CSLB B-2 Residential Remodeling (Trade Exam) — All Questions
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33 questions
A B-2 contractor finds that a wall to be removed supports ceiling joists that bear on it. What is the correct action?
- a.Treat it as bearing and decline to alter it✓
- b.Remove it, since it is an interior partition wall
- c.Remove it after adding a temporary post under the joists
- d.Remove it if the owner pays an extra fee
A wall that carries joists is a load-bearing wall, and the statute prohibits B-2 contractors from structural changes to load-bearing walls. Being interior, a temporary post or extra pay does not make the work non-structural.Bus. & Prof. Code section 7057.5(c)(2)
Which interior nonbearing wall framing does the CRC permit if the wall is not part of a braced wall line?
- a.2x4 studs laid flat at 16 inches on center✓
- b.2x2 studs at 32 inches on center
- c.2x4 studs at 48 inches on center
- d.1x3 studs at 12 inches on center
The CRC permits 2x3 studs at 24 inches or 2x4 studs laid flat at 16 inches, capped by at least a single top plate. The other sizes and spacings are not allowed.2025 CRC R602.5
A crew cuts a notch in a 2x6 stud (5-1/2 inches deep) in an exterior wall. What is the deepest allowed notch?
- a.2-3/4 inches
- b.1-3/8 inches✓
- c.2-1/5 inches
- d.3-1/4 inches
Exterior and bearing studs may be notched to 25 percent of depth: 5.5 × 0.25 = 1.375 inches. Two and a fifth inches is the 40 percent nonbearing figure, 3-1/4 is about 60 percent, and 2-3/4 inches is half.2025 CRC R602.6
What does Cal/OSHA require before demolition of a building starts?
- a.Utilities labeled by color
- b.Utilities shut off, capped or otherwise controlled✓
- c.Utilities moved to the roof
- d.Utilities left live so the crew can run power tools
The safety order requires shutting off, capping or otherwise controlling utilities at the building or curb line before demolition unless they are needed, in which case they are relocated and protected. Leaving them live, only labeling or moving them to the roof does not control them.8 CCR 1735(a)
Which sequence is correct for removing a countertop, base cabinets and wall cabinets, according to a maker's guide?
- a.Wall cabinets, countertop, then base cabinets
- b.Countertop, base cabinets, then wall cabinets✓
- c.Base cabinets, wall cabinets, then countertop
- d.Wall cabinets, base cabinets, then countertop
After appliances the guide removes counter tops, base cabinets and finally wall cabinets. The other orders remove supported items before what supports them or leave work above the worker.Manufacturer installation guide (cabinets)
What must be shut off before pulling a dishwasher and sink from a kitchen?
- a.Nothing, as long as the crew works quickly
- b.Only the water, because appliances can stay live
- c.Water, plus power or gas to the appliances✓
- d.Only the power, because water pipes hold no hazard
The guide says to shut off water to the sink and dishwasher and turn off gas or electricity to the appliances, and suggests a professional handle the shutoffs. Shutting only the water leaves live power or gas at the appliances, shutting only the power leaves pressurized supply lines at the fixtures, and a quick job does not remove either hazard.Manufacturer installation guide (cabinets)
A crew cuts out an engineered-stone countertop using a dry saw indoors. What is the hazard and the PEL?
- a.Lead dust from old paint; 2 micrograms per cubic meter
- b.Formaldehyde vapor; 10 micrograms per cubic meter
- c.Respirable silica; 50 micrograms per cubic meter✓
- d.Asbestos; 0.1 micrograms per cubic meter
Stone cutting releases silica, which Cal/OSHA limits to 50 micrograms per cubic meter as an 8-hour average. Lead, asbestos and formaldehyde are not the stone hazard, and their limits differ.8 CCR 1532.3
A homeowner wants a toilet pulled and reset after floor tile is replaced. No valves or pipes are replaced. What permit rule applies?
- a.An electrical permit is required as well
- b.A plumbing permit is always required here
- c.Removal and reinstallation is exempt✓
- d.A structural permit is required as well
CRC R105.2 exempts removal and reinstallation of water closets when no valves, pipes or fixtures are replaced or rearranged. It is not electrical or structural work, and a plumbing permit is not always required because the exemption names this exact case.2025 CRC R105.2
What is a safe way to terminate wiring left by a removed light fixture?
