Study for the certified General, Builder and Residential Contractor exam – and be prepared to take the actual test with confidence. Many states and municipalities require contractors to pass a written contracting license exam before becoming licensed.

This book covers: basic math, humidity and insulation earthwork and formwork concrete, reinforcement and masonry, plan reading, business and financial management, wood roofs, codes, laws and standards.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION, 1
About the Exam, 3
Candidate Information Booklet, 8
Typical Application Form, 9
Reference Booklist, 20
Where to Get the Books, 24
BASIC MATH FOR TAKING PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATION, 27
The Portable Calculator, 28
Rule of Signs, 34
Math Quiz, 41
Fractions and Decimals, 43
Algebra and Equation Solving, 46
Ratios and Proportions, 52
Proportions, 53
Squares, Cubes and Roots, 54
Mensuration and Tables, 57
EARTHWORK, 63
Excavation Problems, 74
FORMWORK, 92
Formwork Problems, 94
PLAN READING, 102
Site Plans, 106
Property Area Problems, 108
PROPERTY LINES AND PROPERTY ANGLES, 119
THEB TRANSIT, 130
Transit Problems, 133
SLOPED WOOD ROOFS, 141
Floors, Joists, Partitions, 147
CRITICAL PATH METHOD, 152
RELATIVE HUMIDITY, 154
HEAT TRANSMISSION THROUGH BUILDING, 156
UNDERSTANDING INSULATION, 158
CONCRETE, REINFORCEMENT AND MASONRY, 169
Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, 170
Concrete Design Quiz, 174
Concrete Masonry, 178
PLACING. REINFORCING BARS, 180
STEEL CONSTRUCTION, 181
BUSINESS AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, 184
How to Read a Financial Statement, 186
Ratios, 187
Analyzing the Profit-and-Loss Statement, 195
Money and Interest, 197
Compound Interest Tables, 200
Cost Estimating, 202
CODES, LAWS AND STANDARDS, 223
Florida Energy Efficiency Code, 225
Mechanics Lien Law, 231
Tax Circular E, 233
Contractor Law Quizzes, 235

INTRODUCTION

In the past two decades building construction has fallen under increasingly tight regulation by state, municipal and county authorities. The rationale for this movement has been generally accredited to the need to "protect the public," although according to Michael Pertschuk, chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, "licensing bears little relationship to quality."

Unfortunately, no standards have been set for construction industry licensing examinations. Each municipality, or state usually has its own notion of how to prepare an exam or borrows from some other authority. Although licensing boards throughout the country are usually dominated by local trade practitioners, the laws as well as the license examinations may vary considerably depending upon the experience and integrity of the board members, the experience and intelligence of the political representatives in office, the degree of trade influence imposed by contractor associations and unions, and of course, by established local building practices. A seasoned contractor coming from a major metropolitan area that does not require any license at all may be surprised and chagrined to discover, upon starting a job in some faraway small town, that he or she needs to take an examination for license that will be impossible to pass without extensive preparatory study.

It is not possible to write a book on contractor license preparation that will be useful in every region in the country. Although most exams refer to standard building codes, accepted business practices, and regularly observed construction procedures, there are substantial variations. Obviously some regions need to design and construct for hurricane protection while others are concerned with earthquake protection. Cold-climate exams may stress fire place construction, snow loads on roofs, and hot-water base-board heating systems. In extreme Southern regions exams may include more questions regarding swimming pools, termite protection and air conditioning. Most states have a Mechanics Lien Law; few are identical.

Our approach has been to select one "model" examination that has the greatest commonality with exams in other regions and is at the same time well-balanced and general enough in nature to make it as close to universal as possible. The Florida State General Contractor Examination meets this criterion.

Our preparation method is to make the Candidate as familiar as possible with the type of questions, the areas of concentration, and the reference material he or she will need to study. We assume the reader has a level of education and depth of experience that will enable her or him to understand the terminology and illustrations used.

We have avoided lengthy discourses on building construction techniques and science -- that may be found in other books. We have avoided teaching or preaching; there are yet other books for that. By presenting as much exam-related material as possible, we have attempted to fully familiarize the reader with previous exams and working out the solutions to those and develop enough self-confidence as to be able to pass the exam handily. We have tried in this volume to write a general treatise on contractor license examination preparation that may be useful either in the formal classroom or as a self-study guide. The Candidate must become acutely aware of the need for disciplined study.

John Gladstone