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Who licenses gutter work in the Pikes Peak region

Colorado has no state contractor license for gutters. The state licenses electricians and plumbers; every other building trade is left to the city or county. In this region that means the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD), created by a 1966 intergovernmental agreement between El Paso County and the City of Colorado Springs. PPRBD issues permits and contractor licenses for unincorporated El Paso County; the cities of Colorado Springs, Fountain and Manitou Springs; the towns of Calhan, Green Mountain Falls, Monument and Palmer Lake; and, in Teller County, the City of Woodland Park. Its main line is 719-327-2880 and its permit counter is 719-327-2883. Unincorporated Teller County (Divide, Florissant) is handled by the Teller County Building Division, 719-687-3048, which also has no gutter license class.

PPRBD licenses only work that requires a permit. Its code, the 2023 Pikes Peak Regional Building Code (which adopts the 2021 International Residential Code and took effect June 30, 2023), says in Section RBC201.3 that “a license or registration, as applicable, shall be required to perform any work requiring a permit.” PPRBD has no gutter license class: its specialty classes cover roofing, siding, masonry, foundation repair, stucco, glazing and similar single trades. Gutters and downspouts do not appear in its permit lists, and they do not appear in its list of work exempt from permits either (that list exempts “repairs to roofing and/or siding when the repair constitutes less than 100 square feet”). So stand-alone gutter installation, replacement, guard and repair work generally needs no PPRBD permit or license. Confirm with PPRBD for your project; the permit counter can tell you in a short call.

Gutters installed as part of a re-roof follow the roofing rules. PPRBD’s re-roof guidelines call for a permit on any roof repair or replacement over 100 square feet, a D-1 licensed roofing contractor unless the owner-occupant does the work on their own primary residence, a Class A roof covering on one- and two-family homes in Colorado Springs, drip edge at eaves and rakes, and an ice barrier on properties above 7,000 feet, running from the eave to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line. Monument (6,982 ft), Black Forest (7,369 ft) and Woodland Park (8,481 ft) sit on or above that line; the Colorado Springs airport (about 6,187 ft) and Fountain (5,558 ft) do not.

Two more pieces of the code matter to homeowners. Under RBC201.3, a person who owns and lives in (or intends to live in) a one- or two-family home may do their own work on it without a license, so a homeowner may hang their own gutters or re-roof their own house. Under RBC201.4.1, an owner who does not live in the building, such as a landlord, may not perform work requiring a permit unless licensed. And before PPRBD issues any contractor license, the contractor must file a certificate of liability insurance with the Building Official, plus a certificate of workers’ compensation coverage if the business has employees (RBC201.7). A gutter-only company may hold no PPRBD license at all, which is legal for gutter-only work, so ask that company for its certificates directly rather than assuming a license stands behind them. We do not verify any company’s licenses, permits or insurance ourselves. Our guide to permits and licensing for gutters in Colorado Springs goes into more detail.

This is general information, not legal advice.

What to ask any gutter company

Because gutter-only work carries no license here, the paperwork you ask for matters more than it would in a licensed trade. Use this checklist when the quotes come in:

• Proof of insurance. Ask for a current certificate of liability insurance and, if the company has employees, proof of workers’ compensation coverage, before anyone sets a ladder against your fascia.
• A written, itemized quote. It should name the material (aluminum, galvanized or galvalume steel, copper), the coil gauge, the width (5-inch or 6-inch K-style, or half-round), the hanger type and spacing, the number and size of downspouts (2x3 or 3x4), extensions and splash blocks, the color, and whether removal and disposal of the old gutters is included. Typical ranges are in the cost guide.
• The warranty terms in writing. Ask for the manufacturer’s finish warranty and the installer’s workmanship warranty as documents, not as a sentence on the phone. Colorado’s consumer-protection law (CRS 6-1-105(1)(r)) requires any “lifetime” guarantee to disclose conspicuously what “lifetime” means, so ask what it means.
• If the gutters are part of a re-roof, ask for the contractor’s PPRBD D-1 roofing license number and the permit number, and check both on PPRBD’s public contractor and permit search. CRS 6-1-105(1)(z) makes failing to obtain a required permit a deceptive trade practice.
• If insurance money is paying for a roofing job, ask for the contract terms CRS 6-22-103 requires, including the 72-hour rescission statement. Walk away from anyone who offers to absorb part of your deductible; the law prohibits a roofing contractor from doing so.
• A drainage plan. Ask where each downspout will discharge. The Colorado Geological Survey’s homeowner guidance on expansive soils says water should be discharged no closer than 5 feet from the foundation and recommends a positive slope of 5 percent in the first ten feet next to the house. Colorado Springs is mapped for steeply dipping expansive bedrock on its west side, so this is not a formality. See downspouts and drainage.
• Who wires a heat cable system. Plug-in cable is a product; a hard-wired circuit is electrical work, and PPRBD’s license rules require a Colorado electrical contractor’s license for it. Ask who will do that part. See heat tape and ice dams.
• HOA rules. Check your association’s architectural guidelines for gutter color and profile before you choose. Colorado law (CRS 38-33.3-106.5(3)) says an association cannot prohibit fire-hardened building materials, but color and style rules otherwise stand.
• Timing. Colorado Springs averages 15.91 inches of precipitation a year, with July (3.12 in.) and August (2.96 in.) the wettest months and 36.8 days with a tenth of an inch or more (NOAA 1991–2020 normals, Colorado Springs airport). Snow averages 32.5 inches, March the snowiest month, and there are 159.7 nights at or below freezing. Spring and fall are the dry-ground install windows; ask how soon the company can come and whether a storm changes the plan.

Selling later? Colorado’s Seller’s Property Disclosure form (SPD19) asks about gutter or downspout problems, roof damage, hail damage, flooding or drainage, and any property insurance claim submitted. Keep your quotes, receipts and warranties. Our guide to selling a house in Colorado Springs with gutters on the disclosure form explains more.

To see what a typical job involves, read how gutter installation works, check typical prices in the cost guide, or browse the FAQ.

This is general information, not legal advice.