California B-General Building Contractor (Trade Exam)

📝 Select Your Course Format:

Please choose the format that best suits your learning style and needs, and take advantage of our comprehensive study materials to prepare effectively for your (B) General Building Contractor trade exam:

• eCourse: Online Manual: (Read Only) + A/V & Testing:

  • The Course is 100% Online
  • Online Manual (not printable)
  • Online A/V (Audio/Video)
  • Online Practice Testing

• or Printed Manual + Online A/V & Testing:

  • Printed Manual
  • Online A/V (Audio/Video)
  • Online Practice Testing

• or Printed Manual + CDs, DVDs, & Online Testing:

  • Printed Manual
  • CDs & DVDs
  • Online Practice Testing

Included In Each Course Format:

Each of our B-General Building Contractor License Trade Exam Courses includes the following:

• Trade-Specific Manuals or eManuals: Comprehensive guides covering all relevant topics.
• Audio Lectures: Listen to expert insights and explanations.
• Video Lectures: Visualize key concepts through video content.
• Flash Card Mode: Test your knowledge with Virtual Flashcards.
• Online Practice Exams: Take multiple-timed practice exams.

📖 California B-General Building Contractor Exam Trade Manual

The California B General Building exam manual briefly covers essential topics of the California Gen-B exam’s trade section.

• Broad Coverage: This manual provides a concise overview of essential topics for the California B-General Building exam’s trade section, including concrete, carpentry, roofing, masonry, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC.
• Code Summaries: Gain insights from summarized sections of the California Building Code, the California Electrical Code, the California Plumbing Code, the California Mechanical Code, and Title 8 Health & Safety Orders.

Inside The Study Guide:

• Math Review: Get a solid foundation with an introduction to construction math, covering estimating formulas, measurement units, elementary geometry, and the architect’s scale.
• General Trade Knowledge: This section provides the basic trade information needed to pass the General (B) trade exam.
• Health and Safety: Become familiar with Title 8 and other essential safety regulations and practices.
• B-General Exam Review Questions: Read and understand each question and read every word of the explanation. The principle behind the question is your key to success.

🎧 Audio/Video Lectures

• Flexible Formats: Choose between streaming online audio & video files or opt for CDs & DVDs.
• Expert Instruction: Learn from instructors with decades of experience, covering key General B exam concepts in depth. Lectures include Math Formulas, Plans & Specifications, General Building Knowledge & Review Questions, and Title 8 Health & Safety Orders.

⏱ Latest Online B-General Building Study Questions and Online Practice Exams

Virtual Flashcards:

• Randomized Questions: Keep your study sessions fresh and engaging via online flashcards.
• Progress Tracking: Know where you stand and what you’ve mastered.
• Exclude Mastered Questions: Focus only on what you need to learn.

Trade Practice Exams and Updated Questions:

• Eight-Timed General Exams: Each practice exam consists of 100 questions, allowing you to practice under timed conditions. *Includes an updated exam with the most current questions.
• Two Title 8 Health & Safety Tests: Each specialized test is to ensure you’re prepared for all aspects of the General B exam.
• Inclusive Trade Practice Questions: Each course includes practice questions complete with questions, answers, and in-depth explanations to deepen your understanding of trade concepts.
• Updated Questions: Stay current with the latest General Building, Health and safety, and trade-specific updates.
• Test & Expand Knowledge: Our questions are designed not just to test your existing knowledge but to expand upon it through detailed explanations.

• Free Form Review: Request a free review of your completed contractor exam application to ensure it’s error-free before you submit it to the state.
• Direct Assistance: All students enrolled in our B-General Building course can call us at (866) 685-8564 or email support@thompsonlearningco.com for personalized assistance in completing the application.

One-Year Unlimited Access

• All-Inclusive Resources: Gain unrestricted access to all online eManuals, audio/video materials, and practice exams.
• 365 Days of Access: Unlike other schools that limit you to 30, 90, or 180 days, we offer a full year of access to all online course materials, ensuring you have ample time to prepare.

The B-General Building Exam: Five Major Sections

Section 1. Planning and Estimation (17%)

• The scope of work and code compliance
• Design and construction error identification
• Shop drawings, plans, and specifications
• Field inspection performance
• Coordination of project
• Cost estimation for materials, equipment, and labor

Section 2. Framing and Structural Components (22%)

• Subfloor and wall framing
• Roof framing
• Seismic and load requirements
• Siding and stucco
• Decks

Section 3. Core Trades (30%)

• Plumbing
• Electrical
• HVAC
• Concrete
• Earthwork and surveying
• Insulation, acoustic, and weatherproofing
• Roofing

Section 4. Finish Trades (19%)

• Painting, staining, coating, and interior wall covering
• Tile and stone
• Floor covering
• Cabinetry and millwork
• Plaster, drywall, and ceilings
• Windows, skylights, and doors
• Landscaping

Section 5. Safety (12%)

• Personnel safety
• Transportation and traffic control
• Environmental safety

*Percentages are approximate

📚B-General Engineering Exam Source Material:

The CSLB utilizes the following publications to create the General (B) Building exam. California codebooks are online at https://www.dgs.ca.gov/bsc or purchased directly from the publishers.

