Important BC-A fact: regular BC-A is not the same as Tennessee's restricted BC-A/r license. BC-A covers qualifying one-, two-, three-, and four-family residential work not exceeding three stories and does not carry the BC-A/r $125,000 cap. Your actual BC-A contractor license still receives a Board-approved monetary limit that controls the maximum project amount you may contract.
BC-A is Tennessee's primary residential building contractor classification. It is designed for contractors who build, remodel, repair, improve, or manage qualifying residential construction projects.
The official scope covers one-, two-, three-, and four-family residences that do not exceed three stories, plus related accessory-use structures.
A BC-A contractor may coordinate the complete residential project, but the classification does not magically turn one person into every regulated specialty contractor on the job. Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and other specialty work may require properly licensed subcontractors when Tennessee law applies.
The regular BC-A path normally requires the residential trade examination plus the Tennessee Contractor Business and Law examination.
Trade exam: BC-A Residential Contractor.
Provider: Prov.
Questions: 100.
Time: 300 minutes / 5 hours.
Passing score: 73 percent.
Format: open book and computer based.
Exam fee: $53 per attempt under the current Prov listing.
Additional examination: Tennessee Contractor Business and Law for new license applicants.
The Tennessee BC-A Residential Contractor Prov Online Practice Questions can help reinforce code navigation, residential construction knowledge, OSHA safety, framing, roofing, foundations, and exam-style problem solving.
Passing the trade exam is only part of the Tennessee licensing process. The business entity, Qualifying Agent, financial qualification, insurance, experience, Business and Law exam, and final Board application all matter.
| Step | Authority / Requirement | What to Verify |
|---|---|---|
| Classification | Tennessee Board for Licensing Contractors | BC-A matches your residential construction goals |
| Business Entity | Applicant business | Determine the sole proprietor, corporation, LLC, partnership, or other entity that will hold the license |
| Qualifying Agent | Owner, officer, partner, or qualifying full-time employee | Identify the person who will qualify the company for the BC-A trade examination |
| BC-A Trade Exam | Prov | 100 questions, 300 minutes, open book, 73% passing |
| Business & Law | Prov | 50 questions, 150 minutes, open book, 73% passing |
| Financial Qualification | Tennessee Board | Requested monetary limit, reviewed or audited statement, or qualifying surety-bond route |
| Insurance | Tennessee Board / State Law | General liability and workers' compensation coverage or applicable exemption |
| Final Application | CORE / Tennessee Board | Scores, financial qualification, reference, affidavit, entity documents, insurance, QA information, and current $250 fee |
Tennessee changed examination providers in 2026. This page uses the current live Prov exam information for the BC-A question count, time, subjects, and authorized references.
| Verified Point | Authority | Current Result |
|---|---|---|
| BC-A scope | Tennessee Board classification outline | One- through four-family residences not exceeding three stories, plus accessory-use structures |
| Exam provider | Tennessee Board | Prov for newly scheduled contractor examinations beginning July 1, 2026 |
| BC-A examination | Current live Prov listing | 100 questions, 300 minutes, open book |
| Passing standard | Prov | 73 percent |
| Exam fee | Prov | $53 per attempt |
| Current main references | Live Prov examination page | 2021 IBC, 2018 IRC, Residential Home Builder Study Guide, OSHA 29 CFR 1926 |
| Initial contractor fee | Tennessee Board | $250 |
| Renewal fee | Tennessee Board | $200 |
| Residential continuing education | Tennessee Board | 8 hours per biennial renewal under the current BC-A residential CE requirement |
Why current live exam information matters: some early 2026 Tennessee and Prov materials listed different BC-A timing, question distributions, and reference editions. The live Prov examination page currently shows 100 questions and 300 minutes. Use your actual scheduling confirmation as the final exam-day authority.
The current live Prov BC-A outline spreads 100 questions across 15 subject areas.
Carpentry is the largest category with 15 questions. Estimating and Plan Reading follows with 13 questions.
Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement contains 10 questions, and Roofing, Siding, and Insulation also contains 10. General Code and OSHA Safety contain 8 each.
The remaining questions cover sitework, footings and foundations, masonry, doors, windows and stairs, interior finish, exterior finish, plumbing concepts, HVAC concepts, and electrical concepts.
This is a residential general-contractor exam. That means the test wants you to understand how the whole house fits together, not only the trade you enjoy most. A framing expert can still lose points to OSHA, roofing, foundations, or plan reading. The exam is very democratic about finding weak spots.
Study by the current Prov weighting and practice with the books in hand. Five hours gives you more breathing room than some contractor exams, but 100 residential-construction questions can still burn time quickly when every answer becomes a code-book treasure hunt.
Carpentry: review floor framing, wall framing, roof framing, sheathing, bracing, wood materials, connections, and residential construction sequencing.
