North Carolina Building Contractor License

A Building Contractor (General Contractor) classification covers all building construction activity including, but not limited to: commercial, industrial, institutional, and all residential building construction. Also included are parking decks, site work, sidewalks, curbs, and gutters.

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.
• 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.

• 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.

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

• Exam fee of $70.
• The exam has 90 questions and a time limit of 200 minutes.
• 70% is required to pass.
• The examination is open book.
• Pre-approval from the Board is required before taking the exam.
• To schedule your exam, contact PSI at 1-800-733-9267.

Books and References for the Exam

The following reference materials are allowed in the examination center:

• North Carolina OSHA
• North Carolina State Building Code: Building Code, 2018
• North Carolina State Building Code: Administrative Code and Policies, 2018
• ACI 530
• ACI 318
• Sports Field Design, Construction and Maintenance
• ICC A117.1-2017 
• Contractor’s Guide to Business, Law and Project Management- North Carolina General Contractors

The following reference materials are NOT allowed in the examination center by will on the Exam:

• • Carpentry and Building Construction
  • Handling and Erection of Steel Joist and Joist Girders
  • Manual of Construction with Steel Deck
  • Training Manual for Un-Bonded Post-Tensioning
  • Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures
  • Roofing Construction & Estimating
  • Modern Masonry
  • Pipe and Excavation, Contracting
  • The Contractor’s Guide to Quality Concrete Construction
  • BCSI: Guide to Good Practice for Handling, Installing, Restraining, and Bracing of Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses
  • North Carolina Administrative Code, Title 15A, Chapter 4 Sedimentation Control, including the latest amendments pdf
  • North Carolina General Statues Chapter 113A, Article 4 Sedimentation Population Control Act of 1973, including the latest amendments, Sections 113A-50 to 113A-67 pdf
  • Law and Regulations Applicable to General Contracting in the state of North Carolina

We offer review for the North Carolina Building Contractor exam in an online course format. 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.

Not required at this time.

Examination waiver with South Carolina and Tennessee.