Requirements for Getting Your NC Building Contractor License

In North Carolina, getting a building contractor license is the next step in elevating your career as a contractor. To work on any project that exceeds $30,000, you must have a building contractor license. If you’re ready to take the next step and become a licensed contractor in North Carolina, check out the requirements below.

Requirements For a Building Contractor License

To get a license in North Carolina, you first have to complete the Application for License to Practice General Contracting in the State of North Carolina. You can find the application on the Boards’ website. The following are the rest of the requirements to get your license.

Complete the applicationBe at least 18 years old
Possess good moral character
Meet the minimum financial requirement for the license
Successfully pass a North Carolina Classification Exam

Once you meet these requirements and get your application approved, you will get pre-approval from the State Licensing Board to schedule your licensing exam.

Getting Ready for Your Exam

To earn your building contractor license, you must take the NASCLA exam. The NASCLA is the National Association of State Contractors Licensing Agencies. They offer the National Accredited Building Exam. The North Carolina Board accepts this exam to obtain the building classification contractor,s license. When you’re getting ready for your exams, @HomePrep offers test prep and other resources to help you. Once you have your application and exam schedule, check out our resources to ensure your success and ace that building exam.

License Limitations

General contractor licenses in North Carolina have different classifications and limitations. There are three license limitations.

Limited License: Good for projects valued up to $500,000
Intermediate License: Good for projects valued up to $1,000,000
Unlimited License: Good for projects of any value, unrestricted

Be sure to choose which license would work best for you and your future projects. Obtaining your license can take a good chunk of time. New applications take about two weeks to process. Once you attach your exam to your approved application, it will go on a list for Board Approvals. The lists for Board Approvals go out twice a month, and once you get approved by the board, you will get your license. Make sure you plan out what type of projects you have coming up and ensure you will have your license before they begin.

Continuing Education

To keep your license valid, you must take 8 hours of continuing education courses per year. This includes a 2-hour mandatory course by the Board about updated information regarding general contracting laws and rules. You can fill the other 6 hours with elective courses of your choice. Once you have all of your requirements together it is time to prepare for your exams. AtHomePrep offers a course on the North Carolina Building Contractor License, which takes you step-by-step through reference books and offers an online practice exam. We also offer plenty of continuing education courses to help keep your license valid and keep you on the job.