North Carolina Residential Builder License

Requirements to Obtaining your License

• A "General Contractor" license is required in North Carolina when the project exceeds $30,000.
• Anyone seeking to be licensed as a general contractor in North Carolina shall file an application for an examination on a form provided by the Board, at least 30 days before any regular or special meeting of the Board.
• Applicants must submit a completed application to get pre-approval from the State Licensing Board to take the exam.

Work that can be Done Under this License

A Residential Builder (General Contractor) classification covers all building construction activity pertaining to the construction of residential units which are required to conform to the residential building code. This also includes all site work, driveways and sidewalks.

This license is divided into three types: Limited, Intermediate, and Unlimited.

• The Limited License has a financial limit per project of up to $500,000. In order to qualify, the applicant must be financially stable and show that they exceed their total liabilities by $17,000. If this is not possible, a surety bond must be obtained in the amount of $250,000.
• The Intermediate License has a financial limit of up to $1,000,000 per project. In order to qualify, the applicant must be financially stable and show that they exceed their total liabilities by $75,000.
• The Unlimited License is not restricted to the value of the project. In order to qualify the applicant must be financially stable and show that they exceed their total liabilities by $150,000.

Applying to get your License

You may contact North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors at (919) 571-4183.

Click Here to download an application.

Reciprocity Agreements

Examination waiver with South Carolina and Tennessee.

Continuing Education

Not required at this time.

Exam Details

• Exam fee of $60.
• The exam has 90 questions and a time limit of 210 minutes.
• 70% is required to pass.
• The examination is open book.
• To schedule your exam, contact PSI at 1-800-733-9267.

Books and References for the Exam

These references are available to be purchased from our online bookstore. However, you can take 4 into the examination. They are:

• North Carolina OSHA
• North Carolina Business and Project Management for General Contractors
• 2009 North Carolina State Residential Code
• 2009 North Carolina State Administration and Enforcements Code

The examination also pulls questions from the following references. However, these references are NOT permitted to be taken into the exam. Please note that these references are also available from our online bookstore or by contacting our office toll free at 1-800-952-0910.

• Carpentry and Building Construction
• Contractors Guide to Quality Concrete Construction
• Guide to Handling, Installing, Bracing Wood Trusses
• Modern Masonry
• Pipe and Excavation Contracting
• Roofing Construction and Estimating
• North Carolina Administrative Code, Title 15A, Chapter 4
• North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 113A, Article 4
• Laws and Regulations Applicable to General Contracting in North Carolina

Exam Review, Training, Education

We offer review for the North Carolina Residential Builder exam in a home study/online course format. The fee for the online class is $149. The program takes you through each one of the reference books that the exam is based on showing you exactly what to highlight. After your highlighting is completed with each book, you have the option take an online practice test to reinforce concepts presented. Also, there is an extensive math and plans analysis portion. For more information, or to order, contact our office at 1-800-952-0910.

Online Course: $149