CSLB B-2 Residential Remodeling (Trade Exam) — All Questions

A kitchen island sink needs venting. What does the handout describe?

• a.A high vent that returns down to the sink drain✓
• b.The sink is unvented, as islands cannot be vented
• c.The vent runs through the floor, below the sink trap
• d.A cleanout replaces the vent

For island sinks the trap is roughed in above the floor and vented by extending the vent as high as possible, not less than the drain board height, then returning downward to the horizontal drain. Unvented sinks and cleanouts do not vent.City of Rancho Cucamonga handout BSF-0030 (CPC 909 as cited)

A kitchen has a 9-foot wall countertop with no breaks. By the 24-inch rule, what is the minimum number of countertop receptacles on that wall?

• a.Three✓
• b.Two
• c.Four
• d.Five

With end receptacles within 24 inches of the ends and spacing at most 48 inches, 108 − 48 = 60 inches between end receptacles needs one more, for three. Two leaves a 60-inch gap, and four or five exceed the minimum.City of Rancho Cucamonga handout BSF-0030 (CEC 210.52 as cited)

Which statement describes receptacles within 6 feet of a kitchen sink?

• a.They are GFCI protected and tamper-resistant✓
• b.They are exempt from GFCI protection near the sink
• c.They need AFCI
• d.They must be above 48 inches

The handout requires GFCI and tamper-resistant protection within 6 feet of the sink's outside edge. AFCI alone does not replace GFCI, and the height rule is a 20-inch maximum above the counter.City of Rancho Cucamonga handout BSF-0030 (CEC 210.8 as cited)

A kitchen island is 30 inches by 48 inches. What receptacle rule applies?

• a.None, because islands cannot have receptacles
• b.One receptacle, no more than 12 inches below the top✓
• c.One receptacle, mounted 30 inches above the counter
• d.One floor box receptacle under the island

Islands and peninsulas of at least 24 by 12 inches need at least one receptacle mounted not more than 12 inches below the countertop, where the top does not extend more than 6 inches beyond its support. Islands are not exempt from receptacles, a receptacle 30 inches above the counter is far above the allowed mounting height, and a floor box is not the handout's way to serve an island.City of Rancho Cucamonga handout BSF-0030 (CEC 210.52 as cited)

What does the handout say about a cord-and-plug range hood?

• a.It needs a dedicated circuit✓
• b.It shares the small-appliance circuit
• c.It is wired to the lighting circuit
• d.It needs no circuit

A cord-and-plug range hood needs a dedicated circuit. Sharing the small-appliance circuit, using no circuit and tying it to lighting are not what the handout allows.City of Rancho Cucamonga handout BSF-0030 (CEC 422.16 as cited)

What must be true of bathroom receptacles near a basin?

• a.A 20-ampere GFCI receptacle within 36 inches of the basin✓
• b.A receptacle in the tub zone
• c.A 15-ampere receptacle located about 6 feet from the basin
• d.Any receptacle in the hallway outside the bathroom door, if grounded

The handout requires a 20-ampere GFCI-protected receptacle within 36 inches of the outside edge of each basin. A distant 15-ampere receptacle, a hallway receptacle and a tub-zone receptacle do not meet it.City of Rancho Cucamonga handout BSF-0031 (CEC 210.52(D) as cited)

Luminaires within the actual dimensions of the tub or shower must be what, per the handout?

• a.Open-bulb fixtures
• b.Painted white
• c.Enclosed✓
• d.Any pendant fixture

The handout requires enclosed and gasketed fixtures listed for damp or wet locations and GFCI protected. Open bulbs and pendants are not suitable, and color is irrelevant.City of Rancho Cucamonga handout BSF-0031 (CEC 410.10 as cited)

A permitted alteration occurs in a house. What does CRC R310.2.2 require?

• a.Smoke alarms in the attached garage and shop
• b.Smoke alarms as required for new dwellings✓
• c.Smoke alarms in the kitchen and the dining room
• d.Nothing at all, because the work is a remodel

Where alterations requiring a permit occur, the dwelling unit is equipped with smoke alarms located as for new dwellings. Alarms in only the garage and shop, or only the kitchen and dining room, do not follow the locations for new dwellings, and a remodel does not waive the requirement.2025 CRC R310.2.2

Which room-lighting statement matches the kitchen handout?

