North Carolina Residential Contractor Ultimate Exam Prep Rental Package

Prepare for the North Carolina Residential Contractor examination with a comprehensive Ultimate package that combines highlighted and tabbed rental books, 1 year of online course access, live classes, and Application Service. This package is designed for candidates who want a structured way to study residential construction, code requirements, jobsite safety, business law, project management, carpentry, roofing, masonry, concrete, excavation, wood trusses, erosion control, and North Carolina contractor regulations.

The North Carolina Residential Contractor classification covers qualifying construction and demolition work involving residential units governed by the state residential building code. Residential contractors may also perform related site work, driveways, sidewalks, water and wastewater work, and authorized specialty work when those activities are part of the residential project.

Preparing for this examination requires a broad understanding of how residential projects move from planning and site preparation through foundations, framing, roofing, exterior finishes, interior construction, inspections, and completion. Candidates must also understand contractor responsibilities involving permits, safety, contracts, financial management, estimating, project administration, and compliance with North Carolina licensing requirements.

This Ultimate package includes the North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry with the latest available amendments, the Contractor’s Guide to Business, Law and Project Management—North Carolina General Contractors Edition, 10th Edition, the 2018 North Carolina Residential Code, and the 2018 North Carolina Administrative Code and Policies. These references are included for open-book examination preparation.

The package also includes nine books that are not allowed in the examination room but support closed-book study. These references cover carpentry, roofing, masonry, excavation, concrete, metal-plate-connected wood trusses, sedimentation control, and North Carolina general contractor laws and regulations.

All included trade reference books are highlighted and tabbed to help candidates organize their study. Tabs identify major sections and common examination subjects, while highlighting draws attention to important requirements, procedures, terminology, tables, and construction concepts. Candidates should still read the complete surrounding provisions and practice navigating the books under timed conditions.

The package includes 1 year of course access and live classes during the one-year access period. The North Carolina Residential Contractor online exam prep course helps divide a large examination library into manageable study areas. Live classes provide additional trade-focused review, reference-navigation practice, and opportunities to reinforce difficult construction topics.

Application Service is included with this Ultimate package. The service helps organize information and supporting materials for the North Carolina contractor examination and licensing application process. Final examination eligibility and license approval remain subject to the requirements and decisions of the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors.

The package price is $2,065, plus a $650 refundable rental-book deposit, for a total initial payment of $2,715. The $650 deposit is refunded when the books are returned in similar condition within 1 year from the time they are received. Please allow 15 business days for processing.

Exam Details

The North Carolina Residential Contractor examination evaluates knowledge associated with residential construction, demolition, site work, safety, code compliance, business management, and contractor responsibilities. Candidates should prepare for both technical construction questions and questions involving business law, contracts, project administration, and licensing requirements.

Residential-code preparation may include foundations, floor systems, wall framing, roof framing, exterior walls, weather protection, interior finishes, stairs, guards, decks, masonry, chimneys, structural requirements, fire-resistance provisions, insulation, and coordination with mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems.

Carpentry preparation should address building materials, layout, floor framing, wall framing, roof framing, openings, headers, sheathing, fastening, stairs, exterior trim, interior finishes, and interpretation of plans and specifications. Candidates should understand how loads move from the roof and upper levels through walls, floors, foundations, and soil.

Roofing preparation may involve roof shapes, slopes, framing, sheathing, underlayment, flashing, drainage, ventilation, roof coverings, material quantities, estimating, installation practices, and protection against moisture intrusion.

Masonry study may include brick, block, stone, mortar, grout, reinforcement, anchors, ties, flashing, weeps, control joints, expansion joints, veneer construction, chimneys, fireplaces, foundations, and protection of masonry during construction.

Concrete preparation may address materials, proportioning, formwork, reinforcement, placement, consolidation, finishing, curing, joints, slabs, walls, footings, quality control, cold- and hot-weather practices, and common construction defects.

Pipe and excavation topics may include soils, trenching, grading, drainage, pipe installation, compaction, shoring, dewatering, underground utilities, excavation safety, and coordination with foundations, water systems, and wastewater systems.

