There's no Colorado general contractor license. Here's what your Denver license lets you do, and where a handyman must stop

Published November 3, 2026 · Colorado Revised Statutes 2026 and the 2025 Denver Building Code checked November 3, 2026

• Free to read, nothing to download. The "can I take this job?" table below is the tool.
• Deepsel is our product: free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for contractors (scheduling and dispatch, quotes, invoicing, card payments). The section before the FAQ says where it fits and where it doesn't.
• Not legal advice. Every rule here links to the statute, code section or agency page it comes from. Ask Denver Contractor Licensing or a Colorado attorney before you bet a job on my reading.

Colorado doesn't license general contractors, remodelers, roofers, HVAC contractors or handymen. The state licenses two building trades, electricians and plumbers, and leaves everyone else to cities and counties.¹ Denver's rule fits in one line: "Licenses shall be required for any work requiring a permit."² So there's no dollar line. A $200 job that needs a permit needs a licensed contractor, and a $6,000 paint job doesn't. Your class sets which buildings you can work on (Class C is one- and two-family homes and townhouses), and electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas work stays with the licensed trades whatever your class.³

If you just got a Denver license, whether that's Residential Contractor Class C, Building Contractor B2 or a Class D certificate like Non-Structural Residential Remodel, this is what it covers. One commenter on Reddit gave the rough version of where the permit line falls: "Anytime you are pulling wire or touching water/waste lines inside walls, you will need to pull a permit" (r/GeneralContractor). In Denver that's close, and the details below are what the code actually says, with what crossing the line costs. The paperwork side is its own article: what your Colorado contract must include.

Colorado general contractor license: who licenses you instead

Colorado's licensing title has an article for electricians and one for plumbers, and none for any other building trade.¹ The Department of Regulatory Agencies puts it plainly for homeowners: "Not all occupations are licensed, such as roofers and general contractors."¹ So the honest answer to "how do I get a Colorado general contractor license" is a question back: which city are you working in? Each one sets its own rules, and they don't honor each other's licenses. Denver says certificates "issued by other jurisdictions are not valid in the City" (it may accept your exam results),² and Boulder "does not accept reciprocal licenses from other jurisdictions."²⁴

Counties license or register contractors for unincorporated land too. If a job is outside Denver, get that city's or county's license before you sign. The rest of this article is Denver's.

Denver contractor license classes: what each one lets you build

Denver licensing is two steps. A person earns a supervisor certificate (an exam and documented experience), then the business gets a contractor license with that person as its supervisor of record.⁴ The class on the license sets the scope:^3,4

What catches people:

• Class C stops at the Denver Residential Code: houses, duplexes and townhouses, plus garages and sheds. A triplex, an apartment building or a storefront isn't Class C work. B2 covers buildings of any kind up to 30 feet.
• Classes B and B2 can also install non-bearing partitions, do interior finish work and replace windows from the inside "in any type of building or structure."³
• The Non-Structural Residential Remodel certificate is "NON-BEARING and NON-STRUCTURAL WORK ONLY," with no alteration or installation of load-bearing or structural elements, on houses, duplexes and townhouses.⁴ Tenant Finish is "Interior nonbearing and nonstructural work only."³ Neither covers a deck, an addition or a beam.

Rules that come with every Denver license

• The license lives with your supervisor. It's "valid only as long as the named supervisor remains in the employ of the licensed contractor in an active, full-time capacity." If that person leaves, you tell the city within 3 working days and replace them within 30 working days, or the license is suspended.²
• A new company needs a new license. If you licensed as a sole proprietor and then formed an LLC, the code wants a new license "within 30 days after the creation of a new legal entity."²
• Renew every three years. "No work shall commence or continue after the date of expiration."²
• Pull the permit before you start, "hire licensed subcontractors for those trades that require a City and County of Denver license," and carry insurance "commensurate with the type of project and scope of work."² The city's licensing policy sets the minimum for every license type: $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate general liability, and workers' comp of $100,000 per occurrence and $250,000 aggregate, or a rejection of coverage if you have no employees.³
• Keep the permit "displayed or available on the job site at all times."²

What your Denver license doesn't cover: electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas

Your license lets you build. It doesn't make you an electrician, a plumber or a mechanical contractor, and the code makes hiring the right one your job. Knowingly contracting with someone "not duly licensed in the required classification" is grounds to deny, suspend or revoke your own license.² Look every sub up before they start: Denver's licensee search for the city license, and the state's license lookup for electricians and plumbers.

