How to Become a Plumber in Colorado: Timeline and Career Path

Most people who want to become a plumber in Colorado start with a simple question — how long will this take? The honest answer: about four to five years from your first day on a job site to a journeyworker license that lets you work residential and commercial projects without scope restrictions. Faster paths exist through the residential tier, and slower paths lead through master status to business ownership. Here's what each stage actually looks like.

Step 1: Get Hired and Register as an Apprentice

There's no entrance exam, no prerequisite coursework, and no minimum age beyond standard labor laws. You get hired by a registered plumbing contractor, and that employer must register you with DORA's State Plumbing Board within 30 days of your start date. The registration fee is $30.

Once registered, DORA issues a physical registration card with your unique apprentice number. Carry it on every job site — state and municipal inspectors conduct random compliance checks, and working without your card creates problems for both you and your employer.

During your apprenticeship, you work under the direct supervision of a licensed plumber. "Direct supervision" in Colorado means the supervising plumber must be physically present at the permitted job address or within five minutes' travel distance. One licensed plumber can supervise up to three apprentices on a single site.

A word on finding an employer: union apprenticeship programs through the United Association (UA) and non-union programs through Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) both operate in Colorado. You can also be hired directly by any registered plumbing contractor — there's no requirement to go through a formal apprenticeship program, though structured programs offer classroom training alongside field hours.

Step 2: Accumulate Your Hours

DORA calculates experience at a fixed rate of 163 hours per month of full-time work. The hours you need depend on which license you're targeting:

• Residential Plumber: 3,400 hours (roughly 2 years full-time)
• Journeyworker Plumber: 6,800 hours (roughly 4 years full-time)
• Master Plumber: 8,500 hours (roughly 5 years full-time)

These aren't optional minimums you can shortcut around. Every hour must be verified by your supervising Master Plumber or registered contractor — you can't sign off on your own experience. If you change employers during your apprenticeship, get affidavits signed before you leave. Tracking down a former employer two years later to verify your hours is one of the most common headaches in the licensing process.

Trade school credit: Graduates of accredited two-year vocational or community college plumbing programs can offset up to 2,000 hours of field requirements (one classroom hour equals one field hour). This can shave roughly a year off your timeline.

Military credit: Plumbing experience in the armed forces is credited at one month of field time for every six months of documented military training, up to one year of credit.

Step 3: Pass the PSI Exam

Colorado runs an "exam-first" system — you schedule and pass the exam before you apply to DORA, not the other way around. The exams are administered by PSI Services at computer-based testing centers across the state.

The exam covers the International Plumbing Code (IPC), International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), and State Plumbing Board Rules. Passing scores differ by tier:

• Residential and Journeyworker: 70%
• Master: 75%

Book your exam four to six weeks in advance through PSI's online portal. The initial exam fee runs $75–$78, with retests at $70. Spanish-language exams are available. Bring a valid government-issued photo ID with your signature — PSI doesn't accept military IDs.

Step 4: Apply to DORA

After passing, you'll receive a score report at the testing center. Submit your formal application through DORA's MyLicense Office portal along with:

• Your passing PSI score sheet
• Notarized experience affidavits from your supervising employers
• The application fee ($100 residential, $120 journeyworker, $140 master)
• Criminal history disclosure (prior convictions don't automatically disqualify you under House Bill 24-1004, but failing to disclose them is grounds for denial)

If your application is incomplete, DORA holds the file for up to one year before you'd need to restart.

Step 5: Maintain Your License

Once licensed, you'll need continuing education — at least 8 hours per year, with a minimum of 4 hours focused on state-adopted plumbing codes. The CE year runs from March 1 through February 28, not the calendar year. Newly licensed plumbers who earned their credential by passing the state exam are exempt from CE until after their first renewal.

Starting March 1, 2027, license renewals shift from a two-year cycle to a three-year cycle (the first three-year licenses expire in 2030). The renewal fee is $18 per cycle.

The Realistic Timeline

Here's what a typical path looks like from day one:

The residential tier is a real option if your work stays in the residential space — it cuts your timeline roughly in half. But be aware of the scope limitation: residential plumbers can only work on one- to four-family dwellings up to two stories. For commercial, industrial, or unrestricted work, the journeyworker path is the standard.

What This All Costs

State fees alone are modest: $30 for apprentice registration, $75–$78 per exam attempt, and $100–$140 for the license application. The real costs come later if you go the contractor route — $210 for DORA contractor registration, $50 for LLC filing with the Secretary of State, and the insurance premiums that municipalities require before they'll let you pull permits.

The Colorado Plumber License Guide breaks down every fee at both the state and municipal level, with fillable hour-tracking logs and application checklists so you don't miss a step along the way.

See more Colorado guides →