. Our firestopping installations follow tested and listed systems to meet building code and fire safety requirements. Every installation is documented and inspection-ready.

Are you licensed, insured, and bondable?

Yes. We carry all required licensing, insurance, and meet the highest safety standards. We can provide a 2% bond when needed. We are also an authorized Cafco applicator.

What areas do you serve?

We serve commercial construction projects throughout Colorado and surrounding regions — Denver, Colorado Springs, Boulder, Fort Collins, and the entire Front Range. We also take on projects in Wyoming.

Resources

Denver's 2025 Building Code Update: What GCs Need to Know About Fire-Resistance Requirements

The 2025 Denver Building Code is live. Here is what changed in fire-resistance rated construction, special inspections, and firestopping — and how it affects your next commercial project.

Published March 2026Reading time: ~8 min

If you pull permits in Denver, you already know: the rules changed. On June 13, 2025, Denver adopted the 2025 Denver Building Code, based on the 2024 International Building Code (IBC 2024), with a six-month transition period that allowed applicants to submit under either the previous 2022 code or the new 2025 code. That transition window has closed. Every permit submitted now falls under the new code.

For general contractors running commercial projects in the Denver metro, this update carries real weight — especially when it comes to fire-resistance rated construction. Here is what changed, what it means for your next project, and where the inspection requirements have tightened.

Why This Update Matters More Than Most

Denver's code revision committees spent over six months — from March through October 2024 — evaluating amendments, with the stated goal of aligning Denver's codes more closely with the base I-Codes and significantly reducing the number of local amendments. The result is a code that hews closer to the national standard than any previous Denver edition.

That alignment matters for fire-resistance work. Fewer Denver-specific exceptions means the IBC 2024 provisions on fire-rated assemblies, special inspections, and material testing now apply with less local modification. If your team was used to navigating Denver's unique amendments, many of those workarounds are gone.

$2.2B

Commercial construction permitted in Denver in 2025, up from $1.5B in 2024

1,803

Commercial permits issued — all now subject to the new code

What Changed in Fire-Resistance Rated Construction

IBC 2024 Chapter 7: Fire and Smoke Protection Features

Chapter 7 remains the backbone of fire-resistance requirements. While the fundamental framework — fire walls (Section 706), fire barriers (Section 707), fire partitions, and horizontal assemblies — carries forward from the 2021 edition, several targeted changes affect how GCs plan and execute fire-rated work.

Type III Construction Floor Systems (Section 705.7.1)

A new provision clarifies that when a floor system supports the gravity loads of an exterior wall in Type III construction, the portion of the floor system carrying that load must have a fire-resistance rating no less than that required for the exterior wall itself. If you are using floor trusses with platform framing in Type III buildings, the truss sections supporting the exterior wall need a 2-hour fire rating. This is a detail that can catch teams off guard during plan review if it was not accounted for in design.

Mass Timber / Type IV Construction

The 2024 IBC made significant updates to mass timber provisions. Type IV-A construction requires a 3-hour fire-resistance rating for the primary structural frame, 2-hour for floors, and 1.5-hour for roofs. Type IV-B requires 2-hour for the structural frame and floors, 1-hour for roofs. A notable change from the 2021 edition: the allowable exposure of mass timber ceilings and integral beams in Type IV-B buildings increased from 20% to 100%. While mass timber is still relatively uncommon in Denver commercial work, it is gaining traction, and these provisions will shape how those projects are designed and fireproofed.

Sealant and Adhesive Requirements for Mass Timber

In Types IV-A, IV-B, and IV-C construction, sealant or adhesive must be provided at abutting edges and intersections of mass timber elements that are required to be fire-resistance rated, and at intersections of mass timber and other materials where both carry a fire-resistance rating. This is a new detailing requirement that affects both fireproofing and firestopping scopes.