• a.Cabinet lighting is on the same switch as the ceiling
• b.Recessed lights need not be IC rated
• c.Installed luminaires are high efficacy✓
• d.Incandescent bulbs are required

The kitchen handout calls for high-efficacy luminaires and separate switching for cabinet lighting. Sharing a switch with the ceiling, using non-IC recessed fixtures and requiring incandescent bulbs all contradict it.City of Rancho Cucamonga handout BSF-0030 (CEnC 150.0(k) as cited)

What is the minimum exhaust rate for an intermittent bathroom fan?

• a.100 cubic feet per minute
• b.50 cubic feet per minute✓
• c.10 cubic feet per minute
• d.20 cubic feet per minute

The minimum exhaust rate for an intermittent bathroom fan is 50 cfm in the CRC. Twenty is the continuous figure, 100 cfm is the kitchen hood figure, and 10 cfm is below both.2025 CRC R325.2

Where may a bathroom fan duct end according to the bathroom handout?

• a.Outdoors, at least 3 feet✓
• b.Into the attic, above the insulation
• c.In the crawl space
• d.Under the eave without a duct

A bathroom fan duct ends outdoors, at least 3 feet from a property line, 10 feet from forced-air inlets and 3 feet from building openings, not onto a public walkway. The attic, a crawl space or a spot under the eave without a duct all discharge moist air into the building, where it causes mold and rot.City of Rancho Cucamonga handout BSF-0031 (CMC 504.1 as cited)

A bathroom fan is controlled by what, according to the handout?

• a.An accessible humidistat adjustable from 50 to 80 percent✓
• b.A timer that the homeowner must reset by hand every morning
• c.No control
• d.A wall switch locked permanently in the on position at all times

The handout requires a readily accessible humidistat adjustable from 50 to 80 percent relative humidity. A timer alone, a locked switch and no control do not meet it.City of Rancho Cucamonga handout BSF-0031 (CEnC 150(o) as cited)

A habitable room has 200 square feet of floor area. What openable area satisfies natural ventilation?

• a.20 square feet
• b.4 square feet
• c.8 square feet✓
• d.12 square feet

Openable area is not less than 4 percent of floor area: 200 × 0.04 = 8. Four is too low and 12 and 20 are more than needed.2025 CRC R325.1.2

A toilet room with no tub or shower has only a window. What does the CRC require for glazing?

• a.No window or fan
• b.At least 3 square feet✓
• c.At least 10 square feet
• d.At least 1 square foot

Such a room needs at least 3 square feet of glazing, half of it openable, unless light and local exhaust are provided. One square foot is too small, 10 square feet is more than required, and having no window or fan fails the rule.2025 CRC R325.2

Where is a mechanical exhaust fan required in a dwelling bathroom?

• a.In the garage, near the parked vehicles
• b.In the kitchen, above the cooking range
• c.In a half-bath with no tub or shower
• d.In a bathroom containing a tub or shower✓

A fan is required in a bathroom with a tub or shower. A kitchen-only, half-bath-only or garage-only requirement is not what the CRC says.2025 CRC R325.2.1

An outdoor air intake is planned next to a plumbing vent. What does the CRC say?

• a.Right at the vent, to draw the freshest air
• b.At least 10 feet from vents, unless 3 feet below them✓
• c.At least 3 feet from vents in every case
• d.At least 100 feet from any plumbing vent

Intake openings are not less than 10 feet from hazardous or noxious contaminants such as vents, chimneys and plumbing vents, unless the intake is 3 feet or more below the source. Three feet applies only to that below-the-source exception, placing the intake at the vent draws in contaminants, and 100 feet is far beyond any figure the code gives.2025 CRC R325.4.1

Which top-plate cut in a load-bearing wall requires a metal tie?

• a.A cut of more than 50 percent of the plate's width✓
• b.A cut of 10 percent of the width of the plate or less
• c.Any cut at all
• d.A cut of 25 percent

When cutting, drilling or notching exceeds 50 percent of the plate's width in an exterior or bearing wall, a metal tie is installed. Cuts of 10 percent or 25 percent do not exceed the 50 percent limit, and a tie is not needed for every cut.2025 CRC R602.6.1

Notches in a 2x12 joist (11-1/4 inches deep) away from the ends may be at most how deep?