Estimating and Plan Reading: practice dimensions, areas, volumes, material quantities, floor plans, elevations, sections, details, symbols, and specifications.
Concrete and Foundations: review footings, slabs, foundation walls, reinforcement, placement, curing, forms, and moisture considerations.
Roofing, Siding, and Insulation: study roof systems, coverings, flashing, weather protection, siding, insulation, ventilation, and exterior envelope concepts.
Residential Code: practice locating building-planning, foundation, floor, wall, roof, stair, guard, chimney, fireplace, and safety requirements quickly.
OSHA: review fall protection, ladders, scaffolds, excavation, PPE, tools, material handling, and residential jobsite hazards.
The Tennessee BC-A Residential Contractor Highlighted & Tabbed Book Package is designed to make residential code, building code, OSHA, and home-builder references easier to navigate during study.
A strong BC-A study method begins by identifying the construction system before opening a reference. A framing question, foundation question, roofing question, OSHA question, and residential-code question often live in completely different places.
Tennessee BC-A exam-prep illustration for residential estimating, framing, foundations, roofing, code navigation, and construction safety.
Move from classification selection through trade testing, Business and Law, financial qualification, insurance, application, and final contractor licensing.
Choose regular BC-A when you need Tennessee's standard residential contractor classification for qualifying one- through four-family residences, rather than the restricted BC-A/r route.
Determine which business will hold the license and which owner, partner, officer, or qualifying full-time employee will qualify the company.
Prepare experience that matches BC-A work and supports the classification and monetary limit requested, including estimating, supervision, framing, foundations, roofing, codes, scheduling, and project management.
Study the current IBC, IRC, Residential Home Builder Study Guide, OSHA reference, and temporary transition references you plan to use before January 2027.
Prepare for 100 questions, 300 minutes, open-book testing, and a 73 percent passing standard.
New contractor applicants also complete the separate Business and Law examination covering licensing, contracts, bidding, project management, risk, finance, taxes, labor, liens, and OSHA.
Establish your monetary limit, prepare the required reviewed or audited financial statement or qualifying surety bond, and obtain the required insurance.
Apply through CORE, include the required supporting documents, pay the current $250 initial fee, and wait until the Board actually issues the BC-A license before contracting where a license is required.
The current live Prov BC-A outline assigns all 100 questions across the following 15 subject areas.
Study priority: Carpentry, Estimating and Plan Reading, Concrete and Reinforcement, Roofing/Siding/Insulation, and General Code combine for 56 of the 100 questions. Add OSHA Safety and you have 64 questions concentrated in six major study areas.
Use the current live Prov reference list when deciding what to bring into the testing room. Product descriptions written during the 2026 transition may contain older exam details.
| Reference | Primary Study Use | 2026 Status |
|---|---|---|
| International Building Code, 2021 | General building code, definitions, materials, fire resistance, means of egress, building safety, structural concepts, and code navigation | Current Prov authorized reference |
| International Residential Code, 2018 | Residential planning, foundations, floors, walls, roofs, stairs, guards, chimneys, fireplaces, openings, and dwelling safety | Current live Prov authorized reference |
| Residential Home Builder Study Guide | Residential construction methods, materials, sequencing, framing, foundations, roofing, finishes, and home-builder trade knowledge | Current Prov authorized reference |
| OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 | Construction safety, fall protection, ladders, scaffolds, excavations, PPE, tools, material handling, and jobsite hazards | Current Prov authorized reference |
| Carpentry and Building Construction | Wood framing, carpentry methods, construction materials, layout, and building practices | Prior-vendor transition reference usable only during the current transition period |
| Contractor's Guide to Quality Concrete Construction | Concrete materials, placement, finishing, reinforcement, forms, and quality construction | Prior-vendor transition reference usable only during the current transition period |
| Roofing Construction and Estimating | Roofing materials, roof systems, estimating, installation, and construction | Prior-vendor transition reference usable only during the current transition period |
| NASCLA Contractors Guide to Business, Law and Project Management - Tennessee, 4th Edition | Separate Tennessee Business and Law examination | Current Prov Business and Law reference |
Temporary transition rule: the current live Prov page states that prior-testing-vendor references may be used through December 31, 2026. Beginning January 1, 2027, only books recommended by Prov are expected to be permitted. Always verify your exact reference list before test day.
Current Prov rules: highlighting and permanent tabs are allowed. Moveable tabs and Post-it notes are not. Candidates may not mark references during testing. Always inspect your own books before test day for anything that could violate current exam-room rules.
BC-A is Tennessee's regular residential building classification. It covers qualifying one-, two-, three-, and four-family residences that do not exceed three stories.