Colorado electrical license: no small-job exemption on a customer's home

Nobody may "engage in or work at the business, trade, or calling" of an electrician without a state license, and electrical work means "wiring for, installing, and repairing electrical apparatus and equipment for electric light, heat, and power."⁹ A business without its own licensed electrician can still be an electrical contractor if all the work is "under the direction and control of a licensed master electrician," and Denver wants that contractor registered with the city.^9,2

Colorado's repair exemption is the trap. The statute lets an individual do "maintenance or repair of existing facilities," meaning "replacing components with new components that serve the same purpose," without a license, but only "on his or her own property or residence."⁹ There's no dollar exemption for working in someone else's house, so a light fixture swap for a customer is an electrician's job. What sits outside the electrical law: security systems of 50 volts or less, lawn sprinkler controls, environmental controls, and class 2 and 3 power-limited circuits.⁹ Denver lists lighting, receptacles and ceiling fans among its electrical quick permits.⁶

Colorado plumbing license: the one real handyman exemption

Plumbing needs a state license, and a plumbing contractor "must either be or employ a full-time master plumber," registered with the state and with Denver.^10,2 Denver's plumbing registration covers water supply and drain piping, gas piping and water heaters.³

Then there's this. No plumbing license, registration or permit is needed for "the repair and replacement of garbage disposal units and dishwashers ... including the necessary replacement of all tail pipes and traps, or the repair, maintenance, and replacement of sinks, faucets, drains, showers, tubs, and toilets."¹⁰ Denver matches it: no plumbing permit for repairs that "do not alter existing systems, including replacement of like units such as bathroom/kitchen sinks, garbage disposals and water closets."² A faucet or toilet swap is inside your license, and inside a handyman's. Moving a drain, adding a fixture or running new supply lines is a plumber's job.

Colorado HVAC license: there isn't one, so Denver licenses it

The state doesn't license HVAC.¹ Denver does: Heating and Ventilating Class A and B, Heating Ventilating Air Conditioning (Residential Only), Refrigeration A and B, Hot Water, and Gas Service.³ A like-for-like mechanical repair needs no mechanical permit "unless the work involves disconnection and reconnection of" a natural gas line, a flue vent, a refrigerant line or a steam or hot water line.² That catches every furnace, AC and gas water heater replacement. Gas piping for a range, fireplace or grill is in the gas service, heating, HVAC and plumbing scopes, not in Class A, B or C.³ Bath fans are a split: no mechanical permit, "however, electrical and construction permits shall be required."²

Colorado roofing license: Denver issues it

No state roofing license either. Denver has two Class D roofing certificates, Roofing-Shingles Only (residential) and Roof Covering and Waterproofing. On buildings under 25,000 square feet, a roof repair needs a permit once it's "more than 10% of the roof square footage or two roof squares (whichever is smaller)," every new roof penetration needs one, and "Membrane roofs must be installed by a D-Roof Covering/Waterproofing licensed contractor."⁷ I found no current Denver document that says whether a Class C license covers a straight re-roof. Ask Contractor Licensing before you bid one, or sub it to a Class D roofer. Residential roofing contracts over $1,000 also have their own statute (it's in the contract article).

