Contractor License B60 outlines the requirements for all contractors working in unincorporated Boulder County to obtain a Boulder County contractor license. The licensing process defines the categories and requirements for professionals in construction, remodeling, roofing, mechanical work, and other specialized trades.
Boulder County Building Publications
Contractor License - B60
Contractor Licensing in Unincorporated Boulder County
All contractors working in unincorporated areas of Boulder County are required to obtain a Boulder County Contractors License except for Plumbers or Electricians as those two trades are licensed with the State of Colorado.
A contractor is anyone who engages in any type of work for compensation for which a building permit is required, or who directs and supervises such work.
People who are not considered to be contractors in unincorporated Boulder County are:
- The property owner
- An employee of the property owner who performs full-time maintenance or repair on the property owner’s property
- A laborer working under the supervision of a contractor.
Property owners who pull their own permits must do all the work themselves or have their full-time maintenance or repair employee(s) perform the work.
The Chief Building Official administers the contractor licensing program and is responsible for:
- Reviewing license applications
- Issuing licenses or provisional licenses
- Denying a license
- Suspending or revoking a license
The Building Official may issue the license, issue a provisional license, or deny the license application. The Building Official will also conduct hearings for the appeal of a revoked or suspended license.
Types of Licenses
- Class A: Allows the licensee to work on and construct all types of buildings
- Class B: Allows the licensee to construct and remodel 1 and 2 family dwellings and do tenant finish on commercial buildings.
- Class C: Allows the licensee to construct and remodel 1 and 2 family dwellings per the IRC.
- Commercial Mechanical: Allows the licensee to work on mechanical installations and repair on all types of buildings.
- Residential Mechanical: Allows the licensee to work on mechanical installations and repair on 1 and 2 family dwellings.
- Roofing: Allows the licensee to work on roofing for all types of buildings.
- Class M: Includes, but is not limited to:
- deconstruction
- pools and spas
- masonry
- grading and excavations
- repair and installation of signs
- solar photo-voltaic equipment installation and repair
- residential elevator repair and installation
- window replacements
- re-siding
- installation of listed wood-burning appliances
- 1-story pre-engineered agricultural buildings that do not contain habitable space, electrical, HVAC, or plumbing
Your business will be added to the Licensed Contractors Serving Boulder County page once you have received your contractor’s license. A Boulder County Contractor License is good for 3 years from the date of issuance.
Requirements for New Licenses and Renewals
The requirements and conditions for issuance of a contractor’s license include:
1. Boulder County License Online Application
The submission of a completed Boulder County Contractor License online application.
2. Provide proof you have passed an appropriate exam within the past 3 years, or provide a copy of a valid license issued from a Boulder County listed ICC participating jurisdiction (not required for a Class M license)
2a. ICC Exam Scheduling
If you have not taken the applicable ICC exam within the past 3 years, or do not have a valid license with one of the participating jurisdictions listed on this webpage, you will need to schedule an exam. Contact Pearson Vue at 877-234-6082 to schedule an ICC exam. You will be asked to provide the exam ID and jurisdiction. Please reference the applicable exam ID from the list below, and the jurisdiction as Colorado.
- Class A: Exam ID F11
- Class B: Exam ID F12
- Class C: Exam ID F13
- Commercial Mechanical: Exam ID F29
- Residential Mechanical: Exam ID F32
- Roofing: Exam ID F14
- Class M: No Testing Requirement
2b. Participating Boulder County ICC Jurisdictions
Jurisdictions participating in the Boulder County ICC include:
- Arvada
- Aspen
- Brighton
- Castle Rock
- Centennial
- City and County of Denver
- City of Boulder County City of Canon City
- City of Lakewood
- City of Longmont
- City of Northglenn
- City of Trinidad
- Pikes Peak Regional Building Department
- Commerce City
- Dacono
- Delta
- Englewood
- Glenwood Springs
- Golden
- Grand Junction
- Lakewood
- Larimer county
- Lafayette
- Littleton
- Louisville
- Loveland
- Mesa County
- Pitkin County
- Pueblo
- Sheridan
- Snowmass Village
- Sterling
- Teller County
- Thornton
- Town of Castle Rock
- Westminster
- Wheat Ridge
- Woodland Park
3. Provide Proof of Lawful Presence for the President/Principal of the Company (Photo ID)
Valid Forms of Identification:
- Current Driver’s License
- State issued identification card
- US Military I.D. card
- U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Mariner card
- Native American Travel Documents
- Forms of ID recognized by the current lawful presence rules of the Colorado Department of Revenue.
4. Provide proof of Liability Insurance and Worker’s Compensation
Applicants must provide proof of both liability and worker’s compensation insurance.
