Florida Underground Utility Contractor Exam - Books & Courses Rental

Prepare for the Florida Underground Utility and Excavation Contractor licensing examinations with a coordinated rental package that includes professionally highlighted and tabbed trade references, Florida Business and Finance books, online exam-prep courses, and business flash cards.

This package supports preparation for both the Florida Underground Utility Contractors General Trade Knowledge examination and the Florida Business and Finance examination. It combines the listed technical and business references with structured course access, helping candidates study underground construction topics while developing the reference-navigation skills needed for open-book testing.

Underground utility contracting covers much more than placing pipe in an excavation. Candidates may need to understand project planning, utility locating, trench safety, soil conditions, dewatering, bedding, backfill, compaction, pipe materials, valves, fittings, drainage systems, pump stations, directional boring, jack-and-bore installation, testing, disinfection, estimating, traffic control, and project closeout.

The Business and Finance portion adds the administrative responsibilities associated with operating a contracting business. Candidates may study accounting, bidding, construction contracts, financial management, project administration, business organization, regulatory responsibilities, and recordkeeping.

The included rental books are professionally highlighted and tabbed. Highlighting helps selected definitions, procedures, specifications, tables, and technical requirements stand out during review. Permanently attached tabs provide convenient access to major chapters and commonly referenced subjects.

The rental format gives candidates access to a complete study library without purchasing every reference individually. A $600 refundable deposit applies. The deposit is refundable when the complete rental book set is returned in similar condition within six months from the date the books are shipped.

The six-month rental period provides a defined preparation window for working through the courses and reference books. Candidates should create a study schedule early, begin using the books when they arrive, and reserve enough time to organize and return the complete set before the rental deadline.

The highlighting and tabs support navigation, but they do not replace technical study. Candidates should read the surrounding material, learn how each reference is organized, practice calculations, and complete timed lookup exercises using the actual books.

Exam Details

The Florida Underground Utility Contractors General Trade Knowledge examination is administered in a computer-based testing format. It consists of 80 equally weighted questions.

Candidates should be prepared to interpret plans, specifications, profiles, cross sections, construction standards, equipment information, pipe-installation procedures, safety requirements, and jobsite scenarios. Questions may also involve construction mathematics, material quantities, grade, slope, elevation, trench volume, pipe dimensions, and estimating.

The published Trade Knowledge examination content areas include:

• Pre-Installation: 20%
• Traffic Control: 5%
• Excavating, Backfill and Compaction: 20%
• Pipe Installation and Repairs: 15%
• Piping, Valves and Fittings: 15%
• Testing, Disinfecting and Job Closeout: 10%
• Drainage Systems: 5%
• Equipment: 10%

Pre-installation preparation may involve plan review, project specifications, site inspections, equipment selection, material quantities, soil and groundwater conditions, utility locating, pipe storage, burial depth, alignment, slope, profiles, elevations, erosion control, and coordination with existing underground facilities.

Excavation preparation may include soil classification, trench dimensions, protective systems, sloping, benching, shoring, shielding, trench boxes, spoil placement, access and egress, water accumulation, dewatering, well points, bedding, backfill, compaction, finish grade, surface restoration, and protection of adjacent utilities.

Pipe installation and repair topics may include ductile iron pipe, PVC pressure pipe, gravity sewer systems, concrete pipe, box culverts, joint assembly, fittings, restraint, bedding, deflection, manholes, catch basins, lift stations, pump piping, directional boring, jack-and-bore construction, and connections to existing systems.

Testing and closeout preparation may cover hydrostatic testing, flushing, chlorination, bacteriological sampling, infiltration and exfiltration testing, mandrel testing, low-pressure air testing, television inspection, as-built drawings, operating manuals, maintenance information, signoffs, and final project records.

The Business and Finance examination addresses the business side of contracting. Preparation may include construction contracts, bidding, accounting, financial statements, project administration, business organization, risk management, regulatory responsibilities, employment matters, and recordkeeping.

Open Book Test

Florida construction examinations are open book. Candidates may use approved references that comply with the applicable examination-room rules.

Open-book testing requires efficient reference use. Candidates should be able to recognize the subject of a question, select the most appropriate book, locate the relevant table or procedure, and apply the information without spending excessive time searching.

The professionally highlighted and tabbed rental books support that process. Tabs provide visible navigation points for major topics, while highlighting helps selected requirements, definitions, formulas, and procedures stand out during preparation.

Candidates should practice with the books throughout the six-month course-access period. Useful exercises include locating ductile iron joint procedures, PVC dimensions, trench-protection rules, soil-classification requirements, bedding details, concrete pipe installation practices, utility-marking responsibilities, directional-bore specifications, jack-and-bore requirements, testing methods, contract provisions, and accounting concepts.