- a.Push the wires into the insulation
- b.De-energize and test the circuit✓
- c.Leave the wires hanging out of the hole
- d.Twist the bare wires and tape them in the ceiling
The circuit is de-energized and tested, and conductors are terminated with listed connectors inside a covered box. Taped bare wires, loose wires and wires pushed into insulation leave a shock or fire risk.8 CCR 1735(a)
A permit is issued for a bathroom remodel in a house with a 3.0 gallon-per-flush toilet elsewhere. What does the city handout say?
- a.No fixtures need to change
- b.Showerheads must change
- c.The fixtures inside the bathroom being remodeled must change
- d.Noncompliant fixtures throughout the house must be upgraded✓
Under Civil Code 1101.4 as summarized in the handout, existing noncompliant plumbing fixtures throughout the house must be upgraded when a remodel permit is issued, even outside the work area. A bathroom-only, none or showerhead-only rule is not stated.California Civil Code section 1101.4 (per City of Rancho Cucamonga handout)
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Under Cal/OSHA's housekeeping rule, what must be done about scrap lumber with protruding nails?
- a.Leave it until final cleanup
- b.Stack it by the stairs for reuse
- c.Keep it cleared✓
- d.Hammer the nails flat on site
Scrap lumber with protruding nails must be kept reasonably cleared from work areas, passageways and stairs. Stacking by stairs, flattening in place and waiting until the end do not meet the rule.8 CCR 1513(a)
A delivery of framing lumber is 22 percent moisture. When may it be enclosed in a wall, per the CALGreen rule in a city handout?
- a.When it dries to about 25 percent moisture
- b.When the surface has been painted over
- c.Immediately, as soon as the framing is inspected
- d.Only when it is 19 percent or less✓
New framing shall not be enclosed when its moisture content exceeds 19 percent. Enclosing immediately, at 25 percent or after painting does not meet the rule.CALGreen 4.505.3 (per City of Rancho Cucamonga handout)
Flammable and hazardous wastes at a job site go where?
- a.On the ground beside the building
- b.In an open bucket by the door
- c.In the main dumpster
- d.In covered containers separate✓
Cal/OSHA requires flammable or hazardous wastes to be placed in covered containers separate from ordinary debris. Mixing them in a dumpster, leaving them on the ground or in an open bucket does not.8 CCR 1513(e)
A bathroom wall to be removed has a double top plate and 2x6 studs, and joists lap over it. What is the safest conclusion?
- a.Treat it as bearing until the building official says otherwise✓
- b.It is non-bearing because it stands in a bathroom and holds some pipes
- c.It is bearing if it has a window
- d.It is non-bearing because it holds plumbing
A wall carrying joists and framed like an exterior wall may be load bearing, and interior load-bearing walls are framed as exterior walls. Location, plumbing and windows do not decide it, and B-2 contractors may not alter bearing walls.2025 CRC R602.4
Why is a permit needed to remove a non-bearing partition?
- a.Permits are required when a bearing wall is removed
- b.All interior work needs a permit
- c.Non-bearing walls are structural
- d.Cutting away a wall is not an ordinary repair✓
R105.2.2 excludes cutting away any wall or partition from ordinary repairs. Not all interior work needs a permit, non-bearing walls are not structural, and the exclusion is not limited to bearing walls.2025 CRC R105.2.2
A 2x4 stud in a nonbearing partition is notched for a pipe. What is the deepest notch allowed (3-1/2 inch depth)?
- a.2.1 inches
- b.0.875 inch
- c.1.4 inches✓
- d.1.75 inches
Nonbearing studs may be notched to 40 percent of depth: 3.5 × 0.40 = 1.4 inches. The 0.875-inch figure is the bearing 25 percent limit, 2.1 inches is 60 percent and 1.75 inches is half the depth.2025 CRC R602.6
A pipe needs a 1-1/2 inch hole bored in a 2x4 stud (3-1/2 inches deep) in a nonbearing partition. Is that allowed, and what is the edge limit?
