Florida Tower, Building Demolition and Industrial Facility Specialty Licenses

Three CILB specialty certifications do not have trade exams of their own: tower specialty, building demolition specialty and industrial facility specialty. Applicants for all three pass the same three-part exam as a general contractor. The scopes are narrower than a general contractor's, but the testing is identical.

Status and legal basis

Each was once its own rule (61G4-15.034 tower, 61G4-15.038 building demolition, 61G4-15.039 industrial facility). All three were repealed on May 5, 2024, and the scopes now appear in rule 61G4-15.100, paragraphs (1)(r), (1)(p) and (1)(o). The categories remain open; the current DBPR examination application package still lists the exam requirement for them.

What each license covers

Tower specialty (61G4-15.100(1)(r))

Construction, repair and alteration of "uninhabitable towers for purposes of communications, energy, water, or utilities," including accessory use structures up to three stories that house related equipment. The rule itself says an applicant "shall pass the general contractor examination" and show experience building, repairing and altering towers and accessory structures.

Building demolition specialty (61G4-15.100(1)(p))

Demolition, if not prohibited by law, of:

• steel tanks 50 feet or less in height
• towers 50 feet or less in height
• other structures 50 feet or less in height, other than buildings or residences over three stories
• buildings or residences three stories or less

F.S. 489.105(3) says that for licensing purposes "demolish" applies only to steel tanks, towers and other structures over 50 feet, and to all buildings or residences. Read the two together: work on smaller non-building structures may not be licensed "demolition" at all, while larger structures and tall buildings are beyond this specialty and need a contractor whose scope covers them.

Industrial facility specialty (61G4-15.100(1)(o))

Construction, repair, demolition, modification and alteration of "uninhabitable industrial structures housing manufactured industrial equipment" installed by the contractor, such as equipment for energy, gas or chemical production, fixed equipment, aboveground storage tanks and related piping. It also covers attached accessory structures up to 1,500 square feet used only to house operating and control equipment. The contractor must subcontract work that falls in the scopes of F.S. 489.105(3)(b)-(p), electrical work under 489.505, and fire protection systems under F.S. 633.318.

The exams

The DBPR application package states that tower specialty, demolition and industrial facility contractors "must pass the same General category examination of three parts": Contract Administration, Project Management, and Business and Finance.

All three are open book and computer-based at Pearson VUE. Exam fees in the application package are $135 to Professional Testing, Inc. for registration, then $80 for Business and Finance and $40 each for Contract Administration and Project Management, paid to Pearson VUE. Details of the two GC exams are on the general contractor exam page.

Exam volume

Pearson VUE reports do not separate these specialties from general contractor candidates. For the GC exams overall, the 2025 reports show 3,362 Contract Administration attempts (63% first-time pass rate state-wide) and 3,830 Project Management attempts (51%).

Eligibility

Rule 61G4-15.100(2) applies the standard CILB certification requirements of F.S. 489.111: age 18, good moral character, and one experience route (4 years as a skilled worker or foreman with 1 year as foreman, a relevant 4-year degree plus 1 year, or a listed combination with college credit). The tower rule adds that experience must be in towers and accessory structures.

Steps

1. Confirm your experience matches the specialty scope.
2. Register with Professional Testing, Inc.; schedule all three exams at Pearson VUE.
3. Pass each with 70%.
4. Apply to the CILB for the specialty certification.

FAQ

If I pass the GC exams, why not just get a general contractor license? Eligibility is tied to experience in the category. Someone whose experience is in towers or demolition may qualify for the specialty but not show the experience a general contractor license application needs.

Can a building demolition contractor take down a 10-story building? No. The specialty stops at buildings or residences three stories or less and other structures 50 feet or less.

Does an industrial facility contractor do its own electrical work? No. The rule requires electrical work (489.505) and the Division II trade scopes to be subcontracted to licensed contractors.

Next step

All three specialties start with the Business and Finance exam. Our Florida Business and Finance Exam Prep is available now; GC Contract Administration and Project Management prep is in development.