Arapahoe County is proposing changes to the contractor licensing program that would clarify license types, align licenses with the International Code certification guidelines. and change when a license expires.

The Building division within Public Works and Development welcomes comments from the public on the proposed changes through July 25.

The proposal clarifies the differences between Class A, B, C and D licenses:

• Class A covers any construction, alteration, installation, or repair pertaining to tenant finish, fire suppression, elevators, and/or signs of commercial structures permitted by the International Building Code.
• Class B includes the construction, alteration, or repair of commercial and residential structures as permitted by the International Building Code and/or the International Residential Code.
• Class C covers the construction, alteration, or repair of residential structures, to include single-family homes, townhomes, duplexes, basement finishes, decks, patio covers, residential elevators, garages, carports, siding, windows, doors, manufactured homes, and modular homes.
• Class D pertains to work related to painting and drywall, concrete, masonry, pools/spas, demolition, excavation, sign installation, fire alarm/detection, access control, low-voltage/data, oil and gas, special events, green energy, and special applications.

The proposal also would see licenses expire one year from the date of renewal or issuance, rather than expiring on Dec. 31 of every year, as they do now. This would also eliminate the need to prorate fees for licenses that do not cover a full year or cover more than one full year.

While fee rates are not increasing, some contractors may see a change in their fee amount if they move to a new license category. Examples of changes to expect depend upon the work being performed by a contractor, and they include: 

• Solar Contractors will see a change in annual fees from $84 to either $180 or $360 
• Some Mechanical Contractors will retain current $180 fee, while some will increase to $360 
• Retaining Wall/Fence Contractors will have an annual fee of either $180 or $360 for new licenses
• Roofing Contractors will see a change from $84 to either $180 or $360 
• Plumbing and Electrical Contractors will see no change in fees 
• Contractors going from Class D to Class C will see a change in annual fees from $84 to $180

The entire proposal is available online. Comments or concerns on the proposed changes can be emailed to PWDBuildingSupport@arapahoegov.com by July 25.