Where we work, and what's different about each kind of home
We install whole-home audio across the Denver metro and Front Range, all within about 30 miles of downtown Denver. What changes from town to town isn't the sound, it's the house: plaster ceilings in older Denver homes, HOA review in newer suburbs, long wire runs on large lots, and wildfire rules in the foothills.
By HUM · Denver, Colorado · Updated
Towns we serve
- Denver
- Cherry Hills Village
- Greenwood Village
- Englewood
- Littleton
- Highlands Ranch
- Castle Rock
- Lakewood
- Golden
- Evergreen
- Boulder
- Parker
Everything on this list is within about 30 road miles of downtown Denver, from Golden (about 15 miles) to Castle Rock, Boulder and Evergreen (all around 30). Don't see your town? Ask us.
Older Denver and Englewood homes: plaster ceilings
About one in five homes in Denver and Englewood was built before 1950, according to the Census Bureau. Plaster was the wall and ceiling surface in nearly all American buildings until the 1930s or '40s, so many of these homes have plaster over wood lath, not drywall.
That changes how in-ceiling speakers go in. Plaster holds to its lath through small "keys" that can break if the ceiling is cut roughly, and then the plaster around the hole can crack or sag. Old plaster also varies in thickness, sometimes past what a speaker's mounting clamps are made for. So we score before cutting, keep vibration low, and check the thickness at every speaker location before choosing the speaker.
If your home is in a Denver historic district, the interior isn't subject to landmark review. Exterior work that needs a permit is, so for outdoor speakers on a landmark home we'd suggest a quick call to Denver Landmark Preservation first.
Newer suburbs: Highlands Ranch, Parker and Castle Rock
In Highlands Ranch, Parker and Castle Rock, 84% or more of homes were built in 1990 or later. Highlands Ranch itself was founded as a master-planned community in 1981. Drywall ceilings make in-ceiling speakers straightforward, and if you're building, the best time to run speaker wire is before the drywall goes up.
The thing to plan for here is the homeowners association. In Highlands Ranch, the community association requires architectural approval before any change to a home's exterior appearance, which can include visible outdoor speakers. Many Parker and Castle Rock neighborhoods have their own HOAs with similar rules. We can design outdoor audio to stay out of sight, and help you describe the plan if approval is needed.
Large properties: Cherry Hills Village and similar estates
Cherry Hills Village zoning sets minimum lot sizes from 16,000 square feet up to two and a half acres. On a property that size, outdoor audio is less about one loud pair of speakers on the patio and more about covering a garden, pool and terrace evenly, at a volume that stays on your property.
That usually means more, smaller speakers spread through the landscape, and longer wire runs planned from the start. See outdoor audio in Colorado for how we approach it.
The foothills: Evergreen and Golden
Evergreen sits above 7,000 feet, and much of the Jefferson County foothills falls within the county's wildfire-mitigation area. If your home has defensible-space work around it, we plan outdoor speakers and wire routes to work with that space, not against it.
Boulder, Lakewood and Littleton
These towns mix eras: older homes near their historic centers, mid-century neighborhoods, and newer construction. Lakewood's homes, for instance, were mostly built between 1950 and 1990. There's no single rule, which is why the first thing we do at a listening visit is look at your ceilings and attic access before recommending anything.
Free in-home support, for as long as you own your system.
If something isn't working, or you'd simply like a refresher on the app, call us. We'll come to your home and help — no service fees, no trip charges, no time limit. It's how we stand behind our work, and it's simply the right thing to do.
Questions about our service area
No. The listening visit is free anywhere in our service area, and our in-home support visits have no trip charge, for as long as you own your system.
Yes. Plaster takes more care than drywall: we score before cutting, keep vibration low so the surrounding plaster stays bonded to the lath, and check the ceiling's thickness so the speakers mount securely. We'll look at your ceilings at the visit and explain exactly how we'd approach them.
Often, yes, if they change how the outside of your home looks. In Highlands Ranch, for example, the community association requires architectural approval before any change to a home's exterior appearance. We can design outdoor audio to stay out of sight, and help you describe the plan if you do need approval.
Not indoors. Denver's landmark review covers exterior work that needs a permit, not interior renovation. For outdoor speakers on a landmark home or in a historic district, it's worth a quick check with Denver Landmark Preservation staff first.
Ask us. If you're within reasonable reach of the Denver metro, we'll usually say yes, and we'll tell you honestly if you'd be better served by someone closer.