The Nevada Residential and Small Commercial license allows for the construction or remodeling of houses and other structures which support, shelter, or enclose persons or animals or other chattels, and which do not extend more than three stories above the ground and one story below the ground.

A general building contractor may not perform plumbing, electrical, refrigeration, air-conditioning or fire protection without the appropriate specialty license. A person who exclusively constructs or repairs mobile homes, manufactured homes or commercial coaches is not a general building contractor.

Requirements:

• Nevada applicants must sit for two exams: Contractor Management Survey and the Trades Exam.
• Financial statements must be submitted with your application to the state licensing board to determine monetary limits. Monetary limits are determined based on factors set forth in NRS 624.260, 263, and 265. If seeking a financial limit less than $1,000,000 the statement must be either prepared by a certified public accountant, self-prepared on a form prescribed by the Board, or prepared using accounting software and accompanied by an affidavit. When seeking a monetary limit of $1,000,000 or more, the financial statement must be reviewed and audited by a CPA.
• Experience Requirement - Four years (within the last 10) of experience as a journeyman, foreman, supervising employee or contractor in the specific classification requested.  
• A license bond is required. This can range from $1,000 - $500,000, with the actual amount determined by the Board
• All contractors are also required to carry worker's compensation insurance (aka certificate of liability insurance covering employess for industrial injury and occupational diseases).

Applications:   To apply, contact the licensing board at 775-688-1141 or download the application at www.nvcontractorsboard.com/contractor_info/contractor_forms.htm. A nonrefundable fee of $300.00 must be submitted with application, along with reference certificates to support your experience.

Nevada State Contractors Board Testing Process:

1.  Candidates seeking licensure may download the examination application at www.nvcontractorsboard.com/contractor_info/contractor_forms.htm.   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.  An exam eligibility letter will be provided to you after your application has been filed and the board staff has verified your experience.

4.  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 Las Vegas, Reno, and Elko.

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 Nevada Residential and Small Commercial General Building Contractor (B2) Exam has 80 questions and a time limit of 3 hours.  A 70% is required to pass.  Topics on the exam include sitework, concrete, masonry; carpentry; metals; thermal and moisture protection, doors and windows, drywall and finishes, safety, general code, plan reading and estimating, and One-Call.

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 PSI 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 General Building (B) examination is based on the following reference books.  Note that the only reference books that are permitted to be used during the exam the 2006 International Building Code and 2006 International Residential Code.  All other recommended references are NOT permitted to be used during the examination. Reference books can be purchased through Construction Book Express:

• 2006 International Building Code (permitted to be used during the exam)
• 2006 International Residential Code for One and Two Family Dwellings (permitted to be used during the exam)
  
• Code of Federal Regulations, OSHA
• Carpentry and Building Construction
• Contractor Guide to Quality Concrete Construction
• Pipe and Excavation Contracting
• Gypsum Construction Handbook
• Roofing Construction and Estimating
• Nevada One Call  (Available to print online)
• Guide to Good Practice for Handling, Installing, Restraining, and Bracing of Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses
  
• Modern Masonry

For the Nevada Contractor Management Survey Examination  (business/law), you are permitted to bring your book to the test:

• Construction Business and Law Manual for Nevada, PSI

Exam Preparation Study Course for Nevada Residential and Small Commercial General Building Contractor (B2) and Contractor Management Survey Exams     

We offer an easy-to-use, in-depth review for the Nevada Residential and Small Commercial General Building Contractor (B2) 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 full 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:  Nevada Residential and Small Commercial General Building Contractor (B2) Prep Course