Aircraft owners and aerospace suppliers need hangars and shops built to aviation rules, and the area around Centennial Airport is where we plan that work. A hangar is a large clear-span building with a heavy door, a sloped floor and a fire-suppression system that must be designed for fuel and aircraft, and its permit path includes aviation review in addition to the usual building review.
A February 24, 2025 economic impact study credits Centennial Airport with 9,236 jobs, $2.4 billion in total business revenue for 2023 and $769.5 million in payroll. The airport recorded 360,725 aircraft operations in 2023, hosts more than 125 businesses, spans Arapahoe and Douglas counties, and is located in unincorporated Arapahoe County adjacent to the city. Those figures describe a general aviation market with a deep base of operators, and they explain why a hangar or aircraft-support shop here starts with a parcel or ground-lease conversation with the airport.
The ground side is equally important. Interstate 25 roughly divides Centennial in half, and the city's employers include Comcast, UnitedHealth Group, Arrow Electronics, United Launch Alliance and CommonSpirit Health, according to the city's 2023 financial report. Corporate users, electronics distributors and launch-industry suppliers drive demand for office-attached industrial space, equipment rooms and warehouse support, which we build as flex and light industrial buildings with reinforced floors and heavy power.
Hangars, shops and corporate support
The airport-side program includes box hangars, clear-span hangars, maintenance shops, avionics and paint facilities, fuel-handling areas and office space. We build the structure as a pre-engineered metal building or a steel frame, depending on the span and the door size, with a floor slab designed for aircraft wheel loads and sloped to drains.
On the corporate side, we handle industrial office buildouts, technical equipment rooms and distribution space. These buildings are driven by electrical capacity and clear height, and we confirm both with the utility and the tenant before the shell is bid. For advanced manufacturing suppliers, the same buildings take clean power and controlled floors.
Working beside an active airfield
Any structure or crane near an airfield may need an FAA obstruction evaluation, and airport authorities set their own rules about construction access, lighting, haul routes and the use of airside roads. We ask the airport for its construction requirements at the start of design and file the necessary notices before cranes are scheduled.
Fuel storage, de-icing, wash racks and oil-water separation are airport-specific items that bring their own environmental permits. We scope them with the owner's environmental advisor and design the floor drains, containment and fire suppression to the permits.
Code basis in the city and at the airport
As of January 20, 2026, the Home Builders Association of Metro Denver tracker lists Centennial on the 2021 IBC, IRC and IFC with the 2018 IEC and no plans to adopt the 2024 I-codes. That is an unofficial tracker, so we confirm the edition with the jurisdiction. Because the airport is located in unincorporated Arapahoe County adjacent to the city, a project on airport land may be reviewed by a different authority than one across the road.
We identify the reviewing authority first, then the adopted edition and the amendments. For hangars, the fire-protection design basis is set with the fire authority early, since foam or high-expansion systems carry long lead times.
Aprons, hangar floors and door foundations
We schedule and inspect the pours for the industrial floors that hangars need: thick reinforced slabs, door tracks cast flush, trench drains in the right locations and aprons sloped to drain away from the building. Joint spacing and sealing are designed for wheel loads and fuel exposure.
The large hangar door sets the foundation design. Wind loads on a wide opening, track alignment and the stiffness of the header all depend on the structural design, and we coordinate the door supplier's loads with the engineer before footings are poured.
Timing a hangar around permits and the weather
A hangar schedule is controlled by approvals, steel lead time and the door package. We file the airport and FAA notices at the outset, order the structural steel and the door as soon as the design is frozen, and set the foundation work so that the erection can begin the day the steel arrives. A door that arrives late idles the erection crew and the finish trades.
Weather matters for the slab and apron. We schedule concrete placement in seasons when cure conditions are manageable, use cold-weather or hot-weather protection procedures where required, and avoid pouring aprons into freezing conditions that damage the surface.
Safe work around aircraft and fuel
Crews working near an active airfield follow the airport's access rules for vehicles, escorts and equipment, and every worker is oriented before first access. Foreign object debris is controlled on the apron and in the hangar, since stray fasteners and scrap are hazards to aircraft.
Where fuel handling is part of the building, hot work is permitted and monitored, and fire watches are maintained. Our site safety plan states these controls, and the owner's safety lead reviews them before mobilization.
What drives hangar and support-building cost
The largest cost drivers are the clear span, the door system, the fire-suppression system and the apron. A longer span adds steel, a larger door adds structure and hardware, and a foam suppression system adds tanks, pumps and testing. We price those items as options so that the owner can choose a size that fits the aircraft.
Site costs also vary. Airside utilities, ground lease conditions and drainage can change the picture, so we get utility and lease information before the estimate is finalized. Neighboring Lone Tree and Littleton provide landside alternatives for businesses that do not need airfield access.
Send the aircraft list and the parcel
Send the aircraft types, the door size you need and the parcel or lease. We will return a hangar scope with the fire-suppression and permit path identified.
Common Questions
Does a hangar need a different permit path?
Usually yes. Besides the building permit, a hangar can require airport authority approval, an FAA obstruction evaluation and fire-suppression design review. We build those steps into the schedule at the start so the project does not stall waiting for notices.
What floor does an aircraft hangar need?
A reinforced slab designed for wheel loads, sloped to drains, with door tracks and floor drains in precise locations. Joints and sealants must resist fuel and de-icing fluids, and the slope must still leave a usable floor for tooling and tugs.
How do cranes get approved near the airport?
The airport and the FAA both have a role. We submit the crane's height and location in advance, and the airport may impose lighting or time restrictions. We start this step early because it can take weeks.
Can you build corporate flex space near the interstate?
Yes. We coordinate electrical capacity, clear height and loading with the tenant and design the structure for racking or equipment loads. The interstate frontage helps with delivery access, and we work out construction traffic with the city.
Which code edition applies?
It depends on the reviewing jurisdiction and the date of permit application. We confirm the edition and amendments with the building authority and record them on the code analysis sheet.