Exam Guides · Florida
Florida Contractor License Exams — 2026 Guide
Florida's certified contractor exams are developed by Professional Testing, Inc. and delivered at Pearson VUE test centers. Every exam is open book — you bring the approved references into the room, and the real skill is finding answers fast.
A typical first full attempt at a certified construction license runs about $295 in exam fees ($135 registration plus per-part fees). Fail a part and you wait 21 days to retake it — and by most prep-industry estimates (no official statistic is published), roughly half of first-time candidates fail at least one part.
Pick your trade
Each guide covers the exam format, fees, approved books, retake rules, and how to register — plus a free practice test for the parts we cover.
Business & Finance
Required once for every certified contractor category
The universal Florida exam: 120 open-book questions in 6.5 hours covering accounting, lien law, insurance, and employment rules. Every certified category — GC, building, roofing, plumbing, and more — must pass it once.
Read the Business & Finance guide →General Contractor
Certified General Contractor (CGC)
Florida’s unlimited license: three open-book parts (Contract Administration, Project Management, Business & Finance) at 70% each. The exam is a book-navigation race, not a memory test.
Read the General Contractor guide →Building Contractor
Certified Building Contractor (CBC)
For commercial work up to three stories plus residential: the same three open-book parts as the GC exam, scoped to building-contractor work. 70% to pass each part.
Read the Building Contractor guide →Residential Contractor
Certified Residential Contractor (CRC)
The license for one- and two-family homes and townhouses: Contract Administration, Project Management, and Business & Finance — all open book, all passed at 70%.
Read the Residential Contractor guide →Electrical Contractor
Certified Electrical Contractor (EC)
Florida’s electrical contractor exam follows the same open-book, 70%-to-pass, Pearson VUE pattern as the construction trades, but part structure and fees differ — check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for your exact part structure and fees.
Read the Electrical Contractor guide →Plumbing Contractor
Certified Plumbing Contractor (CFC)
Open book, 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam. The trade portion’s exact part structure and fees vary — check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet before you register.
Read the Plumbing Contractor guide →HVAC Contractor
Certified Air Conditioning Contractor (Class A / Class B)
Class A (unlimited) and Class B (limited tonnage/BTU) air conditioning exams are open book with a 70% passing score, plus Business & Finance. Part structure and fees vary by class — check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet.
Read the HVAC Contractor guide →Roofing Contractor
Certified Roofing Contractor (CCC)
Florida’s roofing exam is open book with a 70% passing score, plus the universal Business & Finance exam. Exact trade-part structure and fees vary — check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet before registering.
Read the Roofing Contractor guide →Sheet Metal Contractor
Certified Sheet Metal Contractor
The license to fabricate and install ferrous and nonferrous sheet metal work — air-handling ductwork, flashings, and architectural sheet metal. The exam is open book at 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam; check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for the trade part structure and fees.
Read the Sheet Metal Contractor guide →Class A Air Conditioning Contractor
Certified Class A Air Conditioning Contractor
The unlimited air conditioning license: install, maintain, and repair heating, cooling, and refrigeration systems of any size, with no tonnage or BTU cap. Open book at 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam — check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for the trade part structure and fees.
Read the Class A Air Conditioning Contractor guide →Class B Air Conditioning Contractor
Certified Class B Air Conditioning Contractor
The limited air conditioning license: install, maintain, and repair cooling systems up to 25 tons and heating up to 500,000 BTU per system. Open book at 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam — check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for the trade part structure and fees.
Read the Class B Air Conditioning Contractor guide →Mechanical Contractor
Certified Mechanical Contractor
The broadest mechanical license: everything a Class A air conditioning contractor can do, plus process and pressure piping, boilers, and other mechanical systems. Open book at 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam — check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for the trade part structure and fees.
Read the Mechanical Contractor guide →Commercial Pool/Spa Contractor
Certified Commercial Pool/Spa Contractor
The top pool license: construct, repair, and service any swimming pool or spa — public, commercial, or residential — with no scope limit within the pool trade. Open book at 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam; check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for the trade part structure and fees.
Read the Commercial Pool/Spa Contractor guide →Residential Pool/Spa Contractor
Certified Residential Pool/Spa Contractor
The license to construct, repair, and service residential swimming pools and spas — commercial and public pools are off limits without the commercial license. Open book at 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam; check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for the trade part structure and fees.
Read the Residential Pool/Spa Contractor guide →Swimming Pool/Spa Servicing Contractor
Certified Swimming Pool/Spa Servicing Contractor
The service-and-repair license for existing pools and spas: equipment replacement, piping repairs, resurfacing, and water treatment systems — no new pool construction. Open book at 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam; check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for the trade part structure and fees.
Read the Swimming Pool/Spa Servicing Contractor guide →Underground Utility & Excavation Contractor
Certified Underground Utility & Excavation Contractor
The license for main sanitary sewers, storm sewers, water and other utility lines, plus the excavation and grading work that goes with them — up to the point of connection to the building. Open book at 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam; check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for the trade part structure and fees.
Read the Underground Utility & Excavation Contractor guide →Solar Contractor
Certified Solar Contractor
The license to install, alter, and repair solar energy systems — solar water heaters, solar pool heating, and photovoltaic panels. Open book at 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam; check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for the trade part structure and fees.
Read the Solar Contractor guide →Specialty Structure Contractor
Certified Specialty Structure Contractor
The aluminum-structure license: screen enclosures, pool cages, sunrooms, carports, and similar aluminum and screened structures. Open book at 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam; check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for the trade part structure and fees.
Read the Specialty Structure Contractor guide →Glass & Glazing Contractor
Certified Glass & Glazing Contractor
The specialty license for glass and glazing work: windows, sliding glass doors, storefronts, curtain walls, and related glass products and framing. Open book at 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam; check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for the trade part structure and fees.
Read the Glass & Glazing Contractor guide →Marine Specialty Contractor
Certified Marine Specialty Contractor
The license for marine construction: docks, piers, seawalls, bulkheads, boat lifts, and related waterfront structures. Open book at 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam; check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for the trade part structure and fees.
Read the Marine Specialty Contractor guide →Demolition Contractor
Certified Demolition Contractor
The specialty license to demolish buildings and other structures, including the site work of removing debris. Open book at 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam; check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for the trade part structure and fees.
Read the Demolition Contractor guide →Pollutant Storage Systems Contractor
Certified Pollutant Storage Systems Contractor
The license to install, maintain, and remove pollutant storage tanks and their piping — think underground and aboveground fuel storage systems. Open book at 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam; check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for the trade part structure and fees.
Read the Pollutant Storage Systems Contractor guide →Gypsum Drywall Contractor
Certified Gypsum Drywall Contractor (Specialty)
The specialty license to install gypsum drywall and the nonstructural metal framing it attaches to, plus taping and finishing. Open book at 70% to pass, plus the universal Business & Finance exam; check the current DBPR Candidate Information Booklet for the trade part structure and fees.
Read the Gypsum Drywall Contractor guide →Building a multi-state business?
The NASCLA Accredited exam is accepted by 18 jurisdictions — including Florida — in place of the state trade exam. Take one exam, carry it across state lines.
See the NASCLA guide →Not sure where you stand?
Take a free, timed practice test. You'll get a score against the 70% passing line and see exactly which content areas need work — before you spend a dime on exam fees.
Start the free practice test →