Chapter 4 of 618% of exam

Finish Trades Remodeling

CSLB weights Finish Trades Remodeling at about 18% of the B-2 exam: cabinets, countertops and backsplashes, painting, staining, coating and interior wall covering, and fireplaces and mantels. This page is a short survey; the PrepPass B-2 Residential Remodeling study guide teaches the section with worked examples and a full practice exam at CSLB's weights.

Cabinets and countertops

Cabinet layout is set from the floor's high point and studs. Countertops are exempt from permits but not from receptacle rules.

Layout lines
One maker draws the base line at 34-1/2 inches and the wall line at 54 inches above the floor's high point.
Cabinet maker's guide
Upper cabinets
30 inches minimum above a cooking top unless the maker requires more.
City handout (2025 CMC)
Tile coverage
80 percent in dry areas and 95 percent in wet and exterior areas.
ANSI A108 via Ceramic Tile Foundation

Painting and lead

Paint and wall covering are permit-exempt but not exempt from VOC or lead rules.

Minor repair
6 square feet or less per room inside and 20 outside, with no prohibited practice.
40 CFR 745.83
Prohibited practices
Open-flame burning, high-speed machines without HEPA exhaust and heat guns at or above 1,100 degrees F.
40 CFR 745.85
VOC
Paints, sealants and coatings meet the green building code's VOC limits.
CALGreen 4.504.2 (per city handout)

Fireplaces and mantels

Masonry fireplace hearths, extensions and clearances are set by the CRC.

Hearth
Hearth 4 inches thick; extension 2 inches thick.
2025 CRC R1001.9
Extension size
16 inches in front and 8 on each side; 20 and 12 for openings of 6 square feet or more.
2025 CRC R1001.10
Mantel
No combustible mantel within 6 inches of the opening; 1/8 inch projection per inch within 12 inches.
2025 CRC R1001.11

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