Colorado Plumbing and Electrical License Classifications

Colorado classifies credentials the honest way for a two-trade state: 13 rows are seeded here — the complete official surface of the ONLY two construction professions the state regulates (plumbing under C.R.S. Art. 155, electrical under Art. 115), each carrying its official scope text, statutory citation and source. There is no general contractor classification to publish: Colorado never issued one (verified absence). Local classes — Denver A/B/C/D, Aurora types, Fort Collins A–MM, Larimer A/B/C, JeffCo, PPRBD — are deliberately NOT state rows; they belong to their jurisdictions.

Verified 2026-10-0413 classifications7 credential shapes2 state-regulated tradesIndexation gate: passed

01 Two trades, two articles, no price gate

ART. 155 PLUMBING (DPO)+ART. 115 ELECTRICAL (DPO)≠LOCAL CLASSES (six regimes)

No general contractor classification exists — the DPO program pages enumerate exactly two construction professions; general building, remodeling, roofing, mechanical and painting credentials are issued only by local jurisdictions. (Rule CO-NO-STATEWIDE-GC.) S-CO-DPO-HOME
No price decides any classification — neither article contains a contract-price trigger; what separates RP from JW from MP is experience hours and scope (3,400 / 6,800 / 8,500 h for plumbing). Local $15k/$20k figures are experience-verification rules, never state triggers. S-CO-12-155-108
License to work, registration to operate — personal licenses (RP/JW/MP, RW/JW/ME) sit on individuals; business registrations (plumbing contractor, electrical contractor, water conditioning, photovoltaic installer) and the apprentice registration sit on the firm or the employer. S-CO-12-155-108 S-CO-12-115-109
One firm, one master — the plumbing contractor registration needs a full-time master plumber in charge; the electrical contractor registration needs a licensed master as responsible individual, one company only. S-CO-12-155-108

What this page does not publish

No local class is modeled as a state credential (each local regime keeps its own row on the hub), no classification is asserted as exam-free beyond the verified state absences below, and no PPRBD credential appears anywhere — that site was unreachable all research day and its data stays NOT_VERIFIED.

