Questions to ask
1. Is your company a registered Colorado electrical contractor, who is your responsible master electrician, and do you also hold a City and County of Denver contractor license?
Why it matters: Under Colorado law, no business may work as an electrical contractor without registering with the State Electrical Board, and a registered contractor must either be owned by or employ a licensed master electrician who supervises all of its electrical work (C.R.S. 12-115-110). That master can be named for only one contractor, must work full time for that company, and is responsible for all electrical work the company performs. Registration also requires proof that the company complies with Colorado workers’ compensation and unemployment insurance laws. Inside Denver there is a second step: the City and County of Denver issues its own contractor licenses, and an electrical contractor applying for one must upload its current State of Colorado Electrical Contractor card along with the master electrician’s ID (Denver contractor license requirements). Ask for the state contractor registration number, the name of the responsible master, and the Denver license number, then check the state record on the Colorado DORA license lookup and the Denver record on the Denver contractor license search. Aurora, Lakewood, Englewood, Arvada, and other Front Range cities run their own contractor licensing, so a Denver license does not automatically cover a suburban address.
2. Who will actually work on my panel, what Colorado license does each person hold, and how many apprentices will one electrician be supervising?
Why it matters: Unlike some states, Colorado licenses individual electricians as well as contractors. The law recognizes master electricians, journeyman electricians, and residential wiremen, who are licensed to wire one- to four-family dwellings (C.R.S. 12-115-103). Anyone else on the crew must be a registered apprentice, may not do electrical wiring except under the direct supervision of a licensed electrician, and one licensed electrician may directly supervise no more than three apprentices at a job site (C.R.S. 12-115-115). “Direct supervision” means the licensed electrician is physically present at the same address, not on the phone from another job. Ask who will be on-site each day, what license each person holds, whether helpers are registered apprentices, and who the licensed electrician on your job will be. Individual licenses show up on the same DORA license lookup. A crew of three helpers with no licensed electrician in the house is a problem, whatever the company’s registration says.
3. Will you pull the Denver electrical permit in your company’s name, is this a quick permit or a reviewed permit, and who meets the inspector?
Why it matters: Denver says most construction or repair projects on single-family homes and duplexes require a permit; its short list of exempt work covers general repairs that do not alter or change the existing electrical system and things like installing bookcases with no new outlets (Denver homeowner permits). For houses, duplexes, and garages on single-phase service rated 400 amps or less, Denver issues electrical quick permits, which need no plan review and are inspected in the field, for work including new or upgraded utility services, new or replacement panels and subpanels, wiring or rewiring, EV chargers, GFCI outlets, disconnects, ceiling fans, lighting and receptacles, meter or mast replacement with no change in conductor size or material, and smaller solar and battery systems that meet SolarAPP+ eligibility (Denver quick permits). Work outside those limits generally needs plans for review, and Denver says those electrical plans generally must be stamped by a professional electrical engineer and include a one-line diagram and load calculations. Ask the contractor to say in writing which permit your job needs, who pulls it, whether the fee is in the quote, and who will be home for the inspection. Exterior work on a local landmark or in a historic district needs Landmark Preservation approval first. Hold the final payment until the inspection passes, which is what Denver itself advises.
4. You aren’t asking me to pull the permit as the homeowner, are you?
Why it matters: Denver does let some owners do their own electrical work, but the rules are narrow. The owner must live in a single-family home (not an ADU, duplex, townhome, or condo, even your own unit), show photo ID matching the Denver Assessor’s records, pass a free open-book electrical homeowner exam at the Contractor Licensing counter, do the work personally or with an unpaid designated worker, and live in the home for at least a year after the work is done (Denver homeowner exams). Any work the owner does not do personally must be done by a Denver-licensed contractor. That path is for genuine do-it-yourselfers, not a way for a paid crew to skip licensing. Denver’s own advice is to avoid contractors who want you to secure permits in your name rather than theirs, because the permit holder is legally responsible for completing the job to code. A contractor who suggests it is telling you something about their license, their insurance, or both.
