Guide · Verification
How to verify a Denver ADU contractor (2026)
LAST VERIFIED: SEPTEMBER 2026 · SOURCES: DENVER CPD CONTRACTOR LICENSING, COLORADO DORA, BBB
Direct answer: Verifying a Denver ADU contractor takes about fifteen minutes and costs nothing. Three checks: the Denver contractor license (Denver Community Planning and Development's contractor licensing lookup; Denver requires a licensed general contractor to pull ADU permits, so an unlicensed "builder" can't legally get your permit), proof of insurance (a certificate of general liability and workers' compensation, issued to you by the insurer, not a photocopy from the builder), and the public record (BBB, Colorado court records, and the state's DORA licensee lookup for any trade licenses). A builder who resists any of the three is telling you something.
How to check a Denver ADU builder's license and insurance
- Get the exact legal entity name from the builder. Marketing names and legal names differ; the license is under the legal one.
- Denver contractor license: search the entity on Denver CPD's contractor licensing lookup (the Accela-based permit portal lists licensed contractors and their supervisor certificates). Confirm the license class covers residential construction and is active. Record the license number and expiration.
- Supervisor certificate: Denver ties contractor licenses to a certified supervisor. Ask who the supervisor on your permit will be, and confirm that name in the same lookup.
- Insurance: request a certificate of insurance for general liability (typically $1M per occurrence) and workers' compensation, sent directly from the insurer or broker to your email with you named as certificate holder. Check the policy dates cover your build window.
- State trade licenses: electrical and plumbing must be pulled by state-licensed trades. Ask which subs the builder uses and check them on Colorado DORA's license lookup.
- Public record: BBB profile and complaint history; Colorado judicial records for civil suits; a plain search of the legal name plus "lawsuit" and "complaint."
- References: two clients whose ADUs finished more than a year ago (problems surface after the first winter), plus one recent. Ask each the three questions in choosing a builder.
Signals that end the conversation
- The license is under a different company than the one quoting you, with no explanation.
- The insurance certificate comes as a PDF from the builder rather than from the insurer.
- A deposit request above 10 to 15 percent before permits, or "cash discount" pricing.
- The builder proposes pulling the permit under your name as owner-builder. Denver requires a licensed contractor for ADU permits; owner-builder routes are limited and put the liability on you.
- References are all from the last six months.
On the directory, a "Verified" mark means we ran the license, insurance, and reference checks ourselves and published the date. No mark means not yet checked, never failed. See the methodology.
Independent guide. Directory listings are free; no company pays to appear or be removed. One disclosed sponsored placement may appear, labeled "Featured builder, paid sponsorship"; it never changes what we publish. Verify rules and fees with Denver CPD before relying on them.