Each rental reference should be protected throughout the preparation period. Candidates should avoid adding notes, loose materials, damage, or unauthorized alterations. Returning the complete set in similar condition within six months from the shipment date is required for the $600 deposit to be refundable.

Licensing Steps

1. Review the contractor classification. Confirm that the Certified Underground Utility and Excavation Contractor classification matches the work you intend to perform.
2. Review the qualification requirements. Evaluate the applicable experience, education, financial, insurance, background-screening, and business requirements.
3. Register for the required examinations. Complete the registration process for the Trade Knowledge and Business and Finance examination parts.
4. Prepare with the rental package. Use the online courses, highlighted and tabbed books, and business flash cards during the six-month study period.
5. Practice open-book navigation. Learn which reference applies to each topic and complete timed lookup exercises.
6. Schedule the examinations. After examination approval, schedule the applicable computer-based testing appointments.
7. Pass the required examination parts. Complete the examination requirements associated with the contractor classification.
8. Submit the licensing application. File the appropriate Certified Underground Utility and Excavation Contractor application.
9. Complete supporting requirements. Provide applicable experience records, education documents, fingerprints, financial information, insurance documentation, workers’ compensation information, and business qualification materials.

State Requirements

Individuals seeking Florida certification as Underground Utility and Excavation Contractors must generally pass the required state certification examination before obtaining the license. Passing the examinations does not automatically issue a contractor license.

Applicants must complete the appropriate licensing application and provide the supporting information required for their circumstances. Florida applicants are generally required to document four years of qualifying experience or an accepted combination of college education and experience.

Experience records should accurately describe the applicant’s duties and connection to underground utility, excavation, pipe installation, drainage, or related construction work. Applicants using education as part of their qualifications should provide the documentation requested by the applicable application.

The licensing process may also include fingerprint-based background screening, financial-responsibility documentation, credit information, public-liability and property-damage insurance, workers’ compensation coverage or an applicable exemption, and information concerning the business being qualified.

Different applications may apply depending on whether the applicant is seeking an individual license, qualifying a business, qualifying an additional business, or applying through another authorized licensing pathway.

Reference Books

Florida Underground Utility Contractor Trade Book Rentals

• Included Rental Book: Installation Guide for Ductile Iron Pipe, 2024
  A technical guide covering ductile iron pipe handling, trench preparation, bedding, joint assembly, cutting, fittings, restraint, backfill, testing, and installation practices.
• Included Rental Book: AWWA Standard for Polyvinyl Chloride Pressure Pipe and Fabricated Fittings, 4 Inches Through 60 Inches, for Water Transmission and Distribution, C900, 2022
  An industry standard addressing materials, dimensions, testing, performance, product specifications, and quality requirements for PVC pressure pipe and fabricated fittings.
• Included Rental Book: Walker's Building Estimator's Reference Book, 33rd Edition
  A construction-estimating reference containing labor, material, equipment, measurement, quantity, production, and cost information for excavation, piping, concrete, and site work.
• Included Rental Book: Code of Federal Regulations, OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926
  The federal construction-safety regulations covering excavation, trench protection, competent-person responsibilities, access and egress, equipment, protective systems, and workplace hazards.
• Included Rental Book: Concrete Pipe & Box Culvert Installation, 2007–2019
  An installation reference covering unloading, storage, excavation, bedding, placement, joining, backfill, compaction, inspection, and construction of concrete pipe and box culverts.
• Included Rental Book: Pipe & Excavation Contracting, Dave Roberts, 2011
  A practical underground-construction reference addressing excavation equipment, soils, trench construction, shoring, dewatering, grading, pipe installation, backfill, compaction, and estimating.
• Included Rental Book: Utility Accommodation Manual, 2017
  A Florida transportation reference addressing utility installations, adjustments, permits, coordination, clearances, placement, roadway considerations, and work within transportation rights-of-way.
• Included Rental Book: The Handbook of PVC Pipe Design and Construction, 5th Edition, 2012
  A detailed PVC pipe reference covering material properties, hydraulics, pressure and gravity systems, fittings, joints, design, installation, deflection, testing, and performance.
• Included Rental Book: Damage Prevention Guide, October 2020
  A Florida underground-facility damage-prevention reference that includes Chapter 556, Florida Statutes, and addresses notification, locating, markings, tolerance zones, excavation responsibilities, and safe digging practices.
• Included Rental Book: 555-Directional Bore, 2025–2026
  A Florida construction specification addressing directional-bore equipment, materials, drilling procedures, monitoring, installation, quality requirements, and completion of trenchless crossings.
• Included Rental Book: 556-Jack & Bore, 2025–2026
  A Florida construction specification covering casing, excavation, alignment, equipment, jacking and boring procedures, grouting, tolerances, and acceptance requirements.
• Included Rental Book: Florida Building Code – Plumbing, 2023
  The plumbing volume of the 8th Edition Florida Building Code, covering water service, sanitary drainage, storm drainage, pipe materials, sizing, testing, backflow protection, and plumbing installations.

