The 1 Package: All-Inclusive North Carolina Marine Construction Contractor Licensing & Business Setup

Prepare for the North Carolina Marine Construction Contractor examination, complete the contractor licensing process, and establish your business with one coordinated program. The 1 Package combines professionally highlighted and tabbed reference books, one year of trade-course access, live-class instruction, self-study preparation, Application Service, business formation, EIN filing, and contractor compliance guidance.

This all-inclusive package is built for marine contractors who want more than exam books. It creates an organized path through trade preparation, application support, and essential business setup. Candidates can study coastal development, small docks, pile driving, concrete, reinforcing steel, construction safety, erosion control, liens, and contractor regulations while also working through the administrative steps involved in launching a North Carolina contracting business.

All ten included books are professionally highlighted and tabbed. Highlighting directs attention to important safety standards, construction methods, coastal development requirements, concrete principles, reinforcing-bar practices, erosion-control rules, business topics, and licensing regulations. Permanent tabs divide the references into practical subjects so candidates can review efficiently and develop a consistent navigation system for the three books used during the open-book examination.

The included trade course combines live instruction with flexible self-study. The live class provides guided preparation across the major examination categories, while self-study access allows candidates to revisit lessons, work through difficult topics, and practice using the highlighted and tabbed references. The package includes 1 year of course access.

The package price is $2,355, plus a refundable $500 book deposit, for a total initial payment of $2,855. The $500 deposit is refundable when the books are returned within one year in similar condition. Please allow 15 business days for professional highlighting and tabbing before the books are ready for shipment.

Exam Details

The North Carolina Marine Construction Contractor examination is administered by PSI for the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Candidates must receive examination eligibility from the licensing board before registering and scheduling a testing appointment.

• Classification: Specialty Contractor — Marine Construction
• Number of questions: 50
• Time allowed: 120 minutes
• Passing score: 70%
• Testing format: Computer-based examination
• Testing provider: PSI Services LLC

The examination content outline includes the following subject areas:

• CAMA-Regulated Areas: 7 questions
• Small Docks: 7 questions
• Pile Driving: 12 questions
• Concrete: 7 questions
• Concrete Reinforcement: 7 questions
• Safety: 5 questions
• Laws and Regulations: 2 questions
• Liens: 1 question
• Erosion and Sedimentation Control: 2 questions

Pile driving is the largest individual category. Candidates should prepare for pile types, handling, alignment, driving equipment, leads, hammer systems, installation practices, field conditions, construction methods, and related safety responsibilities.

CAMA-regulated areas and small docks account for fourteen questions combined. Preparation should include coastal development concepts, docks, piers, slips, shoreline activities, permitting principles, construction components, and common marine project considerations.

Concrete and concrete reinforcement also account for fourteen questions. Candidates should understand concrete materials, mixture properties, placement, consolidation, curing, reinforcing-bar identification, spacing, supports, clearances, splices, and practical field procedures.

Open Book Test

The North Carolina Marine Construction Contractor examination is an open-book test. Candidates may use only the references approved for this classification. This package includes three exam-room references and seven study-only books.

The exam-room references may be highlighted, underlined, and indexed before the test. Tabs must be permanent and securely attached to the pages. Removable index flags, temporary markers, and Post-it-style tabs are not accepted. Notes may not be written on the tabs.

Loose papers and attached supplemental materials are not permitted. Candidates may not write in the references during the examination session. The CAMA Handbook must be complete and properly bound before it is taken into the testing center. Partial copies are not accepted.

The 120-minute time limit provides an average of approximately two minutes and twenty-four seconds per question. Candidates must read each question, identify the subject, determine whether a reference search is necessary, locate the relevant section, and select an answer within the overall examination period.

Repeated timed practice with the three approved references helps candidates learn where important information appears. The highlighted passages and permanent tabs are most useful when candidates have practiced navigating them before exam day.

Licensing Steps

1. Select the Marine Construction classification. Confirm that the classification matches the marine construction and repair services the business intends to provide.
2. Choose the appropriate license limitation. Select the limitation that fits the company’s financial qualifications and expected project values.
3. Establish the business entity. Form the LLC or corporation under which the contracting company will operate.
4. Obtain the EIN. Complete the IRS filing used for business banking, tax administration, payroll, and employee hiring.
5. Identify the qualifier. Designate the individual whose accepted examination will qualify the company for the Marine Construction classification.
6. Prepare the license application. Assemble the required ownership, qualifier, business, financial, and background information.
7. Use the included Application Service. Receive assistance organizing the applicable application information and supporting documents.
8. Receive examination eligibility. After approval, follow the instructions provided for registering and scheduling the examination with PSI.
9. Take the Marine Construction examination. Bring the required identification and only the approved references that comply with the testing rules.
10. Complete the licensing process. Satisfy the remaining licensing requirements before the license is issued.
11. Maintain contractor compliance. Keep the business entity, license records, tax information, renewals, and required filings properly organized.

