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

A homeowner wants only a new kitchen faucet and sink installed. Why is this not a B-2 contract on its own?

• a.B-2 contracts must exceed a set dollar amount
• b.B-2 contractors may not touch plumbing fixtures
• c.Sinks are structural elements of the house
• d.It needs three or more unrelated trades✓

The statute bars a residential remodeling contractor from taking a contract that does not include three or more unrelated trades, so a one-trade fixture swap fails. Plumbing fixtures are allowed work, a sink is not structural, and the statute sets no dollar floor.Bus. & Prof. Code section 7057.5(b)(2)

A B-2 contractor is asked to include removal of 150 square feet of asbestos-containing floor tile in a remodel. What is required?

• a.A C-57 license for well drilling work
• b.A C-22 license or an asbestos-certified qualifier✓
• c.The Board's open-book asbestos exam for new applicants
• d.Nothing, because floor tile counts as a finish material

Asbestos-related work of 100 square feet or more requires a C-22 license or a qualifier with asbestos certification, so the work goes to someone who has it. Floor tile is not exempt, the open-book exam is a licensing step rather than permission for the work, and C-57 is well drilling.Bus. & Prof. Code section 7058.5

An existing bathroom plan has a 34-inch-wide hallway leading to it. What is the problem?

• a.Hallways must be at least 3 feet wide✓
• b.Hallways must be at least 32 inches wide
• c.Hallways must be at least 44 inches wide
• d.Hallways must be at least 30 inches wide

Section R318.6 sets 3 feet (36 inches) as the minimum hallway width, so 34 inches fails. Forty-four inches is a different occupancy's figure, and 32 and 30 inches are below the code minimum.2025 CRC R318.6

A plan shows a laundry room with a 6-foot-6-inch ceiling. Which rule does it violate?

• a.Laundry rooms need at least 6 feet 4 inches
• b.Laundry rooms need at least 6 feet 8 inches✓
• c.Laundry rooms need at least 7 feet 6 inches
• d.Laundry rooms need at least 8 feet

Bathrooms, toilet rooms and laundry rooms need a ceiling height of at least 6 feet 8 inches, so 6 feet 6 inches falls short. Seven-six and eight feet are not the minimum, and 6 feet 4 inches is an existing-building basement or attic figure.2025 CRC R313.1

Plans are drawn at 1/2 inch = 1 foot. A hallway measures 11-1/2 inches on the sheet. How long is it?

• a.11-1/2 feet
• b.5-3/4 feet
• c.46 feet
• d.23 feet✓

At 1/2 inch to the foot each inch is 2 feet, so 11.5 × 2 = 23 feet. Eleven and a half feet ignores the scale, 46 feet multiplies by 4 as at 1/4 inch, and 5-3/4 feet divides instead of multiplying.CSLB B-2 study guide 13E-B2 (computation questions)

Under CRC R106.1.2, which item must be on the job site at the time of inspection?

• a.The crew's weekly time cards
• b.The manufacturer's installation instructions✓
• c.The supplier's signed credit application form
• d.The subcontractor's prior-year tax return filings

Section R106.1.2 requires the manufacturer's installation instructions, where the code calls for them, to be available on the job site at the time of inspection. A supplier's credit application, a subcontractor's tax returns and the crew's time cards have nothing to do with how the work is built or inspected.2025 CRC R106.1.2

Which is the first inspection point for a bath remodel that moves a drain and opens the wall?

• a.Frame, before the studs are cut
• b.Final, after tile is set
• c.Rough plumbing, before the system is covered✓
• d.Gypsum board, before the plumbing is installed

Rough inspection of plumbing is made before covering or concealment and before fixtures are set. Final, board and framing inspections come after the rough systems are visible and passed.2025 CRC R109.1.2

A city handout says a minimum of how many inspections are required for a typical kitchen remodel?

• a.Four, one for each trade that touches the kitchen
• b.One, a single final inspection at the end
• c.Two, a rough inspection where needed and a final✓
• d.None, as long as no walls are opened during the work

The handout requires at least two inspections: a rough electrical inspection after boxes are installed and before devices connect (with rough inspections for other altered systems), and a final after all work is complete. A single final inspection skips the rough stage, four fixed inspections is not a count the handout gives, and no inspection is not allowed just because walls stay closed.City of Rancho Cucamonga handout BSF-0030

A plumbing subcontractor is hired for a new drain line. Which is the B-2 contractor's duty?

