North Carolina Residential Contractor License Information
The North Carolina Residential Contractor license classification covers all types of construction activity pertaining to the construction of residential units that are required to conform to the residential code adopted by the Building Code Council. It covers all site-work, driveways and sidewalks ancillary to the residential structure and the work done as part of such residential units under the specialty classifications of Insulation, Masonry, and Swimming Pools.
Requirements:
Licensure will be required for the practice of contracting in North Carolina for any job over $30,000.
Pre-approval from the state is required to sit for the examination.
The license has three basic types:
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Limited – Financial limit per project is $500,000 and in order to qualify the applicant must show that their assets exceed liabilities by $17,000 by providing audited financial statements.
·
Intermediate – Financial Limit per project is $1,000,000 and in order to qualify the applicant must show that assets exceed liabilities by $75,000 by providing audited financial statements.
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Unlimited – There is no limit on project size, and in order to qualify the applicant must show that assets exceed liabilities by $150,000 by providing audited financial statements.
North Carolina Contractors Testing Process:
1. To apply, contact the state of North Carolina at 1-919-571-4183 or download the application at http://www.nclbgc.org/formsRev2_fr.html
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 PSI testing locations found in the Candidate Information Bulletin http://www.nclbgc.org/exam_fr.html
7. Information regarding the examination itself can be found by visiting PSI’s website at www.psiexams.com or calling PSI at 1-800-733-9267.
8. Board office will notify candidates of exam results.
About the Exam
The North Carolina Residential Contractor Exam has 90 questions and a time limit of 210 minutes. A 70% is required to pass. Topics on the exam include sitework, footings, and foundation; concrete and concrete reinforcement; masonry; carpentry; roofing; associated trades, energy conservation and drywall; general code and construction knowledge; OSHA safety, special construction zones and erosion and sedimentation control.
Reference Books
The following reference books are permitted to be taken into the exam.
· 2009 North Carolina State Residential Code
· North Carolina State Administration and Enforcement Requirements Code
· NC OSHA, 2005
· Guide to Business Law and Project Management, North Carolina, 5th Edition
The following reference materials are not allowed into the examination center:
· Carpentry and Building Construction, 2004
· Modern Masonry, 2003
· Pipe and Excavation Contracting, 1987
· The Contractors Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, 2005
· Roofing Construction and Estimating, 1995
· Guide to Good Practice for Handling, Installing, Restraining, and Bracing of Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses, 2006.
· NC General Statutes, Ch 113 A Article 4 Sedimentation Pollution Control Act
· NC Administrative Code, Title 15A, Ch 4 Sedimentation Control
· Laws & Regulations Applicable to General Contracting in North Carolina
NOTE: DO NOT WRITE ANYTHING, ANYWHERE IN YOUR BOOKS! The exam proctor will check your books prior to going to your testing station and will check them again when you are done with the exam. Only use approved tabs per the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin.
These books are available for purchase by clicking here: Contractor Bookstore
Exam Preparation Study Course
This is a difficult exam, with an enormous amount of reference material to cover. Therefore we have created this exam preparation course to provide you with an easy-to-use, in-depth review for the North Carolina Residential Contractor Exam through a home study and online course format. The program takes you through the major reference books that the exam is based on showing you what to highlight and stressing important points from the books and common test areas. 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 study course covers the major trades books and includes the business, law & project management material.
To purchase the complete study course please click here: NC Residential Contractor Exam Prep Course
