How to Get a Florida General Contractor License in 2026
Florida general contractor license requirements explained: certified vs. registered, the three exams, experience rules, costs, and a realistic timeline.
Read the guideGetting licensedFlorida Contractor Exam Prep: Format, Rules, and a Study Plan That Works
How the open-book Florida contractor exam really works: reference rules, pacing math, evidence-based study methods, and an 8-week study plan.
Read the guideEvery candidateFlorida Contractor Exam Books and Tabs: What to Bring and How to Prepare It
The reference books that decide your Florida contractor exam score: the core GC book list, a tabbing strategy, and the markup rules to verify first.
Read the guideEvery candidateHow Hard Is the Florida Contractor Exam, Really?
How hard is the Florida contractor exam really? Hours-long open-book parts, a 70% bar, and $175–$215 per retake. What makes it hard and what doesn't.
Read the guideGetting licensedGeneral Contractor vs. Building Contractor in Florida: Which License Do You Need?
Florida general contractor vs. building contractor: scope differences, the three-story rule, exam differences (they're small), and how to choose.
Read the guideGetting licensedHow to Get a Florida Building Contractor License (CBC)
How to get a Florida certified building contractor (CBC) license: what it lets you build, the experience rule, the three state exams, and the application.
Read the guideGetting licensedHow to Get a Florida Residential Contractor License (CRC)
How to get a Florida certified residential contractor (CRC) license: what it covers, the experience the board counts, the three exams, and upgrading later.
Read the guideGetting licensedCertified vs. Registered Contractor in Florida: What's the Difference?
Certified vs. registered contractor in Florida: statewide scope versus local-only, state exam versus local competency, and how to choose which path to take.
Read the guideGetting licensedThe Florida HVAC License, Explained: Class A, Class B & the Exams
How to get a Florida HVAC license: Class A vs Class B vs Mechanical, the two exams (trade + Business & Finance), costs, and how to prepare.
Read the guideGetting licensedIs There a Florida HVAC Journeyman License? What the State and Counties Issue
Florida has no state HVAC journeyman license. Where local journeyman cards come from, how s.489.1455 recognition works, and the step up to Class B or Class A.
Read the guideGetting licensedHow to Get a Florida Mechanical Contractor License
How to get a Florida certified mechanical contractor license: what it covers beyond Class A air conditioning, the two state exams, the experience rule, and applying.
Read the guideGetting licensedThe Florida Roofing License, Explained: Exams, Costs & the Wind Code
How to get a Florida roofing license: the two exams (80-question trade + Business & Finance), Florida's wind and HVHZ code stakes, costs, and prep.
Read the guideGetting licensedThe Florida Plumbing License, Explained: Exams, Costs & the 9-Hour Day
How to get a Florida plumbing license: the unique two-session, 110-question trade exam, why specialty piping is 40% of it, costs, and how to prepare.
Read the guideGetting licensedThe Florida Pool Contractor License, Explained: All Three Types & Their Exams
How to get a Florida pool contractor license: the three license types, the two exams each requires, what's on them, costs, and how to prepare.
Read the guideEvery candidateThe Florida Contract Administration Exam, Explained
60 questions, 4.5 hours, open book, and 40% of it is one topic. The Florida Contract Administration exam outline, the AIA documents that decide it, and a prep plan.
Read the guideEvery candidateThe Florida Project Management Exam, Explained
The Florida Project Management exam: 45–60 questions, 4.5 hours, 70% to pass. Why its methods-and-materials area is 63% of the test, and how to prepare.
Read the guideGetting licensedHow Much Does a Florida Contractor License Really Cost?
$1,500–$3,000 all-in for most Florida candidates: exam registration and seat fees, DBPR fees, books, and prep. Every line itemized, with a calculator you can edit.
Read the guideRetaking the examFailed the Florida Contractor Exam? Here's Your Retake Plan
Failed a Florida contractor exam part? It's a common setback. Here's how to read your score report, what a retake costs ($175–$215), and a 4-week plan.
Read the guideEvery candidateThe Florida Business & Finance Exam: Why It's the Hard One
The Florida Business & Finance exam: 120 questions, 6.5 hours, 70% to pass. Why this shared exam fails so many contractors, and how to study for it.
Read the guideEvery candidateFlorida Contractor Exam Pass Rates & Difficulty: An Honest Look
Florida publishes no official pass rates. What's actually known about the Business & Finance and GC exams, why people fail them, and what separates passers.