- a.No, because holes may not exceed 1 inch
- b.Yes, with no limit on how close to the edge
- c.No, because 1-1/2 inches exceeds 40 percent
- d.Yes, since it is under 60 percent of depth✓
Boring is limited to 60 percent of depth (2.1 inches here) and the hole edge stays at least 5/8 inch from the stud edge; in a bearing stud over 40 percent (1.4 inches) the stud is doubled, so 1-1/2 inches in a nonbearing partition is acceptable. The 1-inch cap and no-edge-limit options are not the rule.2025 CRC R602.6
Cutting a top plate more than half its width for a pipe in a bearing wall requires what?
- a.A second pipe run through the same wall
- b.A nail every 4 feet
- c.A galvanized metal tie across the cut✓
- d.Nothing, the plate is fine if the studs are sound
Where more than 50 percent of the top plate width is cut in an exterior or load-bearing wall, a 16-gage, 1-1/2-inch-wide metal tie is fastened across the cut with at least eight 10d nails each side and extends 6 inches past the opening. Doing nothing leaves the plate weakened. A second pipe run adds another cut rather than reinforcing the plate, and nails spaced every 4 feet do not bridge the cut.2025 CRC R602.6.1
Which order matches a cabinet maker's guide for removing an old kitchen?
- a.Appliances, countertops, base cabinets, wall cabinets✓
- b.Countertops, appliances, wall cabinets, base cabinets
- c.Base cabinets, countertops, appliances, wall cabinets
- d.Wall cabinets, base cabinets, countertops, appliances
The guide removes appliances first, then counter tops, base cabinets and finally wall cabinets. Starting with wall cabinets or removing counter tops last takes supported items out in the wrong order.Manufacturer installation guide (cabinets)
What should be done to cabinets before they are lifted out for reuse?
- a.Remove doors, drawers and shelves, noting where each goes✓
- b.Remove the finished wall behind them before anything else
- c.Fill the cabinets with debris so that they stay steady and level
- d.Paint the backs
The guide says to remove doors and drawer boxes to ease handling and prevent damage, and to note each door's cabinet. Debris adds weight, painting backs is irrelevant, and removing the wall damages the finish.Manufacturer installation guide (cabinets)
Old vinyl flooring under cabinets may contain asbestos. How does Cal/OSHA classify its removal?
- a.Class II asbestos work✓
- b.Class IV asbestos work
- c.Class III asbestos work
- d.Class I asbestos work
Class II covers removal of ACM that is not thermal system insulation or surfacing, including floor tile and sheet flooring. Class I is insulation and surfacing, Class III is repair and maintenance likely to disturb ACM, and Class IV is custodial.8 CCR 1529
A permit is issued for a kitchen remodel that moves the sink. What does the city handout say about countertop work alone?
- a.Every kitchen change needs a permit, even a simple countertop swap
- b.The cabinets need a permit
- c.A countertop swap needs no permit, but moving the sink does✓
- d.Nothing needs a permit
The handout says a permit is not required for countertop replacement or refacing of existing cabinets, but is required if the remodel includes relocating cabinets, the sink, dishwasher or hood or altering electrical.City of Rancho Cucamonga handout BSF-0030
What must be done before a toilet is removed and reset?
- a.Cut the supply line with a saw to release the fixture
- b.Close the stop valve and drain the tank and bowl✓
- c.Remove the water heater
- d.Disconnect the gas line
The supply is shut off at the stop and the fixture drained before disconnecting. The water heater and gas line are unrelated, and cutting the supply is not a controlled shutoff.8 CCR 1735(a)
A crew removes a light fixture and finds two live wires in the box. What is the safest next step?
- a.Cut them and push them into the wall
- b.Cap them with tape and leave the breaker on
- c.Turn off the breaker✓
- d.Twist them together without a connector
The circuit is de-energized and tested before conductors are terminated in a covered box. Taping live wires, cutting and burying them or twisting them without a connector leave exposed or unprotected conductors.8 CCR 1735(a)
CRC R105.2 exempts which electrical work from a permit?