Passing the examination completes the testing portion of the process but does not independently issue a contractor license. The applicant and business entity must meet the applicable requirements of the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors.

State Requirements

The North Carolina Marine Construction specialty classification covers marine construction and repair activities. Its scope includes marine work in deep-water installations and in harbors, inlets, sounds, bays, and channels.

Covered work includes dredging and the construction or installation of pilings, piers, decks, slips, docks, and bulkheads. The classification does not include structures required on docks, slips, and piers. Contractors should confirm that every portion of a proposed project is covered by the classifications held by the licensed business.

North Carolina generally requires a general contractor license when the total cost of a covered construction project is $40,000 or more. The contractor must hold a classification and limitation appropriate for the work and project value.

The classification identifies the type of construction activity the contractor is authorized to perform. The license limitation determines the maximum value of a single project the contractor may undertake. Applicants should select both according to their intended services, financial qualifications, and expected contract sizes.

The applicant must designate a qualifier whose accepted examination supports the Marine Construction classification. The qualifier is connected to the licensed business entity and demonstrates knowledge relevant to the classification.

Business formation creates the legal LLC or corporation under which the contractor operates. EIN filing provides the federal identification number commonly used for business banking, tax administration, payroll, and hiring. These services are included to help establish an organized foundation for the contracting business.

Reference Books

The package includes ten professionally highlighted and tabbed references. Three books are included for exam-room use, while seven books are provided for study only.

• Included Book: North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry, with Latest Available Amendments
  Exam Room Approved. Covers construction safety requirements involving personal protective equipment, cranes, material handling, pile-driving operations, marine work, fall protection, scaffolds, concrete construction, and workplace hazards.
• Included Book: CAMA Handbook for Development of Coastal North Carolina, 2007
  Exam Room Approved. Provides guidance involving coastal development, regulated areas, permits, docks, piers, shoreline activities, environmental concerns, and responsibilities associated with development in coastal North Carolina.
• Included Book: Construction Planning, Equipment, and Methods, 10th Edition
  Exam Room Approved. Reviews construction planning, equipment selection, production, cranes, pile-driving systems, earthmoving, excavation, concrete operations, and methods applicable to marine construction.
• Included Book: North Carolina Administrative Code, Title 15A, Chapter 4 Sedimentation Control, Including the Latest Amendments
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Contains administrative rules governing erosion and sedimentation control for land-disturbing construction activities in North Carolina.
• Included Book: North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 113A, Article 4 Sedimentation Pollution Control Act of 1973
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Provides the statutory framework for controlling sedimentation resulting from land-disturbing activities.
• Included Book: Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures, 17th Edition
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Covers concrete ingredients, mixture proportioning, workability, strength, durability, admixtures, placement, consolidation, curing, testing, and quality control.
• Included Book: Dock Manual, Design, Building, Maintaining
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Reviews dock planning, design, structural components, materials, flotation, anchoring, construction, inspection, repair, and maintenance practices.
• Included Book: Contractor’s Guide to Business, Law and Project Management — North Carolina General Contractors Edition, 10th Edition
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Covers contractor licensing, business organization, contracts, project management, financial administration, insurance, risk, liens, and North Carolina construction-business responsibilities.
• Included Book: Placing Reinforcing Bars
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Covers reinforcing-bar identification, handling, supports, spacing, clearances, tolerances, splices, placement procedures, and field practices for reinforced concrete.
• Included Book: Laws and Regulations Applicable to General Contracting in the State of North Carolina
  Study Only — Not Allowed in the Exam Room. Contains North Carolina statutes and administrative rules involving contractor classifications, limitations, qualifiers, applications, renewals, responsibilities, and enforcement.

