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B - General Building Contractor
A general building contractor may take a prime contract or a subcontract for a framing or carpentry project. However, a general building contractor shall not take a prime contract for any project involving trades other than framing or carpentry unless the prime contract requires at least two unrelated building trades or crafts other than framing or carpentry, or unless the general building contractor holds the appropriate license classification or subcontracts with an appropriately licensed specialty contractor to perform the work. A general building contractor shall not take a subcontract involving trades other than framing or carpentry, unless the subcontract requires at least two unrelated trades or crafts other than framing or carpentry, or unless the general building contractor holds the appropriate license classification. The general building contractor may not count framing or carpentry in calculating the two unrelated trades necessary in order for the general building contractor to be able to take a prime contract or subcontract for a project involving other trades.
Contractor License Requirements
Before you can apply for California contractors license, you must meet the following experience requirements:
Don't have 4 years of experience?
A college degree can be substituted for up to three years of that experience.
The State will accept self-employed experience.
*You must have a combined total of 4 years full-time journeyman-level experience in the last 10 years. Journey-level experience applies to a person who has completed an apprenticeship program or is an experienced worker, not a trainee, and is fully qualified and able to perform a specific trade without supervision.
**Even though you can apply for a contractors license when you are 18 years old, it is recommended that you be at least 23 years old due to the experience requirement.
The California Contractors License Exam
The California contractors license exam consists of the law and the trade portions. The exam is a multiple-choice test with the options of A, B, C, or D. The CSLB uses computerized exams to test the knowledge of the applicants. The Law exam consists of 115 questions, and the Trade exams range between 100 and 120 questions. The exams are timed; however, there is plenty of time to answer each question thoroughly.
It normally takes 3-6 weeks from the time you submit your application to the time you will be tested.
The exams are given every weekday in Berkeley, San Jose, Sacramento, Fresno, Oxnard, Norwalk, San Bernardino, and San Diego
Here is the list of fees that you will incur when applying for your initial contractors license.
*Contractor's Bond rate of $140/yr do not apply to C-39 (Roofing) or C-53 (Swimming Pool) contractors bonds.
Before you can apply for California contractors license, you must meet the following experience requirements:
- 4 years of experience in the trade.*
- Be at least 18 years old.**
- Social Security number or ITIN
Don't have 4 years of experience?
A college degree can be substituted for up to three years of that experience.
The State will accept self-employed experience.
*You must have a combined total of 4 years full-time journeyman-level experience in the last 10 years. Journey-level experience applies to a person who has completed an apprenticeship program or is an experienced worker, not a trainee, and is fully qualified and able to perform a specific trade without supervision.
**Even though you can apply for a contractors license when you are 18 years old, it is recommended that you be at least 23 years old due to the experience requirement.
The California Contractors License Exam
The California contractors license exam consists of the law and the trade portions. The exam is a multiple-choice test with the options of A, B, C, or D. The CSLB uses computerized exams to test the knowledge of the applicants. The Law exam consists of 115 questions, and the Trade exams range between 100 and 120 questions. The exams are timed; however, there is plenty of time to answer each question thoroughly.
It normally takes 3-6 weeks from the time you submit your application to the time you will be tested.
The exams are given every weekday in Berkeley, San Jose, Sacramento, Fresno, Oxnard, Norwalk, San Bernardino, and San Diego
Here is the list of fees that you will incur when applying for your initial contractors license.
- Application Fee - $300
- Initial License Fee - $180
- Live Scan (Fingerprinting) - $68
- Contractor's Bond - $140/yr*
*Contractor's Bond rate of $140/yr do not apply to C-39 (Roofing) or C-53 (Swimming Pool) contractors bonds.