North Carolina Contractor License Courses, Classes & Exam Prep

If just anyone were allowed to go around building houses, the quality of the properties would be very questionable. After all, skilled construction requires both experience and knowledge.  Even the most experienced contractors may not know all the state laws for their specific area. Fortunately, at Contractor Training Center, our task is to help you get to that understanding. We understand that you may not know all of the laws, regulations, and rules for your state. Our mission is to help you obtain a contractor license in NC.

If you don’t know all the laws just yet, don’t stress about it. This is why we are here. We will guide you through this tedious process. We aim to help you get your license as quickly and efficiently as possible. While you have to work for it, the result is gratifying. Plus, we will be guiding you through each step along the way.

The state of North Carolina provides many opportunities for people interested in operating their own contracting business. Our experienced team of knowledgeable, passionate specialists helps you find those opportunities. We help local contractors get their businesses started the right way. We know the process inside out. We are equipped with the best practice exams, resources, and tools needed to prepare you.

The benefits of having a contractor's license in North Carolina

Clients in this business will often ask to see a physical copy of your contractor’s license before they buy your service. This is because it will prove your credibility to them as a professional. A license shows them you have met all of the requirements and NC regulations and rules. All states have their own set of construction laws, and North Carolina is no different. To work on a project as a general contractor that will cost more than $30,000, you must hold a license issued by the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. The same goes for fire sprinklers, heating, electrical, and plumbing contractors.

Just to be safe, we recommend obtaining your license. The benefit of this is increased opportunities for big projects. Let’s say for example that your business gains momentum and a big project comes along. If that client wants to hire you, you won’t have to reject them simply because you lack a legal license.

Gives You Credibility

Having a license increases your credibility, allowing you to build trust with your clients. There are other ways to gain their trust, but this is a big part of establishing yourself and your business, especially if you're working with new customers.

Gives You A Higher Earning Potential

Consequently, there are larger projects that you can't perform without a contractor's license. With one, you can take on big assignments, get more jobs, and increase your profit. More often than not, clients will pay a higher price to a licensed contractor than unlicensed handypersons.

In North Carolina, you are not legally allowed to bid on any projects over $30,000 if you don't hold an active contractor's license. Don't limit yourself to small jobs by putting off obtaining your license - get started today and scale your business to new levels!

A contractor’s license significantly increases the earning potential for your business. Not only can you take on bigger projects. A license entails that clients are more willing to pay a higher price for your work and services.

If you decide against getting this valuable documentation, it can have consequences. The most serious is that you can get caught for performing work illegally. This gets you and your business in muddy water. It also discredits you. When clients hear you are not in good legal standing, they will disappear faster than you can blink. You can avoid this by getting your license with the help of our services.

License Requirements 

How to get a contractor’s license in North Carolina 

For most of the work that you end up conducting in the state, you will find having a contractor’s license extremely helpful and required if the project is valued over $40,000. This goes for anything from commercial construction to smaller residential projects. Getting licensed can help you avoid unnecessary legal problems. 

So how exactly do you get it? Based on your preference to work in the commercial and/or residential sector(s), you'll need to prepare for and pass the respective technical exam. 

In addition, you'll need to meet experience and financial requirements for your license class and submit an application to the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. 

Meet the initial requirements 

The type of business that you own determines what documents you need to send in with your application. Here is a list of what you need to send in depending on your situation: 

Sole Proprietorship 

For this ownership, you need a photocopy of your Certificate of Assumed Name. To get this, go to the Register of Deeds of the county where you will be running your business. 

Limited and General Partnerships 

This is similar to the previous option. You need a copy of the Certificate of Assumed Name. However, you also need to go to the NC Secretary of State to register your business. You’ll need to submit a copy of your Certificate of Limited Partnership or General Partnership Agreement. 

LLC Domestic Corporations 

For this, you’ll need the Certificate of Assumed Name from your designated county. You’ll also need to register your business with the Secretary of State. Additionally, you need a copy of your Articles of Organization or Articles of Incorporation. You must provide these with an official seal from the Secretary of State. 

LLC & Foreign Corporations 

The same requirements apply here as with Domestic Corporations. However, you also need a Certificate of Authority with the official seal.  

Determine the type of license you need 

There are three different license limitations in NC: 

Limited license 

This first-class is the most limited. With this option, you can bid for and work on any project below $750,000. To qualify for this license, your working capital must be a minimum of $17,000, $80,000 in total net worth, or a $175,000 surety bond.  

Intermediate License 

With is one, you can bid for and work on projects that are worth up to $1,500,000. You must have a minimum of $75,000 as your working capital or a $500,000 surety bond to qualify for this license. 

Unlimited License 

As the name suggests, there are no limits on the projects that you can bid for and work on with this option. However, to qualify for this license classification, your working capital must be a minimum of $150,000 or a $1,000,000 surety bond.  

In addition to the business requirements, you need to submit the following: 

• 3 Character References no more than 1 year old 
• Tax Identification Number 
• Background Check  
• Application Fee 

Submit the application 

At this point, you need to have filled out your application. You must have obtained all of your necessary documents. If you have these ready along with the application fee itself, you can submit the application. 

Make sure that you didn’t accidentally miss any of the sections of the application. Everybody makes mistakes on tedious paperwork – and that’s alright. But that’s also why it’s important to double-check. If something is missing, then the application will be incomplete. This will delay your process of obtaining a contractor license. 

The beginning of the month is when the application is due. This is because that is when the board typically reviews the applications that they receive. The first week of the following month is when they will actually look at it. For example, if you turn in your application within the first week of September, the board will review it in the first week of October. 

Assuming that everything was correct, you will later receive a letter of eligibility. With this letter, you are able to take the exam. 

This is where many contractors struggle and procrastinate and lose momentum right out of the gate. At Contractor Training Center, we offer our Application Fulfillment Service to help you past this hurdle. We will set up a Dropbox with you and put the correct documents in front of you, along with a checklist of the requirements. You will still need to fill them out as this is your information, and we don’t know it. We will answer all of your questions as you fill in all of the required information. Once everything is ready, we will review for accuracy and suggest editing where necessary. We save people time and frustration. You have one year from application submission to complete the entire process. 

Take the Exam 

Depending on the type of work you plan on doing in the area, there are various categories of work and specific exams for each one. These include: 

General Building 

This classification includes all construction building activity such as industrial, commercial, institutional, and residential. It also covers parking decks, paving, site work, driveways, gutters, sidewalks, and much more. 

• Number of Questions: 90 
• Required Passing Percentage: 70% 
• Time Allotted: 200 minutes 

Highway 

This covers all highway construction activity, including installation of artificial athletic surfaces in exterior locations, all kinds of paving, bridge repair and construction, relocation of utility lines, fencing, airport runway paving, and more. We have the NC Highway exam prep as this exam is partially open-book. We cover the books that are allowed in the testing room. 

• Number of Questions: 90 
• Required Passing Percentage: 70% 
• Time Allotted: 240 Minutes 

Residential 

This covers any residential unit construction, including all site work, sidewalks, driveways, wastewater systems, water systems, conforming to the building code of residential properties, and more. 

• Number of Questions: 90 
• Required Passing Percentage: 70% 
• Time Allotted: 210 minutes 

NASCLA 

This covers all Residential and Commercial work in North Carolina and is accepted in 16+ states. 

• Number of Questions: 115 
• Required Passing Percentage: 70% 
• Time Allotted: 330 Minutes