Trade reference list shown is the DBPR list valid January through December 2026
Florida Underground Utility and Excavation Contractor License Exam Prep
Two exams, 70 percent to pass, one statewide CUC license
Prepare for both required Florida certified underground utility and excavation contractor examinations with current reference books, book-navigation training, practice questions, timed simulations, and licensing support.
Short answer
To earn Florida's certified underground utility and excavation contractor license, commonly called the CUC license, you must pass the Underground Utility Trade Knowledge examination (80 scored questions, five hours) and the Business and Finance examination (120 scored questions, 6.5 hours), each with at least 70 percent, then meet the Construction Industry Licensing Board requirements for experience, financial responsibility, fingerprinting, insurance, and fees.
Both examinations are computer based and open book, using only the references approved for the examination year. This is a Division II license, so candidates take two parts rather than the three-part examination used for general, building, and residential contractors.
Fast facts
Florida CUC License at a Glance
The numbers candidates ask for most. Verify each against the current DBPR materials before you register, apply, or order books.
- License type
- Certified underground utility and excavation contractor, a Division II construction license
- Geographic scope
- Statewide. A registered contractor is restricted to the jurisdictions supported by a local certificate of competency
- Exams required
- Underground Utility Trade Knowledge and Business and Finance
- Passing score
- 70 percent on each part
- Trade exam
- 80 equally weighted questions in five hours, an average of 3.75 minutes per question
- Business and Finance
- 120 scored questions in 6.5 hours, an average of 3.25 minutes per question
- Format
- Computer based and open book, with approved references only
- Registration
- Professional Testing registers construction candidates. Pearson VUE schedules approved candidates
- Experience
- Four years of worker and foreman experience, or an approved combination of college credit and experience
- Experience areas
- Five listed areas, with three of five supporting administrative approval
- Examination period
- Four years, beginning with the first scheduled examination date
- Score validity
- The license must be obtained within four years after receiving the examination score
| Exam | Scored questions | Time | Format | Passing score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Underground Utility Trade Knowledge | 80 | 5 hours | Computer based, open book | 70% |
| Business and Finance | 120 | 6.5 hours | Computer based, open book | 70% |
Underground utility is a Division II category, so applicants take Trade Knowledge and Business and Finance rather than the three-part examination used for general, building, and residential contractors. Do not plan from a general contractor product table or three-exam description.
Scope questions
What the Underground Utility License Covers
What is a Florida certified underground utility and excavation contractor?
A certified underground utility and excavation contractor may contract statewide within the scope established by section 489.105, Florida Statutes.
The license covers specified main water, sanitary sewer, and storm sewer systems on public or private property, including open excavation and multiple trenchless installation methods. The certified credential is statewide, while a registered contractor is limited to the jurisdictions supported by the local certificate of competency.
What work does the statutory scope include?
Construction, installation, and repair involving:
- Main sanitary sewer collection systems
- Main water distribution systems
- Storm sewer collection systems
- Directional drilling
- Auger boring
- Jacking and boring
- Other trenchless technologies
- Wet and dry taps
- Grouting and slip lining
- Continuation of utility lines from main systems to specified termination points
Termination points are defined precisely. Water lines run through the meter location for an individual occupancy. Sewer collection lines run through the property-line termination for residential or single-occupancy commercial property, and multioccupancy sewer lines run through the manhole or engineered wye-lateral termination. Storm sewer systems run through storm sewer structures.
Can a CUC contractor perform site work?
Yes. Certified underground utility and excavation contractors may perform clearing, grubbing, grading, excavation, and other site work for construction projects under section 489.113, subject to other applicable laws and scopes.
That is worth knowing before you bid, because sitework and underground utility are not the same thing. Sitework is a broad commercial term covering grading, clearing, paving preparation, drainage, and utilities. The license is tied specifically to main utility systems and the continuation points above. When the classification is unclear, confirm it with DBPR rather than assume.
Can the contractor install electrical conduit?
Only empty conduit, and only under specific conditions. The license permits installation of empty underground conduits in rights-of-way, easements, and platted rights-of-way in new site development, plus sleeves for parking-lot crossings no smaller than two inches in diameter, when all of the following apply:
- The conduit system is designed by a licensed professional engineer or an authorized municipal, county, or public-utility employee
- The work does not include conductor wiring
- The work does not include connection to an energized electrical system
Can the contractor install fire-protection piping?
