Colorado contractor license requirements

Licenses and registrations

Local contractor license (example: Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, B-C Home Builder)

Building one- and two-family dwellings up to three stories and their accessory structures, plus R-2 buildings up to eight units and two stories, in the PPRBD service area.

• Good to know: PPRBD serves Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Fountain, Woodland Park, Manitou Springs, Monument, Green Mountain Falls, Palmer Lake and Calhan. Other cities and counties set their own classes.

Local contractor license (example: PPRBD B-E Maintenance and Remodeling)

Interior nonstructural repair and remodeling of one- and two-family dwellings, plus non-habitable accessory structures such as decks, fences, sheds, patio covers and detached garages.

• Good to know: PPRBD's main residential remodeling license.

Local contractor license (example: PPRBD B-D Specialty)

Single-trade work such as roofing, siding, stucco, masonry, glazing, foundation repair and retaining walls.

• Good to know: PPRBD has no separate roofing license; roofing falls under B-D. Re-roofing permits need an insurance certificate showing re-roofing is covered.

What you need to qualify

• Exams: No state exam. Local example: PPRBD accepts ICC National Standardized or ICC Colorado Standard exams taken and passed on or after January 1, 2017; out-of-state exams are not accepted.
• Insurance: No state requirement. Local example: PPRBD requires general liability of $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 general aggregate for all contractor license categories, and a workers' compensation certificate if the contractor has any employees.
• Also required: Local example: at PPRBD only the person who took the exam can renew the license, and renewal is blocked by unresolved permits or administrative fines.

Fees, renewal and continuing education

• Continuing education: No state CE for general contractors. State-licensed plumbers must complete at least 8 hours of continuing education each licensure year.

Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work

Electrical: State Electrical Board (Residential Wireman, Journeyman Electrician, Master Electrician, Electrical Contractor). Plumbing: State Plumbing Board (Residential Plumber, Journeyworker Plumber, Master Plumber, Plumbing Contractor). Both are in DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations. HVAC/mechanical is not on DORA's list; local departments such as PPRBD license mechanical contractors.

City and county rules

Contractor licensing is local. Check with the city or county building department where the job is located before bidding. Example: Pikes Peak Regional Building Department licenses building contractors (B-A through B-F classes), mechanical contractors, and registers state-licensed electrical and plumbing contractors for Colorado Springs, El Paso County and nearby towns. Denver, Aurora and other jurisdictions run their own programs.

What to confirm with the state

We couldn't confirm these on an official page when we checked. Ask the licensing office before you rely on them:

• An explicit official statement that Colorado has no state general contractor license (inferred from DORA's list of regulated professions, which has none)
• Colorado roofing contract law (C.R.S. 6-22) and any other state home improvement contract rules
• Denver contractor license classes and requirements.
• Local license fees, experience rules and renewal periods
• Penalties for unlicensed contracting (set locally)

Sources

1. Division of Professions and Occupations - Occupational Professions
2. Division of Professions and Occupations - Home
3. State Electrical Board
4. State Plumbing Board
5. Pikes Peak Regional Building Department - Home
6. PPRBD License/Registration Types
7. PPRBD Insurance Requirements
8. PPRBD Licensing FAQ