Local home building industry recovers from rainy year

Drier weather recently is allowing home construction workers in the Colorado Springs area to make up for time and money lost during the wet spring and summer.

John Bissett, owner of JM Weston homes and former president of the Housing & Building Association, said the wet weather put the industry three months behind in finishing existing projects and starting new construction.

“We usually have a 15 percent increase in building permits every year,” he said. “In 15 years I’ve never seen three months when it was next to impossible to put a foundation into the ground.”

Bissett said the industry is working extra to reduce the backlog by the end of November, with most of the work happening in northwest Colorado Springs.

The situation led to some buyers being unable to move into their homes as scheduled because the homes weren’t finished.

Geoff Rutecki is among the affected buyers. He moved in three weeks late.

“To my knowledge, mine was the only house by this builder that was late,” he said. “But this was a wet summer. It happens. The builder compensated me, so it all worked out.”

For other homes, it’s landscaping that awaits completion. Workers are scrambling to plant trees, lay sod and do other related work.