If your Denver license is a trade license

• HVAC: your mechanical license includes low-voltage controls wiring "which does not exceed 48 volts and is not enclosed in a conduit or raceway."³ Line-voltage wiring is electrical work under state law, and cutting framing is building work.
• Plumbers: your Denver registration includes gas piping and water heaters.³ Your state registration number and your master plumber's number go on your trucks, invoices, bids and website (more on that below).
• Electricians: the Denver registration covers "all work authorized by the Registration issued by the State of Colorado."³

What can a handyman do without a license in Colorado? In Denver, whatever needs no permit

Colorado has no handyman license and Denver has no handyman category. The only question is whether the work needs a permit, and section 130.3 of the Denver code lists what doesn't.² The widest item: "Repairs are exempt from the permit requirements of this code," as long as they don't include "the removal or cutting of any structural beam or load-bearing support" or change a required exit, and electrical, plumbing and mechanical repairs stay within their own limits. Also exempt:

• "Painting, papering, tiling, floor coverings, countertops, carpeting, cabinets," and similar finishes.
• Drywall, if you repair or replace 32 square feet or less.
• Same-size window and door replacement with no structural change in a one- or two-family home or townhouse. A landmark district or glass in a hazardous location needs a permit.
• Fences up to 4 feet, and post-hole fences (chain link, cedar, wrought iron) up to 8 feet. A pool barrier needs a permit.
• Sheds and playhouses: one story, detached, unheated, 200 square feet or less, with an 8-foot top plate and 14 feet total height at most.
• "Uncovered decks ... that do not exceed 200 square feet" with every walking surface 30 inches or less above grade.
• Walks, patios and driveways no more than 30 inches above grade, retaining walls up to 4 feet, playsets and window well covers.
• Like-for-like sinks, faucets, toilets and disposals, under the plumbing exemptions above.

Nothing electrical is on the list.

Denver doesn't count dollars

There's no price in Denver's licensing rule, so the questions other states argue about (labor only or materials too, per job or per year, splitting one job into two) don't apply. A 40-square-foot drywall replacement needs a permit, and so a license. A $9,000 interior paint job needs neither. If one visit mixes the two, the permit part needs a licensed contractor however small it is. For an emergency outside business hours, the code lets a licensed contractor start the work and apply for the permit "within 3 normal working days" after.²

The homeowner-permit workaround doesn't work in Denver

One piece of advice gets passed around for exactly this situation: "Next time get the home owner to say they built the deck and paid you by the day to help" (r/GeneralContractor). Other commenters pushed back, and Denver's code closes it anyway. Homeowner permits are for single-family homes only, and the owner-occupier has to do the work or act as general contractor and hire Denver-licensed contractors. The owner can name a "designated worker" to help, but that person "cannot accept payment for their services," and "A licensed Denver contractor may not serve as a designated worker."^2,5

Outside Denver

The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department answers the handyman question with "It depends on the type of work you do," points to its permit exemptions, and offers the Contractor E license for decks, fences, sheds, patio covers and "interior nonstructural repair or remodeling of one- or two-family dwellings."²² Fort Collins exempts "Certain small projects not requiring a permit."²⁵ Check each city before you advertise there.

Lead paint and asbestos: Colorado rules your license doesn't include

Lead paint (EPA's RRP rule)

Colorado isn't on EPA's list of states that run their own renovation program, so EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule applies directly.¹⁷ Get paid to disturb paint in a home built before 1978 and your firm needs EPA certification, which covers "all firms, even sole proprietorships." The exception is minor repair: 6 square feet or less of painted surface per room inside, 20 square feet outside, never window replacement, and jobs in the same room within 30 days count as one.¹⁷ Colorado's health department adds its own pre-renovation education rule: the EPA Renovate Right pamphlet "must be provided at least seven days before the renovation" with a written acknowledgment from the owner or an adult occupant, for any renovation disturbing 2 square feet or more of paint in pre-1978 housing.¹⁹ Lead abatement, meaning permanent removal, is separate: "state-certified firms and individuals" only.¹⁹

The civil penalty under the federal statute behind RRP is up to $49,772 per violation at EPA's January 2025 inflation adjustment.¹⁸ One owner's post shows how it usually starts: "I'm a one man remodeling business. I recently got caught scraping and painting a small area on pre 1978 house" (r/Contractor).

