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Florida Contractors License Exam

Congratulations! You have chosen to make an excellent career move by getting your Florida builders license. 

To order your test preparation Click Here

Florida is receiving a lot of positive publicity regarding its beauty, tourism, and the number of people moving into the state. The Wall Street Journal states that due to the economy, the number of tourists traveling to Florida is on the rise. Since 1980, Florida’s population has grown an average of 873 new residents daily, according to the State of Florida Department of Elder Affairs. With the number of newcomers moving into the state, the housing and home improvement markets are expecting record growth. It’s time to get licensed and reap the benefits.

Do I need a Florida Contractors License?

The state of Florida requires that persons who want to perform General, Building, and Residential construction to become licensed. According to the State of Florida code, a licensed certified contractor is a contractor who holds a certificate issued by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and who is allowed to contract in any jurisdiction in the State of Florida without fulfilling additional certification requirements. The code states that you must have a General, Building, or Residential license to construct, repair, alter, remodel, add to, demolish, subtract from, or improve any building or structure, including related improvements to real estate, for others. The definitions of a General, Building, and Residential contractor are described below:

  • General Contractor means a contractor whose services are unlimited as to the type of work which he or she may do.
  • Building Contractors may construct commercial buildings, single-dwelling, or multiple-dwelling residential buildings. These buildings cannot exceed three stories in height. A building contractor may also construct the "accessory use structures" in connection with these buildings. An accessory use structure is a garage, guest house, garden shed, or other outbuilding. A building contractor’s services are limited to remodeling, repair, or improvement of any size building without affecting the structural elements of the building.
  • Residential Contractors may construct, remodel, repair, or improve one-family, two-family, or three-family residences that are not more than two stories and also the "accessory use structures," such as a garage, guest house, garden shed, or other outbuilding.

Once you earn your Florida Construction License you will be able to charge your customers and be compensated for your work!

How to acquire your Florida Contractors License

The following are the requirements to obtain your Florida Builders license:

  1. Successfully complete the Florida contractor license exam that measures your knowledge of the profession.
  2. Complete a Contractor’s License application. Applications can be obtained from:

State Of Florida
Department of Business and Professional Regulation
1940 North Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399–0783
Customer Contact Center (850) 487-1395

For questions and to access the application visit:
http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/index.html

  1. Submit the General Contractors License application, supporting documents, and application fee to the State of Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

The Best Florida Contractors Exam Prep for the Contractor License Exam

One of the most important steps in obtaining your Florida Contractor License is preparing to take the contractors test. Our Florida contractor’s exam prep software or online study course will help you accomplish this task in the most efficient way possible. By practicing all of the possible questions in the software, you will be prepared for any combination of questions that you may be given on your contractor’s license exam. In addition, using our study course will help you become familiar with computer generated tests and greatly reduces your anxiety on the day of your contractor exam since you prepared using a computer based testing (CBT) format.

The next step is registering to take the exam. The state of Florida uses Professional Testing Inc. (PTI) to administer the Florida builder’s license exam. PTI recommends that once you select a date to take the contractor test that you send your completed application and accompanying fee to PTI 30 days prior to the test date so that PTI will have time to verify that you meet the requirements and to give you the best advantage for taking the builders test on the date that you choose.

There are 3 ways to register for the Florida CILB Exam: 

  1. Online application (Internet) – From your browser go to http://www.proftesting.com/ and select the Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board Examinations in the Examination Program’s column.
  2. Standard Mail - Completely fill out the application and mail to PTI with the appropriate examination fee.
  3. Fax - Completely fill out the application and fax to PTI at (407) 264-2977.

Florida builders’ license exams are given in the following locations:

  • Orlando, FL
  • Tallahassee, FL
  • Kissimmee, FL
  • Tampa, FL

The PTI application for the General, Building, and Residential Contractors’ License exams is included in our contractor’s license test preparation software.

Taking the Florida Contractor License Exam

Our software or online study course will prepare you for the following examinations:

  • General
  • Building
  • Residential

Each exam consists of three (3) separate sections administered over two (2) days. Each day consists of a 4 hour and 30 minute AM session and a 4 hour and 30 minute PM session.

The exam will go smoothly if you study diligently and follow the Tips and Strategies Guide included with the test preparation software. You will be able to arrive with confidence knowing that you are prepared for any combination of questions that may appear on the test. You will be required to show photo identification and your admission slip from PTI to be admitted at the testing center. In addition, PTI recommends that you bring a ruler and calculator.

Review the Candidate Information Bulletin for a complete list. All of the reference books can be found on the Order page by clicking on the Order tab at the top of the page.

Our software will prepare you for the following portions of the exams:

 

Exam

Number of Questions

Passing Score

Business and Finance (40 questions per exam)

80

56

Building Contractor Contract Administration

50

35

Building Contractor Project Management

50

35

General Contractor Contract Administration

60

42

General Contractor Project Management

60

42

Residential Contractor Contract Administration

45

32

Residential Contractor Project Management

45

32

 

You will be given a grade report on-site after you complete the last section of the contractors license examination. The minimum passing score is seventy percent (70%) on each of the examinations.

For further details regarding the Florida construction license exams see the Candidate Information Brochure (Booklet), which is found online at http://www.myflorida.com/dbpr/servop/testing/booklets.html

Obtaining Your Florida Contractors’ License

After you pass all the required parts of the exam you are allowed to apply for certification. To apply for certification you will need to provide the appropriate licensing fee, proof of insurance, and any other applicable documents.

Traps to avoid

It is a common misconception that since the builder exam is open book; it is not difficult to pass. In actuality the contractor license exam is more difficult to pass than similar closed book exams due to the fact that you have books available as a resource during the contractor exam. We recommend purchasing the following reference books and using them together with our study course to give you the greatest chance of passing the builders license test the first time.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) offers some very specific guidelines as to what construction reference materials you may bring to the contractor’s license exam and how you may mark the pages in the books. The reference materials must be listed on the reference list. Your materials may be underlined and/or highlighted. The books may not contain post-it notes, pull-off labels, or removable tabs. We recommend purchasing all of the approved books allowed into the builder’s license exam and our Florida Contractors Exam Prep Study Course which are offered together on the Order page as the Florida Platinum Package to give you the greatest chance of passing the builders license test the first time.

If you forget the answer to a question during the contractor’s license exam, having the reference books will allow you to quickly find the answer and complete the builder exam within the time allowed. Going into the construction exam with your toolbox filled with all of the resources available will give you the greatest chance of success. In construction the saying, “Do it right the first time” is often heard. We believe it also applies to getting your General, Building, and Residential Contractors license.