The classification also includes related accessory-use structures. This can include the overall management of new-home construction, additions, major remodeling, structural residential work, framing, roofing, foundations, and coordination of the subcontractors needed to complete the project.
BC-A should not be confused with BC-A/r Restricted Residential. BC-A/r is limited to qualifying single-family work, uses an approved limited-license course instead of the normal examinations, and cannot receive a monetary limit above $125,000.
BC-A also does not provide the full BC-B commercial classification. If your company plans to build larger commercial buildings, compare BC-A with BC-A,B Combined Residential / Commercial or the broader BC classification.
Project-size rule: every Tennessee contractor license receives a monetary limit. For regular BC-A, the classification defines the type of residential work you may perform, while the monetary limit controls the maximum individual project amount you may bid or contract, subject to Tennessee's applicable tolerance rules.
The names look similar, but their authority and restrictions are different.
| Classification | Main Scope | Exam Path | Important Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| BC-A | Regular residential building | BC-A trade exam + Business and Law | One- through four-family residences not exceeding three stories; project amount controlled by assigned monetary limit |
| BC-A/r | Restricted single-family residential | Approved limited-license course may replace normal exams | Maximum monetary limit of $125,000, no normal 10% tolerance, no joint ventures |
| BC-A,b(sm) | Residential + small commercial | Combined trade exam + Business and Law | Includes restricted small-commercial authority rather than full BC-B |
| BC-A,B | Residential + full commercial | Combined trade exam + Business and Law | Adds full commercial BC-B classification |
| BC | Residential + commercial + industrial | Full building trade exam + Business and Law | Broadest major Tennessee building classification |
2026 surety-bond option: Tennessee permits the Board-approved Contractors' Surety Bond as an alternative to the CPA-reviewed or audited financial statement. The bond must generally equal at least 50 percent of the monetary limit requested.
Renewal: the current contractor renewal fee is $200. Current residential renewal guidance also requires 8 hours of residential continuing education for BC-A contractors subject to the Board's residential CE requirement.
Build residential construction knowledge and open-book speed together, with extra attention on carpentry, estimating, concrete, roofing, code, and safety.
BC-A is challenging because the exam tests the complete residential construction process instead of one narrow building skill.
Carpentry is the largest category, but framing knowledge by itself is not enough. The exam also reaches into estimating, plans, general code, concrete, masonry, foundations, roofing, finishes, OSHA, and basic plumbing, HVAC, and electrical concepts.
The current five-hour limit gives you an average of three minutes per question. That is much more forgiving than some contractor exams, but it still disappears quickly if every question requires searching several books.
Open-book testing rewards candidates who know the construction subject first and then know which reference is most likely to confirm it.
The book should help you finish the question. It should not be meeting you for the first time while the clock is running.
Pacing tip: 100 questions in 300 minutes gives you an average of 3 minutes per question. Use fast construction-knowledge answers to bank time for code lookups, estimating, plan-reading questions, and calculations.
Want additional practice? The Tennessee BC-A Prov Online Practice Questions provide focused residential exam practice.
Business and Law: view Tennessee Business and Law Exam Prep .
This Tennessee-specific 1 Exam Prep credential image is directly related to the BC-A Residential Contractor examination.
• Tennessee BC-A Residential Contractor classification
• 100-question current Prov examination
• 300-minute / 5-hour testing period
• 73% passing score
• Open-book computer examination
• Estimating and plan reading
• Foundations, concrete, masonry, carpentry, and roofing
• Residential code and OSHA construction safety
• Separate Tennessee Business and Law examination for new contractor applicants
Prepare for the whole house, not just one trade. BC-A expects you to understand how residential projects move from sitework and foundations through framing, roofing, finishes, building systems, safety, and final project coordination.
Tennessee BC-A Licensing
BC-A Exam Basics
Exam Topics
References and Open-Book Rules
Business and Licensing
1 Exam Prep
Watch this related 1 Exam Prep video focused directly on the Tennessee BC-A Residential Contractor examination. Use it to reinforce residential exam topics, reference organization, open-book strategy, and the Tennessee contractor licensing path.
Study tip: watch the video with your BC-A references nearby. When framing, foundations, roofing, estimating, residential code, or OSHA comes up, practice locating that topic in the book you would use during the real examination.
Combine current Tennessee Board and live Prov information with structured 1 Exam Prep residential courses, practice questions, references, rental packages, Business and Law preparation, and licensing support.
Build faster residential-code navigation, stronger estimating and plan-reading skills, better framing and carpentry knowledge, confidence with foundations, concrete, masonry, roofing, siding, insulation, finishes, OSHA safety, building systems, Business and Law, and Tennessee's residential contractor licensing process.
Questions? Call 877-775-9400
or email sales@1examprep.com
Tennessee BC-A Residential Exam Prep