Florida Business and Finance Book Rentals

• Included Rental Book: A201 General Conditions of the Contract for Construction, 2017
  A standard contract document addressing the responsibilities and relationships of the owner, contractor, and architect during construction.
• Included Rental Book: A401 Standard Form of Agreement Between Contractor and Subcontractor, 2017
  A standard agreement defining the contractual relationship and obligations between a contractor and subcontractor.
• Included Rental Book: A701 Instructions to Bidders, 2018
  A bidding document addressing procedures, submissions, modifications, requirements, and bidder responsibilities.
• Included Rental Book: Builders Guide to Accounting, Michael C. Thomsett, Copyright 2001
  A construction-accounting reference covering bookkeeping, financial statements, costs, cash flow, business records, and accounting concepts.
• Included Rental Book: Contractors Manual, 2025
  A business and regulatory reference supporting preparation in contractor management, finance, project administration, business practices, and Florida requirements.
• Included Rental Book: Florida Statutes Chapter 455, Current Edition
  Florida statutory provisions related to the regulation of professions and occupations under the Department of Business and Professional Regulation.

Test Information and Study Materials

The included business and trade courses provide 6 months of course access. Candidates can use the courses to divide the examination material into focused study areas and connect each topic with the appropriate rental reference.

Begin trade preparation with pre-installation and excavation. Review plans, profiles, elevations, utility locating, soil conditions, protective systems, dewatering, bedding, backfill, compaction, and restoration.

Organize pipe study by material and application. Use the ductile iron guide for ductile iron installations, AWWA C900 and the PVC handbook for PVC pressure systems, and the concrete pipe reference for drainage and box-culvert work.

Give trenchless construction a separate study block. Review directional boring, jack-and-bore methods, casing, alignment, drilling equipment, soil conditions, utility clearances, monitoring, grouting, quality control, and acceptance requirements.

Business preparation should include accounting, construction contracts, bidding, financial management, project administration, business organization, regulatory responsibilities, and recordkeeping. Use the included flash cards for repeated review, then confirm important concepts in the applicable books.

Create a weekly routine that includes online lessons, technical reading, calculations, timed reference searches, business flash cards, practice questions, and review of missed answers. Protect the books and reserve enough time to return the complete set before the six-month deadline.

How 1 Exam Prep Helps You Reach Your Goal

1 Exam Prep helps Florida Underground Utility Contractor candidates bring trade and Business and Finance preparation into one organized rental package. The professionally highlighted and tabbed references support efficient navigation, while the online courses provide structured review for both examination areas.

Trade-focused preparation connects excavation, trench safety, pipe materials, pipe installation, utility locating, traffic control, drainage, directional boring, jack-and-bore construction, testing, estimating, and Florida plumbing requirements.

Business-focused preparation supports the study of accounting, contracts, bidding, financial management, project administration, regulatory responsibilities, and contractor operations. Business flash cards add repetition and help reinforce important terminology.

Practice-oriented preparation encourages candidates to use the books actively. Reviewing a subject, answering questions, locating supporting information, and studying missed answers can strengthen both technical knowledge and open-book navigation skills.

No preparation package can guarantee a passing score or licensing approval. Consistent study, field knowledge, calculation skills, accurate documentation, efficient reference use, and completion of all state requirements remain essential.

FAQ Section

What is included in this rental package?

The package includes the listed highlighted and tabbed Underground Utility Contractor trade books, the listed Business and Finance books, both online exam-prep courses, business flash cards, and 6 months of course access.

What is the total amount due at purchase?

The package price is $975, and the refundable book deposit is $600. The total due at purchase is $1,575.

Is the $600 book deposit refundable?

Yes. The deposit is refundable when the complete rental book set is returned in similar condition within six months from the date it is shipped.

How long is course access?

The package includes 6 months of course access for the Underground Utility Contractor Trade Knowledge and Business and Finance courses.

Are both examination areas included?

Yes. The package includes books and courses for the Florida Underground Utility Contractor Trade Knowledge and Business and Finance examinations.

Are business flash cards included?

Yes. Business flash cards are included to support repeated review of important Business and Finance concepts.

Are the rental books highlighted and tabbed?

Yes. The listed trade and Business and Finance references are professionally highlighted and tabbed to support organized review and faster navigation.

Is the Florida Underground Utility Contractor trade exam open book?

Yes. Candidates may use approved references that comply with the applicable examination-room requirements.

Can I add notes or markings to the rental books?

The rental books should be protected from additional notes, markings, loose materials, damage, or alterations. They must be returned in similar condition within six months to qualify for the refundable deposit.

Does this package guarantee a passing score or contractor license?

No. Examination performance and licensing approval depend on the candidate’s preparation, qualifications, documentation, compliance with state requirements, and performance during the examination and application processes.