Florida General Contractor License: Requirements, Exams and Steps

A Florida certified general contractor (CGC) license is the broadest construction license the state issues. It lets you bid and build any type and size of building anywhere in Florida, subject to the trade work you must still subcontract. It is also the hardest Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB) license to qualify for: the experience rules are specific about commercial work and building height, and you must pass three state exams.

This page covers what the license allows, who is eligible, the exams, fees, insurance and credit requirements, and the steps in order. Facts come from Chapter 489, Florida Statutes, the CILB rules in Chapter 61G4, F.A.C., and DBPR exam documents (see sources).

What a general contractor may do

F.S. 489.105(3)(a) defines a general contractor as one "whose services are unlimited as to the type of work which he or she may do." A GC may contract for and perform any work that requires a license under Part I of Chapter 489, except as limited by F.S. 489.113.

Those limits matter in practice. Under F.S. 489.113(3), a contractor must subcontract electrical, mechanical, plumbing, roofing, sheet metal, swimming pool and air-conditioning work unless it holds a state certificate or registration in that trade. The statute then carves out exceptions for Division I contractors:

• A GC, BC or RC is responsible for construction or alteration of structural components.
• A certified GC may perform clearing, grubbing, grading, excavation and other site work on any project in the state.
• A GC, BC or RC does not have to subcontract wood shingle, wood shake, or asphalt or fiberglass shingle roofing on a new building of its own construction.
• A GC does not have to subcontract structural swimming pool work, but other pool work goes to a licensed pool contractor.
• A GC does not have to subcontract main sanitary sewer, storm collection or water distribution systems, and may perform underground utility work.
• A GC, BC or RC certified after 1973 may not advertise or hold out as a roofing contractor without a roofing license.

GC vs building vs residential contractor

Certified vs registered

A certified contractor holds a certificate of competency from DBPR and "shall be allowed to contract in any jurisdiction in the state" without meeting local competency requirements (F.S. 489.105(8)). A registered contractor has met a local jurisdiction's competency requirements and may contract only in that jurisdiction (F.S. 489.105(10)). This page is about the state certified license, which is what the state exams lead to. For local registration, check with the county or city where you work; our county guides list local offices.

Eligibility

Under F.S. 489.111(2), you must be at least 18, be of good moral character, and meet one of these experience paths:

A year means at least 2,000 person-hours (F.S. 489.111(2)(c)1). For the degree path, Rule 61G4-15.001(4) lists civil engineering, building construction or architecture as the appropriate degrees for GC, BC and RC.

What counts as GC experience

Rule 61G4-15.001(2) narrows "active experience" and "proven experience" for GC and BC applicants. Experience must be commercial construction of buildings and structures, excluding storage, utility and miscellaneous accessory structures such as barns, carports, garages, sheds, silos, tanks and towers. It must cover four or more of these six areas:

1. Foundations or slabs larger than 20,000 square feet
2. Masonry walls
3. Steel erection
4. Elevated slabs
5. Column erection
6. Formwork for structural reinforced concrete

GC applicants (other than RC or BC upgrades) must also prove at least one year of experience on structures not less than four stories in height (Rule 61G4-15.001(2)(b)). This four-story requirement is the most common reason a candidate with years of residential work qualifies for a BC or RC license but not a GC license.

Experience must be gained lawfully under a contractor properly licensed in that category or a broader one (Rule 61G4-15.001(1)(a)).

Financial responsibility, insurance and background

• Credit: you must provide a current consumer credit report with no unsatisfied judgments or liens against you or a business you qualified. To show financial stability you need a FICO-derived score of 660 or higher, or completion of a Board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course (Rule 61G4-15.006).
• Insurance: before issuance you file an affidavit of workers' compensation coverage (Chapter 440), public liability and property damage insurance (F.S. 489.115(5)). For a GC the minimum is $300,000 liability and $50,000 property damage (Rule 61G4-15.003).
• Fingerprints: initial applicants submit fingerprints for state and FBI background checks (F.S. 489.115(9)).
• Continuing education: after licensure, 14 classroom hours per two-year renewal cycle, including workers' compensation, business practices, workplace safety and 1 hour of laws and rules (F.S. 489.115(4)(b)).