2022 California Building Code. Title 24. International Code Council.
Phone: (800) 786-4452.
Free Access: https://www.dgs.ca.gov/BSC/Codes
Purchase: http://www.iccsafe.org

2022 California Electrical Code. California Code of Regulations, Title 24. BNI Publications, Inc.
Phone: (888) 264-2665
Free Access: https://www.dgs.ca.gov/BSC/Codes
Purchase: http://www.bnibooks.com

2022 California Energy Code. California Code of Regulations, Title 24. International Code Council
Phone: (800) 786-4452
Free Access: https://www.dgs.ca.gov/BSC/Codes
Purchase: http://www.iccsafe.org

2022 California Fire Code. California Code of Regulations, Title 24. International Code Council.
Phone: (800) 786-4452
Free Access: https://www.dgs.ca.gov/BSC/Codes
Purchase: http://www.iccsafe.org

2022 California Green Building Standards Code. California Code of Regulations, Title 24. International Code Council.
Phone: (800) 786-4452
Free Access: https://www.dgs.ca.gov/BSC/Codes
Purchase: http://www.iccsafe.org

2022 California Mechanical Code. Title 24. International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO).
PHONE: (909) 472-4100
Free Access: https://www.dgs.ca.gov/BSC/Codes
Purchase: http://www.iapmo.org

2022 California Plumbing Code. Title 24. International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO).
Phone: (909) 472-4100
Free Access: https://www.dgs.ca.gov/BSC/Codes
Purchase: www.iapmo.org

2022 California Residential Code. California Code of Regulations, Title 24. International Code Council.
Phone: (800) 786-4452
Free Access: https://www.dgs.ca.gov/BSC/Codes
Purchase: http://www.iccsafe.org

Architectural Woodwork Standards. Woodwork Institute, Architectural Woodwork Institute, and Architectural Woodwork Manufacturers Association of Canada.
PHONE: (916) 372-9943
INTERNET: www.woodworkinstitute.com

California Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways: Revision 4. The State of California, Department of Transportation, Caltrans.
Phone: (916) 654-2852
Free Access: https://dot.ca.gov/manuals

California Vehicle Code. State of California Department of Motor Vehicles.
Free Access: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes.xhtml

Fundamentals of Building Construction Materials and Methods; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.}
Phone: (877) 762-2974.
Purchase: http://www.wiley.com

Modern Carpentry. Goodheart-Willcox.
Phone: (800) 323-0440
Purchase: http://www.g-w.com

Olin’s Construction Principles, Materials, and Methods; John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Phone: (877) 762-2974.
Purchase: http://www.wiley.com

State of California General Industry & Electrical Safety Orders (Cal/OSHA) and State of California Construction & Electrical Safety Orders (Cal/OSHA). 2023. California Code of Regulations, Title 8. Mancomm.
Phone: (877) 626-2666
Free Access: https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/LawsAndRegulations.htm 
Purchase: http://www.mancomm.com

*Publisher information is current as of 1/23

🔍CSLB Scope for the B-General Building Contractor Classification

Business & Professions Code
Division 3, Chapter 9. Contractors, Article 4. Classifications

7057. (a) Except as provided in this section, a general building contractor is a contractor whose principal contracting business is in connection with any structure built, being built, or to be built for the support, shelter, and enclosure of persons, animals, chattels, or movable property of any kind, requiring in its construction the use of at least two unrelated building trades or crafts, or to do or superintend the whole or any part thereof.

This does not include anyone who merely furnishes materials or supplies under Section 7045 without fabricating them into, or consuming them in the performance of the work of the general building contractor.

(b) A general building contractor may take a prime contract or a subcontract for a framing or carpentry project. However, a general building contractor shall not take a prime contract for any project involving trades other than framing or carpentry unless the prime contract requires at least two unrelated building trades or crafts other than framing or carpentry or unless the general building contractor holds the appropriate license classification or subcontracts with an appropriately licensed specialty contractor to perform the work. A general building contractor shall not take a subcontract involving trades other than framing or carpentry unless the subcontract requires at least two unrelated trades or crafts other than framing or carpentry or unless the general building contractor holds the appropriate license classification. The general building contractor may not count framing or carpentry in calculating the two unrelated trades necessary in order for the general building contractor to be able to take a prime contract or subcontract for a project involving other trades.

(c) No general building contractor shall contract for any project that includes the “C-16” Fire Protection classification as provided for in Section 7026.12 or the “C-57” Well Drilling classification as provided for in Section 13750.5 of the Water Code unless the general building contractor holds the specialty license, or subcontracts with the appropriately licensed specialty contractor.

(Amended by Stats. 1997, Chapter 812 (SB 857).)