Colorado State Capitol Dome Painting & Restoration
- Will Hodges
- Nov 18, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: 6 hours ago
Preserving an American Icon in the Heart of Denver
Some structures are painted. Others are protected.
Rope-access painters restoring the Colorado State Capitol Dome, where historic preservation meets high-altitude craftsmanship.
Standing 272 feet above downtown Denver, the Colorado State Capitol Dome remains one of Colorado’s most recognizable landmarks. Its gold-leaf finish reflects the state’s mining heritage and the craftsmanship that shaped the West. When the dome’s coating system began to fail only a few years after a major rehabilitation, the State of Colorado relied on BASE Painters to execute a high-access rope-access painting and restoration program that others could not complete.
The project required engineered access systems, controlled surface preparation, and precision coating application across complex curved geometry at elevation.
The award-winning project restored the dome’s brilliance while delivering long-term coating performance designed to protect the structure for decades.
Project Overview
Client: State of Colorado, Department of Personnel & Administration
Location: Denver, Colorado
Structure: Historic Capitol Dome
Height: 272 ft (83 m)
Scope: Full coating removal, surface restoration, and gold-finish renewal
Access Method: Rope access + contained scaffolding
Products: Sherwin-Williams Fluorokem HS, vapor-blasting system
Duration: Summer 2018 – 2019
Award: CoatingsPro Magazine — 1st Place, Specialty Project
The Challenge
When BASE arrived onsite, the dome’s coating system, installed during a 2016 rehabilitation, had already begun to delaminate and fade across the copper exterior. The failure went far beyond appearance. It placed the long-term protection of one of Colorado’s most important historic structures at risk.
This Capitol Dome Restoration required a specialized balance of precision, preservation, and access:
Rope access expertise to reach the upper geometry where scaffolding could not be installed
Historic material protection during the removal of failed coatings
Performance under intense UV exposure, high altitude, and unpredictable Denver weather
This was not a simple repaint. It was a structural preservation effort performed at height on a landmark that receives statewide attention.
Execution: Precision at Every Height
BASE Painters removed the failed coatings down to bare copper using vapor blasting, a controlled and highly accurate process that cleans without sacrificing the metal’s integrity. Once the surface was restored, the team applied Sherwin-Williams Fluorokem HS, a long-life fluoropolymer engineered for extreme UV resistance and color stability that is essential for a mile-high gold dome.
Every phase was performed using rope-access protocols, allowing the crew to move efficiently across the dome’s contours while maintaining full public safety and leaving Capitol operations uninterrupted.
Results: A Capitol Dome Reborn
The Colorado State Capitol Dome once again shines across the Denver skyline. The new coating system is built to withstand altitude, weather, and UV exposure for decades.
Outcome Highlights:
Complete removal of failed coatings
Copper surface restored with meticulous preservation
Application of long-life Fluorokem HS system
Rope-access completion with zero safety incidents
National industry recognition for craftsmanship and execution
This Capitol Dome Restoration did more than correct a failure. It reaffirmed the dome as one of Colorado’s most enduring symbols.
In the Spotlight
Award: BASE Painters Wins 1st Place — CoatingsPro Magazine Contractor Awards (2020)Coverage: CoatingsPro Magazine, June 17, 2020
Talk to BASE Painters
When your structure is historic, iconic, or simply too important for anything less than precision, you need a team built for projects others walk away from.
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