Scope of Work for Certified General Contractor (CGC)
Florida Statutes 489.105:
A "General Contractor" is a contractor whose scope of work involves the construction, alteration, repair, improvement, or demolition of any size structure or building, unlimited in height or square footage. A Certified General Contractor holds the highest level of commercial and residential building authority in the State of Florida.
The scope of work includes, but is not limited to, commercial structures, high-rise buildings, multi-family residential complexes, industrial facilities, single-family homes, and all accessory structures. A General Contractor may perform all work governed by Division 1 and most specialty trades or subcontract specialized work to appropriately licensed contractors.
Note: This is an unlimited Division 1 contractor license valid throughout the entire state of Florida.
Florida Statutes governing the GC
Qualifications for practice; restrictions - F.S. Chapter 489.105(3)(a)
A general contractor shall be responsible for any construction or alteration of a structural component of a building or structure, and any certified general contractor may perform clearing and grubbing, grading, excavation, and other site work for any construction project in the state
Roofing Exception - F.S. Chapter 489.113(b)
A general contractor shall not be required to subcontract the installation, or repair made under warranty, of wood shingles, wood shakes, or asphalt or fiberglass shingle roofing materials on a new building of his or her own construction.
Swimming Pool Exception - F.S. Chapter 489.113(c)
A general contractor shall not be required to subcontract structural swimming pool work. All other swimming pool work shall be subcontracted to an appropriately licensed certified or registered swimming pool contractor.
Underground Utility & Excavation Exception Exception - F.S. Chapter 489.113(d)
A general contractor shall not be required to subcontract the construction of a main sanitary sewer collection system, storm collection system, or water distribution system, not including the continuation of utility lines from the mains to the buildings, and may perform any of the services, on public or private property, for which a license as an underground utility and excavation contractor is required under this part.
Learn how to become a Florida Certified General Contractor (CGC). Explore commercial building experience requirements, Florida Statutes Chapter 489, and step-by-step CILB application approval assistance.
Certified General Contractor (CGC) Exam Requirements
You must pass three (3) trade and business exams with a score of 70% or better on each exam:
Contract Administration Exam: 4.5 hours | 60 scored questions (Focuses on contract clauses, insurance, bonds, liens, and payments).
Project Management Exam: 4.5 hours | 60 scored questions (Focuses on concrete, masonry, safety, site prep, and plan reading)
Business & Finance Exam: 6.5 hours | 120 scored questions (Focuses on accounting, legal, credit, contracts, Financial Statements, depreciation, and financial ratios)
Need help passing your exams? Prepare with Florida Construction Academy's CGC Exam Prep Courses (https://www.passflexam.com)
How to Register and Schedule your Exams
How to Register to Take your Exams (with Professional Testing)
Website: www.FloridaExam.com
Phone: (407) 264-0562
'Register' for all of your exams at the same time. You can 'schedule' test dates later.
Let the company pay for it. It cost $135 to register and takes about 2 weeks before you're in the system. You'll receive an email from Pearson Vue with your Authorization to Test and Candidate ID number.
Schedule your Exams (with PearsonVue)
Website: www.PearsonVue.com
Phone: (888)204-6230
It takes about 10 days to receive your Candidate ID number to schedule. You can test at any PearsonVue test centers in the US. Once you have your Candidate ID# you'll make a PearsonVue account. Once logged in you can pick your preferred location, check for availability, and schedule your test dates.
Qualifications & Commercial Work Experience for CGC Licensure
Method of Qualification
A minimum of 4-years of any combination of the following; at least 1-year must be supervisory experience as a Foreman or higher.
College - will count up to 3-years worth of work experience. Any college is acceptable, it does NOT have to be a Construction related degree.
Work History - The most common reason for denial. We specialize in making sure the Employment History write up meets the requirements of the DBPR for fast approval.
Military - will count up to 3-years worth of work experience, you'll need to produce the DD214
Required Work Experience Areas (Commercial / Multi-Story)
To qualify for a Certified General Contractor license, your work history must demonstrate hands-on or supervisory experience in at least 4 of the following core structural areas (with 1 year of experience on NEW habitiable buildings exceeding 3 stories commercial construction)
Commercial experience must be in four or more of the following structural elements:
✅ Foundations or Slabs in excess of twenty thousand (20,000) square feet: Formwork, layout, rebar placement, slab/footing pours, or pile driving.
✅ Masonry walls: Concrete block or brick walls, tie beams, lintels, and grouted cells
✅ Steel erection: Structural columns, beams, girders and joist framing
✅ Elevated slabs: Structural post-tensioned, pan deck, or composite elevated concrete decks.
✅ Column erection: Cast in place reinforced concrete, steel, or wood columns.
✅ Formwork for structural reinforced concrete. Formboard assembly and bracing.
Additions count at NEW
Any building with 4 separate dwelling units is considered a Commercial Building (even condos and residential apartment buildings are 'commercial').
Good Moral Character
🚨 Don't worry, Criminal History is rarely a reason for denial. Any crimes outside of 5-years CAN'T be used against you unless its a 'Forceable Felony'. You still have to provide the details and explanation of all crimes.
Credit Report Requirements for Florida GC General Contractors
Personal credit report for the Qualifying Agent (the Applicant) Requires a FICO 660
Business credit report for the Company to Qualified
The company needs to be registered with the Florida Division of Corporations (Sunbiz) http://sunbiz.org/ *All credit reports are valid for 6 months
If you don't have the FICO 660 you can take a 14-hour financial responsibility course to meet the requirements. Bonds are no longer accepted for the Qualifying Agents, the only Bond that remains is for the Financially Responsible Officer.
We always recommend a Financially Responsible Officer (FRO) if the Qualifying Agent is NOT an owner of the business.
Application Processing
We write your commercial work history to match DBPR expectations and ensure your application passes on initial board review. Here are 2 of the most common GC initial applications:
CILB 5 - Individual Application: When you elect to qualify as an Individual, you can go Active or Inactive.
You can't advertise as a company if you're licensed as an individual.
If you select Inactive you don't have to carry insurance, but you can't pull permits either.
CILB 6 - Qualify a Business: Used when qualifying a corporation, LLC, or partnership. This is the most common application. We can assist you in setting up the company with Florida's Division of Corporations.
Insurance Requirements
for Certified General Contractors
For Public Liability & Property Damage, the rates are based on your Sales or yearly payroll. Here are the minimum requirements for this license category.
Public Liability: $300,000
Property Damage: $500,000
For Workers Compensation, you can elect to be exempt for now.
Workers Comp exemptions: Exemptions (myfloridacfo.com) You have up to 30 days after the license has been issued to get the WC. The construction industry Workers Comp Exemption cost $50 and is valid for 2 years. Maximum of 3 officers can elect to be exempt.
Why Choose Application Specialist
We're experts at getting applications approved quickly and efficiently on the initial review. This saves you time and allows you to get to work sooner. We know exactly what the DBPR CILB is looking for. We offer a price match guarantee. We complete a mock board review to ensure the application will be approved without issue. We're also a state provider of Continuing Education for the Construction Industry Licensing Board: Application Specialist DBPR provider: PVD#1573. Our customers receive a discount on all future CE courses.
* See more details on our Services page.