Wood-truss preparation should include storage, handling, lifting, placement, temporary restraint, permanent bracing, installation sequencing, bearing, connections, and protection against damage or unauthorized field modifications.

Safety preparation may include fall protection, ladders, scaffolds, excavations, electrical hazards, tools, silica exposure, personal protective equipment, material handling, housekeeping, cranes, and employer responsibilities.

Erosion and sedimentation control may also appear in preparation materials. Candidates should understand the purpose of preventing sediment from leaving disturbed areas, protecting adjoining property and waterways, maintaining control measures, and complying with applicable North Carolina requirements.

Open Book Test

The North Carolina Residential Contractor examination is an open-book test for the references identified as permitted in the examination room. This package includes four exam-room references and nine additional closed-book study references.

The North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry supports open-book questions involving fall protection, ladders, scaffolds, excavation, tools, personal protective equipment, electrical hazards, material handling, and employer responsibilities.

The Contractor’s Guide to Business, Law and Project Management—North Carolina General Contractors Edition, 10th Edition supports questions involving contracts, estimating, project management, financial controls, employment practices, insurance, safety programs, risk management, and contractor business operations.

The 2018 North Carolina Residential Code supports technical questions involving foundations, floor systems, walls, roofs, stairs, decks, exterior finishes, masonry, structural requirements, and other qualifying residential construction provisions.

The 2018 North Carolina Administrative Code and Policies supports questions involving permits, inspections, construction documents, approvals, code administration, enforcement, and the responsibilities of contractors and code officials.

The remaining references are not allowed in the examination room. They should be used throughout the one-year rental period to develop knowledge in carpentry, roofing, masonry, excavation, concrete, truss installation, erosion control, and North Carolina contractor regulations.

Open-book testing requires efficient reference navigation. Candidates should study the tables of contents, indexes, definitions, chapter layouts, tables, figures, appendices, and cross-references in the permitted books.

The highlighted and tabbed format supports faster navigation, but candidates must still understand the subject and choose the correct publication. A residential framing question may require the Residential Code, while a permit or inspection question may require the Administrative Code and Policies.

Read complete provisions before selecting an answer. Code and business requirements may contain exceptions, definitions, limitations, or related sections that change how the rule applies.

All books taken into the examination room must comply with the current testing rules governing editions, binding, tabs, highlighting, markings, inserts, and loose materials.

Licensing Steps

1. Confirm the Residential Contractor classification. Review the authorized scope and determine whether it matches the residential construction work the applicant intends to perform.
2. Select the license limitation. Choose the limited, intermediate, or unlimited limitation based on the intended value of individual projects.
3. Identify the applicant entity. Determine whether the license applicant will be an individual, LLC, corporation, partnership, or another eligible entity.
4. Designate a qualifier. Identify the person who will satisfy the examination requirement for the Residential Contractor classification.
5. Use the included Application Service. Organize the applicant, entity, qualifier, financial, ownership, and supporting information needed for submission.
6. Submit the application. File the required materials through the North Carolina general contractor licensing process.
7. Provide evidence of financial responsibility. Meet the financial requirement associated with the selected license limitation.
8. Complete the background-check requirement. Provide or authorize the criminal background information required by the Board.
9. Receive examination eligibility. Complete the application review process and obtain authorization before scheduling the examination.
10. Schedule the examination. Follow the scheduling instructions provided after eligibility is approved.
11. Prepare the approved references. Confirm that all exam-room books comply with current rules for tabs, highlighting, binding, and markings.
12. Complete the examination. Follow all identification, security, scheduling, calculator, and reference-material instructions.
13. Complete the licensing process. Passing the examination satisfies the testing requirement, but the applicant must complete all remaining requirements before the license is issued.

State Requirements

The North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors regulates Residential Contractor licenses. Applicants must meet the Board’s requirements involving age, character, financial responsibility, application documentation, background information, qualification, and examination eligibility.

A North Carolina general contractor license is required when a person or business bids on, contracts for, or undertakes a construction project valued at $40,000 or more, subject to the definitions and exceptions established by state law.

The Residential Contractor classification covers qualifying construction and demolition involving residential units governed by the residential building code adopted by the North Carolina Building Code Council.

