Colorado Water Well and Pump Installation Contractor Bond
What it is & who requires it
Anyone who contracts for the construction of wells or the installation of pumping equipment in Colorado, and — since 2025 — anyone who contracts to install ground heat exchangers. The license comes from the state board, which also registers every drilling, ground heat exchanger and pump-installing rig you operate or lease. A person working under the direct employment or supervision of a licensed contractor does not need their own license, and private drillers and private pump installers are exempt from licensure altogether, though they still have to meet the board’s construction standards. Professional engineers, geologists and hydrologists sampling or test-pumping for scientific or regulatory purposes are also exempt.
Obligee: Colorado State Board of Examiners of Water Well Construction and Pump Installation Contractors (Division of Water Resources, Department of Natural Resources). Citation: C.R.S. 37-91-107(2)(b) and (3)(b) (Fees and bonds — license renewal — continuing education), as amended by House Bill 25-1165 § 23; C.R.S. 37-91-107(3.7) (board authority to set higher bond amounts); C.R.S. 37-91-105 (Licensing — registration of rigs); 2 CCR 402-14 Rules 7.1, 7.2.1 and 7.3 (BOE Administration Rules — Financial Responsibility).
Bond amount
Set by the obligee — the exact amount is confirmed automatically when you start your bond in our portal, or call 317-942-0549.
How to get it
This bond is individually underwritten, so it is not issued instantly. Request a quote and a licensed producer follows up to walk you through it.
Request a bond quote
Tell us about the bond and the project. A licensed producer follows up — these bonds are individually underwritten, so they are not issued instantly.
Term & renewal
Term: Held for the life of the license. A licensee must maintain the financial responsibility for as long as the license is in effect, and the license lapses the moment it is not maintained.
Renewal: Renewed every January with the license. You file and maintain a new bond or letter of credit at renewal, and you may elect a term of up to three years by paying the annual fee for each year the license will run.
Filing
Filed with the board before your license is issued, and maintained without a gap for as long as you hold it. Two features of Colorado law keep a figure off this page. First, the requirement is not for a bond: the statute asks for evidence of financial responsibility and then lists a savings account, a deposit or a certificate of deposit first, an irrevocable letter of credit second, and an approved compliance bond with a corporate surety third — and the board’s own rule puts the alternatives under a heading reading “Alternative Funds”. Second, the statute expressly authorizes the board to set the bond amounts higher than the printed figures when it needs to, and the board has already exercised that power, so the number in the statute is not the number you file. Nonresident applicants have historically faced a higher figure than residents and a shorter list of alternatives. A license that lapses for failure to maintain the security can be reinstated on current evidence plus a reinstatement fee. Note also that the board was renamed and its remit widened in 2025 to cover ground heat exchanger contractors, and its administration rules are being reopened to match. Authority: C.R.S. 37-91-107; 2 CCR 402-14 Rule 7.
Source
This bond requirement is corroborated by multiple public sources; Colorado State Board of Examiners of Water Well Construction and Pump Installation Contractors (Division of Water Resources, Department of Natural Resources) sets the exact amount, which we confirm when you start your bond.
Related Colorado bonds
Frequently asked questions
- Who requires the Colorado Water Well and Pump Installation Contractor Bond?
- It’s required by Colorado State Board of Examiners of Water Well Construction and Pump Installation Contractors (Division of Water Resources, Department of Natural Resources) (C.R.S. 37-91-107(2)(b) and (3)(b) (Fees and bonds — license renewal — continuing education), as amended by House Bill 25-1165 § 23; C.R.S. 37-91-107(3.7) (board authority to set higher bond amounts); C.R.S. 37-91-105 (Licensing — registration of rigs); 2 CCR 402-14 Rules 7.1, 7.2.1 and 7.3 (BOE Administration Rules — Financial Responsibility)). Anyone who contracts for the construction of wells or the installation of pumping equipment in Colorado, and — since 2025 — anyone who contracts to install ground heat exchangers. The license comes from the state board, which also registers every drilling, ground heat exchanger and pump-installing rig you operate or lease. A person working under the direct employment or supervision of a licensed contractor does not need their own license, and private drillers and private pump installers are exempt from licensure altogether, though they still have to meet the board’s construction standards. Professional engineers, geologists and hydrologists sampling or test-pumping for scientific or regulatory purposes are also exempt.
- How much is the Colorado Water Well and Pump Installation Contractor Bond?
- Set by the obligee — the exact amount is confirmed automatically when you start your bond in our portal, or call 317-942-0549.
- How do I get the Colorado Water Well and Pump Installation Contractor Bond?
- This bond is individually underwritten, so it is not issued instantly. Request a quote and a licensed producer follows up to walk you through it.
- What is the term?
- Held for the life of the license. A licensee must maintain the financial responsibility for as long as the license is in effect, and the license lapses the moment it is not maintained. Renewal: Renewed every January with the license. You file and maintain a new bond or letter of credit at renewal, and you may elect a term of up to three years by paying the annual fee for each year the license will run.
- Is this bond insurance for me?
- No. It protects the obligee and the public — not you. If a valid claim is paid, you repay the surety.
- How is this requirement verified?
- This bond requirement is corroborated by multiple public sources. The obligee sets the exact amount, which we confirm automatically when you start your bond in the portal or with a producer.