• a.Let the owner choose any helper, licensed or not, to save money
• b.Hire a subcontractor who holds the appropriate license✓
• c.Do the plumbing work without any written subcontract at all
• d.Pay the subcontractor in cash so that no permit is pulled

A B-2 contractor may subcontract trades only to appropriately licensed subcontractors, and system work such as a new drain line needs that license. Unlicensed help, avoiding permits and self-performing excluded system work all break the rules.Bus. & Prof. Code section 7057.5(b)(3)

A permit was issued, but work was suspended for 14 months. What does CRC R105.5.1 say?

• a.The permit is invalid✓
• b.The permit renews itself
• c.The permit is valid if inspections were requested
• d.The permit remains valid for five years

A permit becomes invalid if work is suspended or abandoned for 12 months, unless the building official grants a written extension. Automatic renewal and a five-year life are not in the rule, and requesting inspections does not keep it alive.2025 CRC R105.5.1

A kitchen floor measures 10 feet by 16 feet. Tile cartons cover 18 square feet, and waste is 10 percent. How many cartons are needed?

• a.10 cartons✓
• b.9 cartons
• c.11 cartons
• d.8 cartons

Area is 160 sq ft; with waste 176 sq ft; 176 ÷ 18 = 9.78, round up to 10. Nine rounds down, eight ignores waste and rounding, and eleven over-orders.CSLB B-2 study guide 13E-B2 (computation questions)

A dumpster costs $380 per haul and the job needs 4 hauls with a 15 percent markup. What is the price?

• a.$1,596
• b.$1,520
• c.$1,900
• d.$1,748✓

380 × 4 = $1,520 cost; × 1.15 = $1,748. The $1,520 figure omits markup, $1,900 uses a 25 percent markup, and $1,596 uses a 5 percent markup.CSLB B-2 study guide 13E-B2 (computation questions)

Cost on a job is $12,000. A 25 percent markup produces what price, and what margin?

• a.$14,400 and a 20 percent margin
• b.$15,000 and a 20 percent margin✓
• c.$15,000 and a 25 percent margin
• d.$16,000 and a 25 percent margin

Markup of 25 percent gives 12,000 × 1.25 = $15,000; profit $3,000 ÷ $15,000 price is a 20 percent margin. Calling it a 25 percent margin confuses markup and margin, and the other prices come from 33 and 20 percent markups.CSLB B-2 study guide 13E-B2 (computation questions)

A room is 12 feet by 14 feet with 8-foot walls, one 3 by 7 foot door and one 30 square foot window. Two coats at 400 square feet per gallon. How many gallons of wall paint (round up)?

• a.5 gallons
• b.2 gallons✓
• c.1 gallon
• d.3 gallons

Perimeter 52 ft × 8 = 416 sq ft; minus 21 and 30 leaves 365; two coats 730; 730 ÷ 400 = 1.83, rounded up to 2. One gallon rounds down or uses a single coat, three gallons forgets to deduct the openings (832 ÷ 400 = 2.08), and five gallons uses a much lower coverage rate.CSLB B-2 study guide 13E-B2 (computation questions)

A roof plan is 20 feet by 30 feet at a 6:12 slope. Using a slope factor of 1.118, how many squares (round up) of roofing are needed with no waste?

• a.8 squares
• b.12 squares
• c.6 squares
• d.7 squares✓

Plan area 600 sq ft × 1.118 = 670.8 sq ft, or 6.7 squares, rounded up to 7. Six rounds down, eight adds waste not stated, and twelve uses an incorrect factor.CSLB B-2 study guide 13E-B2 (computation questions)

A homeowner's project is a new floor in one bedroom, nothing else. How does the B-2 license rule apply?

• a.The job is not B-2 work✓
• b.The job is B-2 work if the owner signs a waiver
• c.The job is B-2 work if it costs under a set dollar limit
• d.The job is B-2 work, because flooring is a listed trade

A residential remodeling contractor may not take a contract unless it includes three or more unrelated trades, so a flooring-only job fails even though flooring is listed. A waiver cannot waive the statute, and the statute sets no dollar limit.Bus. & Prof. Code section 7057.5(b)(2)

A B-2 contractor wants to add moving a bearing wall to a three-trade remodel. What does the statute say?

• a.It is allowed if a subcontractor does the cutting
• b.It is allowed if an engineer writes a letter
• c.It is allowed because it is a finish item
• d.Load-bearing walls are outside the license✓

The statute says a residential remodeling contractor shall not contract to make structural changes to load-bearing portions of a structure, including load-bearing walls. A letter or a subcontractor does not change the limit, and a bearing wall is structure, not finish.Bus. & Prof. Code section 7057.5(c)(2)

A contract includes tile, paint, flooring and a new fire sprinkler system. What must the B-2 contractor do about the sprinklers?

