ICC opens 2021-code contractor exams Dec 1, with 70% and 75% versions
ICC's contractor and trades exam page says its National Contractor Trades exams based on the 2021 I-Codes (T-Series) open for registration through Pearson on Dec 1, 2026. ICC will offer two exam suites, and the passing score is part of the Exam ID, for example T13-N-70% and T13-N-75% National Residential Building Contractor (C). The page lists a Denver exam bulletin under Colorado.
Colorado electrical licenses expired Sept 30; renewals accepted through Nov 30
DORA's State Electrical Board page says electrical renewal is open: licenses expired on Sept 30, 2026 and can be renewed through Nov 30, 2026. Active Colorado residential wiremen, journeymen and master electricians need 24 hours of continuing education each 3-year license period.
Colorado added 1,900 construction jobs from August to September
In AGC's analysis of new federal data, Colorado added 1,900 construction jobs (1.0%) from August to September, the second-largest monthly gain after Oregon (2,000). Nationally, 25 states added construction jobs for the month and 21 lost jobs.
Denver and much of the Front Range had their first freeze Oct 16
9NEWS reported 28°F at Denver International Airport on Oct 16, the coldest morning since April 18, and 32°F at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. Denver's average first freeze is Oct 7. 9NEWS noted a hard freeze can damage unprotected outdoor plumbing.
NOAA's winter outlook leans wet for much of Colorado
Per 9NEWS, NOAA's 2026-27 winter outlook favors wetter-than-average conditions in much of Colorado, with above-average precipitation in southeast Colorado and drought improving or ending in parts of the state. Temperatures have equal chances of being below, near or above average. The outlook does not forecast snowfall.
Colorado and Denver minimum wages rise Jan 1, 2027
CDLE says Colorado's minimum wage will be $15.71 an hour in 2027 ($12.69 for tipped workers), up from $15.16. The same release says Denver's 2027 local minimum wage will be $19.84.
Colorado's 2027 COMPS and PAY CALC rules go to hearing Nov 2
CDLE proposed new COMPS Order and PAY CALC rules on Sept 30, 2026, with a proposed effective date of Jan 1, 2027. The public hearing is Nov 2, 2026, and CDLE posts the proposed rules, redlines and comments on its rules page.
Amendment 82, a "right to natural gas," is on Colorado's Nov 3 ballot
Amendment 82 would add a right to buy natural gas for cooking or heating in homes and businesses to the Colorado constitution. The Colorado Sun quotes the state ballot guide saying it "may limit the ability for state or local governments to enforce existing or future regulations related to natural gas." It needs 55% of the vote.
New Colorado laws on retainage bonds and lien claim amounts
HB26-1311 lets a contractor submit a retainage bond instead of having retainage withheld on private contracts of at least $150,000, and the owner must accept a bond that meets the act's standards. SB26-074 allows a mechanic's lien or public verified statement of claim to include contract-allowed costs from delay, lost productivity or other disruption, and says a court award below the claimed amount does not by itself make the claim excessive.
Both became law: HB26-1311 signed May 7, SB26-074 signed Apr 6, 2026
Federal independent-contractor final rule is under White House review
The Department of Labor's final rule on employee or independent contractor status under the FLSA, FMLA and MSPA (RIN 1235-AA46) is pending review at OIRA. Reginfo.gov lists it as economically significant.
At Groundbreak 2026, Procore launched Procore AI Go, a mobile app that answers spoken questions about drawings, specs, RFIs, submittals and daily logs from a customer's Procore data, with push-to-talk controls. It is in open beta for North American customers on Procore's Digital Coworker packages, and a Meta AI glasses integration is in closed beta.
Document Crunch adds drawing review to its contract-risk AI
Document Crunch, a Trimble company based in Westminster, Colo., added the ability to search and query construction drawing sets alongside contracts and specs to find scope gaps and conflicting requirements, with source-linked citations. The drawings review is available now to all Document Crunch users.
JobNimbus made JobNimbus Financing generally available: reps can show monthly payment options on an estimate, see application decisions and track the loan on the job. It runs through a Wisetack integration and is available to U.S. residential roofing companies at no added cost beyond standard merchant fees.
Zebel releases AI Bid Review for subcontractor bids
Preconstruction platform Zebel released AI Bid Review, which pulls line items from subcontractor bids in any format, highlights the source text for each number and maps them onto a bid form tied to the live estimate. Nothing moves until the estimator approves it, and the tool flags scope a subcontractor left out.
DeWalt shows 60V concrete saw and earth auger at Equip Expo
Stanley Black & Decker said DeWalt would feature its 60V MAX Earth Auger, 60V MAX PowerShift Concrete Saw, compact hedge trimmer, pruner and arborist chainsaws at Equip Expo, Oct 21-23. DeWalt also previewed a 2X20V MAX self-propelled mower that launches in November 2026.
Construction input prices up 11.2% from a year ago
Construction Dive reports ABC's analysis of federal producer price data: construction input prices rose 2.2% from August to September and 11.2% year over year, the largest annual increase in nearly four years. Higher fuel costs and tariffs on key materials drove much of the jump, and AGC said some steel suppliers' order books are full through spring 2027.
Roofing fuel surcharges and accessory increases land Oct 26 to Nov 1
Distributor Cameron Ashley's price-notice list shows Tamko and Gibraltar fuel surcharges effective Oct 26, 2026. Henkel price increases and a Lomanco fuel surcharge take effect Nov 1, 2026.
HVAC duct and sheet-metal makers raise prices 4% to 15% on Nov 1
PriceLetter's list of distributor letters shows Nov 1, 2026 increases from Ductmate (9% on steel items), CL Ward (9% on steel products), Duro Dyne (4% to 15%), ZM Sheet Metal (8%) and Sealtite (10%). Each row links to the original letter.
Harvard forecasts flat remodeling spending through late 2027
Harvard's Joint Center for Housing Studies expects annual home improvement and repair spending to hover around $525 billion through the third quarter of 2027, with year-over-year growth of just 1.5%. It cites flat-to-negative building-product sales, stagnant remodeling permits and declining housing starts.
Stronghouse Solutions' PE sponsor hands the roofing platform to creditors
Homepros reports that O2 Investment Partners agreed in September to transfer ownership and governance of roofing platform Stronghouse Solutions to its creditors in a recapitalization, with creditors adding capital. Stronghouse, based in Oak Brook, Illinois, had nearly $330 million in 2025 revenue, 70% of it from storm work, and is searching for a new CEO.
Colorado Springs is weighing contractor business-license fee increases starting Jan 1, 2027
A staff proposal would raise many annual license fees, including contractor licenses, from $110 to $135 in 2027, $160 in 2028 and $190 in 2029. Unconfirmed because no vote or hearing date is set and the report summarizes an Oct 12 work-session recording, not a posted city fee schedule.
Denver new residential building permits are down 27% year to date
787 new-building residential permits Jan 1 to Oct 14, 2026, versus 1,084 in the same stretch of 2025. Unconfirmed because it is a third-party site's count of the city's open permit data, not an official city report.
