Pick your way in
Every route ends at the same place: 6,800 logged hours and the state exam.
Earn while you learn
A program hires you, pays you on the job and runs your classes.
- Pay
- From day one
- In CO
- 21 registered programs
Classroom first
Learn the basics, then find work to log your hours.
- Pay
- You pay tuition
- In CO
- 2 schools with programs
Start on a crew
Get hired as a helper by a licensed plumbing contractor and log hours on the job.
- Pay
- Paid on the job
- Start
- No experience needed
The license steps
journeyworker from DPO.
Start as an apprentice or trainee$30 registration
Join a registered apprenticeship, take a trade school program, or work as a helper for a licensed contractor.
- Issued by
- Colorado State Plumbing Board, Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO)
- Cost
- $30 registration
Log 6,800 hours6,800 hrs
About 3 years of full-time work under a licensed plumber. Keep your own log of hours and pay stubs.
- Issued by
- Your employer signs off
- Time
- 6,800 hrs
Pass the journeyworker exam$100 application
Apply to DPO with your hours, then book the exam with PSI Services LLC.
- Issued by
- Colorado State Plumbing Board, Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO)
- Cost
- $100 application
Keep it currentEvery 3 years$100 renewal
Renew every 3 years. 8 hours for every 12 months since the last renewal; not required at the first renewal after passing the exam
- Issued by
- Colorado State Plumbing Board, Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO)
- Time
- Every 3 years
- Cost
- $100 renewal
Run your own shop
To bid and contract on your own you need a plumbing contractor license or registration.
- Issued by
- Division of Professions and Occupations - Plumbing Board
Exam vendor, code book, fees, renewal and reciprocity for the Colorado journeyworker.
$63,240
a year is the median for plumbers in Colorado ($30.40 an hour, May 2025).4
Pay by city and percentile- Boulder$31.20
- Pueblo$31.11
- Denver–Aurora$30.72
- Grand Junction$29.53
- Fort Collins–Loveland$29.14
Questions
How long does it take to become a plumber in Colorado?
About 3 years of full-time work: the journeyworker requires 6,800 hours of supervised experience.2
How much does a plumber license cost in Colorado?
State fees to get licensed: $130, not counting school or tools.2
Do you need a license to work on your own as a plumber in Colorado?
Check the Division of Professions and Occupations before you bid work on your own.1
Are plumbers in demand in Colorado?
Projections Central expects about 1,190 plumber openings a year in Colorado through 2034, counting new jobs and people leaving the trade.3
Find an apprenticeship near you
21 registered programs in Colorado. Enter your ZIP to see the closest ones and what they ask for.
Find a programMore for plumbers in Colorado
Sources
- Colorado State Plumbing Board, Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO) (dpo.colorado.gov, 2026-10-27)
- Colorado State Plumbing Board, Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO): experience requirements (drive.google.com, 2026-10-27)
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2024-2034 (projectionscentral.org, 2024-2034)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Colorado, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)