The classification also includes related site work, driveways, sidewalks, and water and wastewater systems ancillary to the residential structures, along with authorized specialty work performed as part of the project.

North Carolina general contractor licenses are issued with limited, intermediate, or unlimited limitations. Each limitation affects the value of individual projects the license holder may undertake and carries specific financial qualification requirements.

The qualifier’s examination credential and the contractor license are separate. Passing the Residential Contractor examination does not independently authorize an individual or business to enter into regulated construction contracts. The approved license must be issued to the legal entity conducting the contracting activity.

Licensed contractors must operate within the classification and limitation shown on the active license. They are also responsible for maintaining accurate entity and qualifier information, obtaining permits, arranging inspections, complying with safety requirements, and meeting contractual and professional obligations.

Application approval, examination eligibility, and license issuance are controlled by the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Candidates should complete all requested documentation accurately and respond to any additional requirements related to their application.

Reference Books

• Included Book: North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry, with Latest Available Amendments
  This highlighted and tabbed rental reference covers fall protection, ladders, scaffolds, excavation, tools, electrical hazards, material handling, personal protective equipment, and employer safety responsibilities.
• Included Book: Contractor’s Guide to Business, Law and Project Management - North Carolina General Contractors Edition, 10th Edition
  This highlighted and tabbed rental reference covers business organization, contracts, estimating, financial management, project administration, employment practices, safety, insurance, and risk management.
• Included Book: North Carolina Building Code: Residential Code, 2018 Edition
  This highlighted and tabbed rental reference contains requirements for qualifying residential construction, including foundations, framing, roofing, exterior walls, stairs, decks, masonry, structural systems, and related code provisions.
• Included Book: North Carolina Administrative Code and Policies, 2018 Edition
  This highlighted and tabbed rental reference addresses permits, construction documents, inspections, approvals, code administration, enforcement, and contractor responsibilities.
• Included Book: Carpentry and Building Construction, 2016
  This highlighted and tabbed rental study reference covers materials, layout, floor systems, wall framing, roof framing, stairs, sheathing, fastening, exterior finishes, and interior construction. It is not allowed in the examination room.
• Included Book: Roofing Construction and Estimating, Daniel Atcheson, 1995
  This highlighted and tabbed rental study reference covers roof systems, materials, flashing, drainage, installation practices, quantities, and estimating. It is not allowed in the examination room.
• Included Book: Modern Masonry - Brick, Block, Stone, Clois E. Kicklighter, 10th Edition
  This highlighted and tabbed rental study reference covers brick, block, stone, mortar, grout, reinforcement, flashing, joints, veneer, fireplaces, and masonry construction. It is not allowed in the examination room.
• Included Book: Pipe and Excavation Contracting
  This highlighted and tabbed rental study reference addresses excavation, trenching, soils, grading, drainage, pipe installation, compaction, shoring, dewatering, and underground construction. It is not allowed in the examination room.
• Included Book: The Contractor’s Guide to Quality Concrete Construction, 4th Edition
  This highlighted and tabbed rental study reference covers concrete materials, formwork, reinforcement, placement, consolidation, finishing, curing, joints, quality control, and common defects. It is not allowed in the examination room.
• Included Book: BCSI: Guide to Good Practice for Handling, Installing, Restraining, and Bracing of Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses, 2025
  This highlighted and tabbed rental study reference covers truss storage, handling, lifting, placement, temporary restraint, permanent bracing, connections, and safe installation. It is not allowed in the examination room.
• Included Book: North Carolina Administrative Code, Title 15A, Chapter 4 Sedimentation Control, Including Latest Amendments
  This highlighted and tabbed rental study reference addresses administrative requirements for erosion and sedimentation control. It is not allowed in the examination room.
• Included Book: North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 113A, Article 4 Sedimentation Pollution Control Act of 1973
  This highlighted and tabbed rental study reference contains statutory provisions related to erosion and sedimentation control. It is not allowed in the examination room.
• Included Book: Laws and Regulations Applicable to General Contracting in the State of North Carolina
  This highlighted and tabbed rental study reference covers classifications, limitations, qualifiers, applications, licensing requirements, conduct, liens, and contractor responsibilities. It is not allowed in the examination room.

