A New Basecamp in Steamboat Springs
We’re excited to share a little update: SmartPads has moved into a new office in Steamboat Springs! While most of our work happens on job sites or in virtual meetings with clients across the Rockies, it feels good to have a place where we can spread out and grow right here in the Yampa Valley.
A Quick Look Back
SmartPads started with a simple idea: building mountain-modern homes smarter, faster, and better. Traditional custom building in mountain towns was slow, expensive, and unpredictable. By using modular construction, founders Darrin Fryer and Ryan Cox knew we could deliver homes that looked incredible, saved time, and cut down on the headaches of building in high-country terrain.Since then, SmartPads has grown from a bold concept into a thriving community of homeowners across Colorado and the Mountain West. Along the way, ownership has changed hands, we’ve partnered with local builders, refined our designs, and delivered homes that prove you don’t have to sacrifice style for efficiency.Here’s a quick look at how we got here:
The SmartPads Journey
- 2017 – The Beginning The concept started when the founders had an opportunity to build a set of tiny homes in Hayden, Colorado as well as three larger homes in Steamboat Springs, so they pursued building these homes utilizing modular construction to build more efficiently. And it worked!
- 2018 – First Home Built Once the concept was proven, SmartPads was launched. The facility in Vernal was established as a central point for building in the Mountain West. And the very first SmartPads home came to life right here in Steamboat Springs. Because she took a risk on a new company, that home design is still named “The Bonnie” in honor of SmartPads first customer. Here’s the story of “The Bonnie”.
- 2020 – Growing Beyond Steamboat We built our first home outside of Steamboat and began expanding across Colorado’s mountain towns.
- 2022 – Honing in on the details As demand for SmartPads homes increases, new staff are added both at the Steamboat office and the Vernal facility. We turn our focus to quality, processes, and team culture.
- 2024 – New Chapter SmartPads was sold to new ownership, and Darrin and Ryan handed over the reins to Jeff Meissner, setting the stage for continued growth and innovation.
- 2025 – Crafted Structures Joins the Family We partnered with our sister company, Crafted Structures, to add a construction management arm—offering clients a true soup-to-nuts building option in Steamboat and the surrounding areas.
- 2025 – New Home Base We moved into our new office in Steamboat! Stop by and see us—just give us a heads up first, since we’re often out in the field or on job sites.
Why is Steamboat our Home Base?
Steamboat is where we started, and it’s where our hearts lie. While it’s known as Ski Town USA, Steamboat is about much more than skiing - it’s a place that is filled with smart and caring people who work hard and play hard. Being based in Steamboat helps us stay connected to the why behind our homes. We see the challenges of building and living in the mountains and we can see firsthand the benefits of building with SmartPads daily. And it keeps us focused on building for smart living in the mountains, design that compliments the natural beauty outside, and an emphasis on homes that help their occupants live a lifestyle that is unique to the mountains.
Looking Ahead
SmartPads is still growing, still fine-tuning designs for mountain living, and still passionate about building better homes across Colorado and the Mountain West. Steamboat may be our home base, but our reach extends across the Rockies. We look forward to being a part of helping our Steamboat neighbors design and build their next home, as well as seeing SmartPads homes ship to locations around the Mountain West. From wherever you’re reading this, we hope you’ll raise a glass (or a cup of coffee) with us and say: here’s to living well in the mountains. And stop by to say hello if you’re in the neighborhood at 3001 S Lincoln Ave Suite C-2, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487! If you're interested in building with SmartPads, please fill out our Contact Us form with details about your project and we'll be in touch.