Asbestos

Colorado's asbestos rules reach single-family homes, and the trigger is small. If the materials you'll disturb exceed 50 linear feet on pipes, 32 square feet on other surfaces, or the volume of a 55-gallon drum, "they must be inspected for asbestos by a Colorado-certified Asbestos Building Inspector before starting work." A building put up after October 12, 1988 may skip it if the architect or engineer responsible for it, or a certified inspector, signs the state's form saying no asbestos was used. Asbestos above those levels comes out only through a Colorado-certified General Abatement Contractor, with a permit and a ten-working-day notice period.²⁰ Denver's roofing guide points re-roofers to the same rules and says you "may be required to show proof of the inspection."⁷ A textured ceiling or old pipe wrap is where this usually bites.

Can I take this job? A table for Denver Class C license holders

The verdicts assume you hold Residential Contractor Class C, the building is a house, duplex or townhouse in Denver, and it isn't in a landmark district. If you hold the Class D Non-Structural Residential Remodel certificate, the non-structural rows apply to you too; anything load-bearing, decks and additions don't. "Sub it out" means a licensed trade contractor pulls its own permit.

Sources for the table: Denver permit exemptions and contractor duties,² license scopes,³ electrical and plumbing licensing,^9,10 quick permits,⁶ roofing,⁷ lead,¹⁷ asbestos.²⁰

What happens if you cross the line

Permit work without the license or the permit (Denver)

• It's a crime. Breaking the building code carries the city's general penalty: a fine of up to $999, up to 300 days in jail, or both, for each offense, and "each day an offense and violation continues shall constitute a separate offense."^2,8
• It costs more to fix. Work started without a permit pays double permit fees, at least $100, plus an investigation fee equal to that late fee.²
• It follows the house. The building official can record the violation notice "in the real property records of the Clerk and Recorder," and it stays there until the work is corrected.²
• Your license is at risk. Denver can deny, suspend or revoke it for "disregard of this code," for breaking city ordinances tied to the work, or for knowingly hiring an unlicensed sub. A suspension or revocation can run up to three years, and after a revocation you may wait up to five years to reapply.²
• The customer can sue. Failing "to obtain all governmental licenses or permits required to perform the services" is a deceptive trade practice under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act. A homeowner who sues gets actual damages or $500, whichever is more, three times damages for bad faith, plus attorney fees, and the state can seek up to $20,000 per violation ($50,000 when the customer is elderly).¹⁶

Getting paid

Colorado courts generally don't enforce contracts for licensed work done without the license. The Colorado Supreme Court's rule, from a 1950 case about a real estate broker, is that where a licensing "statute or ordinance is enacted for the protection of the public, and expressly prohibits under penalty," a contract made without the license "creates no right of action which a court of justice will enforce."¹² The Court of Appeals put it shortly in 1994: "If a contractor is required to have specific licenses and permits to undertake work, the contractor cannot recover compensation for its services when the contractor fails to obtain such licenses or permits."¹⁴

There's one softening. In 1956 an unlicensed plumber who had also put in a furnace couldn't collect for the plumbing, but the court split the contract and let him "recover any unpaid balance due him for the materials furnished and labor performed not requiring the services of a licensed plumber."¹³ I found no Colorado case applying these rules to a Denver contractor license. Denver's license is required by ordinance, enforced with criminal penalties, and the code says its purpose is public safety, which is the situation the 1950 rule describes. The mechanic's lien statute says nothing about licenses.¹⁵ But a lien secures money owed, and if the court won't enforce the contract, expect the owner to argue nothing is owed. That last part is my reading, not a case.