- a.Replacing the service panel at the meter location outside
- b.Installing a new circuit
- c.Reinstalling plug receptacles, but not the outlets✓
- d.Adding a new outlet box
The exemption covers reinstalling attachment plug receptacles but not the outlets. A new circuit, a replaced service panel and a new outlet box are all permit work.2025 CRC R105.2
A bathroom remodel permit is issued, and an old toilet elsewhere in the house uses 3.5 gallons per flush. What does the city handout say?
- a.The fixtures in the room being remodeled need to change
- b.Nothing changes
- c.The old toilet must be upgraded to a 1.28-gallon model✓
- d.Showerheads must change
The handout explains that a remodel permit triggers upgrades of noncompliant fixtures throughout the house, and the required water closet is 1.28 gallons per flush. Doing nothing, remodel-room-only and showerhead-only rules are not stated.California Civil Code section 1101.4 (per City of Rancho Cucamonga handout)
What is the maximum flow for a kitchen faucet under the required fixtures in the handout?
- a.1.2 gallons per minute at 60 psi
- b.2.5 gallons per minute at 80 psi
- c.2.2 gallons per minute at 60 psi
- d.1.8 gallons per minute at 60 psi✓
The required kitchen faucet is 1.8 gpm at 60 psi. The 1.2 gpm figure is for bathroom faucets, 2.2 gpm is the noncompliant threshold, and 2.5 gpm at 80 psi is the old showerhead threshold.California Civil Code section 1101.4 and CALGreen 4.303 (per City of Rancho Cucamonga handout)
A B-2 contractor must remove a gas range and cap its line. Which statement fits?
- a.Tape over the open end of the gas line and leave the gas on
- b.Leave the gas line open and uncapped while the range is moved
- c.Turn off the gas and have a professional do the shutoff✓
- d.Cut the gas line with a cutting torch to release the old range
The guide says to turn off gas or electricity to appliances and suggests having a professional take care of shutoffs. Cutting with a torch, leaving it open or taping it are unsafe.Manufacturer installation guide (cabinets)
How far from a building must the ground be kept reasonably free of irregularities, per the housekeeping rule?
- a.Within 1 foot
- b.Within 6 feet✓
- c.Within 20 feet
- d.Within 50 feet
The ground area within 6 feet of a building under construction is to be reasonably free from irregularities. One foot is too narrow a zone, and 20 and 50 feet are more than the rule states.8 CCR 1513(b)
Where should combustible debris that accumulates inside a building be handled?
- a.Burned on site
- b.Left in place until the end of the whole job
- c.Removed promptly during construction✓
- d.Stacked in a pile beside the furnace room
Combustible debris accumulated inside is removed promptly. Leaving it until the end, stacking it by the furnace and burning it on site all create fire hazards.8 CCR 1513(d)
An engineered hardwood maker requires acclimation. How long must the unopened boxes sit in the room?
- a.At least 10 minutes
- b.At least 48 hours✓
- c.At least 30 days
- d.At least 2 hours
That maker requires at least 48 hours with conditioned air in the room. Two hours and ten minutes are far too short, and 30 days is longer than any stated requirement.Manufacturer installation guide (engineered hardwood)
A plywood subfloor reads 14 percent. A flooring maker allows no more than 12 percent. What should be done?
- a.Install now
- b.Locate the moisture source✓
- c.Install with extra glue
- d.Cover the floor with plastic and install
The reading exceeds the maker's 12 percent limit, so the moisture source is found and the subfloor dried first. Installing, adding glue or covering with plastic does not correct a wet substrate.Manufacturer installation guide (engineered hardwood)
A safety data sheet must be kept for what under Cal/OSHA's hazard communication standard?
- a.Every hazardous chemical, kept accessible to workers✓
- b.Only chemicals stored outside the building
- c.Only chemicals bought online or by mail order
- d.Only chemicals stored in quantities over 5 gallons
Employers keep the safety data sheets that come with hazardous chemical shipments and make them accessible. The standard does not limit them by quantity, by how the chemical was purchased, or by where it is stored.8 CCR 5194