Prepare for the North Carolina Building Contractor, Residential Contractor, NASCLA Commercial General Building, and Business and Law exams with online courses, reference books, tabs, practice exams, and complete preparation packages.
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Applicants pursuing the Building Contractor classification may take the North Carolina Building examination or use the NASCLA Commercial General Building examination. Watch the video for an overview of the differences between these exam paths.
Use the NASCLA Commercial General Building examination as the trade exam for the North Carolina Building Contractor licensing path while also gaining an exam score accepted by multiple participating jurisdictions.
The North Carolina Building Contractor classification permits qualified contractors to construct, improve, alter, or repair residential and commercial buildings within the limitation of the license.
The North Carolina Residential Contractor classification permits qualifying residential construction, including new homes, additions, improvements, repairs, and remodeling projects.
The North Carolina Business and Law examination is required for applicants using the NASCLA Commercial General Building examination for the North Carolina Building Contractor licensing path.
| License or Exam Path | Residential Work | Commercial Work | Required Exam | Business and Law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Contractor — NASCLA | ✓ | ✓ | NASCLA Commercial Building | ✓ |
| North Carolina Building Contractor | ✓ | ✓ | North Carolina Building | Not a separate exam for this path |
| Residential Contractor | ✓ | Not covered | North Carolina Residential | Not a separate exam |
| Business and Law | — | — | Separate business exam | Required with NASCLA |
Online exam-preparation course plus the complete required reference-book set.
Online course plus professionally highlighted and tabbed reference books.
Self-paced online lessons and practice exams without the reference books.
The complete reference-book set required for your selected North Carolina builder exam.
Pre-printed tabs designed to help you locate important sections in approved reference books.
Purchase only the required references missing from your existing book collection.
North Carolina offers two primary general contractor license types: the North Carolina Building Contractor license and the North Carolina Residential Contractor license. The Building Contractor license allows qualifying commercial and residential construction, while the Residential Contractor license is limited to residential construction, including new homes and remodeling.
Each license may be issued with a Limited, Intermediate, or Unlimited monetary limitation based on the applicant's financial qualifications and the maximum project value permitted.
In North Carolina, a general contractor license is required for qualifying construction projects valued at $40,000 or more. This threshold applies to qualifying commercial and residential construction work.
Applicants pursuing the North Carolina Building Contractor license may choose the North Carolina Building Contractor examination or the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors .
The NASCLA path is often recommended for contractors who may apply for commercial contractor licenses in other participating jurisdictions. The North Carolina state examination applies only toward the North Carolina licensing path.
The North Carolina Business and Law exam is required only when an applicant uses the NASCLA examination for the Building Contractor licensing path.
North Carolina began requiring NASCLA applicants to pass this separate 90-minute exam on January 1, 2020. Applicants taking the North Carolina Building Contractor exam or Residential Contractor exam do not take a separate Business and Law test because the applicable material is included within those examination paths.
The North Carolina Building Contractor license permits qualifying commercial and residential building construction, making it the broader classification.
The North Carolina Residential Contractor license permits qualifying new residential construction, additions, improvements, repairs, and remodeling, but it does not provide the same commercial construction authority as the Building Contractor classification.
Effective preparation generally combines three components:
Pre-highlighted and pre-tabbed books can make it easier to locate important sections quickly during an open-book examination.
The Building Contractor classification permits qualifying residential and commercial building construction within the monetary limitation assigned to the license.
The Residential Contractor classification permits qualifying construction, remodeling, improvement, and repair work involving residential structures within the monetary limitation assigned to the license.
The Residential Contractor classification is intended for residential construction and does not provide the broader commercial construction authority available under the Building Contractor classification.
Yes. The NASCLA Commercial General Building examination may be used as the trade-examination path for the North Carolina Building Contractor classification, subject to the state's current application and licensing requirements.
NASCLA is accepted as a commercial building trade examination by multiple participating jurisdictions. It may be a more flexible option for contractors who plan to apply for commercial contractor licenses outside North Carolina.
Passing NASCLA does not automatically issue licenses in other jurisdictions. Applicants must still meet each licensing agency's application, financial, experience, and business-law requirements.
No. Passing NASCLA satisfies an accepted trade-examination component. Applicants must still complete the North Carolina application process, pass the required Business and Law exam, and satisfy applicable financial and licensing requirements.
The separate North Carolina Business and Law examination shown on this page applies to the NASCLA licensing path. Applicants taking the North Carolina state Building Contractor exam do not take it as a separate examination.
The North Carolina Residential Contractor path shown on this page requires one Residential Contractor examination. A separate Business and Law examination is not required for this path.
North Carolina general contractor licenses are issued with Limited, Intermediate, or Unlimited monetary limitations. These levels determine the maximum value of an individual project the contractor may undertake and have different financial qualification requirements.
Yes. Depending on the selected examination, available options may include course-only, bookset-only, tabset-only, individual books, regular course-and-book combos, and pre-highlighted and tabbed combos.
North Carolina contractor examinations may allow approved reference materials, but the permitted books and testing rules vary by examination. Review the current candidate bulletin before testing to confirm approved references, tab rules, testing time, and prohibited materials.
No. Passing the required examination is only one part of the licensing process. Applicants must also satisfy the applicable application, financial, business-entity, background, and licensing-board requirements.
Choose your North Carolina license path and find the online course, reference books, tabs, and complete study package you need.
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