02 Plumbing and water conditioning — C.R.S. Art. 155 (3 CCR 720-1)

Code	Credential	Classification	Official scope	Citation	Source
PLUMBING-APPRENTICE	Apprentice Registration (plumbing apprentice: employer registers within 30 days of initial employment — C.R.S. §12-155-108(2); electrical apprentice: the board registers apprentices — C.R.S. §12-115-107(2)(b))	Plumbing Apprentice (individual registration)	All plumbing apprentices 'shall, within thirty days after the date of initial employment, be registered with the board' and 'The employer of a plumbing apprentice shall be responsible for the apprentice's registration.'	C.R.S. §12-155-108(2)	S-CO-12-155-108
RESIDENTIAL-PLUMBER	Plumber License (DORA DPO — individual: Residential, Journeyworker, Master; 'A person shall not engage in or work at the business, trade, or calling of a residential, journeyworker, or master plumber in this state until the person has received a license from the division' — C.R.S. §12-155-108(1))	Residential Plumber (RP)	Scope, verbatim: plumbing in 'one-, two-, three-, and four-family dwellings, which dwellings must not extend more than two stories aboveground.' Qualification: '2 years (3,400 hours) of practical experience' (DPO Applications).	C.R.S. §12-155-103(13) (scope); experience per DPO Applications	S-CO-12-155-103
JOURNEYWORKER-PLUMBER	Plumber License (DORA DPO — individual: Residential, Journeyworker, Master; 'A person shall not engage in or work at the business, trade, or calling of a residential, journeyworker, or master plumber in this state until the person has received a license from the division' — C.R.S. §12-155-108(1))	Journeyworker Plumber (JW)	License to 'engage in or work at the business, trade, or calling of a … journeyworker … plumber in this state' (§12-155-108(1)). Experience: 'maximum experience … 4 years (6,800 hours)' (DPO Applications).	C.R.S. §12-155-108(1); experience per DPO Applications	S-CO-PLUMB-APPS
MASTER-PLUMBER	Plumber License (DORA DPO — individual: Residential, Journeyworker, Master; 'A person shall not engage in or work at the business, trade, or calling of a residential, journeyworker, or master plumber in this state until the person has received a license from the division' — C.R.S. §12-155-108(1))	Master Plumber (MP)	Scope, verbatim: a master plumber may 'properly plan, lay out, and install and repair plumbing apparatus and equipment including the supervision of such…' Qualification: 'five full-time years (8,500 hours)' with 'One month of full-time experience is equivalent to 163 hours' (DPO Applications).	C.R.S. §12-155-103(4) (scope); experience per DPO Applications	S-CO-12-155-103
PLUMBING-CONTRACTOR	Plumbing Contractor Registration (business — 'A person shall not operate as a plumbing contractor until the contractor has obtained registration from the board' — C.R.S. §12-155-108(3); fee + workers' compensation + unemployment compensation evidence + be or employ a full-time master plumber)	Plumbing Contractor (business registration)	'Plumbing contractor' means any person, firm, partnership, corporation, association, or other organization that undertakes or offers to undertake for another the planning, laying out, supervising, installing, or making of additions, alterations, and repairs in the installation of plumbing. In order to act as a plumbing contractor, the person … must either be or employ a full-time master plumber.	C.R.S. §12-155-103(10) (definition); §12-155-108(3) (registration)	S-CO-12-155-103
WATER-CONDITIONING-CONTRACTOR	Water Conditioning Contractor / Installer / Principal Registration (C.R.S. §12-155-108(4)-(6); licensed plumbers and plumbing contractors may practice water conditioning without it — §12-155-108(1)(b))	Water Conditioning Contractor (business registration)	Registration required to contract in water conditioning: the board registers a water conditioning contractor who is, or who employs full-time, a water conditioning principal (C.R.S. §12-155-108(4), summarized from the statute read 2026-10-04 — not quoted).	C.R.S. §12-155-108(4)	S-CO-12-155-108
WATER-CONDITIONING-INSTALLER-PRINCIPAL	Water Conditioning Contractor / Installer / Principal Registration (C.R.S. §12-155-108(4)-(6); licensed plumbers and plumbing contractors may practice water conditioning without it — §12-155-108(1)(b))	Water Conditioning Installer / Principal (individual registration)	Individual water-conditioning registrations: the installer must hold certification from a national water conditioning association, and the principal may be responsible for only one water conditioning contractor at a time (C.R.S. §12-155-108(5)–(6), summarized from the statute read 2026-10-04 — not quoted).	C.R.S. §12-155-108(5)–(6)	S-CO-12-155-108

The RP boundary — 1–4 family, two stories

Residential Plumber's scope is statutory (§12-155-103(13)): plumbing in "one-, two-, three-, and four-family dwellings, which dwellings must not extend more than two stories aboveground." Beyond that envelope, Journeyworker or Master is required — rule CO-PLUMBING-LICENSE answers from the facts, never from a guess. The apprentice registration is the EMPLOYER's duty within 30 days (§12-155-108(2)) — S-CO-12-155-108