Electrical or plumbing work without a state license

Working at the trade of an electrician or plumber without an active license is a class 2 misdemeanor: up to 120 days in jail, a fine of up to $750, or both.¹¹ Licensed electricians and plumbers who break their board's rules face fines of up to $1,000 for a first offense, $2,000 for a second, and $2,000 a day after that. For electricians, the list of violations includes employing someone who needs a license and doesn't have one.^9,10 And the 1956 plumber above is the payment rule in action.

Lending your license

Someone will ask you to pull a permit for a job you're not running. Denver lists "Allowing one's license or certificate to be used by another person" and acting "in any capacity with persons to evade the provisions of this code" as grounds to suspend or revoke.² Commenters on r/GeneralContractor agree. "Zero. Don't care if they're a relative or what-don't pull this permit or have any involvement unless it's solely you/your crews," wrote one, and another added, "doing this is also an easy way to get your license suspended/revoked" (r/GeneralContractor).

Insurance

Denver requires licensed contractors to carry insurance "commensurate with the type of project and scope of work as defined by the building official in policy."² That policy is 25-DCBC 120A: $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate general liability, and workers' comp of $100,000 per occurrence and $250,000 aggregate (or a rejection of coverage with no employees), for every license type.³ I found no Colorado rule on what working outside your license does to your coverage. That's in your policy wording, so ask your agent in writing: "Does my policy cover work that needed a permit I didn't pull, or a license class I don't hold?" Keep the reply.

Where your license number has to appear

• Denver: I found no rule in the building code that puts your license number on contracts, ads or trucks. What it does require: the permit on the job site, and your supervisor carrying the certificate "at all times."²
• Plumbing contractors: since July 1, 2025, your state registration number and your master plumber's license number go on "vehicle or vehicles, billing materials, bid sheets, and website."¹⁰
• Electrical contractors: no display rule in the statute. False or misleading advertising is grounds for discipline, and the titles master electrician, journeyman electrician and residential wireman are reserved for license holders.⁹ The plumbing law reserves "master plumber" and "plumbing contractor" the same way.¹⁰
• Everyone else: put your Denver license number and class on every quote anyway. About 110 people a month search Google for "denver contractor license lookup," and some of them are your customers checking you.

Before the next job

1. Look your company up on Denver's licensee search. Write down the class or certificate. That's your scope.
2. If you formed an LLC or a corporation after you got the license, apply for a new license within 30 days.
3. Before you quote, check the job against the permit list. If it needs a permit, you pull it before work starts.
4. Line up a state-licensed electrician and plumber who are registered in Denver, and a Denver mechanical contractor. Check each one before the first bathroom, not during it.
5. If you'll disturb paint in pre-1978 homes, get the firm EPA-certified and take the certified renovator course.
6. Before demolition in an older house, find out whether you'll pass the asbestos trigger levels.
7. Working outside Denver? Get that city's license first.
8. Put your license numbers on every quote and invoice.

Where Deepsel fits

Deepsel is the field service software I build, and it doesn't know Denver's code. It won't tell you a job needs a permit, check a sub's license, or flag a line item as electrical work. What it does help with: the shop-wide terms text you set once is copied onto every quote and shows under "Terms" on the customer's quote page, and the invoice footer is copied onto every invoice, so your Denver license number (and your state plumbing or electrical numbers, if you hold them) goes on every document without retyping. For a plumbing contractor that covers the bid-sheet and billing part of the display rule; the truck and the website are still on you. Quotes can carry options, the customer approves and signs on screen, and an optional card deposit is credited on the final invoice. Free covers 30 estimates and 30 invoices a month for your whole team, with scheduling and dispatch, quotes, invoicing, card payments, and customer and equipment records; Pro is $29 a month with unlimited estimates and invoices (pricing).

Frequently asked questions

Does Colorado require a contractor's license?

Not from the state, unless you're an electrician or a plumber. Colorado's licensing title covers those two building trades and no others, and the Department of Regulatory Agencies says roofers and general contractors aren't licensed by the state. Cities and counties license everyone else. Denver requires a license for any work that needs a permit; Aurora, Boulder, Fort Collins and the Pikes Peak region license contractors too, and Lakewood registers them. Get the license for each city you work in, because they don't honor each other's.