5. Which edition of the National Electrical Code will my permit be reviewed and inspected under?
Why it matters: Colorado sets a statewide minimum electrical code through the State Electrical Board, and in 2026 the Board adopted the 2026 National Electrical Code in place of the 2023 edition (Colorado rulemaking record). Denver says all new project submittals on or after August 1, 2026 must comply with the 2026 NEC, while projects submitted for plan review before that date may still use the 2023 NEC as the basis of design (Denver CPD notice). The edition affects details like where GFCI and AFCI protection, surge protection, and certain disconnects are required. Ask which edition applies to your permit date, which of its requirements change your scope or price, and whether a quote written earlier in the year still reflects it. An electrician who cannot tell you which code cycle their bid is built on may leave you paying for corrections after the inspection.
6. If the job touches the meter or service, how will you coordinate with Xcel Energy, and what has to happen before Xcel restores power?
Why it matters: Most of Denver gets electricity from Xcel Energy, and Xcel’s installation rulebook, the Xcel Energy Standard for Electric Installation and Use (the “Blue Book,” 2026 edition effective by August 1, 2026), sets the terms. Connections to and disconnections from Xcel’s system are made by Xcel; Xcel must be notified when a meter seal has to be cut so a licensed electrician can get into the meter socket; and only Xcel or its agents may relocate a meter or other Xcel equipment. Xcel will not energize new, rewired, altered, or repaired wiring or set a meter until the premises are identified, Xcel has verified the meter, and it has received an inspection release from the local authority, which in Denver is the City. Colorado law separately bars a utility from serving an installation that needs inspection until it has final approval, with a short emergency exception (C.R.S. 12-115-120). Ask who calls Xcel, how long you will be without power, whether the quote assumes a same-day reconnect, and what happens if the inspection is delayed. Xcel posts its forms and service-request checklists on its builder documents page. Some suburbs are served by a co-op or municipal utility with its own rules.
7. For an EV charger, will you do a load calculation first, and which permit and rebate paperwork will you handle?
Why it matters: In Denver an EV charger on a qualifying single-family or duplex service is a quick-permit item (Denver quick permits), but a permit is still required. The bigger question is capacity: a Level 2 charger on top of a heat pump, an induction range, or electric water heating can push an older service past its limit. Ask for a written load calculation on your existing panel and service, the charger’s amperage and circuit size, whether a load-management device could avoid a service upgrade, and what it would mean if Xcel must upgrade the service drop. Xcel runs a charger and wiring rebate for eligible customers, and the City of Denver has offered its own home electrification rebates for EV charging and electrical service upgrades. Program rules, amounts, and contractor requirements change, so ask which programs the contractor works with, who submits the application and when, and get any promised rebate in writing as an estimate. Check the program’s current terms yourself before you sign or buy a charger.
8. For a generator, battery, or solar tie-in, how will you keep it from back-feeding Xcel’s lines, and will you get Xcel’s acceptance before I buy equipment?
Why it matters: Xcel’s Blue Book says customers must inform Xcel before installing and connecting generating equipment, recommends getting Xcel’s interconnection acceptance before final design or any equipment purchase, and requires generation that can run in parallel with the grid to include the protective devices and metering Xcel’s interconnection guidelines specify (Xcel Blue Book, Section 8). In Colorado, Xcel only allows plug-in devices between the meter and its socket if they are Company-approved meter collar adapters, and those are for renewable resources only, so a generator transfer device that plugs in behind the meter is not something to accept without Xcel approval. For a portable or standby generator, ask what transfer switch or interlock will be installed, how the inlet and cord are rated, and where the unit will sit relative to windows and vents. For solar or batteries, ask whether the system qualifies for Denver’s SolarAPP+ quick permit or needs review, and who files the Xcel interconnection application. An installer who wires a generator straight into a dryer outlet is endangering line crews and your neighbors.
9. Given Denver’s older housing stock and Front Range weather, how will you assess the wiring, grounding, panel, and storm damage before quoting a full fix?
