Search for a gutter company in Colorado Springs and you will see the word "licensed" on half the results. Licensed by whom, and for what? Colorado does not license gutter installers or general contractors at all, and the regional building department that covers Colorado Springs, El Paso County and Woodland Park licenses only work that needs a permit. Gutters, on their own, do not appear in its permit lists. This guide walks through the rules as published, including the one case where gutters do fall under a permit and a license: when they go on with a new roof.
This is general information, not legal advice. Codes change, and the Pikes Peak Regional Building Code text checked for this article was the published 2023 edition. Confirm with PPRBD for your project before you rely on anything here.
Colorado has no state license for gutter work
Colorado's Division of Professions and Occupations licenses electricians (CRS Title 12, Article 115) and plumbers (Article 155). There is no statewide general-contractor, roofing or gutter license; for every other trade the question is answered by the city or county where the work happens. PPRBD's own license-type page reflects that split: its E-A electrical class notes that "no license other than a duly issued Colorado electrical contractor's license shall be required."
PPRBD licenses only work that needs a permit
The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD) serves unincorporated El Paso County; Colorado Springs, Fountain and Manitou Springs; Calhan, Green Mountain Falls, Monument and Palmer Lake; and, in Teller County, the City of Woodland Park. Unincorporated Teller County runs its own Building Division. is PPRBC RBC201.3: "A license or registration, as applicable, shall be required to perform any work requiring a permit. It shall be a violation of this Code for any person to contract to perform any work requiring a permit without a license or registration." So the licensing question for gutters collapses into the permit question. No permit, no license requirement.
The same section carries an owner-occupant exception. Anyone who "owns and resides in or intends to reside on" a one- or two-family property may "enlarge, remodel, alter, repair, maintain, improve, convert, or demolish without a license" that dwelling and its accessory structures. The exception does not reach landlords: RBC201.4.1 says owners "who do not reside in the building or structure" may not perform work requiring permits unless licensed or registered. A homeowner can hang their own gutters, or even re-roof their own primary residence; a rental owner cannot.
Does stand-alone gutter work need a permit? The published lists say no
PPRBC RBC105.2.1 lists 23 kinds of building work for which "permits shall not be required." Item 14 is the one that matters here: "Repairs to roofing and/or siding when the repair constitutes less than 100 square feet." Gutters and downspouts are not in the exemption list, and they are not in any permit category either; a search of the 2023 code text for "gutter" and "downspout" returns nothing, and PPRBD has no gutter license class. The reasonable reading is that stand-alone gutter installation, replacement and repair is not a permitted trade at PPRBD, so no PPRBD permit or license is required for it.
That conclusion rests on absence rather than on a sentence that says "gutters are exempt," so treat it as a starting position. PPRBD's handyman FAQ tells homeowners to "call the permit counter at 719-327-2883 to verify if a permit is required." If your job includes new fascia, structural repairs at the eave or a re-roof, make that call.
The 100-square-foot rule: when gutters ride on a re-roof
Many gutter replacements here happen alongside a roof: hail produced 34,000 re-roof permits in El Paso County in 2016 and more than 17,000 in 2023, and gutters usually come down and go back up with the shingles. When that happens, the roofing rules govern the whole job. PPRBD's re-roof guidelines (revised March 5, 2024) state: "It is violation of Code for any person to contract or perform reroofs (for repairs more than 100 square feet) without a license unless you own the residential property AND it is your primary residence. Any repair or replacement work done over 100 sq. ft requires a permit whether a licensed contractor or homeowner is performing the work."
The license a roofer holds is Building Contractor D (Specialty) under RBC203.5, which covers single trades including "roofing, siding, stucco, glazing and swimming pools." RBC203.5.1 narrows it: a Single Trade Contractor D-1 "limits the licensee to contract for work only in the single trade designated on the license." A roofing company that also hangs gutters will show up as D-1 (Roofing). A gutter-only shop may hold nothing, and under the rules above that is not a defect.
The same guidelines add three technical requirements. One- and two-family homes in the City of Colorado Springs need a Class A roof covering. Drip edge is required at eaves and rakes of shingle roofs, which affects how the gutter meets the roof. And "properties that are above 7,000 ft. elevation require an ice barrier" from the eave to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line. The guidelines also warn that stocking roofing materials before a permit is issued "shall result in a triple permit fee assessed and a stop work order," so ask for the permit number before any shingles land on your driveway.
What "licensed" actually tells you, and what it does not
A PPRBD license does carry one useful signal. RBC201.7 requires a contractor, before any license is issued, to file a certificate of liability insurance with the building official, plus workers' compensation coverage "if the contractor has any employees." A D-1 roofing number is therefore a shortcut to knowing that insurance paperwork exists. It is not a quality rating, and it says nothing about gutter workmanship.
For a gutter-only company there is no number to look up, so ask for the paperwork directly. Colorado's Consumer Protection Act is the backstop: CRS 6-1-105(1) makes it a deceptive trade practice to make "a false representation as to the source, sponsorship, approval, or certification" of services, and subsection (z) covers a business that "refuses or fails to obtain all governmental licenses or permits required to perform the services." A company that implies PPRBD approval it does not hold, or skips a required re-roof permit, is on the wrong side of that statute.
What to ask any gutter company for
- A current certificate of liability insurance and, if they have employees, workers' compensation coverage, issued to the business name on your contract.
- A written, itemized quote: material and gauge, gutter width (5-inch or 6-inch), hanger spacing, downspout count and size, and whether old-gutter removal is included.
- The manufacturer's and installer's warranty terms in writing.
- If the gutters are part of a re-roof: the contractor's PPRBD D-1 roofing license number and the permit number, before any materials are delivered.
The hail and roofing-law guide covers the contract rules for insurance-funded roofing jobs; the process page shows what a well-run installation looks like.
How this site fits in
Colorado Springs Gutter Installation connects Colorado Springs-area homeowners with independent local gutter installation, guard and repair companies for free, no-obligation quotes. We do not install, repair or inspect anything and we do not vouch for anyone, so use the checklist above with every company, including the ones we introduce. See our seamless gutter installation and gutter replacement pages for what a quote should cover, or request free quotes now; we usually reply the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a permit to install or replace gutters in Colorado Springs?
Generally no, for stand-alone gutter work. The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD) permits and licenses only work that requires a permit, has no gutter license class, and gutters and downspouts do not appear in its permit lists. Gutters hung as part of a re-roof follow the roofing rules instead: a permit above 100 square feet and a D-1 roofing contractor. Confirm with PPRBD for your project. This is general information, not legal advice.
Can I install my own gutters in Colorado Springs?
If you own and live in the house, yes. PPRBC RBC201.3 lets an owner-occupant "enlarge, remodel, alter, repair, maintain, improve" a one- or two-family dwelling without a license, and stand-alone gutter work has no permit category in any case. A landlord who does not live in the building may not do permit work (such as a re-roof over 100 square feet) without a license under RBC201.4.1. Confirm with PPRBD.
Does a gutter company need a license in Colorado?
There is no Colorado state license for gutter or general contracting; the state licenses electricians and plumbers and leaves other trades to cities and counties. In the Pikes Peak region PPRBD issues licenses only for permit work, so a gutter-only company may legitimately hold none. A roofing company that also hangs gutters will usually hold a PPRBD D-1 roofing license. Ask instead for proof of liability insurance and workers' comp.