Do I need a license to be a handyman in Colorado?

Colorado has no handyman license. In Denver you need a contractor license only for work that needs a permit. Painting, tile, flooring, cabinets, countertops, drywall patches up to 32 square feet, same-size window and door swaps, small sheds, low fences and small low decks need no permit, and neither do repairs that leave structure and exits alone. Swapping a faucet, sink, toilet or disposal needs no plumbing license under state law. Electrical work on a customer's home needs a state-licensed electrician, however small the job.

What is the difference between a contractor and a handyman in Colorado?

Colorado law has no handyman category. Denver's code defines a contractor as anyone who builds, alters or repairs buildings 'as an occupation and as authorized by a license or registration,' and it requires the license for any work that needs a permit. In practice a Denver handyman is someone who keeps to work that needs no permit and leaves electrical work, which needs a state license at any size, to electricians.

Can a handyman pull permits in Denver?

No. Denver issues permits to licensed or registered contractors and to owner-occupiers of single-family homes. A homeowner can name a 'designated worker' to help, but that person 'cannot accept payment,' and a licensed Denver contractor can't be one. A handyman who wants permit work needs a Denver license, usually Residential Contractor Class C or a Class D certificate such as Non-Structural Residential Remodel.

Can you be your own general contractor in Colorado?

In Denver, yes, if you own and live in a single-family home. You apply for the residential permit yourself and either do the work or hire Denver-licensed contractors for anything you don't do, and you must live there for at least a year after. Homeowner permits aren't available for duplexes, townhomes, condos or ADUs. Other cities set their own homeowner rules.

Does Colorado require an HVAC or roofing license?

Not from the state. Colorado licenses only electricians and plumbers. Denver licenses HVAC through its mechanical classes (heating and ventilating, residential HVAC, refrigeration, hot water and gas service) and roofing through Class D certificates for shingles or for roof covering and waterproofing. Residential roofing contracts over $1,000 also fall under the state roofing statute.

How do I check if a contractor is licensed in Colorado?

For electricians and plumbers, use the Division of Professions and Occupations license lookup. For everyone else, use the city's search: Denver's is the licensee search on its e-permits site. Check the class or certificate too. A Class D roofing certificate doesn't cover a kitchen.

How do I get a Denver contractor license?

Two steps. First a person earns a supervisor certificate. For Residential Contractor Class C that means two years of hands-on work on the foundation, framing and roofing of one- and two-family homes, documented in notarized letters, plus the ICC F13 exam; review takes about 14 to 20 business days. Then the business applies for the contractor license with that person as its supervisor. Both renew every three years.

