Colorado Contractor Licensing — What Homeowners Should Verify

This surprises a lot of homeowners: Colorado does not issue a state-level general contractor license. Unlike many states, there’s no single “Colorado Licensed Contractor” credential to look for. Instead, every city and county sets its own rules.

Here’s how to verify your contractor is actually licensed for your project.

State-level: electrical and plumbing only

Colorado licenses electricians and plumbers at the state level through DORA (Department of Regulatory Agencies). If your project involves electrical work (new wiring, panel upgrades, service changes) or plumbing beyond minor fixture swaps, those parts must be done by a state-licensed electrician/plumber.

Roofing, siding, painting, gutters, decking, and general construction are not state-licensed in Colorado.

City-level licensing

Most cities require contractors to hold a local license to pull permits in their jurisdiction. Requirements vary:

Denver

• Requires a Supplemental contractor license for roofing
• Contractors must pass an exam, carry insurance, and maintain a bond
• Verify at: Denver Community Planning and Development website

Aurora, Lakewood, Arvada, Westminster

• Most Denver metro suburbs require contractor registration and proof of insurance
• Less rigorous than Denver — usually just registration and insurance, no exam

Grand Junction

• Requires contractor registration with the city
• Proof of insurance required
• Less rigorous than Denver

Unincorporated counties

• Mesa County, Jefferson County, Adams County, etc.
• Most require contractor registration with the county building department

How to verify a contractor’s license

1. Ask for the license number for the specific city/county where your project is
2. Call the city’s building department and confirm the license is active. Takes 2 minutes.
3. Check their insurance (Certificate of Insurance) separately — licensing and insurance are different things

Red flags

🚩 “Colorado doesn’t require a license” — True for state, false for most cities. If they use this as an excuse to avoid showing a local license, keep looking.

🚩 License number for a different city than your project — A Denver license doesn’t let them legally work in Aurora. Each jurisdiction is separate.

🚩 Expired license — Check the date. Licenses expire annually and need renewal.

🚩 “I’m licensed but use someone else’s license number” — Illegal. A license is tied to a person and a company.

Western Edge Exteriors licensing

We are licensed and insured in Denver and the surrounding Denver metro cities where we primarily work, and in Mesa County and Grand Junction for our Western Slope work. For any other jurisdiction, we’ll verify licensing requirements before starting a project in that area.

To request our license number for your city, call:

• Denver Metro: 720-425-6121
• Grand Junction: 970-462-7548

Or email info@wexterior.com and we’ll send you a copy of our Certificate of Insurance and local licensing documents.