Study Materials
Master every topic of the exam, in plain language.
Core Trades
A General Building (B) contractor coordinates the specialty trades that make a structure livable and durable. This chapter reviews the code fundamentals a B contractor must understand to supervise concrete, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, roofing, weatherproofing, and site work.
Framing & Structural
Framing transfers gravity and lateral loads from the roof down through the walls and floors into the foundation. This chapter covers the code fundamentals for floor and wall framing, roof framing, seismic hardware, exterior finishes, and decks and stairs.
Safety
Jobsite safety is both a legal duty and a mark of a professional contractor. California's Cal-OSHA standards in Title 8 govern fall protection, excavation, scaffolding, traffic control, and environmental protection, and violations carry serious penalties.
Finish Trades
The finish trades cover everything the owner sees and touches after the structure is framed and weather-tight: wallboard and plaster, tile, flooring, paint, cabinets, glazing, and site landscaping. As the general building contractor you rarely swing every hammer yourself, but you must know each trade's code limits, quality grades, and sequencing well enough to coordinate the subs and catch defects before the final inspection.
Planning & Estimating
Before a single board is cut, the general building contractor reads the drawings, prices the work, checks it against code, and lines up the trades in the right order. This chapter covers how to interpret plans and specs, run accurate quantity takeoffs with the core estimating formulas, keep the job code-compliant, and manage the paperwork (RFIs and change orders) that keeps a project from unraveling.
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