Colorado Springs General Contractor License

PPRBD issues a single building contractor license covering eight jurisdictions: Colorado Springs, unincorporated El Paso County, Fountain, Woodland Park, Manitou Springs, Monument, Green Mountain Falls, and Palmer Lake. One filing satisfies all eight — no separate municipal licenses required.

What category determines what you can build

PPRBD requires applicants to select one of four Building Contractor tiers at application, and the tier limits what you can bid:

• Building Contractor A — unrestricted; any structure type or size the Regional Building Code permits
• Building Contractor B — any structure type except Groups A (assembly), E (educational), H (hazardous), and I (institutional), which are excluded entirely regardless of project size
• Building Contractor C — one- and two-family dwellings up to three stories, Group R-2 multi-family buildings up to 8 units and 2 stories, and their accessory structures
• Building Contractor E — accessory structures (decks, fences, sheds, detached garages, patio covers) and interior nonstructural remodeling of 1-2 family dwellings only

Choosing a narrower category than the work requires is the most common licensing mistake — assembly, educational, hazardous, and institutional occupancies require a Category A license regardless of project size.

Application requirements

ICC exam and insurance are both required before PPRBD will issue a license:

• Exam: ICC National Standardized or ICC Colorado Standard exam, taken on or after January 1, 2017. Out-of-state exams are not accepted.
• Insurance: General liability at minimum $1 million per occurrence/$2 million aggregate, plus workers' compensation. Sole proprietors with no employees may substitute a CDLE-approved workers' compensation rejection form.
• Application fee: $50 non-refundable, payable at submission.

Annual renewal and the 180-day hard cutoff

Licenses expire on the last day of the issuance month — 12 months after the month of issue — not on the exact anniversary date. Renewal fees are not prorated; check pprbd.org for the current fee schedule. If a license lapses more than 180 days, PPRBD administratively revokes it; the contractor must submit a full new application, including the $50 fee and current exam evidence, rather than renew.

*Disclaimer: This information is provided for general reference only and does not constitute legal advice. Verify current fee schedules, exam requirements, and insurance minimums directly with PPRBD at pprbd.org before applying or renewing.*