4a. Contractor Liability Insurance
Proof of Contractor Liability insurance, with a minimum of $600,000 for each occurrence, is required. Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting MUST be listed as the Certificate Holder in the bottom left-hand corner of the certificate form, otherwise the certificate cannot be accepted. The Certificate Holder box should read as follows:
- Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting
2045 13th St.
Boulder, CO. 80302
4b. Worker’s Compensation Insurance
Proof of Worker’s Compensation Insurance is required for all contractors who have employees. Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting MUST be listed as the Certificate Holder in the bottom left-hand corner of the certificate form, otherwise the certificate cannot be accepted. The Certificate Holder box should read as follows:
- Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting
2045 13th St.
Boulder, CO. 80302
If there is no Workers’ Compensation Insurance because there are no employees, a Rejection of Coverage form must be filled out and filed with the State of Colorado. The Rejection of Coverage form can be found at the Colorado Department of Labor Rejection of Coverage page.
The Rejection of Coverage needs to be submitted to the State of Colorado, not to Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting, and must be submitted PRIOR to applying for your license with Boulder County.
5. Online Payment of License Fees
License fees for various classes include:
- Class A: $350
- Class B: $300
- Class C: $250
- Commercial Mechanical: $200
- Residential Mechanical: $175
- Roofing: $150
- Class M: $150
Note: All required documents must be submitted at the time of online application.
Updating an Insurance Certificate
To send in an updated insurance certificate, please email it to contractorlicensing@bouldercounty.gov.
Suspending or Revoking Licenses
If the Building Official finds that there is cause to suspect danger to public health and safety he or she may order the immediate suspension of the license, may issue a stop work order on the project, and/ or may refuse to issue a Certificate of Occupancy.
The Building Official may suspend or revoke an issued license if it is determined that the license was issued based on:
- False or incomplete information
- Failure to maintain insurance
- Failure to maintain lawful presence
- Failure to obtain a building permit
- Failure to comply with the code
- Working outside the scope of the license
- Lack of competence
- Other reasons
If a license is revoked or suspended by the Building Official, he or she shall notify the licensee in writing. The licensee shall have two weeks to request a hearing before the Building Official. The Building Official shall schedule the hearing time and date within 7 business days of receipt of the hearing request. Upon completion of the hearing, the Building Official shall notify the licensee within 10 days after the hearing of his or her findings.
Appeals to a Suspended or Revoked License
If a contractor is aggrieved by a decision of the Building Official’s related to a suspended or revoked license or the inability to obtain a license, the contractor may make a written appeal to the Board of Review within 14 days of the decision being appealed.
A hearing date shall be made no earlier than 15 days and no later than 45 days after the receipt of the appeal. The secretary of the Board of Review shall analyze the appeal and notify the appellant of the hearing date at least 7 days prior to the hearing. Results of the hearing shall be issued to the appellant in writing within 14 days of the hearing.
The application fee for appealing to the Board of Review is $500. The contractor may re-apply for a denied or revoked license after waiting 90 days.
Procedure for Contemporaneous Reviews of Electrical and Plumbing Licenses
View or download the Procedure for Contemporaneous Reviews of Electrical and Plumbing Licenses.
This policy is in response to HB19-1086 effective January 1, 2020 (Plumbing), and SB19-156 effective July 1, 2019 (Electrical). This policy is pursuant to Section 12-155-120(1) and (10), Colorado Revised Statutes, which become effective Jan. 1, 2020.
This standard procedure is for conducting contemporaneous reviews to ensure consistent, timely and efficient enforcement of Colorado’s electrical and plumbing licensure and apprenticeship requirements.
Boulder County reserves the right to request documentation for all permits that involve electrical or plumbing work that provides identifying information for contractors performing this work. Boulder County may use this information for the purpose of verifying the licensure of these contractors and to ensure that appropriate apprenticeship requirements are being met. This request for electrical and plumbing contractor information may occur prior to permit issuance, or at any time thereafter. Failure to provide this information will be grounds to prevent a permit from being issued, or invalidate an already issued permit regardless of the issued date.
Contemporaneous reviews may include a full or partial review of the electricians, plumbers and apprentices working at a job site at the inspector’s discretion, based on their familiarity with the installers and any other relevant factors.
Inspectors may perform contemporaneous reviews at any time. Inspectors may conduct occasional, random, on-site inspections while actual plumbing or electrical work is being conducted with an emphasis on large commercial and multifamily projects.
If a contemporaneous review reveals any non-compliance with Colorado’s electrical and plumbing licensure or apprenticeship requirements, the inspector who performed the review shall promptly notify his or her immediate supervisor. Staff will consider the nature and severity of the violation and determine whether to file a complaint with the State electrical and plumbing boards per C.R.S. Title 12, Article 115 (Electricians) or C.R.S. Title 12, Article 155 (Plumbers).
More Information
For questions pertaining to Contractor Licensing, please email contractorlicensing@bouldercounty.gov or call 303-441-3930.
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