Data Center Construction in the Boulder Valley

Megawatts, not square feet, set the scale of a data center, and the first meeting with an owner is about power: how much utility service is available, how fast the utility can deliver it, and how much redundancy the operation needs. The shell around the equipment is comparatively plain. The electrical gear, cooling plant and generators carry most of the cost and nearly all of the schedule risk.

Around Boulder, that arithmetic meets a distinctive set of constraints. The city's energy code is among the most demanding in the state, the research community nearby has real appetite for compute space, and creek and floodplain rules limit where a critical facility can sit. We build enterprise server rooms, research computing suites and small colocation buildings for owners who want those constraints understood before design is final. We do not promise a speed that the utility interconnect cannot support. The data center building page shows the types of facility we plan for.

Siting decisions that fix the building

A data center depends on three things that cannot be added later: a reliable utility feed, a site outside the 100-year floodplain or elevated well above it, and room for the generator yard and cooling equipment. In Boulder, any part of a structure inside the 100-year floodplain, including footings and roof overhangs, needs a Floodplain Development Permit, and a critical facility is a poor candidate for that exercise. We review the flood maps, the utility one-line diagram and the zoning height cap at the earliest feasibility stage.

The demand side has local roots. Boulder hosts federal and research institutions including the National Center for Atmospheric Research, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, NOAA and the U.S. Geological Survey, and organizations of that kind keep large datasets close. Our work near the federal research labs starts with the same utility and flood review as any other site, plus the access and security rules each campus sets.

Height is another constraint. The city normally limits buildings to about 35 feet unless site review allows more, and a two-story data hall with raised mechanical space can approach that quickly. Along the U.S. 36 corridor the land picture is different, with larger parcels and a different utility footprint, so we compare candidate sites against the same power and flood checklist.

Energy code with a generator exception

New commercial buildings in Boulder must be all-electric or use non-fossil sources, and they must beat ASHRAE 90.1-2022 by 10 percent, or 15 percent if they use the mixed-fuel exceptions. Emergency generators are on the exceptions list, which matters for a facility that depends on diesel or gas backup. Cooling design is the other large energy lever, and economizer strategies that suit our dry climate often carry the compliance argument.

State law adds a layer. Colorado HB22-1362 requires any jurisdiction that updates its building code after July 1, 2023 to adopt an energy code at least as stringent as the 2021 IECC, and the benchmark moves to the state model low energy and carbon code from July 1, 2026. Towns adopt on their own cycles, so we confirm the edition for each site during permitting and entitlements. Air permits for generators and noise limits for outdoor equipment are checked at the same stage.

The schedule is set by equipment lead times

Switchgear, transformers, generators, UPS systems and chillers can take longer to deliver than the building takes to erect. We schedule procurement and shop drawing review before the shell is fully designed, which is the reason long-lead procurement sits at the front of our data center method. Owners who release those orders early save months.

On site we build in phases: foundations and underground electrical first, then a fast shell, then equipment rooms ready for setting. Gear is typically delivered through a temporary opening in an exterior wall, so we leave panels or framing off until it arrives. Testing is the final stretch and should not be compressed to recover earlier delays.

What our contract covers

Our scope typically includes site work, foundations, the structure and enclosure, raised floor or slab-on-grade data halls, and the coordination of electrical and mechanical trades. Slab flatness, vibration control, containment framing and fire-rated separations are specific items we price. Many owners self-supply their racks and some of their power equipment, and we plan the set-in, protection and tie-in for that equipment.

Fire protection deserves its own care: clean agent or pre-action sprinkler systems, very early smoke detection, and access for firefighters. We coordinate these with the fire marshal at design stage and again before testing. When an owner needs help establishing cost before committing to a site, our preconstruction estimating team builds a range from the one-line diagram and the equipment list.

Services that sit beside the work

Data center work leans on several related services. Commissioning is the most important: integrated systems testing under load, including failure scenarios, proves that backup power and cooling work as designed, and we plan it with the owner's operations team through commissioning and closeout.

Smaller technical rooms also arrive as tenant fit-outs in existing buildings, such as a research computing suite in a laboratory or a flex space with added power. For those we look at the building's floor loading, roof access and electrical service before agreeing to the plan. Developers who want to build speculative technical space use the same early checks, and we work with commercial real estate developers on that evaluation. Light industrial shells are often the starting point, which is why flex and light industrial buildings are a frequent candidate for conversion.

Start with the power question

Send us the target load, the sites you are weighing and the date the equipment must run. We will map the utility, flood and code issues and give you a budget range and a phased schedule.

Questions Owners Ask

Does Boulder allow a diesel generator on a new commercial building?

The city energy code lists emergency generators among its exceptions to the all-electric rule, but air permit rules, noise limits and fuel storage regulations still apply. We confirm each with the relevant agency before design is final.

What is the biggest schedule risk on a data center?

Utility service and long-lead equipment, not the shell. Transformers, switchgear and generators can be delivered later than the building, so we order and review shop drawings early and track utility milestones alongside construction milestones.

Can a research computing room be built inside an existing laboratory?

Often yes, provided the floor can carry the racks, the electrical service can be upgraded, and cooling can be added without disrupting laboratory air balance. We survey those conditions before quoting and phase the work to avoid downtime.

How do flood rules affect a critical facility?

Any building with part of its structure in the 100-year floodplain needs a floodplain development permit in Boulder, including overhangs and footings. For a critical facility we normally recommend a site outside the floodplain altogether and treat drainage as a design item.

How much does the cooling approach change the cost?

Considerably. Air-side economizers, chilled water and direct liquid cooling each shift cost between mechanical and electrical scopes and affect energy code compliance. We compare options with the owner and engineer before the mechanical design is fixed.

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