• a.Install them as mechanical fixtures
• b.Install them with an unlicensed helper to keep the costs down
• c.Hold the C-16 license or subcontract to a C-16 contractor✓
• d.Install them as plumbing fixtures, since water pipes feed them

Fire protection work is one of the trades a B-2 contractor may not take unless it holds the classification or subcontracts with an appropriately licensed contractor. Sprinklers are not plumbing or mechanical fixtures, and unlicensed help does not satisfy the rule.Bus. & Prof. Code section 7057.5(c)(1)

Which of these needs a building permit under CRC R105.2.2?

• a.Replacing a burned-out lamp in a ceiling fixture
• b.Cutting away a wall to open a room✓
• c.Painting a bedroom ceiling and the walls
• d.Laying carpet over an existing floor

Cutting away a wall is excluded from ordinary repairs and needs a permit. Replacing a lamp is expressly outside the permit rule, and painting and carpeting are exempt finish work.2025 CRC R105.2.2

A plan shows a bedroom 6 feet 9 inches wide by 11 feet long. Which rule does it fail?

• a.Bedrooms must be at least 10 feet wide
• b.Habitable rooms must be at least 8 feet in any horizontal dimension
• c.Habitable rooms must be at least 7 feet in any dimension✓
• d.Habitable rooms must be at least 120 square feet

Habitable rooms must be at least 7 feet in any horizontal dimension, and 6 feet 9 inches is short of that. The 8-foot, 120-square-foot and 10-foot figures are not code minimums, and the room's area (about 74 square feet) exceeds the 70-square-foot minimum.2025 CRC R312.2

A new egress door will be 30 inches wide in the clear. What is the finding?

• a.It meets the minimum, which is 28 inches
• b.It meets the minimum, which is 30 inches
• c.It exceeds the minimum, which is 24 inches
• d.It is narrower than the 32-inch minimum clear width✓

The required egress door provides at least 32 inches of clear width, so 30 inches fails. Twenty-eight and twenty-four inches are not the minimum, and 30 inches is not the figure for the required egress door.2025 CRC R318.2

A plan shows an open stair side 40 inches above the floor with a 34-inch-high guard around the landing. What is the problem?

• a.A guard must be 48 inches high
• b.A guard is not required until the drop exceeds 30 inches
• c.A guard may be 34 inches on a landing
• d.The landing guard must be at least 42 inches high✓

Guards are required at drops over 30 inches and must be at least 42 inches high, with 34 inches allowed only on the open sides of stairs measured from the nosing line. Forty-eight inches is not the minimum.2025 CRC R321.1

A basement bedroom is planned in an existing basement. What does the CRC require?

• a.An escape opening in the new sleeping room✓
• b.A skylight over the basement stairs and hall
• c.No escape opening, because it is an existing basement
• d.An escape opening if the room is over 200 square feet

New sleeping rooms created in an existing basement need an emergency escape and rescue opening, and the escape rules apply to every sleeping room. Existing-basement relief does not cover new bedrooms, and the 200-square-foot figure applies to basements with no habitable space.2025 CRC R319.7

Plans are drawn at 1/4 inch = 1 foot. A wall measures 8-3/4 inches. How long is it?

• a.17-1/2 feet
• b.8-3/4 feet
• c.70 feet
• d.35 feet✓

At 1/4 inch to the foot each inch is 4 feet: 8.75 × 4 = 35. Seventeen and a half is the 1/2-inch reading, 70 feet is the 1/8-inch reading, and 8-3/4 feet ignores the scale.CSLB B-2 study guide 13E-B2 (computation questions)

A city's remodel handout wants a bathroom plan to show which dimension for the toilet?

• a.The toilet's warranty length
• b.The distance in front of the toilet✓
• c.The toilet's brand
• d.The color and finish of the toilet fixture

The plan checklist asks for door width, overall room dimensions, windows and the distance in front of the toilet. Color, brand and warranty are not code dimensions.City of Rancho Cucamonga handout BSF-0031

A remodel plan will demolish an interior wall. What does the city handout want shown?

• a.The color of the existing wall
• b.The owner's tax parcel
• c.The age of the paint
• d.The existing framing layout✓

The handout requires the existing framing layout so the wall can be determined bearing or non-bearing, and notes engineering may be required if it is bearing. Color, paint age and tax parcel do not answer that.City of Rancho Cucamonga handout BSF-0031

A shop drawing for a window shows a different size from the plan schedule. When should the discrepancy be resolved?

• a.After the unit is delivered
• b.Before the unit is ordered✓
• c.After the unit is installed
• d.At final inspection

A shop drawing for a window is checked against the construction documents before ordering because the manufacturer builds what is drawn, and a mismatch found later costs a reorder or a rebuilt opening. Waiting until delivery, installation or final inspection finds the error only after the wrong unit is built, bought or set.2025 CRC R106.1

When must rough electrical and plumbing be inspected relative to the walls closing?