Exam Room Approved Books

• North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry, with Latest Available Amendments
  Used for open-book questions involving construction safety and employer responsibilities.
• Contractor’s Guide to Business, Law and Project Management - North Carolina General Contractors Edition, 10th Edition
  Used for open-book questions involving contracts, estimating, financial management, project administration, and contractor business operations.
• North Carolina Building Code: Residential Code, 2018 Edition
  Used for open-book technical questions involving residential construction and code compliance.
• North Carolina Administrative Code and Policies, 2018 Edition
  Used for open-book questions involving permits, inspections, approvals, administration, and enforcement.

Test Information and Study Materials

Divide preparation into residential code, carpentry, roofing, masonry, concrete, excavation, wood trusses, safety, sedimentation control, business law, and contractor regulations.

Use the four exam-room references during timed open-book exercises. Read the question, identify the subject, select the correct publication, locate the governing section, and review the complete requirement before choosing an answer.

Study the nine restricted references separately. Because they will not be available during the examination, review their major concepts through online course lessons, live classes, technical reading, practice questions, and repeated study.

Practice interpreting plans, specifications, construction details, material quantities, and installation sequences. Residential contractor questions often require candidates to connect code requirements with practical building conditions.

Give special attention to structural load paths, framing systems, roof assemblies, moisture protection, masonry, concrete, excavation safety, truss bracing, and sedimentation control.

Use the one-year rental and course-access period to maintain a consistent study schedule. Rotate among online lessons, live instruction, technical reading, timed lookups, and focused review of weaker areas.

How 1 Exam Prep Helps You Reach Your Goal

1 Exam Prep helps North Carolina Residential Contractor candidates combine highlighted and tabbed rental references, an online trade course, live classes, and Application Service in one organized package.

Organized study guidance separates residential construction into manageable categories, including foundations, framing, roofing, masonry, concrete, excavation, trusses, safety, erosion control, business law, and contractor regulations.

Trade-focused review connects code requirements with practical construction methods. Candidates can strengthen their understanding of how site work, structural systems, materials, safety, and project administration fit together during residential construction.

Practice-oriented preparation helps candidates identify the subject of an examination question, choose the correct reference, locate the applicable provision, and interpret the information efficiently.

Reference-navigation practice focuses on the four books permitted in the examination room. The highlighted and tabbed format supports organized study and faster access to major topics during timed practice.

The online course and live classes also support closed-book preparation for the carpentry, roofing, masonry, concrete, excavation, truss, erosion-control, and contractor-law references that cannot be taken into the examination room.

Application Service helps organize the administrative side of the examination and licensing process. No package can guarantee examination passage, application approval, or license issuance. Results depend on the candidate’s qualifications, preparation, experience, reference familiarity, participation, and performance during the examination.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in the Ultimate package?

The package includes thirteen highlighted and tabbed rental references, 1 year of online course access, live classes during the one-year access period, and Application Service.

How much does the package cost?

The package price is $2,065, plus a $650 refundable rental-book deposit, for a total initial payment of $2,715.

When is the $650 deposit refunded?

The deposit is refunded when the books are returned in similar condition within 1 year from the time they are received.

How long is the rental period?

The rental period is 1 year from the time the books are received.

How long is the course access?

The package includes 1 year of course access.

Are live classes included?

Yes. Live classes are included during the one-year course-access period.

Is Application Service included?

Yes. Application Service is included with this Ultimate package.

How long does processing take?

Please allow 15 business days for processing.

Are the rental books highlighted and tabbed?

Yes. The included trade references are highlighted and tabbed to support organized study and reference navigation.

Which books are allowed in the examination room?

The safety standards, Contractor’s Guide to Business, Law and Project Management, 2018 Residential Code, and 2018 Administrative Code and Policies are included as exam-room references.

Are all thirteen books allowed in the examination room?

No. Nine books are included for closed-book preparation and are not allowed in the examination room.

Does passing the examination automatically issue a contractor license?

No. Passing the examination satisfies the testing requirement, but the applicant must complete all financial, entity, qualifier, application, and licensing requirements before a license is issued.

Does the package guarantee a passing score?

No. Examination performance depends on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, study effort, reference-navigation skills, participation, and performance during the test.