Florida Underground Utility and Excavation Contractor License

Underground utility and excavation contractors build the water, sewer and storm systems that run under streets and site developments. In Florida the category is defined by statute, certified by the Construction Industry Licensing Board (CILB), and tested with an 80-question trade exam that leans on pipe manuals and Florida Department of Transportation documents rather than the building code.

What the license covers

F.S. 489.105(3)(n) limits the scope to "the construction, installation, and repair, on public or private property" of:

• main sanitary sewer collection systems
• main water distribution systems
• storm sewer collection systems
• the continuation of utility lines from the main to a point of termination, up to and including the meter location for the individual occupancy

The statute says this work may be done "through open excavations or through other means," and names directional drilling, auger boring, jacking and boring, trenchless technologies, wet and dry taps, grouting and slip lining.

Where the scope stops

Two further rules in the same paragraph matter in practice:

• Empty conduit. The contractor may install empty underground conduits (no smaller than 2 inches) in rights-of-way, easements, platted rights-of-way in new site development, and parking-lot sleeves, if each conduit system is designed by a licensed professional engineer or an authorized employee of a municipality, county or public utility, and no conductor wiring or energized connection is involved.
• Fire protection. The contractor may not install piping that is an integral part of a fire protection system, starting at the point where the piping is used exclusively for that system.

Work past those termination points is outside this license; check the plumbing contractor scope for building-side piping.

Certified vs registered

A certified contractor may work anywhere in Florida; a registered contractor only where a local competency license was obtained (F.S. 489.105(8) and (10)).

Eligibility

F.S. 489.111(2): age 18, good moral character, and one experience route (for example, 4 years as a skilled worker or foreman including 1 year as foreman, or a relevant 4-year degree plus 1 year of experience). The board also requires financial responsibility, insurance and fingerprints; the Florida hub lists them.

The exams

Both are open book and given daily on computer at Pearson VUE.

Content outline

Reference list overview

The even-year list includes:

• Installation Guide for Ductile Iron Pipe
• AWWA standard for PVC pressure pipe and fabricated fittings
• The Handbook of PVC Pipe Design and Construction
• Concrete Pipe and Box Culvert Installation
• Pipe and Excavation Contracting
• FDOT Utility Accommodation Manual and FDOT specifications for directional bore and jack and bore
• Damage Prevention Guide (includes F.S. Chapter 556, the Underground Facility Damage Prevention and Safety Act)
• Florida Building Code: Plumbing (2023)
• Walker's Building Estimator's Reference Book; OSHA 29 CFR 1926

Exam volume

Pearson VUE exam performance reports show 285 graded underground utility trade attempts in 2025 (187 first attempts) and a 64% first-time pass rate state-wide, up from 46% in 2024. It is one of the larger Division II trade exams after roofing and air conditioning.

Steps to licensure

1. Document your experience under F.S. 489.111.
2. Register with Professional Testing, Inc. ($135, per the DBPR application package).
3. Schedule both exams with Pearson VUE ($80 each).
4. Pass each with 70% or more.
5. Apply to the CILB with financial, insurance and fingerprint documents.

FAQ

Can an underground utility contractor run electrical conduit? Only empty conduit, 2 inches or larger, in the locations listed in 489.105(3)(n), designed by an engineer or authorized utility or government employee, with no wiring and no connection to an energized system.

Can I install a fire main? Not the portion used exclusively for fire protection. The statute carves out fire protection system piping from that point on.

Is trench safety tested? OSHA 29 CFR 1926 is on the reference list, and excavating, backfill and compaction is 20% of the exam.

Do I take Business and Finance too? Yes, every Division II license requires it.

Next step

Half of your licensing exams is the same Business and Finance exam every Florida contractor takes, including lien law and payroll tax. Start with our Florida Business and Finance Exam Prep; an underground utility trade course is in development.