No. The license does not authorize installation of piping that becomes an integral part of a fire-protection system, from the point where the piping is used exclusively for that system. That work belongs to a fire protection contractor.
Step by step
How to Get the Florida Underground Utility License
Eight steps, in the order DBPR and the board expect them. Note that examination registration and licensing eligibility are handled by different bodies.
1
Confirm the license scope
Compare your intended water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, excavation, and trenchless work with the statutory scope. Identify the excluded fire-protection and energized-electrical work before you plan around it.
2
Audit your experience
Select a qualification pathway and map your employment records to the five underground utility experience areas. Confirm at least one year of foreman experience when the pathway requires it.
3
Apply for examination registration
Construction candidates apply through Professional Testing, Inc. Professional Testing registers candidates and develops and scores the examinations, but it does not issue licenses or determine final licensing eligibility.
4
Obtain the current references
Use the DBPR reference list for your exact examination year. The trade list on this page is valid January through December 2026. See the reference list below.
5
Study both examinations
Prepare separately for Trade Knowledge and Business and Finance. Practice with the same legal books and tab layout you plan to carry on exam day.
6
Schedule through Pearson VUE
After approval, schedule the computer-based examinations through Pearson VUE. Current construction examinations other than plumbing are offered in computer-based format.
7
Pass all required parts
Earn at least 70 percent on Trade Knowledge and Business and Finance. The four-year examination period begins with the first scheduled examination date, and all required parts must be passed within it.
8
Apply for the license
After passing, submit the correct CILB 5-N or CILB 6-N application with experience, credit, fingerprint, insurance, workers' compensation, background, and fee documentation. Application assistance is available.
Trade exam
What Is on the Underground Utility Trade Knowledge Exam?
The five-hour trade examination contains 80 equally weighted questions. The official content outline allocates them approximately as follows, and DBPR notes each percentage may vary by up to three points.
Pre-Installation20%
Excavating, Backfill, and Compaction20%
Pipe Installation and Repairs15%
Piping, Valves, and Fittings15%
Testing, Disinfecting, and Job Closeout10%
Equipment10%
Traffic Control5%
Drainage Systems5%
| Content area | Weight | What to study |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Installation | 20% | Site inspection, estimating, shop drawings, codes, utility location, soil, groundwater, erosion control, material handling |
| Excavating, Backfill, and Compaction | 20% | Trenching, shoring, dewatering, pavement removal, backfill, compaction, soil testing |
| Pipe Installation and Repairs | 15% | Ductile iron, PVC, concrete, and other piping systems, directional boring, jacking and boring, slip lining |
| Piping, Valves, and Fittings | 15% | Taps, restraints, thrust blocks, hydrants, meters, valves, fittings, supports, cathodic protection |
| Testing, Disinfecting, and Job Closeout | 10% | Gravity and pressure testing, leakage, infiltration, flushing, disinfection, bacteriological sampling, as-builts, operating manuals |
| Equipment | 10% | Excavators, trenchers, compactors, pumps, loaders, cranes, rigging, boring equipment, safety |
| Traffic Control | 5% | Maintenance of traffic, signage, barriers, flagging, roadway safety |
| Drainage Systems | 5% | Storm drainage systems, structures, slopes, capacities, connections |
Candidates must also read plans, specifications, and codes and perform basic mathematics involving area, volume, fractions, decimals, percentages, triangles, square roots, powers, and simple algebra. Pre-installation and excavation together are 40 percent of the exam, and pipe installation plus piping and fittings add another 30 percent.
Trench quantities and excavation volume
Backfill and compaction
Pipe slope and invert elevation
Flow and pressure
Thrust restraint
Concrete quantities
Production rates and estimating
Soil and groundwater conditions
Shoring and trench boxes
Dewatering
OSHA trenching and excavation
Utility location and damage prevention
Business and Finance
What Is on the Business and Finance Exam?
What does Business and Finance cover?
