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How to become a plumber in Colorado

The Colorado State Plumbing Board licenses plumbers in Colorado.

See your steps Find an apprenticeship

Your ladder

Dates if you start in Nov 2026 and work 40 hours a week.

  1. ApprenticeStart here
  2. Journeyworker Plumber6,800 hours on the job
  3. Master Plumber8,500 hours on the job
  4. Plumbing Contractor registrationRun your own business

First: start as an apprentice.

Find an apprenticeship

Dates are estimates, worked out from the hours on the job each license requires and the hours a week you pick.

Your steps

Steps for: New to the trade. The dates follow your ladder. Change where you are, your start month or your hours a week at the top of the page.

  1. Step 1, Start here

    Start as an apprentice

    An apprenticeship is a paid job with training. You work for an employer and you learn the trade on the job. Colorado has 29 registered plumber apprenticeship programs. The median wage is $22.00 an hour at the start and $35.68 an hour at the end.

    The programs with the most active apprentices

    See all 29 programs

  2. Step 2,

    Complete 6,800 hours on the job

    To qualify for the Journeyworker Plumber license, you need 6,800 hours on the job.

  3. Step 3,

    Apply for your Journeyworker Plumber license

    Apply to the Colorado State Plumbing Board for the Journeyworker Plumber license. You must pass the Colorado Journeyworker Plumber examination. PSI gives the exam.

    Hours on the job
    6,800
    Fee
    $72

    The Journeyworker Plumber license requires 6,800 hours on the job.

    The application fee is $72.

    You must pass the Colorado Journeyworker Plumber examination.

    You renew the Journeyworker Plumber license every 2 years. You need 16 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

    This fee is the one printed on the application form from the Colorado State Plumbing Board. Its licensing guide lists a higher fee.

    Starting with the next license cycle, Colorado will issue and renew plumbing licenses for 3 years instead of 2.

    The official wording of the requirement
    Journeyworker Plumber“The maximum experience the board requires for an applicant to qualify to receive a Journeyworker Plumber's license is 4 years (6,800 hours) of practical experience.”

  4. Step 4,

    Renew your license

    You renew the Journeyworker Plumber license every 2 years.

Other plumber licenses

Residential Plumber

Hours on the job
3,400
Fee
$60

The Residential Plumber license requires 3,400 hours on the job.

The application fee is $60.

You must pass the Colorado Residential Plumber examination.

You renew the Residential Plumber license every 2 years. You need 16 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

This fee is the one printed on the application form from the Colorado State Plumbing Board. Its licensing guide lists a higher fee.

Starting with the next license cycle, Colorado will issue and renew plumbing licenses for 3 years instead of 2.

The official wording of the requirement
Residential Plumber“You must verify 2 years (3,400 hours) of practical experience.”

Master Plumber

Hours on the job
8,500
Fee
$84

The Master Plumber license requires 8,500 hours on the job.

The application fee is $84.

You must pass the Colorado Master Plumber examination.

You renew the Master Plumber license every 2 years. You need 16 hours of continuing education for each renewal.

This fee is the one printed on the application form from the Colorado State Plumbing Board. Its licensing guide lists a higher fee.

Starting with the next license cycle, Colorado will issue and renew plumbing licenses for 3 years instead of 2.

The official wording of the requirement
Master Plumber“An applicant for a master plumber's license must furnish evidence of having obtained five full-time years (8,500 hours) of practical experience.”

To run a plumbing business

This is the license for running a plumbing business.

Plumbing Contractor registration

Ask the Colorado State Plumbing Board what the Plumbing Contractor registration costs.

You renew the Plumbing Contractor registration every 2 years.

The official wording of the requirement
Plumbing Contractor registration“In order to act as a plumbing contractor, the person must either be, or employ full-time, a master plumber, who shall be in charge of the supervision of all plumbing work performed by the contractor.”

Take the exam

LicenseExam
Residential PlumberColorado Residential Plumber examinationPSI gives the exam.
Journeyworker PlumberColorado Journeyworker Plumber examinationPSI gives the exam.
Master PlumberColorado Master Plumber examinationPSI gives the exam.

You take the exam for the license you apply for.

What plumbers earn in Colorado

$30.40an hour

$63,240 a year, full time

Half of the plumbers on a payroll in Colorado earn more than $30.40 an hour, and half earn less. The federal wage survey puts the yearly figure at $63,240.

These figures cover everyone on a payroll as a plumber in Colorado, from apprentices to people with decades in the trade, so they aren't a starting wage. The survey counts 10,080 jobs. The figures don't include self-employed plumbers.

The yearly figure is for full-time work all year, which is 2,080 hours.

Use a license from another state

If you hold a license from another state, ask the Colorado State Plumbing Board whether it recognizes your license.

Questions

Can you become a plumber with no experience?

Yes. You can start as an apprentice and learn the trade on the job.

Colorado plumber apprenticeships

How much do most plumbers earn in Colorado?

Half of the plumbers on a payroll in Colorado earn between $25.18 and $37.86 an hour. These figures don't include overtime pay.

Can a plumber earn $100,000 a year in Colorado?

Yes. The highest-paid 10% of plumbers on a payroll in Colorado earn more than $100,240 a year before overtime.

Contact the licensing office

Colorado State Plumbing Board, Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agenciesdpo.colorado.gov/Plumbing
Check a licenseLook up a license

Words to know

Apprentice
Someone who learns the trade on the job, working under a licensed worker.
Journeyman
The license level after apprentice. Some states write journeyperson, journeyworker or journey level.
Master
A higher license level, for a worker with more years in the trade. It often lets you supervise others.
JATC
A Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, an apprenticeship program run together by a union and contractors.
Continuing education
Classes you take to keep your license.
PSI
A company that runs licensing exams for state and city offices.
Median
The middle figure. Half of the workers earn more, and half earn less.

Sources

8
  1. Colorado State Plumbing Board, Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies, plumber licensing, the licensing office
  2. Colorado State Plumbing Board, Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies, plumber licensing, the licensing office (second page)
  3. Colorado State Plumbing Board, Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies, C.R.S. § 12-155-108(1)(a), "Plumber must have license - registration - control and supervision - rules"
  4. Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies, plumber licensing, license search
  5. US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025
  6. Colorado State Plumbing Board, Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies, plumber licenses, experience, exam and renewal
  7. Colorado State Plumbing Board, Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies, plumber licenses, fees
  8. U.S. Department of Labor national apprenticeship data, extract of August 17, 2026

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