Lightning Protection in Colorado

Lightning protection for Colorado homes

A home lightning protection system gives a strike a planned path to ground instead of through the attic, wiring and gas line. In Colorado it makes the most sense for exposed houses: on a ridge, in the foothills, at the edge of open space, or the tallest roof nearby.

We provide system design, lightning rod installation, grounding, inspection and maintenance for homes, detached garages and other outbuildings. See our residential lightning protection services and the guide to home lightning protection in Colorado.

Commercial lightning protection in Colorado

Commercial systems protect offices, warehouses, metal buildings, retail centers, healthcare and public buildings, and the electrical systems inside them. A direct strike or a nearby surge can damage panels, servers and rooftop equipment and interrupt operations.

We work on new construction and existing buildings, including inspection, maintenance, grounding and system testing. See commercial building lightning protection and why commercial lightning protection is essential for Colorado businesses.

Industrial and oil & gas facilities

Industrial lightning protection covers plants, storage tanks, pipelines, processing equipment and oil and gas production sites. At these sites grounding and bonding do most of the work, because a spark near flammable vapor is the hazard. See oil & gas facility lightning protection, tank battery lightning protection and inspections for industrial facilities.

How much lightning Colorado gets

Colorado averages about 500,000 cloud-to-ground lightning flashes a year, according to the National Weather Service office in Pueblo. The state sits in the middle of the national rankings for flash density but ranks 3rd for lightning deaths.

Measure	Colorado figure
Cloud-to-ground flashes, average year	About 500,000 (NWS Pueblo)
Average flash density	4.8 flashes per km² a year, 32nd in the US, 2009–2018 (NWS Pueblo)
National rank, lightning deaths	3rd, 2006–2024 (NWS Pueblo)
Most lightning	Palmer Divide and Pikes Peak, over 6.5 flashes per km² a year in places, 1996–2016 (Hodanish et al., 2019)
Busiest month	July, when 5,500 to 6,500 flashes a day statewide are common (Hodanish et al., 2019)

Lightning is not spread evenly. A 2019 study by NWS Pueblo forecasters, using 21 years of Vaisala lightning data, found the most lightning on the Front Range where the Palmer Divide meets Pikes Peak, and a relative low on the plains north of Denver. Local pages cover lightning protection in Denver and lightning protection in Colorado Springs.

When Colorado's storm season peaks

Lightning builds through spring along the Front Range and peaks in July and August, when monsoon moisture reaches the whole state. The same 2019 study found daily flash counts fall from about 4,500 in the last week of August to about 2,000 by the first week of September. Front Range storms usually develop along the foothills in the late morning or early afternoon and move east onto the plains.

That makes late spring the time to install or inspect a system, before July storms start interrupting roof work. Read more in Colorado monsoon season and lightning.

What a lightning protection system includes

Every system has five parts, as the Lightning Protection Institute lists them: air terminals (lightning rods) on the high points, conductors connecting them, grounding electrodes, bonding to nearby metal and piping, and surge protection where power and data lines enter. A single rod on a chimney is not a system. See the five components.

In the US, NFPA 780 is the standard for designing and installing these systems, and UL 96A is the standard UL inspects a finished system against.

Inspections and maintenance

A system only works if every connection is intact. NFPA 780 and LPI-175 recommend a visual inspection every year and a full inspection with testing every 3 to 5 years (1 to 3 years for critical facilities). Also have it inspected after a lightning strike or any roof or building work, such as re-roofing or adding solar or HVAC. See our lightning protection inspection service and what is tested during an inspection.