How to Get a Florida Residential Contractor License (CRC)

Section 489.105(3)(c) limits a residential contractor to "construction, remodeling, repair, or improvement of one-family, two-family, or three-family residences not exceeding two habitable stories above no more than one uninhabitable story and accessory use structures in connection therewith."

In practice that means single-family homes, duplexes, and triplexes, new or existing, plus accessory structures that go with them, such as a detached garage. The height limit counts habitable stories: two living floors, which may sit over one uninhabitable story. A third living floor puts the house outside the license.

Anything commercial is out, and so is any residential building with four or more units. A fourplex or a small apartment building needs at least a building contractor license, which covers commercial and residential buildings up to three stories; our building contractor license guide covers that one.

The CRC is the certified version, good in all 67 counties. The registered version (prefix RR) rests on a local certificate of competency and is good only where that credential is recognized. The certified vs. registered comparison explains when registration makes sense.

• General contractor, s.489.105(3)(a): unlimited as to the type of work.
• Building contractor, s.489.105(3)(b): commercial and residential buildings up to three stories, plus non-structural remodeling, repair, or improvement of any size building.
• Residential contractor, s.489.105(3)(c): one-, two-, and three-family residences not exceeding two habitable stories above no more than one uninhabitable story.

A CRC does not make you a plumber or a roofer. Under s.489.113(3), a contractor must subcontract all electrical, mechanical, plumbing, roofing, sheet metal, swimming pool, and air-conditioning work unless the contractor holds a state certificate or registration in that trade. The same subsection gives residential contractors a few specific allowances:

• Structural work: a general, building, or residential contractor is responsible for any construction or alteration of a structural component of a building, s.489.113(3)(a).
• Site work on the lot: a certified residential contractor may do clearing and grubbing, grading, excavation, and other site work, limited to the lot the specific building sits on, s.489.113(3)(a).
• Shingles on your own new house: you don't have to subcontract installation, or warranty repair, of wood shingles, wood shakes, or asphalt or fiberglass shingles on a new building of your own construction, s.489.113(3)(b).
• Roofing advertising: a residential contractor certified after 1973 may not advertise or hold out as a roofing contractor without a roofing certificate or registration, s.489.113(3)(g).

Section 489.111(2) sets the floor at 18 years of age and good moral character, then offers routes to eligibility. The most common is four years of active experience as a skilled worker or foreman, with at least one of those years as a foreman. A baccalaureate degree in civil engineering, building construction, or architecture (the degrees Rule 61G4-15.001(4) lists for the residential category) plus one year of proven experience also qualifies, and so do set combinations of field years and college credit, with community college courses counting as college-level.

The statute sets how many years you need. Rule 61G4-15.001(3) decides what kind of work counts: construction, alteration, enlargement, or repair of detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses not more than three stories above grade plane, with a separate means of egress. That experience must reach three or more of the five areas below. The building and general categories ask for more, four of six areas on commercial structures, so the residential rule is where a house-building record fits.

The board accepts experience gained under a contractor who was properly licensed in the category you are applying for, or in one that covers its full scope. A career spent in one trade may only reach one or two of the five areas. Map your projects against the list, and settle any doubt against the DBPR's current instructions before you pay for exam seats.

• Foundation, slabs, and structural formwork.
• Masonry walls.
• Structural demolition.
• Structural wood framing. The rule's wording includes trusses and excludes platform framing, so read that line closely before counting a framing record toward it.
• Column erection.

Every residential candidate sits three parts. All are open book, all require 70% to pass, and each part is passed on its own. Business & Finance is the same exam every Florida construction trade takes. The two trade parts are the shortest Division I versions: 45 questions each, against 50 for building and 60 for general contractor candidates, in the same 4.5-hour window. That works out to six minutes a question, which is generous only if you already know where the answers live in your references.

Fees per PTI's 2026 registration packet: $135 per registration (one registration can cover all three parts) plus Pearson VUE seat fees of $80 for Business & Finance and $40 each for Contract Administration and Project Management, so $295 first try. A retake is a new registration: $215 for Business & Finance, $175 for either of the other two. One narrow exemption exists in s.489.113(1): an applicant with a baccalaureate degree in building construction (or a related degree approved by board rule) and a GPA of 3.0 or higher only has to pass Business & Finance.

• Business & Financial Management: 120 questions, 6.5 hours (390 minutes).
• Contract Administration: 45 questions, 4.5 hours (270 minutes). Project contracts carry 40% of the residential outline.
• Project Management: 45 questions, 4.5 hours (270 minutes). Construction methods and materials carry 64% of the residential outline, safety 18%, and plans and specifications 18%.

The license comes from the DBPR application, where your experience, insurance, and finances are reviewed alongside your exam results. Section 489.115(5) requires an affidavit of workers' compensation, public liability, and property damage insurance, and for initial certification a credit report from a nationally recognized agency plus evidence of financial responsibility, credit, and business reputation. Section 489.115(6) adds a statewide criminal history check through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

On credit, the DBPR's published standard is a FICO score of 660 or higher. Under Rule 61G4-15.006, an applicant below 660 completes a board-approved 14-hour financial responsibility course, and unsatisfied judgments or liens against you or a business you have qualified count against the application. Pull your own report months before you apply.

Application fees vary by category and by where the licensing cycle stands, so check the DBPR's current fee schedule. Our license cost breakdown itemizes the rest, from exam seats and reference books to fingerprinting and prep.

Section 489.111(2)(c)4 writes two upgrade routes for residential contractors. Under 4.a, an active certified residential contractor with at least three years of proven experience in the residential classification becomes eligible for a certified building contractor license after passing the building contractors' examination. Under 4.b, the same contractor with at least four years becomes eligible for a certified general contractor license after passing the general contractors' examination.

Both routes count experience in the classification you already hold, which is what makes the CRC a practical first license for a house builder. Rule 61G4-15.001(2)(b) also exempts the 4.b route from the year on four-story structures that first-time GC applicants need. Plan either upgrade as its own application with its own exam, and confirm with the DBPR which exam parts you will need to sit.

If houses are the whole business, the CRC may be the only license you ever need. If fourplexes, light commercial, or taller homes are in your plans, keep a record of your CRC years and projects from day one so the upgrade file is easy to document.

The residential trade parts use the same domains and the same reference list as the general contractor exams. Contract Administration leans on the AIA documents; Project Management covers methods and materials, scheduling, estimating, and safety, and a house builder's field knowledge covers only part of that. Business & Finance tests lien law, licensing law, and contractor accounting, the part furthest from most builders' daily work.

At $175–$215 a retake, every failed attempt costs real money and weeks of waiting. Start with the free readiness quiz. It takes about eight minutes, is scored against the real exam outlines, and shows which part needs the most work before you book a seat.