The examination contains 120 scored questions and allows 6.5 hours. The major content areas are:
- Establishing the contracting business
- Managing administrative duties
- Managing trade operations
- Conducting accounting functions
- Managing human resources
- Complying with government regulations
Within those areas, study bidding, contracts, lien law, insurance, payroll, taxes, project scheduling, purchasing, safety records, accounting, financial statements, employment practices, and regulatory compliance. This is the same examination other Division II contractors take, so passing it also counts if you later add another classification. Full detail sits on the Business and Finance exam prep page.
Does one package cover both exams?
Not always. A trade-reference set alone is not the complete library for both examinations.
Before buying anything described as covering everything required, confirm whether it includes both the trade references and the Business and Finance references, or whether the business books are sold separately.
Approved references
Florida Underground Utility Exam Books for 2026
The DBPR trade list valid January through December 2026 includes the titles below. Several are permitted as bound PDFs, so review the official list for exact binding requirements before you print anything.
| Trade Knowledge reference (2026) | Used for | Study priority |
|---|---|---|
| Pipe and Excavation Contracting, 2011 | Core trade fundamentals across excavation and pipe work | Very high |
| OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926, July 1, 2025 | Trenching, excavation, equipment, and jobsite safety | Very high |
| Installation Guide for Ductile Iron Pipe, 2024 | Ductile iron pipe installation | High |
| AWWA C900, PVC Pressure Pipe and Fabricated Fittings, 4 to 60 inches, 2022 | PVC pressure pipe and fittings | High |
| Handbook of PVC Pipe Design and Construction, 5th Edition, 2012 | PVC pipe design and construction | High |
| Walker's Building Estimator's Reference Book, 33rd Edition, 2024 | Quantities, estimating, production | High |
| Damage Prevention Guide, with Florida Statutes Chapter 556, 2020 | Utility location and safe digging | High |
| FDOT 555-Directional Bore, 2025-2026 | Directional bore work | High |
| FDOT 556-Jack and Bore, 2025-2026 | Jack and bore work | High |
| Concrete Pipe and Box Culvert Installation, 2007-2019 | Concrete drainage systems and culverts | Medium |
| Utility Accommodation Manual, 2017 | Right-of-way utility work | Medium |
| Florida Building Code, Plumbing, 2023 | Code interpretation and crossover topics | Medium |
Title correction worth checking on your product pages: the two FDOT items are not both directional-bore manuals. The first is 555-Directional Bore and the second is 556-Jack and Bore. Product copy that lists both as directional bore should be corrected.
Do I need every 2026 trade book?
Candidates are strongly encouraged to use every approved reference relevant to the tested content. Confirm the complete list and editions before buying, since edition changes alter tables, sections, and page numbers.
Can I use an older edition?
The official list says earlier or later editions may be brought at the candidate's risk, while exam answers are based on the listed editions. Testing with the listed editions is the safer strategy.
Are pre-tabbed books required?
No. Permanent tabs are allowed, but pre-tabbed and highlighted books are a product option rather than a state requirement. You can prepare compliant books yourself. What a prepared set buys you is time, not eligibility.
Open-book rules
What You Can and Cannot Bring
Open book does not mean unrestricted. These are the rules for 2026 construction examinations.
Allowed
- Approved references only, one copy of each
- Original editions, unless the reference list authorizes a PDF
- Authorized PDFs printed and bound using an accepted binding method
- Underlining and highlighting done before exam day
- Permanently attached tabs with normal chapter or page headings
Not allowed
- Handwritten and typewritten notes
- Removable tabs, flags, and pull-off labels
- Writing tablets and electronic tablets
- Marking references during the examination
- References not approved for the examination
Study strategy
How to Prepare for the Florida CUC Exams
On a timed open-book exam, reference routing decides outcomes as much as trade knowledge does. Build both.
Acquire the books early
Edition changes can alter tables, sections, and page numbers. Use the references valid for your planned examination date, and give yourself time to learn how each one is organized before you start memorizing anything.
Learn reference routing
For each topic, know which book is most likely to contain the answer. Practice moving from the question to the reference, then to the standard, table, or specification. A ductile iron question and a PVC pressure question go to different books, and knowing that instantly is the skill being tested.
