Georgia General Contractor License Information
Looking for GA Residential Basic Contractor info? Click Here
Looking for GA Residential-Light Commercial Contractor info? Click Here
**Note: Effective November 1, Georgia General Contractor candidates will need to take the NASCLA Accredited Exam. This is only for the General Contractor license, not the Residential Basic, or Residential Light Commercial.
GA General Contractor Services:
A General Contractor licensed in Georgia is unlimited as to the type of work they may do and are not limited as to what type of contracts they are eligible to bid upon. It provides for private, commercial, institutional, industrial, public, and other buildings and structures. This does NOT include HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Low Voltage, or Utility Contracting which may require specialty licenses
Requirements
- Licensure will be required for the practice of contracting in Georgia for any job over $2,500.
- Pre-approval from the state is required to sit for the examination.
-The Georgia Business and Law exam is also required to be passed to obtain your contractor’s license.
- Applicants must have a minimum of net worth of $150,000, a Line of Credit with a minimum of $50,000 and must have a CPA submit a reference letter/form attesting to either a review or audit.
- Must provide copy of an insurance certificate showing proof of workers compensation insurance as required by Georgia law and liability insurance in a minimum amount of $500,000. If applicant is applying as an individual, such proof shall be on behalf of the individual. If applicant is applying as a qualifying agent, such proof shall relate to the business organization.
Applications: To apply, contact the state of Georgia at 1-478-207-2440 or download the application at http://sos.georgia.gov/cgi-bin/plbforms.asp?board=49 . A nonrefundable fee of $200.00 must be submitted with application.
Georgia Board for Residential and General Contractors Testing Process:
1. Candidates seeking licensure may download the examination application at www.sos.state.ga.us/cgi-bin/plbforms.asp?board=49. The requirements for licensure can be found in the applications.
2. Candidates must complete the appropriate examination application and submit it to the Board office along with a fee and supporting documents.
3. Board office notifies PSI of the candidates eligible for testing while also notifying individual applicants of eligibility.
5. Once approved for examination eligibility, the candidate will register with PSI.
6. Candidates may take their test at any of the three existing PSI testing locations found in Atlanta, Macon or Tifton or any other location that PSI has established in neighboring states.
7. Information regarding the examination itself can be found by visiting PSI’s website at http://www.psiexams.com/ or calling PSI at 1-800-733-9267.
8. Candidate Information Bulletin - Download the bulletin from PSI.
9. Board office will notify candidates of exam results.
About the Exam
The Georgia General Contractor Exam is now the NASCLA Accredited Exam effective 11-1-2010. The NASCLA Accredited exam is an open book, non-code focused exam. There are 115 multiple choice questions with a time limit of 330 minutes. A 70% (81 correct) is required to pass.
PSI (1-800-733-9267) is the test administrator. You can schedule your exam only after you have obtained your pre-approval from the board. Please download the Candidate Information Bulletin for current information on where exams are being held and for important details and rules on taking the exam.
Reference Books
The following reference books are permitted to be taken into the NASCLA Accredited exam (photo above is a representation, actual list is below):
- Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, Basic, 8th Edition NASCLA
- ICC/ANSI A117.1-2003 Standard on Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities
- Handling and Erection of Steel Joists and Joist Girders, 3rd Edition
- The Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction
- PCI Erectors' Manual - Standards and Guidelines for the Erection of Precast Concrete Products
- Placing Reinforcing Bars CRSI, 9th Edition
- WTCA Building Component Safety Information BCSI, 2008 Edition (Wood Truss)
- 2010 OSHA Standard Construction 29 CFR Part 1926
- Carpentry & Building Construction, 2010 Edition
- Pipe & Excavation Contracting
- Training and Certification of Field Personnel For Unbonded Post-Tensioning, 3rd Edition
- Management of Construction Projects 2002
- The Gypsum Construction Handbook 6th Edition, 2009
- Roofing Construction and Estimating
- Modern Masonry - Brick, Block and Stone, 7th Edition
- Construction Jobsite Management, 3rd Edition
- Principles and Practices of Commercial Construction, 8th Edition
- Manual of Steel Deck
These books are available for purchase by clicking here: Contractor Bookstore
Exam Preparation Study Course
We offer an easy-to-use, in-depth review for the Georgia General Contractor Exam through a home study and online course format. The program takes you through each one of the reference books that the exam is based on showing you what to highlight and stressing important points from the books. This is accomplished with the following unique components: Audio CD’s to listen to when in the vehicle, online narrated and animated presentations/highlighting sessions, and with a study guide (that can be printed or viewed online). After your review of the materials, you can take as many practice exams as you would like with our software. There are hundreds of questions drawn from the reference books that are randomly generated to create each practice exam, mirroring the format of the actual state exam. The tests are timed and graded, and you can go back and review your results and study more on the areas you may have missed. Our program INCLUDES a review of the business & project management portion of the exam, complete with its own highlighting session and practice tests.
Our study course covers the major trades books and includes the business, law & project management material. To purchase the study course, please click here: GA General Contractor Exam Prep Course