Sources

1. Colorado Revised Statutes title 12 (Professions and Occupations), table of contents: electricians (article 115) and plumbers (article 155) are the only building trades licensed by the state. olls.info, Colorado Revised Statutes 2026. Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, "Home & Repair": "Be aware! Not all occupations are licensed, such as roofers and general contractors." dora.colorado.gov. Both read November 3, 2026.
2. City and County of Denver, 2025 Denver Building Code (June 2025, 2nd printing November 2025), Administration, which governs the Denver Residential Code too (DRC Sections R103 to R114 deleted; "Sections 103 through 142 of the Denver Commercial Building Code shall govern"): 107.1 and 107.3 (violations; penalties under DRMC 1-13; each calendar day a separate violation), 107.4.1 (recording a notice with the Clerk and Recorder), 121.1 and 121.2 ("Licenses shall be required for any work requiring a permit"; homeowner exception), 122.3 (certificates from other jurisdictions not valid), 122.4 (supervisor employment; 3 and 30 working days), 124.1 (the code's purpose is "the public health, safety, and welfare"), 125.1 (renewal every 3 years; no work after expiration), 125.3.3 (new license within 30 days of a new legal entity), 126.1 and 126.3 (permits first; licensed subcontractors; insurance; certificate in possession), 127.1 and 127.4 (grounds to deny, suspend or revoke, including items 2, 4, 6, 7 and 13; up to 3 years; up to 5 years before reapplying), 130.1 (permit on site; emergency work within 3 working days), 130.3, 130.3.1 and 130.3.3 (exempt work, including repairs, finishes, drywall up to 32 sq ft, same-size windows and doors, fences, sheds, small decks; mechanical and plumbing limits; bath fans), 131.3 and 131.4 (who receives permits; homeowner permits; designated worker), 138.2 and 138.3 (double fees, minimum $100, and an equal investigation fee for work without a permit). denvergov.org, read November 3, 2026.
3. Denver Community Planning and Development, building permit policy 25-DCBC 120A, "Classification of Licenses, Registrations and Certificates" (current file published January 2026): General Contractor Class A, Building Contractor Classes B, B2 and C, Specialty Class D (including Non-Structural Residential Remodel, Tenant Finish, Open Deck, roofing, siding, drywall and fence certificates), Gas Service, Heating and Ventilating A and B, Heating Ventilating Air Conditioning (Residential Only), Hot Water, Refrigeration A and B, and the electrical and Plumbing Class A registrations; Insurance Coverage Requirements, "for all scopes of work and licensure types": workers' compensation $100,000 per occurrence and $250,000 aggregate (or rejection of coverage with no employees), general liability $1M per occurrence and $2M aggregate. denvergov.org, read November 3, 2026.
4. City and County of Denver, Contractor Licensing: Contractor Licenses (the two-step process), Construction Certificates (Class A, ICC F11, seven years; Class B and B-2, ICC F12, four years; Residential Contractor Class C, ICC F13, two years on foundation, framing and roofing; 14 to 20 business days' review) and Specialty Class D Certificates (Non-Structural Residential Remodel: "NON-BEARING and NON-STRUCTURAL WORK ONLY"; "No test required"). Read November 3, 2026.
5. City and County of Denver, "Applying for Permits as a Homeowner": single-family homes only; owner and resident; hire Denver-licensed contractors for work you don't do; "The designated worker cannot accept payment for their services." denvergov.org, read November 3, 2026.
6. City and County of Denver, "Quick Permits": residential electrical quick permits include wiring, GFCI outlets, ceiling fans, and lighting and receptacles. denvergov.org, read November 3, 2026.
7. City and County of Denver, "Roofing Guide and Checklist," updated April 11, 2024: permits for repairs over 10% of the roof or two squares on buildings under 25,000 sq ft, and for new penetrations; membrane roofs by a D-Roof Covering/Waterproofing contractor; CDPHE asbestos inspection. denvergov.org, read November 3, 2026.
8. Denver Revised Municipal Code § 1-13, "General penalty" (version of August 17, 2026): fine up to $999, jail up to 300 days, or both; each day a separate offense; license suspension or revocation in addition. library.municode.com, read November 3, 2026.