Exam Room Approved Books

Only the following three included references are approved for use inside the North Carolina Marine Construction Contractor examination room:

• North Carolina Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry, with Latest Available Amendments
  Supports questions involving pile-driving safety, cranes, lifting, protective equipment, fall hazards, concrete operations, access, and marine jobsite requirements.
• CAMA Handbook for Development of Coastal North Carolina, 2007
  Supports questions involving coastal development and CAMA-regulated areas. The complete handbook must be properly bound before it is taken into the testing center.
• Construction Planning, Equipment, and Methods, 10th Edition
  Supports questions involving pile-driving systems, construction machinery, planning, production, cranes, handling, excavation, concrete operations, and construction methods.

The remaining seven books are study-only references and must not be taken into the examination room for this classification.

Test Information and Study Materials

The trade course includes 1 year of access to live-class instruction and self-study preparation. The live class provides guided review of the examination categories, while self-study access allows candidates to work at their own pace, revisit lessons, and continue practicing with the references.

Begin with pile driving because it represents 12 of the 50 questions. Review pile types, materials, storage, handling, alignment, driving equipment, hammer systems, leads, installation methods, field procedures, and common jobsite problems.

Connect pile-driving knowledge with the approved safety standards. Marine projects may involve suspended loads, cranes, barges, heavy equipment, water exposure, unstable work surfaces, fall hazards, and material-handling risks. Candidates should practice locating applicable safety requirements quickly.

CAMA-regulated areas and small docks account for fourteen questions combined. Study coastal development concepts, regulated locations, permitting principles, docks, piers, slips, access structures, shoreline activities, water-dependent uses, structural components, anchoring, maintenance, and common repair considerations.

Concrete and reinforcement account for another fourteen questions. Review cementitious materials, aggregates, water, admixtures, mixture properties, placement, consolidation, finishing, curing, strength, durability, bar identification, supports, spacing, clearances, tolerances, and splices.

Erosion and sedimentation control, contractor laws, regulations, and liens must be studied in advance because those reference books are not allowed during the examination. Review land-disturbing activities, stabilization, sediment-control measures, licensing responsibilities, classifications, limitations, business practices, and lien principles.

Use timed reference exercises throughout the course. Identify the topic of each question, choose the correct approved book, locate the applicable tab, and confirm the answer from the relevant passage, table, or requirement. This process develops both trade knowledge and navigation speed.

How 1 Exam Prep Helps You Reach Your Goal

1 Exam Prep supports candidates through organized study guidance, trade-focused review, live instruction, self-study preparation, reference navigation, and a confidence-building study structure. The 1 Package connects exam preparation, licensing assistance, and business setup in one coordinated program.

The highlighted and tabbed references reduce the time required to organize ten technical, legal, and regulatory books. Highlighting directs attention to important provisions and trade concepts, while permanent tabs create practical access points for repeated study and exam-day navigation.

The trade course helps candidates work through coastal development, small docks, pile driving, concrete, reinforcement, safety, erosion control, licensing, and liens. Live instruction provides structured review, while self-study access supports flexible preparation and repetition over the one-year access period.

Application Service helps organize licensing paperwork and supporting information. Business Formation establishes the LLC or corporation, and EIN filing supports business banking, tax management, employee hiring, and professional operations. Contractor Compliance Guidance helps customers understand responsibilities associated with operating a North Carolina marine construction business.

No course or administrative service guarantees a passing score, license approval, or business outcome. Examination performance, accurate application information, financial qualification, and compliance with licensing requirements remain essential.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is included in The 1 Package?

The package includes ten highlighted and tabbed books, 1 year of trade-course access, live-class instruction, self-study preparation, Application Service, LLC or corporation formation, EIN filing, and contractor compliance guidance.

What is the total initial payment?

The package price is $2,355, plus a refundable $500 book deposit, for a total initial payment of $2,855.

How is the $500 book deposit refunded?

The $500 deposit is refundable when the books are returned within one year in similar condition.

How long is the course available?

The package includes 1 year of course access.

Are live classes and self-study included?

Yes. The trade course includes both live-class instruction and flexible self-study preparation.

Are all ten books allowed in the examination room?

No. Three books are approved for exam-room use. The remaining seven references are provided for study only.

Is Application Service included?

Yes. Application Service is included as part of The 1 Package.

Does the package include business formation?

Yes. LLC or corporation formation is included to establish the legal structure of the marine construction business.

Is EIN filing included?

Yes. EIN filing with the IRS is included to support business banking, tax administration, employee hiring, and professional operations.

How long do the books take to prepare?

Please allow 15 business days for professional highlighting and tabbing before shipment.

Does the package guarantee a passing score or license approval?

No. The package provides preparation and administrative support, but examination results and licensing decisions depend on the candidate and applicant meeting all applicable requirements.