Handyman Business Permit Requirements in Denver, CO

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC/corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Colorado — No State Handyman License, but Electrical and Plumbing Are State-Licensed

   Colorado has no statewide handyman or general contractor license; general construction licensing is left to each city and county, and Denver issues its own contractor licenses. Two trades are the exception and are licensed by the state rather than the city: electrical work requires an electrical credential (apprentice, residential wireman, journeyman electrician, master electrician, photovoltaic installer or electrical contractor) and plumbing work requires a plumbing credential (apprentice, residential plumber, journeyworker plumber, master plumber or plumbing contractor), both issued by DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations. A handyman may not perform electrical or plumbing work anywhere in Colorado without the state license, no matter what the local rules say, so scope your services accordingly or subcontract those trades.

   Official government source

   There is no state handyman license and therefore no fee for one. State electrical and plumbing license fees are collected at the end of DPO's online application. Denver's own contractor licenses are billed separately by the city.·Nothing to obtain for general handyman work. State electrical and plumbing licenses require documented apprenticeship hours and passing an examination — a master plumber license, for example, requires several years and thousands of documented hours.

   There is no state handyman license and therefore no fee for one. State electrical and plumbing license fees are collected at the end of DPO's online application. Denver's own contractor licenses are billed separately by the city.

   Nothing to obtain for general handyman work. State electrical and plumbing licenses require documented apprenticeship hours and passing an examination — a master plumber license, for example, requires several years and thousands of documented hours.

1. Denver Retailer's Sales, Use, Lodger's Tax License

   Denver has no general business license. A handyman business that sells taxable materials or goods must register for Denver's Retailer's Sales, Use, Lodger's Tax License through the Treasury Division of the Department of Finance. Denver is a home-rule city that collects its own 5.15% sales tax (9.15% combined with state, RTD and special district).

   Official government source

   $0 — Denver no longer charges a license fee with the biennial Retailer's Sales, Use, Lodger's Tax License·Registration is completed online through Denver's eBiz Tax Center; licenses are mailed each December 1

   $0 — Denver no longer charges a license fee with the biennial Retailer's Sales, Use, Lodger's Tax License

   Registration is completed online through Denver's eBiz Tax Center; licenses are mailed each December 1

2. Denver Contractor License (only for licensed-trade work)

   Denver requires a contractor license only for work in a licensed category. Construction licenses are General Contractor Class A, Building Contractor Class B, Residential Contractor Class C, Specialty Class D and the mechanical license types; separate right-of-way licenses (cement sidewalk, excavator, general, paving, sewer, special, structural) cover work in the public right-of-way. A license applicant must hold, or employ someone who holds, a Denver supervisor certificate — a Colorado state electrical or plumbing license substitutes. A handyman needs a license only when pulling a permit for licensed-trade work; minor repairs that require no permit require no Denver contractor license. Denver does not accept or reciprocate licenses from other counties or states.

   Official government source

   $250 for a Class A, B, C or D construction license or any mechanical license, renewed every 3 years; $60 supervisor certificate (3 years); $40 journeyman, engineer or operator certificate (3 years); right-of-way licenses are renewed annually at $50–$200 depending on class·Obtain the supervisor certificate first; the contractor license is then applied for through Denver e-permits and paid online once the application is approved.

   $250 for a Class A, B, C or D construction license or any mechanical license, renewed every 3 years; $60 supervisor certificate (3 years); $40 journeyman, engineer or operator certificate (3 years); right-of-way licenses are renewed annually at $50–$200 depending on class

   Obtain the supervisor certificate first; the contractor license is then applied for through Denver e-permits and paid online once the application is approved.

Official Sources

• City and County of Denver — Community Planning and Development
• Denver Department of Finance
• Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies

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