9. C.R.S. title 12, article 115 (electricians): 12-115-103(4) and (5) (electrical contractor; "electrical work"), 12-115-109(1) (license required), 12-115-112 (titles), 12-115-116(6), (7), (15) and (16) (own-property maintenance and repair exemption; contractor under a master electrician; low-voltage and power-limited exemptions), 12-115-122(1)(h), (1)(k) and (3)(b) (false advertising; employing unlicensed persons; fines up to $1,000, $2,000, and $2,000 per day), 12-115-123 (penalties under 12-20-407(1)(a)). olls.info, Colorado Revised Statutes 2026, read November 3, 2026.
10. C.R.S. title 12, article 155 (plumbers): 12-155-103(10) (plumbing contractor must be or employ a full-time master plumber), 12-155-108 (license and contractor registration), 12-155-109 (advertising and titles), 12-155-118(6)(a)(II) (no license, registration or permit to repair or replace disposals, dishwashers, sinks, faucets, drains, showers, tubs and toilets), 12-155-122 (penalties under 12-20-407(1)(a)), 12-155-123(2)(b) (fines up to $1,000, $2,000, and $2,000 per day), 12-155-125 (registration numbers on vehicles, billing materials, bid sheets and website from July 1, 2025). olls.info, Colorado Revised Statutes 2026, read November 3, 2026.
11. C.R.S. 12-20-407(1)(a)(IV) and (V)(B) (unlicensed plumbing or electrical work is a class 2 misdemeanor), olls.info title 12; C.R.S. 18-1.3-501(1)(a.5) (class 2 misdemeanor: up to 120 days, up to $750, or both, for offenses on or after March 1, 2022), olls.info title 18. Read November 3, 2026.
12. Benham v. Heyde, 122 Colo. 233, 221 P.2d 1078 (Colo. 1950). courtlistener.com, read November 3, 2026.
13. Carter v. Thompkins, 133 Colo. 279, 294 P.2d 265 (Colo. 1956). courtlistener.com, read November 3, 2026.
14. Aspen Drilling Co. v. Hayes, 876 P.2d 86 (Colo. App. 1994). courtlistener.com, read November 3, 2026.
15. C.R.S. title 38, article 22 (mechanics' liens): searched in full; no licensing condition for contractor liens. olls.info, Colorado Revised Statutes 2026, read November 3, 2026.
16. Colorado Consumer Protection Act, C.R.S. 6-1-105(1)(z) (failing to obtain required licenses or permits; practising without required qualifications), 6-1-112(1)(a) and (c) (civil penalties up to $20,000 per violation, $50,000 against an elderly person), 6-1-113(2) (actual damages or $500, treble damages for bad faith, attorney fees). olls.info, Colorado Revised Statutes 2026, read November 3, 2026.
17. EPA, "Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program" (states authorized to run their own program; Colorado isn't one; "all firms, even sole proprietorships"), epa.gov; 40 CFR 745.83 ("minor repair and maintenance activities": 6 sq ft per room inside, 20 sq ft outside, no window replacement, same room within 30 days is one job), law.cornell.edu. Both read November 3, 2026.
18. 40 CFR 19.4, Table 1, civil monetary penalty inflation adjustments: 15 U.S.C. 2615(a)(1) (TSCA), $49,772 for penalties assessed on or after January 8, 2025. law.cornell.edu, read November 3, 2026.
19. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, "Lead-based paint and renovation" (pre-renovation education: pamphlet "at least seven days before the renovation," written acknowledgment, 2 sq ft or more in pre-1978 housing; Regulation 19, Part B), cdphe.colorado.gov; "Become a lead abatement professional" ("Lead-based paint abatement must be conducted by state-certified firms and individuals"), cdphe.colorado.gov. Both read November 3, 2026.
20. Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, "Asbestos support and guidance: Renovation, demolition, and certification" (inspection by a Colorado-certified Asbestos Building Inspector above the trigger levels; single-family triggers of 50 linear feet on pipes, 32 square feet on other surfaces, or a 55-gallon drum; post-October 12, 1988 exception; certified General Abatement Contractor, permit and ten-working-day notice). cdphe.colorado.gov, read November 3, 2026.
21. City of Aurora, "Contractor Licensing and Lookup." auroragov.org, read November 3, 2026.
22. Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, "Licensing FAQ" ("Do I need a license to be a handyman?"; Contractor E, Maintenance and Remodeling) and "License Types." LicensingFAQ, LicenseTypes, read November 3, 2026.
23. City of Lakewood, "Permits & Licenses" (Contractor Registration). lakewoodco.gov, read November 3, 2026.
24. City of Boulder, "Contractor Licensing." bouldercolorado.gov, read November 3, 2026.
25. City of Fort Collins, "Contractor Licensing" (who needs a license; exemptions; business license). fcgov.com, read November 3, 2026.