Why it matters: Many Denver neighborhoods have early-1900s brick homes and postwar bungalows and ranches with knob-and-tube remnants, ungrounded two-wire circuits, fuse boxes, small services, aging panel brands, and basements finished over old wiring. Hail, heavy spring snow, and windstorms also bend meter masts, damage service drops, and knock down overhead lines. A low bid that only swaps the failed part can miss the larger condition, and a high bid that recommends a full rewire after five minutes may not be justified either. Ask whether they will inspect accessible wiring methods, grounding and bonding, panel brand and condition, and available capacity; whether they recommend repair, a partial rewire, or a service upgrade, and why; and, after a storm, which damaged parts belong to Xcel and which are yours to repair. If you are filing an insurance claim, ask whether they will document the damage with photos and a written description. Require a stop-and-call process before extra work begins.
10. Will you give me a written contract and lien waivers from your suppliers and subcontractors as I pay?
Why it matters: Get the company name, state registration and Denver license numbers, scope, payment schedule, start and finish dates, change-order process, and a termination clause in writing before work starts; Denver lists those terms among the things homeowners should agree to, and also advises never paying cash and avoiding contractors who demand full payment up front (Denver homeowner permits). Under Colorado’s mechanics’ lien law, suppliers and subcontractors who are not paid by your contractor may be able to file a lien against your home. Colorado requires the permit office to mail owners a notice explaining this, which also says you have an affirmative defense if you or someone acting for you has paid your contractor and met your legal obligations, and suggests precautions such as lien waivers or joint checks (C.R.S. 38-22-105.5). A lien waiver must state that the waiving party’s debts to third parties for the covered work have been or will be timely paid (C.R.S. 38-22-119), and a claimant must serve a notice of intent at least 10 days before recording a lien statement (C.R.S. 38-22-109). Ask for waivers with each progress payment on larger jobs, and talk with a Colorado attorney if a notice of intent arrives.
11. What does the written estimate include, how do you handle no-power emergencies, and can you give me recent Denver-area references?
Why it matters: “Fix the outlets” is not a scope. A good quote lists the circuits affected, breaker sizes, wire type and gauge, device and panel brands (including GFCI and AFCI devices), any service or meter work, permit and inspection fees, Xcel coordination, patching of drywall or plaster, debris disposal, and cleanup. Ask how they handle surprises such as hidden knob-and-tube, overfilled boxes, or aluminum branch wiring, and get the manufacturer warranty and the contractor’s labor warranty in writing separately. For emergencies, ask what after-hours and weekend rates apply, what the minimum call-out and diagnosis charges are, and how fast they typically respond when a main breaker fails on a winter night. Then ask for two or three recent local references for similar jobs, ideally in a similar housing type, and ask those customers whether the work passed inspection the first time.
Red flags
- Cannot give you a Colorado electrical contractor registration, the name of its responsible master electrician, and (inside Denver) a Denver contractor license number you can verify.
- Asks you to pull the permit in your own name, or offers a lower price to skip the permit or inspection.
- Sends unlicensed helpers to work on your panel with no licensed electrician on-site.
- Plans to pull the meter or cut the seal without notifying Xcel Energy, or promises power back before the City’s inspection release.
- Wires a generator into an outlet or proposes a plug-in device behind the meter that Xcel has not approved.
- Quotes a full rewire or service upgrade after a five-minute look with no load calculation or written options.
- Wants cash, full payment up front, or a large deposit with no written contract, change-order process, or lien waivers.
Next-step checklist
- Verify the company’s Colorado electrical contractor registration and each electrician’s license on the DORA license lookup, and the Denver contractor license on the Denver license search (or your suburb’s list).
- Ask who will be on-site, what license each person holds, and how apprentices will be supervised.
- Get at least two written quotes for the same scope, listing circuits, breaker sizes, wire type, device and panel brands, and any service or meter work.
- Confirm the contractor will pull the Denver quick permit or reviewed permit in their own name, which NEC edition applies, and who meets the inspector.
- If the meter or service is involved, get Xcel Energy coordination, outage length, and reconnect steps in writing.
- For EV chargers, generators, batteries, or solar, ask for a load calculation and confirm any Xcel interconnection acceptance or rebate preapproval before you buy equipment.
- Use a written contract with a payment schedule, change-order process, and termination clause; collect lien waivers with payments; hold final payment until inspection passes.
- Keep the permit record, inspection results, warranty paperwork, and final invoice for resale and future service.
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