Exams required

A GC candidate passes three exams. All are computer-based at Pearson VUE, multiple choice, open book, and require 70% to pass (scores are not rounded).

Contract Administration covers preconstruction, contracts, licensing and permits, and scheduling. Project Management covers construction methods and materials, OSHA safety, and plan reading. See our general contractor exam guide for the content weights and reference strategy.

How many people take these exams

Pearson VUE exam performance reports for the Florida DBPR construction exams show the GC trade exams are the largest after B&F:

Attempts are exam sittings, not people. Project Management had the lower first-time pass rate of the two GC parts in 2025.

Reference books (titles only)

The 2026 GC/BC/RC Contract Administration and Project Management reference list allows these in the testing room:

• AIA A201 General Conditions (2017), A401 Contractor-Subcontractor Agreement (2017), A701 Instructions to Bidders (2018)
• Code of Federal Regulations, OSHA 29 Part 1926
• Contractors Manual
• Principles and Practices of Commercial Construction, 11th Edition
• Energy Efficient Building Construction in Florida
• BCSI Guide to Good Practices for Handling, Installing and Bracing of Metal Connected Wood Trusses
• Florida Building Code: Building, Accessibility, Residential, Existing Building, and Energy Conservation (2023)

The list changes each January and notes edition changes during the year, so download the current list from DBPR before buying books. B&F has its own list; see the B&F exam page.

Fees

Rule 61G4-12.009 sets the total application and examination fee for certification at $335: $135 at registration, $80 per test administered (CA and PM count as one test for this rule), and $40 to DBPR to process the application after you pass. Exam fees are non-refundable.

Step by step

1. Confirm your experience fits the GC definition: four of the six commercial areas and one year on a building of four or more stories. If not, consider the BC or RC license first and upgrade later.
2. Register with PTI at floridaexam.com and pay the $135 registration fee. PTI does not take registrations by phone.
3. Schedule with Pearson VUE. You can schedule within 72 hours after PTI approves your registration. Pay each exam fee when you book.
4. Prepare your references. Bound originals only; highlighting is allowed, notes and removable tabs are not.
5. Pass all three exams within four years of your first scheduled exam. You may retake failed parts as often as needed in that window (Rule 61G4-16.009 as quoted by PTI), waiting 21 days between attempts.
6. Apply to DBPR for certification with your credit report, insurance affidavit, fingerprints and experience documentation.
7. Qualify a business if you will contract through an LLC or corporation.

FAQ

Can I get a Florida general contractor license without experience?

No. Every path in F.S. 489.111 requires experience. The shortest is a bachelor's degree in an appropriate field plus 1 year (2,000 hours) of proven experience. Under PTI's 2026 application instructions, a building construction degree with a 3.0 GPA or higher exempts you from the trade knowledge portion of the exam, but never from Business and Finance.

How long does it take to get a general contractor license in Florida?

Most of the time is the experience requirement: 4 years on the standard path, or a degree plus 1 year. On the exam side, PTI approval lets you schedule within about 72 hours, you must wait 21 days between attempts, and you have four years from your first scheduled exam to pass all three parts.

Do I need experience on a four-story building?

Yes, for a new GC certification. Rule 61G4-15.001(2)(b) requires at least one year on structures not less than four stories tall. Certified residential and building contractors upgrading under F.S. 489.111(2)(c)4 are excepted.

What score do I need to pass the GC exams?

70% on each exam. That is 84 of 120 on B&F and 42 of 60 on each GC part. Scores are not rounded up.

Can a general contractor do roofing in Florida?

Only shingle and shake roofing on a new building of its own construction, under F.S. 489.113(3)(b). Other roofing must be subcontracted to a licensed roofing contractor, and a GC certified after 1973 may not advertise as a roofer without a roofing license.

What if my credit score is under 660?

You can still meet the financial stability requirement by completing a Board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course. You must still have no unsatisfied judgments or liens (Rule 61G4-15.006).

Start with Business and Finance

Every GC candidate takes Business and Finance, and it is the longest of the three exams. Our Florida Business and Finance Exam Prep gives you 90 days of original practice questions with explanations tied to the reference books. Related guides: construction lien law, retainage and payroll tax.