• a.About 5.6 inches
• b.About 3.75 inches
• c.About 2.8 inches
• d.About 1.9 inches✓

Joist notches are limited to one-sixth of the depth: 11.25 ÷ 6 = 1.875 inches. The other values are one-third, one-half and one-quarter of the depth.2025 CRC R502.8.1

Where fireblocking is required in a wall, which opening must be sealed?

• a.Door hardware bores in interior doors
• b.Window openings along exterior walls
• c.Penetrations by pipes, wires and ducts✓
• d.Hairline cracks in the wall paint

Wires, pipes and ducts passing through at floor and ceiling levels have their openings filled with a code-listed material. Window openings, door hardware bores and paint cracks are not fireblocking locations.2025 CRC R302.11

A 1/2-inch ceiling board is screwed to framing 24 inches on center, applied perpendicular. What is the maximum screw spacing?

• a.12 inches✓
• b.8 inches
• c.7 inches
• d.16 inches

The table shows screws at 12 inches on such ceilings. Seven inches is the nail spacing, and 8 and 16 inches are wall spacings.2025 CRC Table R702.3.5

Where may interior gypsum board not be used?

• a.In a hallway between two bedrooms and the bath
• b.Where directly exposed to weather or water✓
• c.Above a closet
• d.In a bedroom

Interior gypsum board is not used where directly exposed to weather or water. Hallways, bedrooms and above closets are ordinary dry interior locations.2025 CRC R702.3.5

A closet under a stair has a door. What wall protection is required?

• a.1/2-inch gypsum board✓
• b.A layer of plywood sheathing
• c.A layer of rigid foam board
• d.No protection is required there

Enclosed space under stairs reached by a door has 1/2-inch gypsum board on the enclosed side. Nothing, plywood and foam board do not meet the rule.2025 CRC R302.7

Interior nonbearing partitions must be capped with what?

• a.A concrete cap
• b.A metal strap tie, no wood plate
• c.No plate of any kind at the top
• d.At least a single top plate✓

Nonbearing partitions are capped with at least a single top plate. Having no plate, a strap alone or a concrete cap is not what the CRC calls for.2025 CRC R602.5

A stair rises 7 feet 6 inches (90 inches). What is the minimum number of risers with a 7-3/4 inch maximum?

• a.13
• b.12✓
• c.11
• d.10

90 ÷ 7.75 = 11.6, so at least 12 risers (7.5 inches each). Eleven would need an 8.2-inch riser, ten is far too few and 13 is not the minimum.2025 CRC R318.7.5.1

What is the minimum clear stair width above handrail height?

• a.31-1/2 inches
• b.36 inches✓
• c.42 inches
• d.27 inches

Stairs are at least 36 inches clear above handrail height. Thirty-one and a half and 27 inches apply at and below handrail height, and 42 inches is more than the minimum.2025 CRC R318.7.1

What is the minimum headroom on a stairway?

• a.8 feet
• b.7 feet 6 inches or more
• c.6 feet
• d.6 feet 8 inches✓

Headroom is not less than 6 feet 8 inches. Six feet is too low, and 7 feet 6 inches and 8 feet are above the minimum.2025 CRC R318.7.2

On a stair, how much may the largest riser exceed the smallest in a flight?

• a.1/4 inch
• b.1-1/2 inches
• c.3/4 inch
• d.3/8 inch✓

The greatest riser may exceed the smallest by no more than 3/8 inch in a flight. One quarter, three quarters and 1-1/2 inches are not the stated variation.2025 CRC R318.7.5.1

A round handrail has a 1-3/4 inch diameter. What is the finding?

• a.It is too large to meet the range
• b.It meets the Type I range✓
• c.It is too small to meet the range
• d.Round handrails are not allowed in homes

A Type I round handrail is 1-1/4 to 2 inches in outside diameter, so 1-3/4 inches is acceptable. It is not too small or too large, and round rails are allowed.2025 CRC R320.6

What is the minimum width of a stair landing in a straight run?

• a.At least as wide as the flight, and 36 inches deep✓
• b.60 inches
• c.As wide as the door and 12 inches deep in a straight run
• d.24 inches

A landing is at least as wide as the flight it serves and 36 inches deep in a straight run. Twelve and twenty-four inches are too small, and 60 inches is more than the minimum.2025 CRC R318.7.6

A floating engineered floor is installed with a 5/16-inch perimeter gap in a product whose maker requires 1/2 inch. What is the finding?