• a.After the gypsum board has been taped
• b.Before covering or concealment✓
• c.At final
• d.After the insulation is installed

Rough inspection is made before covering or concealment, before fixtures are set and before the framing inspection. Insulation, taping and final are all after the work is hidden.2025 CRC R109.1.2

When is the gypsum board inspection made?

• a.After the first coat of paint is applied
• b.Before the wall framing is complete
• c.After the trim is installed and painted
• d.After the board is hung, before taping✓

The board inspection is made after lath and gypsum board are in place but before any plastering is applied or joints and fasteners are taped and finished. Paint and trim come later, when the board is already covered, and framing is earlier, before there is any board to inspect.2025 CRC R109.1.4.2

Who requests inspections and provides access, under CRC R109.3?

• a.The material supplier
• b.The neighbor
• c.The inspector's supervisor
• d.The permit holder or agent✓

It is the duty of the permit holder or the agent to notify the building official that work is ready and to provide access and means for inspection. Neighbors, supervisors and suppliers do not carry that duty.2025 CRC R109.3

What moisture content must framing members be at or below before being enclosed, according to a city handout summarizing CALGreen?

• a.19 percent✓
• b.12 percent
• c.25 percent
• d.30 percent

New framing shall not be enclosed when the moisture content exceeds 19 percent. Twelve percent is a flooring subfloor limit in one guide, and 25 and 30 percent are higher than allowed.CALGreen 4.505.3 (per City of Rancho Cucamonga handout)

A B-2 contractor plans the sequence of a kitchen remodel with a new drain line. Which step must occur before drywall closes the wall?

• a.Final paint on the walls
• b.Cabinet installation along the wall
• c.Final inspection of the finished job
• d.Rough plumbing inspection✓

The rough plumbing inspection is made before the system is covered, so it comes before the wall is closed. Final paint, cabinet installation and the final inspection all occur after the wall is closed.2025 CRC R109.1.2

A job needs a licensed electrician for a new circuit. Who may the B-2 contractor hire?

• a.An appropriately licensed electrical contractor✓
• b.A licensed tile setting contractor
• c.The owner's cousin, who has done some wiring before
• d.A licensed painting contractor

A B-2 contractor may subcontract trades only to appropriately licensed subcontractors, and new circuits are system work that needs the electrical license. A painting or tile setting contractor holds a license for another trade, and a relative with some wiring experience holds none.Bus. & Prof. Code section 7057.5(b)(3)

Before demolition begins, which coordination step does Cal/OSHA require?

• a.Ordering the paint
• b.Hanging the cabinets
• c.Scheduling the final inspection
• d.Controlling the utilities✓

Utilities are controlled before demolition begins. Ordering paint, scheduling the final inspection and hanging cabinets belong to later phases of the job.8 CCR 1735(a)

A permit issued eight months ago was never started. What does CRC R105.5.1 say?

• a.It lapses after 12 months without commencement✓
• b.It lapses after 30 days
• c.It lapses after six months without commencing
• d.It never lapses

A permit becomes invalid unless work is commenced within 12 months, or if work is suspended or abandoned for 12 months, with written extensions allowed. Eight months has not yet expired it, and it does lapse.2025 CRC R105.5.1

A bathroom floor 7 feet by 9 feet is tiled with 12 percent waste. Cartons cover 10 square feet. How many cartons are needed?

• a.6 cartons
• b.9 cartons
• c.7 cartons
• d.8 cartons✓

Area is 63 square feet; with 12 percent waste it is 70.56; divided by 10 that is 7.06, which rounds up to 8 cartons. Six cartons ignores the waste, seven rounds down, and nine over-orders.CSLB B-2 study guide 13E-B2 (computation questions)

A painter works 30 hours at a burdened $45 per hour. The contractor adds 20 percent overhead and profit. What is the labor price?

• a.$1,620✓
• b.$1,800
• c.$1,485
• d.$1,350

30 × 45 = $1,350 cost; adding 20 percent gives $1,620. The $1,350 figure omits the add-on, $1,485 adds only 10 percent, and $1,800 adds about 33 percent.CSLB B-2 study guide 13E-B2 (computation questions)

A contractor wants a 30 percent margin on a job costing $14,000. What is the price?

• a.$20,000✓
• b.$18,200
• c.$17,500
• d.$19,600

Price = cost ÷ (1 − 0.30) = 14,000 ÷ 0.70 = $20,000. The $18,200 figure is a 30 percent markup, $19,600 is a 40 percent markup and $17,500 is a 25 percent markup.CSLB B-2 study guide 13E-B2 (computation questions)