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Contractor Licensing in Unincorporated Boulder County

The Boulder County Community Planning & Permitting office at 2045 13th St., Boulder is open to the public on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Appointments are available on Tuesday but are not required. Schedule an appointment.

Contractor Licensing in Unincorporated Boulder County

Please view the Boulder County Contractor License document for license requirements and online application instructions. Applications must be submitted online.

The Colorado State Legislature granted counties the authority to establish contractor licensing programs. Boulder County licenses contractors for work in the unincorporated county.

Building Contractors

A contractor is anyone who engages in any type of work for compensation for which a building permit is required or who directs or supervises such work.

People not considered to be contractors in unincorporated Boulder County are:

  • The property owner
  • A laborer working under the supervision of a contractor
  • A person who is performing labor or repair work on their own property
  • An employee of the property owner who performs full-time maintenance or repair work on the property owners property.
  • Plumbers and electricians are licensed by the State of Colorado.

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 Official will also conduct hearings for the appeal of a revoked or suspended license.

Types of Licenses

  • Class A: Commercial construction
  • Class B: Commercial remodeling or tenant finish
  • Class C: One & two-family residential
  • Commercial Mechanical: Commercial mechanical installations and repair
  • Residential Mechanical: Residential mechanical installations and repair
  • Roofing: new roofing, re-roofing
  • Class M: includes but not be limited to: deconstruction, 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 once you have received your contractor’s license. A Boulder County Contractor License is good for 3 years from the date of issuance.

License Requirements and Conditions

The requirements and conditions for issuance of a contractor’s license include:

  • The submission of a completed Boulder County Contractor License online application. The Chief Building Official will review the application within 7 days.
  • Showing proof of having passed the applicable ICC exam or providing a license from another Colorado municipality or county that uses the ICC contractor’s examination as a basis for licensing
  • Providing proof of lawful presence
  • Providing proof of contractor’s liability and workman’s compensation insurance
  • Paying the licensing fee:
    • Class A: $350
    • Class B: $300
    • Class C: $250
    • Roofing: $150
    • Class M: $150
    • Commercial Mechanical: $200
    • Residential Mechanical: $175

Updating an Insurance Certificate

To send in an updated insurance certificate, please email contractorlicensing@bouldercounty.org.

Suspending or Revoking Licenses

If the Building Official finds that there is cause to suspect danger to public health and safety he may order the immediate suspension of the license and may order work stopped on the project 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 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).

Contact Information

For questions pertaining to Contractor Licensing, please email contractorlicensing@bouldercounty.org or call 303-441-3930.