• a.The installation does not follow the maker's instructions✓
• b.It is acceptable because 5/16 is common
• c.It needs no gap because the floor floats
• d.It meets the code, so no change is needed

The maker's instructions govern its own product, so a gap that does not match them does not comply. It is not covered by the code, 5/16 inch is not acceptable just because another maker uses it, and a gap is needed.Manufacturer installation guides (engineered hardwood)

Interior hardwood plywood and particleboard must comply with what California rule?

• a.Lead rules
• b.Formaldehyde limits✓
• c.Termite rules
• d.Sound transmission ratings

Those products comply with the formaldehyde limits in the green building code. Sound ratings, termite rules and lead rules are unrelated to composite wood emissions.CALGreen 4.504.5 (per City of Rancho Cucamonga handout)

A wall run has its floor high point at the sink. Where does one cabinet maker's guide draw the line for the bottom of the wall cabinets?

• a.84 inches above the high point
• b.19-1/2 inches above the high point
• c.34-1/2 inches above the high point
• d.54 inches above the high point✓

The wall level line is drawn at 54 inches above the high point, which is 19-1/2 inches above the base line. The base line is 34-1/2, 84 inches is the top line for 30-inch wall cabinets, and 19-1/2 inches is the gap above the base line.Manufacturer installation guide (cabinets)

A guide's top line for 36-inch-high wall cabinets sits at what height?

• a.72 inches
• b.96 inches
• c.90 inches✓
• d.84 inches

The guide draws the top line at 84 inches for 30-inch cabinets, 90 inches for 36-inch and 96 inches for 42-inch cabinets. Seventy-two inches is not one of its lines.Manufacturer installation guide (cabinets)

How many studs must be behind a cabinet at the end of a run, per the guide?

• a.None if screws are long
• b.At least two✓
• c.At least one
• d.At least five

The guide wants at least two studs behind each cabinet at the end of a run and one behind each middle cabinet. Long screws do not replace the second stud, and five is not stated.Manufacturer installation guide (cabinets)

A finished floor is not yet installed when cabinets are laid out. What does the guide say to do?

• a.Ignore the flooring and use the bare floor
• b.Wait to draw lines until the floor is done
• c.Subtract the flooring thickness from the lines
• d.Add the flooring thickness to the lines✓

The guide says that if the finished floor is not yet installed, allow for its thickness by adding it to the horizontal cabinet lines. Ignoring or subtracting puts cabinets too low, and waiting is not required.Manufacturer installation guide (cabinets)

Soffit underside is 83 inches above the floor's high point and the layout calls for 36-inch wall cabinets from the 54-inch line. What follows?

• a.They fit if the base line is raised
• b.They fit with a 1-inch gap
• c.The cabinets will not fit✓
• d.They fit if cut down

Wall cabinets from 54 inches with a 36-inch height need a top at 90 inches, and the guide notes most designs need 84 inches clearance to fit under a soffit, so 83 inches fails. Cutting the cabinets or moving the base line does not solve that.Manufacturer installation guide (cabinets)

What does the guide say about tightening screws on the first wall cabinet?

• a.Nearly tight, so the cabinet can still be adjusted✓
• b.Leave them loose permanently so the cabinet can shift
• c.Use drywall screws instead
• d.Torque them fully at once so the cabinet cannot move

The guide says tighten screws until they are nearly tight and do not torque the first cabinet so it can be adjusted slightly to attach the next. Full torque prevents adjustment, loose screws do not hold, and drywall screws are prohibited.Manufacturer installation guide (cabinets)

The guide warns that a 1/8-inch error at the first cabinet becomes how much error 8 feet down the wall?

• a.1/2 inch✓
• b.2 inches
• c.1/8 inch
• d.1/4 inch

A 1/8-inch error becomes 1/2 inch 8 feet down the wall. One eighth and one quarter inch understate it, and 2 inches overstates it.Manufacturer installation guide (cabinets)

A kitchen countertop is replaced, with no changes to the sink or electrical. What does the city handout say about a permit?

• a.An electrical permit, since counters hold outlets
• b.A permit is required for every countertop replacement
• c.None is required for countertop replacement✓
• d.A plumbing permit

The handout says no permit is needed for countertop replacement. A permit for every countertop, only a plumbing permit and only an electrical permit are not what it says.City of Rancho Cucamonga handout BSF-0030

A backsplash outlet is installed 28 inches above the countertop. What is the finding?