Practice calculations
Study trench quantities, excavation volume, backfill, compaction, pipe slope, invert elevation, flow, pressure, thrust restraint, concrete quantities, production rates, and estimating. Check your units before selecting an answer, because unit errors are a common way to lose points you should have earned.
Use timed simulations
Trade Knowledge averages 3.75 minutes per scored question and Business and Finance averages 3.25 minutes. Practice reserving time for calculations and multi-step lookups, since those run well past the average.
Study the license scope
Know the permitted main systems, the termination points, the empty-conduit conditions, and the fire-protection exclusion. Scope questions appear on the exam and they matter in the field.
Prepare compliant books
Use permanent tabs and legal highlighting. Remove all notes and removable markers before exam day, because losing the use of a key reference on the trade exam is close to disqualifying.
Weeks 1 to 2
Setup and scope
- Exam rules and reference list
- License scope and termination points
- Tab and highlight every reference
- First lookup drills
Weeks 3 to 4
Pre-installation
- Plans, specifications, shop drawings, codes
- Utility location and damage prevention
- Soil, groundwater, erosion control
- Estimating and material handling
Weeks 5 to 6
Excavation and safety
- Trenching, shoring, dewatering
- Backfill, compaction, soil testing
- OSHA trenching and excavation
- Traffic control and maintenance of traffic
Weeks 7 to 8
Pipe and components
- Ductile iron, PVC, concrete pipe
- Directional boring, jack and bore, slip lining
- Valves, fittings, hydrants, restraints
- Thrust blocks and cathodic protection
Weeks 9 to 10
Testing and business
- Pressure and gravity testing, disinfection
- As-builts, manuals, closeout
- Drainage systems and equipment
- Business and Finance content
Weeks 11 to 12
Timed simulation
- Full timed practice for both exams
- Weak-area drills by content weight
- Calculation practice under the clock
- Exam-day logistics and checklist
Eligibility
Florida Underground Utility License Requirements
Applicants for initial certification generally must satisfy all of the following. Verify the current application instructions for your exact pathway.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Age | At least 18 years old |
| Examinations | Pass both state examination parts with at least 70 percent |
| Experience | Meet one approved education and experience pathway, with documented underground utility experience |
| Fingerprints | Submit electronic fingerprints after the licensure application, through an FDLE-registered Livescan provider |
| Credit report | A qualifying credit report for active status, with a FICO-derived score |
| Public records | Address liens, judgments, or bankruptcy records when applicable |
| Insurance | At least $100,000 public liability and $25,000 property damage for this category |
| Workers' compensation | Coverage or a valid exemption, with an attestation to obtain it within 30 days if not in place at issuance |
| Fees and application | Pay applicable fees and file the correct individual or business-qualifier application |
| Timing | Obtain the license within four years after receiving the examination score |
What experience pathways does Florida accept?
Applicants must select one qualifying method:
- A four-year construction-related degree from an accredited college, treated as three years of experience, plus one year of proven experience in the underground utility category
- One year as a foreman plus at least three years of accredited college-level credit
- One year as a worker, one year as a foreman, and two years of accredited college-level credit
- Two years as a worker, one year as a foreman, and one year of accredited college-level credit
- Four years as a worker or foreman, including at least one year as a foreman
Military applicants may qualify through designated combinations of military service, worker experience, and foreman experience. A worker is a person who learned the trade through active experience and can command the rate of a mechanic in that trade. A foreman is in charge of a group of workers and usually reports to a superintendent, contractor, or equivalent.
Which experience areas should I document?
The current CILB 5-N application identifies five areas: main sanitary sewer collection systems, excavation and earthwork, main water distribution systems, trenchless installations, and storm sewer collection systems.
Applicants who document three of these five through their combined employment history may have their experience approved administratively. Applicants with fewer than three may still be considered, but the Construction Industry Licensing Board must review whether the experience is satisfactory. That difference is worth planning around, since board review adds time.
Can I take the exam before completing the experience requirement?
Examination registration focuses on examination approval and does not guarantee licensing eligibility. You can pass both exams and still be denied a license for insufficient experience.
