{"id":2460,"date":"2023-08-18T17:25:08","date_gmt":"2023-08-19T00:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/?p=2460"},"modified":"2023-09-18T18:02:52","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T01:02:52","slug":"how-to-get-your-general-building-contractor-license-in-california","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/contractorslicensingschools.com\/blog\/how-to-get-your-general-building-contractor-license-in-california\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Get Your General Building Contractor License In California"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Are you considering a career as a licensed general contractor in California?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Congratulations \u2013 <\/span>you\u2019re joining 100,000+ licensed general contractors in the state<\/span><\/a> working to build everything from new apartments to interchanges on the I-5. These are people who have put in the time and effort to become experts at general contracting and you should be honored to even consider joining their ranks.<\/span><\/p>\n

The path to becoming a licensed general contractor in California is somewhat long, and it can be difficult \u2013 especially if you don\u2019t prepare yourself with <\/span>knowledge and expert guidance along the way<\/span><\/a> \u2013 but it\u2019s far from impossible, even for people who never got along with traditional school and learning pathways.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this article, you\u2019ll find the <\/span>essential<\/span><\/i> information you\u2019ll need to get your California Contractor State Licensing Board (CSLB) general contractor license!<\/span><\/p>\n

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General Contractor License: The CSLB Class \u201cB\u201d License<\/span><\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re a general contractor in California, you <\/b>must<\/i><\/b> hold a CSLB Class \u201cB\u201d License to do your job.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

The State of California requires anyone who oversees the construction, remodeling, and repair of residential and commercial structures to hold a Class B General Contractor License. This license allows you to oversee and manage all trades involved in a project, such as electrical, plumbing, and HVAC work \u2013 but not perform any of the work yourself.<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, a “B” license holder cannot perform electrical work like installing wiring, nor can they even do less complex work, such as painting large spaces.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are exceptions though. It is possible for a general contractor to do the work if they hold the appropriate specialty license (<\/span>a Class “C” specialty license<\/span><\/a>). They can, of course, also subcontract a licensed specialty contractor to perform the work (<\/span>duh<\/span><\/i>, you say!).<\/span><\/p>\n

Examples of projects a “B” license holder can undertake include:<\/span><\/p>\n