Colorado Contractor License Requirements

Colorado general construction contractors are not licensed by the state. However the city of Aspen and all Pitkin County will only issue permits to licensed contractors or, in certain instances, experienced owner-builders. For out-of-state corporations to do business in Colorado they must get a Statement of Foreign Entity Authority from the Secretary of State.

City of Boulder contractor license requirements:

• Requires testing other than a homeowner performing work on their own home
• No permit shall be issued for work to be done by a professional person who does not have a valid, current license as required by the city for the type of work to be performed 
• No person other than a contractor with a Class A or Class B license shall perform work requiring the supervision of an architect or structural engineer.

Architects, Engineers, Land Surveyors

All these professions require a license in the state of Colorado.

Electrician's Licenses

Colorado requires master, journeyman, and residential electrician each to have a contractor license for work on these respective parts of the electrician trade.

Master License: Five (5) documented years of electrical experience with four (4) dedicated to electrical construction wiring, for lights, heat, and power; plus a minimum of two (2) years of commercial and/or industrial work during that time. One (1) extra year has to be involved in planning, lay-out, supervising, and installing wiring, apparatus plus electrical light, heat, and power equipment.

Journeyman License: Four (4) years of construction wiring experience, for lights, heat, and power. This includes a minimum of two (2) years involved in commercial and/or industrial work. All documents must contain the percentages of all electrical component experience.

Residential Wireman's License: Verification of two years of electrical construction wiring experience must be provided. The components include experience documentation for lights, heat, and power each in one (1), two (2), three (3), and four (4) family dwellings.

Plumbers License

Plumbing work in Colorado requires plumbers to hold a valid contractor license. The state issues master, journeyman, and residential licenses.

Master License: Five (5) years of plumbing work experience
Journeyman License: Four (4) years of plumbing work experience for a journeyman Residential license: Two years (2).

For every six hours of plumbing training in an accredited school one hour of work experience can be applied. This can be done up to one (1) year. Military plumbing experience is taken at the rate of one month for every six months. Again, this is good up to one (1) year.

Asbestos and Lead Abatement

To take out both lead and asbestos in the state of Colorado requires licensing. Two groups are responsible for each of lead and asbestos removal from buildings

• Lead-Based Paint Compliance Assistance
• Asbestos Compliance Assistance Group

Consumers are advised to also check for municipal contractor license requirements
as contractor laws can differ from county to county. It is also advised to double check with the state's requirements before hiring a contractor.