Licence classes in Colorado
| Class | Scope |
|---|---|
| Residential Plumber | Qualified to install plumbing and equipment in one-, two-, three- and four-family dwellings that do not extend more than two stories above ground. |
| Journeyman (Journeyworker) Plumber | Engages in or works at the actual installation, alteration, repair and renovation of plumbing to the standards set by the Board. |
| Master Plumber | May properly plan, lay out, install and repair plumbing apparatus and equipment, including supervising that work. |
| Plumbing Contractor | The entity that undertakes or offers to undertake for another the planning, laying out, supervising or installing of plumbing, including additions, alterations and repairs; registers with the state. |
| Plumbing Apprentice | Registered trainee. |
How to verify a contractor before work starts
- Ask for the licence number and the exact registered name it is held under.
- Check that name against the company on the estimate, the invoice and the vehicle.
- Check the status is current, not expired, suspended or revoked.
- Ask for a certificate of insurance issued to your address, not a policy number read out on a call.
- For gas, sewer, water-heater or repiping work, ask which permit is being pulled and by whom.
Which plumbing code applies
2021 International Plumbing Code and 2021 International Fuel Gas Code, adopted as the Colorado Plumbing Code (3 CCR 720-1) The Colorado Plumbing Code at 3 CCR 720-1 adopts chapters 2 to 13 and 15 plus appendices B, C, D and E of the 2021 International Plumbing Code, together with chapters 2 to 8 (excluding sections 412 and 413) and appendices A to C of the 2021 International Fuel Gas Code. Under C.R.S. 12-155-106 only local governments may amend the code for their jurisdiction, and any amendment must be at least equal to the state minimum, so local rules can be stricter but never looser.
Permits
Permits are local: Denver work goes through Denver Community Planning and Development, while Colorado Springs and the surrounding county are covered by the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, a single regional authority that is unusual in the United States, and some jurisdictions such as Arvada re-check the state plumbing licence at permit time.
Complaints
Colorado plumber licences are verified through the DORA Division of Professions and Occupations "Verify a License" service, and the same division publishes a "File a Complaint Against a Licensee" process; both are linked from its plumbing program page.
PlumberColorado is not a licensed contractor
PlumberColorado is an independently operated referral service. PlumberColorado is not a plumbing contractor, holds no contractor licence, employs no plumbers and performs no plumbing work. Every job arranged through this site is performed by an independent, separately licensed professional who contracts directly with the homeowner.