Professional Testing does not decide licensing eligibility, and passing does not cure an experience deficiency. Because all required parts must be completed within the examination period and the license must be obtained within the score-validity period, confirm that your experience timeline can support licensure before you invest in testing.
What are the financial responsibility requirements?
Active applicants must submit a credit report from a nationally recognized agency that includes a FICO-derived score, states that local, state, and federal public records were checked, and shows whether unsatisfied judgments or liens exist.
Financial stability is demonstrated by a FICO score of at least 660. Under the current CILB 5-N individual application, an applicant with a score below 660 must complete an approved 14-hour financial responsibility course. Proof of satisfaction or discharge is required for applicable liens, judgments, and bankruptcies.
Is a $10,000 bond required below 660?
The current individual application does not state that universal requirement. Older school copy commonly repeats a blanket bond or letter of credit claim for every sub-660 Division II applicant. Follow the current application and Rule 61G4-15.006 for the exact active-status pathway.
Does passing guarantee a license?
No. The board separately evaluates experience, education, financial responsibility, fingerprints, insurance, background, and application completeness.
After licensure
Renewal, Continuing Education, and Endorsement
Is continuing education required?
Certified contractors generally complete board-approved continuing education each biennium. Verify current hours, mandatory topics, deadlines, and exemptions on the DBPR renewal page rather than relying on a fixed number.
Does Florida have reciprocity for underground utility contractors?
Certification by endorsement may be available when statutory and board requirements are satisfied, but it is not automatic reciprocity. Review the current endorsement requirements for your state and credentials rather than assuming there is no pathway.
Is exam prep required to sit for the exams?
No course is legally required to sit for the examinations. Structured preparation improves reference routing, calculation speed, and pacing, which are the things a timed open-book exam actually measures.
Preparation options
Florida Underground Utility Exam Prep From 1 Exam Prep
Choose the option that matches your experience and the references you already own. Confirm current price, access period, included editions, shipping, and return terms on each product page.
Trade Knowledge online course
Self paced
- Built for the Underground Utility Trade Knowledge exam
- Highlighting and tabbing instructions
- Book-specific quizzes and practice questions
- Test-taking techniques for open-book exams
Ultimate exam prep rental package
Most complete preparation
- Reference set plus course access
- Live and recorded instruction
- Practice exams and timed simulations
- Licensing application support
The 1 Package
Licensing and business setup
- Exam prep and book rentals
- Licensing application handling
- Business formation support
- One path from studying to contracting
Live virtual and self-study training
Instructor led
- Live virtual classes with instructor support
- Self-study material for between sessions
- Structure and accountability
- Good fit for retakers
Complete book set
Approved trade references
- The trade reference set for the exam
- Clean copies you tab and highlight yourself
- Confirm editions against the current DBPR list
Book set, highlighted and tabbed
Exam ready on arrival
- Permanent tabs and highlighting done in advance
- Saves setup hours before exam day
- Allow extra time for fulfillment
Book rental
Refundable deposit
- The reference set without buying outright
- Choose your rental period at checkout
- Return in similar condition for the deposit
Cram course
Focused review
- Condensed review across the content areas
- Practice questions and simulations
- Useful before a scheduled test date
Not sure which pieces you need? Call 877-757-5405 and an advisor will review which references you already own, whether your package covers both exams, and which experience pathway your records support.
Where to go next
Florida Licensing Resources, Tier by Tier
This page sits inside a wider Florida licensing library. The hub above covers every classification, the pages beside this one cover related trades and the shared exam, and the pages below cover the specific tasks a CUC candidate has to complete.
Tier 1 hub
Start with the statewide guides
If you are still deciding which Florida license fits your business, start here and work down.
Tier 2 classifications
Compare related licenses and the shared exam
Underground utility is a Division II trade. These pages cover the neighboring classifications and the Business and Finance exam every Division II contractor takes.
Underground utility, CUC (this page)
Business and Finance exam prep
Plumbing contractor prep
General contractor prep
Tier 3 tasks
Books, practice, application, and renewal
The task-level pages and products a CUC candidate uses week to week.
Start Preparing for the Florida CUC Exams
Trade Knowledge instruction, Business and Finance preparation, current reference books, permanent tab options, practice questions, timed simulations, and help with the DBPR application.
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