Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about Passive House, passive solar design, certification, cost, comfort, and high-performance custom homes in Salida, Buena Vista, and Chaffee County.
Is Passive House the same thing as passive solar?
Great question — and this is one of the most common misconceptions.
Passive solar focuses on using the sun’s natural energy to help heat a home through orientation, window placement, roof overhangs, shading, and materials that can absorb and release warmth.
Passive House is a building performance standard. It focuses on how well the entire home works as a system, including insulation, windows, doors, air sealing, ventilation, and mechanical design.
A simple way to think about it is this:
Passive solar is about using the sun.
Passive House is about wrapping the home in a really good winter coat.
Instead of relying on a large heating or cooling system to constantly make up for energy loss, a Passive House is designed to hold comfortable indoor temperatures in the first place.
Think about wearing a warm coat on a cold day. The coat does not create heat — it helps hold in the warmth your body already has and protects you from wind and cold air. A Passive House works in a similar way. The walls, roof, windows, doors, insulation, and air barrier all work together to reduce heat loss in the winter and reduce unwanted heat gain in the summer.
And just like a coat works better when it is zipped up, a home performs better when it is carefully air sealed. That tight, well-insulated envelope helps the home stay more comfortable with less effort from the heating and cooling systems.
DeLarue Building also incorporates passive solar gain into Passive House and high-performance home design whenever possible. In Colorado, smart orientation, window placement, shading, and overhangs can all support the overall performance of the home.
How much cost does it add to build to Passive House standards?
DeLarue Building already defaults to building very efficient, high-performance homes that are well above a basic code-built home. Because of that, adding Passive House elements is not a complete shift in philosophy — it is an added layer of performance.
To upgrade a home toward Passive House standards, additional resources are directed toward items such as:
Triple-pane, high-performance windows and doors
Additional insulation and higher R-values
A more robust air barrier and detailed air sealing
Balanced fresh-air ventilation, typically through an ERV or HRV system
rain screen ( small drainage and ventilation space behind the exterior siding of a home. It allows any moisture that gets behind the siding to drain out and dry, instead of becoming trapped in the wall assembly)
Triple-studded wall assemblies which create extra space for insulation and help reduce thermal bridging, which is when heat escapes through framing members instead of staying inside the insulated envelope
As a general starting point, adding Passive House elements may add approximately 5% to the total home cost, depending on the design, site, complexity, finishes, and where the baseline budget begins.
Once we have a strong working set of plans, DeLarue Building can provide a customized budget comparing a more standard high-performance build with a Passive House or Passive House-inspired build.
Is Passive House worth the added investment?
Many people choose to spend more on things like higher-quality food, cleaner household products, or better materials because those choices affect their daily health, comfort, and long-term well-being.
A home is no different.
Your home is where you sleep, breathe, raise your family, recover, and spend a large part of your life. Passive House elements focus more of the investment on the parts of the home that affect how it feels and performs every day: the walls, windows, insulation, air barrier, ventilation, and mechanical systems.
Finishes can be changed later. The building envelope is much harder to upgrade once the home is complete.
For many homeowners, the value is not just lower energy use. It is cleaner filtered air, fewer drafts, more consistent comfort, quieter rooms, better performance during smoke and allergy season, and a home that is more resilient for the future.
Does it take longer to build a Passive House?
Not necessarily.
A Passive House or Passive House-inspired home requires more planning, coordination, and attention to detail before construction begins. However, once the design, materials, and details are established, these elements can typically be incorporated into the construction process much like any other custom home.
The key is making performance decisions early so they can be built into the schedule.
Should I get my home officially Passive House certified?
This is really up to your goals.
Some homeowners want official Passive House certification because it provides third-party verification that the home meets a recognized performance standard. Others are less concerned with certification and simply want the benefits of a high-performance home.
We can help you understand the difference between building with Passive House principles and pursuing full certification, including the added planning, testing, documentation, and cost involved.
Do Passive House homes all have to look the same?
No. Passive House is a building performance standard, not an architectural style.
A high-performance home can be Mountain Modern, rustic, contemporary, traditional, cabin-inspired, lodge-style, or something completely custom.
The design does need to be thoughtful. Simpler forms, smart window placement, and efficient building shapes can help performance and budget. But Passive House does not mean the home has to look plain or boxy.
DeLarue Building partners with experienced architects and designers who understand how to incorporate Passive House and high-performance building principles into the overall design of your home. The goal is to create a beautiful custom home that reflects your style while also performing exceptionally well.
Can Passive House principles work in Colorado?
Yes — Colorado is a great place to consider high-performance building.
Our homes are exposed to cold winters, intense sun, high winds, dry air, dust, pollen, wildfire smoke, and big temperature swings. Passive House principles help address these challenges by creating a tighter, better-insulated building envelope with intentional fresh-air ventilation and filtration.
Instead of relying on random air leaks, fresh air is brought into the home through a designed system, filtered, and balanced with stale indoor air being exhausted.
Will a Passive House feel different from a regular home?
A well-built Passive House or Passive House-inspired home tends to feel quieter, calmer, and more consistent. Rooms are less drafty. Temperatures are more even. Outside noise is often reduced. During smoke, dust, or allergy season, filtered ventilation can help improve the indoor environment.
Many people first think of Passive House as an energy-efficiency choice, but the everyday comfort is often what homeowners appreciate most.
Can we build “almost Passive House” without going all the way to certification?
Yes. This is often a great option.
Some homeowners want the benefits of Passive House principles but may not want to pursue full certification. In that case, we can incorporate many of the same strategies — better insulation, improved air sealing, high-performance windows and doors, an ERV or HRV, and careful mechanical design — without necessarily completing the full certification process.
This approach can result in an extremely comfortable, efficient, and healthy home while allowing more flexibility in design, budget, and priorities.
When should Passive House goals be discussed?
As early as possible.
The best time to discuss Passive House or high-performance building goals is during the design and pre-construction phase. Decisions about the shape of the home, window placement, wall assemblies, mechanical systems, and air sealing details all affect performance and budget.
It is much easier to design performance into a home from the beginning than to add it later.
Interested in building a Passive House or high-performance custom home?
If you are planning a custom home in Salida, Buena Vista, or the surrounding Chaffee County area, we recommend discussing Passive House or high-performance building goals early in the design process.
DeLarue Building can help you understand what is possible, what impacts budget, and how to design a home that feels better, performs better, and is built for Colorado’s climate.
Contact DeLarue Building to begin building your high performance home