General Contractor License in Florida

Starting January 1st, 2020 certain books will not be allowed in the testing room
This change has academic implications on the exam, for more information click here.

The GC license is the most prestigious, most sought-after license in Florida. This single license allows you to work on most trades in your construction projects, and for the trades, it does not cover, it allows you to sub-out the work legally and for-profit to a licensed sub-contractor.

What can a General Contractor Do?

A general contractor's license in Florida ALLOWS you to:

  • Build, repair, and remodel any type of building, regardless of size or number of stories
  • Construct or alter the structural components of a building or structure
  • Remodel any type of commercial or residential property
  • Perform clearing, grubbing, grading, excavation, and any site work for any construction project
  • Install and perform warranty repairs of wood shingles, wood shakes, or shingle roofing on new buildings of your own construction
  • Perform structural swimming pool work
  • Construct main sanitary sewer collection systems, storm collection systems, and water distribution systems

A general contractor's license does NOT allow you to perform the following work using your own employees, you must sub-contract the work to subs licensed in those trades:

What are the Requirements to Become a General Contractor in Florida?

Here is what you need to get your GC license in Florida:

General Contractor Requisites

  • Have experience in the trade
  • Age: Must be at least 18 years of age.
  • Examination: Must take and pass the state certification examinations (Contract Administration, Project Management, and Business). Please note that the application process cannot be started until the exams are taken and passing scores are obtained.
  • Financial / Credit: Applicants will need to provide proof of financial stability and responsibility by submitting personal credit reports. Credit reports must include a FICO derived credit score and indicate that local, state, and federal records have been searched. Credit report containing a credit score (FICO derived) on the applicant from a nationally recognized credit reporting agency, which includes a public records statement that records have been checked at local, state, and federal levels. If the credit score is below 660 (FICO derived) applicant must submit a bond or irrevocable letter of credit. Note that Fifty percent (50%) of the bond or letter of credit requirement may be met by completion of a 14-hour financial responsibility course.
  • Fingerprints: An applicant must have a background check as part of the licensing process.
  • Insurance: Applicants are required to attest that they have obtained public liability and property damage insurance in the amounts determined by Board rule. Applicants are also required to obtain worker's compensation insurance or obtain an exemption from worker’s compensation insurance within 30 days of issuance of their license.

Ways to prove your General Contractor's Experience

  • Work Experience and/or education
    • Effective July 1, 2020, exam candidates who have received a baccalaureate degree in building construction from an accredited 4-year college, or a related degree as approved by board rule, and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher are exempt from having to take the trade knowledge portion of the exam. You will be required to affirm that you qualify for this exemption later in this application. You will only be required to register for the Business and Finance exam.
    • Four-year construction-related degree from an accredited college (equivalent to three years’ experience) and one year proved experience applicable to the category for which you are applying.
    • One year of experience as a foreman and not less than three years of credits from accredited college-level courses.
    • One year of experience as a worker, one-year experience as a foreman, and two years of credits from accredited college-level courses.
    • Two years’ experience as a worker, one year experience as a foreman, and one year of credits from accredited college-level courses.
    • Four years’ experience as a worker or foreman of which at least one year must have been as a foreman.
    • Be a certified residential or building contractor holding an active current license for a minimum of 4 years.
  • Military service
    • Three years of military service and one year experience as a foreman applicable to the category for which you are applying.
    • Two years of military service, one year experience as a foreman, and one year experience as a worker or foreman applicable to the category for which you are applying.
    • One year of military service, one year experience as a foreman, and two years experience as a worker or foreman applicable to the category for which you are applying.

Areas of Construction which satisfy GC Experience Requirements

  • Must have at least one year of experience in the construction of structures at least four stories in height
  • Applicants for the Certified General Contractor License must have experience in four or more of the experience areas listed below:
    • Foundation/Slabs greater than 20,000 sqft.
    • Masonry walls
    • Steel erection
    • Precast concrete structures
    • Column erection
    • Formwork for structural reinforced concrete
    • Elevated slabs

To download the different application forms related to the General Contractor’s License, you may visit the Florida Construction Industry Licensing Board’s site.

Florida General Contractor Exams

Below are the three exams you must pass in order to become a GC in FL. The first two make up the trade portion of your testing requirements. The third exam (Business and Finance) is the business part.

General Contract Administration Exam

  • Part 1 of GC Trade Exam
  • Testing Method: Computer-Based Testing
  • Testing Provider: Pearson VUE
  • Number of Questions: 60

General Project Management Exam

  • Part 2 of GC Trade Exam
  • Testing Method: Computer-Based Testing
  • Testing Provider: Pearson VUE
  • Number of Questions: 60

Business and Finance Exam

  • Testing Method: Computer-Based Testing
  • Testing Provider: Pearson VUE
  • Number of Questions: 120

Florida General Contractor Classes

All General Contractor Classes are offered fully online (unlimited access to practice questions and lecture videos), and although not mandatory, in-person review classes are offered in Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale, and Fort Myers all year round. View Class Schedule

Florida General Contractor Books

  • FLORIDA GENERAL - BOOK SET WITHOUT TABS INCLUDES ALL BOOKS FOR TRADE AND BUSINESS EXAMS

    Sales price: $1,473.13

  • FLORIDA GENERAL - BOOK SET WITH TABS INCLUDES ALL BOOKS FOR TRADE AND BUSINESS EXAMS

    Sales price: $1,573.13

If you want to buy individual books or tabs rather than the package you may click on the links below or visit our Books for the General Contractor Exams page, it will be easier to pick and choose what you need and add the items to your cart (you can do so on that single page).

List of Books for the General Contractor Trade Exams

The trade exams for General Contracting are Contract Administration and Project Management. The exact same list of books is used for both of them.

Starting July 1st, 2021 the 2020 code books will be used for contractor Licensing. Until then we will still be using the 2017 edition.

Starting January 1st, 2020, these books will NOT be allowed in the testing room but will be tested on.

Please note that A201, A401, A701, Builder's Guide to Accounting and Florida Contractors Manual are required for both the business and the trade exams. Florida Statutes 455 is the only book that is used exclusively on the Business and Finance Exam. If you just want the business book set, you can find it on the Business Exam page.

You can take General Contractor Classes in Tampa, Fort Myers, Orlando, Miami, Fort Lauderdale or Online. You can sign up for your classes at any time and receive access to lecture videos, practice questions, tabbing and highlighting instructions, as well as to step-by-step explanations on how to solve typical General Contractor Exam problems. The General Contractor Classes prepare you for the trade (Contract Administration and Project Management) and business and finance exams. You can take your classes at any time (visit Florida General Contractor Class Schedule) and when you are ready you can sign up for testing by visiting Sign Up for the General Contractor’s License in Florida. To sign up for the Florida General Contractor classes, simply click on the "enroll" button above and checkout; this will allow you to receive immediate access to the Florida General Contractor Classes online, and will also enable you to attend in-person Exam Prep classes. All students have access to both online and in-person classes for an unlimited amount of time (until passing all the GC Exams needed to get the GC license!).

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