Firestopping Scope Expansion (Section 1705.18)

The IBC 2024 expanded the conditions that trigger special inspections for firestopping. Previously, firestopping special inspections were required in high-rise buildings and buildings assigned to Risk Category III or IV. The 2024 edition adds fire areas containing Group R (residential) occupancies with an occupant load greater than 250 to that list.

Given Denver's active multifamily market — 64 developments permitted in 2025 totaling $515 million — this expansion will affect a meaningful number of projects.

Firestopping inspections for through-penetrations, membrane penetrations, fire-resistant joint systems, and perimeter fire containment systems must be conducted in accordance with ASTM E2174 (for penetration firestops) and ASTM E2393 (for fire-resistant joint systems).

Key Takeaway for Multifamily GCs

If you are building multifamily with more than 250 occupants in a fire area, firestopping special inspections are now mandatory. Budget for them in your bid and build them into the schedule from day one.

Special Inspection Requirements: SFRM and IFRM

If you are building anything with a fire-resistance rated structural frame, Chapters 7 and 17 work together. Chapter 7 tells you what rating you need. Chapter 17 tells you how to prove the installed materials meet that rating.

Spray-Applied Fire-Resistive Materials (Section 1705.15)

Special inspections for SFRM applied to floor, roof, and wall assemblies and structural members must cover the full application cycle:

Before application

The prepared surface of structural members must be inspected by the special inspector before SFRM is applied (Section 1705.15.2). Substrate condition matters — rust, oil, or debris on steel will compromise adhesion.

During application

Inspections and tests must be performed during construction, covering thickness, density (in pounds per cubic foot), and bond strength.

After trades rough-in

An additional visual inspection is required after the rough installation of electrical, sprinkler, mechanical, and plumbing systems, and before concealment. This is the inspection that catches damage from other trades — and it is the one most likely to create schedule conflicts if not planned for.

Thickness Tolerances

Not more than 10% of measurements may fall below design thickness. For design thickness ≥ 1 inch, the minimum individual thickness is design thickness minus 1/4 inch. For < 1 inch, the minimum is design thickness minus 25%.

Bond Strength

Minimum 150 psf, tested in accordance with ASTM E736. Bond failures typically trace back to substrate contamination — oil, dust, or moisture on the steel surface.

Mastic and Intumescent Fire-Resistant Coatings (Section 1705.16)

IFRM inspections follow a parallel but distinct path. Special inspections and tests must be performed in accordance with AWCI 12-B and must be based on the approved fire-resistance design documents. Like SFRM, there is an additional visual inspection required after rough-in of MEP and sprinkler systems and before concealment.

Intumescent coatings are increasingly specified on projects where aesthetics matter — exposed steel in restaurants, offices, and mixed-use retail. The inspection standard (AWCI 12-B) covers surface preparation, application conditions, dry film thickness, and coating integrity, and the inspector must be qualified to evaluate these coatings specifically.

What This Means for Your Next Project

The code changes are not dramatic in isolation, but their cumulative effect on project planning is real. Here is where GCs are most likely to feel the impact.

Plan review will be stricter

With Denver's amendments aligned more closely to the base IBC, plan reviewers are applying the national standard with fewer local exceptions. Fire-resistance rated assembly details that previously passed under Denver-specific provisions may now require documentation that matches IBC 2024 exactly.

Special inspection coordination is more demanding

The three-phase inspection sequence for SFRM — substrate, application, and post-rough-in — means your fireproofing subcontractor and your special inspector need to be on the same schedule. If the inspector is not available when the substrate is prepped, application cannot start. If the post-rough-in inspection is not scheduled before drywall, you are tearing things open.

Firestopping inspections hit more project types

If you are building multifamily with more than 250 occupants in a fire area, firestopping special inspections are now mandatory. Budget for them.

Mass timber projects need early coordination

If you are involved in any of Denver's emerging mass timber projects, the sealant and connection fire-protection requirements are new scope items that need to be in the contract and on the schedule from day one.

GC Checklist: Fire-Resistance Compliance Under the 2025 Denver Building Code

Use this as a starting point for your next commercial project in Denver.