• a.It must be at least 36 inches
• b.It exceeds the 20-inch maximum✓
• c.It must be below the counter
• d.It meets the rule

Receptacles are no more than 20 inches above the countertop, so 28 inches exceeds the limit. It does not meet the rule, 36 inches is not required and below-counter mounting is only the island rule.City of Rancho Cucamonga handout BSF-0030 (CEC 210.52 as cited)

A backsplash is 10 feet long and 18 inches high, with 1.5 square feet of cutouts and 10 percent waste. How much tile should be ordered?

• a.15.0 square feet
• b.14.85 square feet✓
• c.16.5 square feet
• d.13.5 square feet

Gross backsplash area 10 × 1.5 = 15 sq ft; net after cutouts 13.5; with 10 percent waste 13.5 × 1.10 = 14.85 sq ft. Fifteen is the gross area, 13.5 omits waste and 16.5 applies waste to the gross area.CSLB B-2 study guide 13E-B2 (computation questions)

What does the CRC require of tile installed in a shower?

• a.Wallpaper first
• b.Standard drywall behind the tile
• c.Installation over a listed backer board✓
• d.Plywood

Tile is installed per ANSI A108 and A118, and backers for wall tile in tub and shower areas are one of the listed materials. Standard drywall, plywood and wallpaper are not listed backers.2025 CRC R702.4

Tile mortar coverage for ceramic tile in a dry area is what percentage under ANSI A108?

• a.100 percent
• b.80 percent✓
• c.60 percent
• d.95 percent

Dry areas need 80 percent coverage. Ninety-five percent is the wet-area figure, and 60 and 100 percent are not the requirement.ANSI A108 requirement as stated by the Ceramic Tile Foundation

The Ceramic Tile Foundation describes keying mortar into the substrate how?

• a.With the notched side in all directions
• b.By spraying water
• c.With the flat side of the trowel✓
• d.By pressing tile into dry mortar

The method keys the mortar into the substrate with the flat side of the trowel and then notches it in one direction, and the tile is moved perpendicular to the ridges.Ceramic Tile Foundation guidance on ANSI A108 coverage

What respirable crystalline silica action level does Cal/OSHA use in construction?

• a.50 micrograms per cubic meter
• b.25 micrograms per cubic meter✓
• c.10 micrograms per cubic meter
• d.2 micrograms per cubic meter

The silica action level is 25 micrograms per cubic meter. Fifty is the PEL, 10 is the lead PEL and 2 is the lead action level.8 CCR 1532.3

Which minor repair threshold applies to painted surface inside a pre-1978 house?

• a.6 square feet or less per room✓
• b.20 square feet or less per room
• c.1 square foot per wall, with no room limit
• d.100 square feet per house

Inside, minor repair is 6 square feet or less per room. Twenty square feet is the exterior figure, and 100 square feet per house and 1 square foot per wall are not thresholds.40 CFR 745.83

Which equipment may not be used on painted surfaces in pre-1978 housing without HEPA exhaust?

• a.Plastic sheeting
• b.Hand scrapers used with a spray bottle
• c.High-speed sanders and grinders✓
• d.Damp rags

High-speed sanders and grinders without HEPA exhaust are prohibited. Hand scrapers, damp rags and plastic sheeting are acceptable.40 CFR 745.85(a)(3)

How far beyond interior work must floor plastic extend under the lead rule?

• a.20 feet
• b.10 feet beyond the surfaces being renovated
• c.1 foot
• d.6 feet beyond the surfaces being renovated✓

Interior floors are covered with taped plastic 6 feet beyond the surfaces being renovated, or enough to contain dust; 10 feet is the exterior ground figure.40 CFR 745.85(a)(2)(i)

A coating's VOC content must be checked against which California standard?

• a.The fire code
• b.The plumbing code for the supply piping
• c.The electrical code for the building wiring
• d.The green building code's VOC limits✓

VOC limits come from the green building code. The fire, electrical and plumbing codes do not set coating content limits.CALGreen 4.504.2 (per City of Rancho Cucamonga handout)

Section 1532.1 defines the construction work its lead standard covers as including what?

• a.Only new construction of homes built after 1978
• b.Only work inside factories and mills
• c.Only abrasive blasting of steel structures
• d.Alteration and repair, including painting and decorating✓

Its scope defines construction work as construction, alteration and repair, including painting and decorating. It is not limited to new homes, to blasting or to factory work.8 CCR 1532.1(a)