Contractor Records
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How the records work in Denver

We use public records to help you make a shortlist. They show what a contractor has filed and where they have worked in Denver. They can't tell you whether someone will be right for your home.

Is a contractor licensed in Denver?

Denver Community Planning & Development licenses general contractors (Class A–D and homeowner).

We don't hold the licensing board's file for Denver, so we don't show license status for the 1,153 firms on the permit file. Check each one yourself.

How to check one firm

Ask the contractor for the license number and look it up at Denver permits & licenses portal. How to check a contractor's license in Colorado →

What the numbers mean

Typical cost

The middle value recorded on this contractor's matching permits. It's a permit value, not a quote or the final price. Ask for a written estimate.

Permits in the last 12 months

Matching Denver permits in the most recent year of our data. It shows recent recorded activity here, not every job the company did.

Completion rate

Only for repair and demolition: Denver stopped recording final dates for most other permits after 2020. A permit can stay open because of paperwork or timing, so this isn't a workmanship grade.

Speed

Only for repair and demolition, for the same reason. Shown for firms with 10+ permits.

License

Not shown yet for Denver — see the note below.

About the ranking: The score combines how much of this exact work a contractor has on record, how often their older permits reached completion (where we can measure it), how well their usual job size matches your budget, how recently they've been active, and how much of their work is near you. A measure we can't calculate is left out rather than guessed, and a thin record pulls the score toward the middle. A contractor whose matched license has a problem is listed after everyone else. You set the weights with the sliders on every list.

Denver specifics: Denver doesn't publish electrical, plumbing, HVAC or roofing permits, so only building trades are here. Contractor licenses can only be looked up one name at a time, so license status isn't shown.

Common questions

  • Where does the information come from?Work history comes from City and County of Denver residential construction and demolition permits. Home values come from City and County of Denver parcel values. The current data covers October 2023 through September 2026, so it won't reflect a filing made after that.
  • If I don't see a permit, does that mean the contractor did something wrong?No. Some jobs don't need a permit, some are filed under a different business name, and work outside Denver County isn't in this view. A blank record is a reason to ask questions, not an accusation.
  • How do I check if a contractor is licensed in Denver?Ask the contractor for the license number and look it up at Denver permits & licenses portal. How to check a contractor's license in Colorado →
  • Does a high score mean I should hire them?It means their public record looks like a match for the settings you chose. Before hiring, get references, confirm insurance and licensing, and agree on scope and price in writing.

Compare Denver contractors by project

Build your list All Denver firms A–Z

The numbers: Denver permit statistics · How long permits take in Denver

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