Read the guideEvery candidateThe Florida Contractor's Manual: What It Is, Which Exams Use It, and How to Tab It
What the Florida Contractor's Manual is, which exam parts list it, which edition to buy, and how to tab it so lookups take seconds instead of minutes.
Read the guideEvery candidateBuilder's Guide to Accounting: What It Is and How Florida Tests It
What Builder's Guide to Accounting is, why Florida's Business & Finance list still names the 2001 edition, which exams allow it at your seat, and how to tab it.
Read the guideEvery candidateAIA Documents on the Florida Contractor Exam: What A201, A401, and A701 Actually Do
Which AIA documents Florida's exam lists allow at your seat (A201, A401, A701), what each covers, how they're tested, and how to tab them under the state's rules.
Read the guideEvery candidateOSHA 29 CFR 1926 on the Florida Contractor Exam: How to Find Answers Fast
Which Florida contractor exams allow OSHA 29 CFR 1926 at your seat, how its lettered subparts are laid out, the numbers questions turn on, and how to tab it.
Read the guideGetting licensedFlorida Contractor License Reciprocity: Which States Qualify, and What Everyone Else Does
Florida has reciprocity agreements with three states. Everyone else applies by endorsement, and every route still requires the Business & Finance exam.
Read the guideGetting licensedDo You Need a License for Handyman Work in Florida?
Florida has no handyman license. What you can legally do without one, the $2,500 casual-work rule, the tasks that cross into licensed trades, and the penalties.
Read the guideEvery candidateFlorida Contractor License Renewal: Deadlines, CE Hours, and What Happens If You Miss It
Florida contractor license renewal: the August 31 deadlines, the 14 CE hours and required subjects, inactive status, and how a missed renewal turns void.
Read the guideEvery candidateHow to Choose a Florida Contractor Exam Prep Course: A Buyer's Checklist
How to judge any Florida contractor exam prep course: current reference editions, outline coverage, timed open-book practice, book rules, and guarantee fine print.
Read the guideEvery candidateQualifying Agents in Florida: What It Means to Qualify a Contracting Business
What a Florida contractor qualifying agent is responsible for: primary vs. secondary qualifiers, qualifying more than one business, and what leaving costs.
Read the guideEvery candidateFlorida Construction Lien Law on the Contractor Exam: The Deadlines and Where to Find Them
Florida construction lien law (FS 713) for the contractor exam: every key deadline with its section number, where 713 lives in the exam room, and how to tab it.
Read the guideEvery candidateFlorida Statutes Chapter 489 on the Contractor Exam: Which Section Answers Which Question
Florida Statutes Chapter 489 for the contractor exam: which Part I section answers which question, where 489 lives in the exam room, and how to tab it.
Read the guideEvery candidateFlorida General Contractor Practice Test: Free Options and How to Use Them
Free Florida general contractor practice tests: what a useful one has to copy from the real exam (clock, open book, outline weights) and how to read your score.
Read the guideGetting licensedFlorida General Contractor Exam Registration: The Order of Operations
How to register for the Florida general contractor exam: Professional Testing first, Pearson VUE second, the DBPR license application last, and both four-year clocks.
Read the guideGetting licensedThe Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board, and Who Handles What
What the Florida CILB decides, what the DBPR handles, where Professional Testing and Pearson VUE fit, and who to call for exams, applications, and complaints.
Read the guideEvery candidateFlorida Workers' Comp Exemption for Construction: Who Qualifies and What It Covers
Who can get a Florida workers' comp exemption in construction, what it covers (only you), the $50 fee, stop-work order risk, and how it ties to your license.
Read the guideGetting licensedFlorida Contractor License Experience Requirements: What Counts and How to Prove It
What experience counts for a Florida general, building, or residential contractor license, which routes replace years with college, and how the DBPR checks it.
Read the guideGetting licensedFlorida Contractor License Credit Requirements: 660, the 14-Hour Course, Liens, and Judgments
Florida wants a 660 FICO-derived score for a contractor license. Below 660, you take a board-approved 14-hour course. How liens, judgments, and bankruptcy count.
Read the guideLicenseReady is an independent exam-preparation service. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or approved by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), the Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), or Professional Testing, Inc. All practice questions are original content created by LicenseReady — they are not actual examination questions. Exam-structure information comes from publicly available DBPR publications. Third-party product names (AIA, ACCA, and others) are trademarks of their respective owners, used only to identify the referenced works.