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General Information#

A general contractor license or specialized trade contractor license MUST be obtained by any person, firm, partnership, corporation, association, other organization, or any combination thereof, that provides or oversees/ manages/supervises any construction, demolition or specialized trade work or services which are outlined in this site, and for which a fixed fee, trade-in-kind, or other compensation is received. Failure to obtain the required license prior to engaging in contracting will result in the assessment of a penalty fee equal to the current license fee ($200).

Overall management and general oversight of a construction project in Fort Collins is the role of the "License Holder". The license holder, in turn, must provide direct on-site supervision on a regular basis through a qualified person designated as a "Construction Supervisor". The license holder may also be designated as the construction supervisor, as long as that person performs direct on-site construction supervision as noted herein, and meets the qualifications, including passing the required written exam.

A construction supervisor must be working exclusively for the license holder for the express purpose of providing direct, personal and ongoing on-site construction supervision. Such person must also be one or more of the following:

  • A person with substantial ownership in the company;
  • A company officer; or
  • A company employee expressly hired to supervise construction projects.

Only those persons who possess a current supervisor certificate qualify as a construction supervisor in Fort Collins. A supervisor certificate can only be obtained by passing a written examination administered by the ICC and by meeting the specific experience requirements detailed further in this site. At least one supervisor must be designated and approved for each license obtained.

No permits will be issued to a contractor who does not possess a current license sufficient in scope for the proposed project, or at any time that a license holder does not have an approved construction supervisor designated.

No unlicensed person may act as a general contractor or as a specialized trade contractor, or personally perform construction work or a specialized trade unless they are:

  • A homeowner performing construction on his/her own personal residence;
  • A volunteer under the continuous supervision of an approved construction supervisor or homeowner;
  • An employee of a current license holder (must be on payroll and meet the City, State and Federal test for an employee); or
  • An exempt specialized trade subcontractor that has been registered with the City as defined in this packet.

"Use" of another person's license, or work performed under a building owner's permit by an unlicensed person, except as provided for above, is prohibited and may result in civil action or other disciplinary action against the parties involved.