Denver Summer Home Preparation 2026
As Denverites face down an unprecedentedly hot and dry start to the year, we’re all crossing our fingers for a little more moisture and a lot of luck avoiding serious fires.
While I’m still not exactly sure what season to call this right now, there are several things homeowners can do to help keep us all safe and comfortable when summer officially arrives:
Prioritize your water use on what’s most important
We’re in a Stage 1 drought according to the Denver Board of Water Commissioners, and Denver Water is asking customers to reduce total water use by at least 20% to preserve water levels in our reservoirs.
My opinion? Water your trees and skip your grass—trees are more expensive and difficult to replace, so make sure to replace the moisture they’re missing at the start of summer. And you can always consider beautiful, efficient xeriscaping to lower your water needs.
You can get all of the water-use details online at https://www.denverwater.org/residential/rebates-and-conservation-tips/summer-watering-rules.
Take care of your outdoor space
Trim your weeds! Keeping the outside of your house neat and tidy and healthy (while observing Denver Water rules) reduces fire risk and makes sure you’re only using what you need. It’s really important to cut back the dry foliage from your house, that can really act as kindling if an ember should fall.
Incidentally, these are the same tips I give to anyone looking to sell a house, so it doesn’t hurt to get into the habit now and enjoy your home looking its best while you’re in it.
If you have an old, dried out wood fence it might be a good idea to look into fire retardant coatings that you can apply to it in order to help reduce your fire risk.
Prepare your cooling needs
If you have AC or a wall unit it might already be running based on how hot its been, but if not now is a good time to check it and get any service needs taken care of before the rush of summer. And if you need an in-window unit to keep you (or a furry friend) cool and comfortable as it gets hotter, then here’s your friendly reminder!