03 Electrical and photovoltaics — C.R.S. Art. 115 (3 CCR 710-1)

Code	Credential	Classification	Official scope	Citation	Source
APPRENTICE-ELECTRICIAN	Apprentice Registration (plumbing apprentice: employer registers within 30 days of initial employment — C.R.S. §12-155-108(2); electrical apprentice: the board registers apprentices — C.R.S. §12-115-107(2)(b))	Apprentice Electrician (electrical apprentice registration)	The State Electrical Board shall 'Register apprentices' (C.R.S. §12-115-107(2)(b)) — an individual registration made through DORA DPO.	C.R.S. §12-115-107(2)(b)	S-CO-12-115-107
RESIDENTIAL-WIREMAN	Electrician License (DORA DPO — individual: Residential Wireman, Journeyman, Master; 'No person shall engage in or work at the business, trade, or calling of a journeyman electrician, master electrician, or residential wireman in this state until the person has received a license from the division' — C.R.S. §12-115-109(1))	Residential Wireman (RW)	'4,000 hours of residential-only experience earned in no less than 2 years OR Completed at least two years of accredited training' (DPO Applications). Statutory limit, verbatim: a residential wireman 'shall not perform electrical work of a type that is beyond the authorization of the license held' (§12-115-109(2)).	C.R.S. §12-115-109(1)–(2); experience per DPO Electrical Applications	S-CO-ELEC-APPS
JOURNEYMAN-ELECTRICIAN	Electrician License (DORA DPO — individual: Residential Wireman, Journeyman, Master; 'No person shall engage in or work at the business, trade, or calling of a journeyman electrician, master electrician, or residential wireman in this state until the person has received a license from the division' — C.R.S. §12-115-109(1))	Journeyman Electrician (JW)	'8,000 hours earned in no less than four years. 2,000 of these hours must be in commercial, industrial, or substantially similar work in no less than two years' plus '288 hours of classroom education is required for ALL applicants. (There is no grandfathering of any apprentice registration)' (DPO Applications).	C.R.S. §12-115-109(1); experience per DPO Electrical Applications	S-CO-ELEC-APPS
MASTER-ELECTRICIAN	Electrician License (DORA DPO — individual: Residential Wireman, Journeyman, Master; 'No person shall engage in or work at the business, trade, or calling of a journeyman electrician, master electrician, or residential wireman in this state until the person has received a license from the division' — C.R.S. §12-115-109(1))	Master Electrician (ME)	One of three paths (DPO Applications, verbatim): accredited electrical-engineering degree + 2,000 hours ≥1 year; electrical trade school or community college + 8,000 hours ≥4 years; or Journeyman + 2,000 hours ≥1 year 'in addition to the JW requirements' with 'Some hours … in planning and layout' and 'supervision of registered apprentices while in possession of a Journeyman Electrician license'.	C.R.S. §12-115-109(1); paths per DPO Electrical Applications	S-CO-ELEC-APPS
ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR	Electrical Contractor Registration (business — hold or employ a licensed master electrician as the responsible individual, Acknowledgment of Responsibility, one company only, WC + UC evidence — DPO Electrical Applications)	Electrical Contractor (business registration)	'To perform Electrical Contracting in the State of Colorado, you must be a licensed Electrical Contractor registered with the State of Colorado… Hold or employ a licensed master electrician to serve as the responsible individual for the company. The Master Electrician and Company Owner (if separate individuals) must sign an Acknowledgment of Responsibility Form. The selected Master Electrician may be the responsible party for one company only. Must submit evidence of compliance with Workers' Compensation and Unemployment Compensation laws. For local requirements, contact the city and/or county government in the area in which you work.'	DPO Electrical Applications (registration conditions)	S-CO-ELEC-APPS
PHOTOVOLTAIC-INSTALLER	Photovoltaic Installer Registration (business — SB25-165: register with the State Electrical Board 'no later than December 31, 2026'; ≥1 NABCEP Certified employee, Colorado Secretary of State good standing — DPO Electrical Applications)	Photovoltaic Installer (business registration — SB25-165, new)	'Senate Bill 25-165 requires Photovoltaic Installers to register with the State Electrical Board no later than December 31, 2026.' Conditions (DPO): employ at least one NABCEP Certified employee; designate agent(s) (the registration is invalidated if the agent leaves); be in good standing with the State and registered with the Colorado Secretary of State; qualify by 'performing PV work on or before September 1, 2025.'	SB25-165 (registration deadline C.R.S. via DPO); 3 CCR 710-1 Rule 1.13(A)	S-CO-ELEC-APPS

The solar boundary — registration, not a solar license

There is NO generic "solar contractor license" in Colorado (verified absence). A hired PV install is electrical work: licensed electricians (RW/JW/ME) for a registered Electrical Contractor — or, from SB25-165, the NEW photovoltaic installer REGISTRATION (register by 2026-12-31, ≥1 NABCEP Certified employee). At ≥300 kW, §12-115-107(2)(f) names exactly who may perform the work: master, journeyman, residential wireman, or properly supervised apprentices.

04 How each credential is earned

Experience hours, not price — plumbing: RP 2 years (3,400 h), JW 4 years (6,800 h), MP 5 full-time years (8,500 h — 163 h = 1 month); electrical follows its own official ladder. Verification is by Affidavit of Experience from employers: "Applicants shall not verify their own experience." S-CO-12-155-108 S-CO-12-115-109
Exams — code only, via PSI — plumbing: multiple-choice IPC + IFGC + board rules, 70% (75% Master), English only; electrical: the current NEC at the applicant's experience level. Endorsement and (electrical, journeyman-only) NERA reciprocity paths exist. S-CO-PLUMB-APPS S-CO-ELEC-GUIDE
No business-and-law exam — verified absence — none of the six official documents examined mentions a B&L exam; do not assume one because other states have one. S-CO-PLUMB-APPS
Local exams stay local — Denver supervisor certificates (ICC), Aurora ICC certifications, Fort Collins Pearson VUE (G11–G33, F14, F46), JeffCo ICC within 3 years — each on its local row on the hub, never blended into the state path.