Confirm code edition

All permits submitted after the transition period are under the 2025 Denver Building Code (IBC 2024 base). Verify with Denver CPD if your project has any grandfathering.

Review fire-resistance design early

Get the fire-resistance rated assembly details from your architect or engineer before bidding fireproofing. Confirm the required ratings for structural frame, floors, roofs, and walls match what is shown on drawings.

Engage your special inspector early

Special inspections for SFRM and IFRM are required at three phases: pre-application, during application, and post-rough-in. Get the inspector on the project schedule, not just on call.

Coordinate the post-rough-in inspection

The visual inspection after MEP and sprinkler rough-in — and before concealment — is a common schedule bottleneck. Build it into your three-week lookahead.

Verify SFRM thickness and bond strength

Know the design thickness, the 10% tolerance rule, and the 150 psf bond strength minimum before your fireproofing sub mobilizes.

Check firestopping trigger conditions

High-rise? Risk Category III or IV? Group R occupancy with more than 250 occupants? If yes, firestopping special inspections are required per Section 1705.18.

Document everything

Inspection reports, thickness measurements, bond strength tests, substrate condition photos. If it is not documented, it did not happen.

Check for mass timber provisions

If your project uses Type IV construction, confirm sealant requirements at mass timber intersections and connection fire-protection requirements are in the contract.

Looking Ahead

Denver's construction market is active and evolving. The DIA Great Hall renovation, ongoing multifamily development, and projects in RiNo and downtown all demand fire-rated construction that meets the new standard. The 2025 Denver Existing Building Code (IEBC 2024 base) also took effect, governing alterations and renovations — so existing building work is under updated rules as well.

The best time to understand these requirements is before your next permit application, not during plan review corrections. If you have questions about how the new fire-resistance requirements affect your project's fireproofing, firestopping, or insulation scope, the team at Andrex Ltd works with GCs across the Denver metro on exactly these issues. We are happy to walk through the specifics for your next build.

Frequently Asked Questions

When did the 2025 Denver Building Code take effect?

Denver adopted the 2025 Denver Building Code on June 13, 2025, based on the 2024 International Building Code (IBC 2024). A six-month transition period allowed applicants to submit under either the previous 2022 code or the new 2025 code. That transition window has closed, and every permit submitted now falls under the new code.

What changed in fire-resistance requirements under the new Denver code?

Key changes include new Type III construction floor system fire-rating provisions (Section 705.7.1), expanded mass timber (Type IV) fire-resistance requirements, additional sealant and adhesive requirements at mass timber intersections, and expanded firestopping special inspection triggers for Group R occupancies with more than 250 occupants. Denver also reduced its local amendments to align more closely with the base IBC 2024.

Are SFRM special inspections required on my Denver project?

Yes, if your project includes fire-resistance rated structural steel. IBC 2024 Section 1705.15 requires special inspections for spray-applied fire-resistive materials (SFRM) at three phases: before application (substrate inspection), during application (thickness, density, and bond strength testing), and after MEP rough-in but before concealment. The post-rough-in inspection is the most common schedule bottleneck.

When are firestopping special inspections required in Denver?

Firestopping special inspections are required in high-rise buildings, buildings assigned to Risk Category III or IV, and — new under IBC 2024 — fire areas containing Group R (residential) occupancies with an occupant load greater than 250. Inspections must be conducted per ASTM E2174 for penetration firestops and ASTM E2393 for fire-resistant joint systems.

Does the new code affect mass timber projects in Denver?

Yes. The 2024 IBC made significant updates to mass timber provisions. Type IV-A construction requires 3-hour structural frame, 2-hour floors, and 1.5-hour roofs. Type IV-B requires 2-hour structural frame and floors, 1-hour roofs. A notable change: the allowable exposure of mass timber ceilings in Type IV-B buildings increased from 20% to 100%. New sealant requirements at mass timber intersections also affect fireproofing and firestopping scopes.