05 Deterministic scope limits

colorado:master-plumber — plumbing within the building or five feet from the foundation (C.R.S. §12-155-103(8)(a)–(b)) S-CO-12-155-103
The trade-field definition: what counts as 'plumbing' statewide, with the five-feet boundary and the three official exclusions — the same boundary every plumbing credential works inside (research §E).
colorado:master-plumber — planning laying out installing repairing and supervising plumbing apparatus (C.R.S. §12-155-103(4)) S-CO-12-155-103
The full-scope plumbing credential: the only one that can BE the plumbing contractor's master-in-charge and the only registered master who may pull a state permit as a sole proprietor (SCOPE-CO-PULL-PERMIT).
colorado:residential-plumber — plumbing in one to four family dwellings up to two stories (C.R.S. §12-155-103(13)) S-CO-12-155-103
The RP boundary is statutory — the two limits (4 families / 2 stories) are the license's own words, so the answer for a 5-family building or a 3-story building is the credential ladder, not interpretation (research §D/§E).
colorado:plumbing-contractor — undertaking planning laying out supervising installing or repairing plumbing for others (C.R.S. §12-155-103(10) / §12-155-108(3)) S-CO-12-155-103
THE business-side scope: doing plumbing FOR ANOTHER (for compensation) is registration work — 'undertakes OR OFFERS TO UNDERTAKE' covers bids too. Homeowner self-performance on own property is outside it (REQ-CO-HOMEOWNER-001) (research §C/§E).
colorado:master-electrician — planning laying out installing and repairing wiring for light heat and power per current nec (C.R.S. §12-115-107(2)(a)(I)) S-CO-12-115-107
The electrical trade field as the board defines it — new work, additions, alterations AND repairs, all against the current NEC. Attached to ME as the highest license; the same standards sentence governs all three licenses (research §E).
colorado:residential-wireman — electrical work beyond the authorization of the license held (C.R.S. §12-115-109(2)) S-CO-12-115-109
An official statutory exclusion (the license's own limit), not our reading — the RW answer to any work 'beyond the authorization' is a negative (research §E).
colorado:master-plumber — state or local plumbing permit as qualified applicant (C.R.S. §12-155-120(11) / §12-155-120(1)(c)(II)(A)) S-CO-12-155-120
Permit power is the NARROWER gate: a master license alone does not unlock a permit — registration (or direct employment by a registered contractor) does, and the homeowner qualifies for their own home. Electrical/photovoltaic state permits may instead be obtained by a homeowner, an electrical contractor or a photovoltaic installer (DPO permit information) (research §C/§E).

These limits feed the deterministic rules (CO-PLUMBING-LICENSE, CO-ELECTRICAL-LICENSE, CO-PLUMBING-CONTRACTOR, CO-ELECTRICAL-CONTRACTOR, CO-MASTER-ONE-FIRM, CO-PV-INSTALLER-REG) that project pages evaluate first — missing facts return NOT_DETERMINED, never a forced answer.

06 Conflicts on this page

Checked and found consistent

Every classification name and scope on this page was cross-checked on 2026-10-04 between the statute (FindLaw mirror of C.R.S. Art. 155/115), the official DPO Applications pages and the board rules (3 CCR 720-1 / 710-1, official SOS PDFs) — they agree wherever they quote the same text. The two OPEN Colorado conflicts (renewal cycle, contractor insurance) attach to renewal/insurance requirements, not to any classification scope, and both render in full on the hub.

07 Sources

S-CO-12-115-107statute

Colorado General Assembly (C.R.S. official host) — read via FindLaw mirror

C.R.S. §12-115-107 — Electrical board powers: NEC standards, PV ≥300 kW, EV/solar-ready code

https://codes.findlaw.com/co/title-12-professions-and-occupations/co-rev-st-sect-12-115-107/