CSLB C-13 Fencing (Trade Exam) — All Questions

Which of these jobs is excluded by the wording of the C-13 classification?

• a.Building a backstop
• b.Erecting a game court enclosure
• c.Installing a flagpole
• d.Building a masonry wall✓

The classification names fences, corrals, railings, game court enclosures, backstops, flagpoles and gates but excludes masonry walls, so building a masonry wall is outside it. A backstop, a game court enclosure and a flagpole are each named in the definition, so none of them is excluded.CSLB C-13 classification description (16 CCR 832.13)

A customer wants a fence that keeps a toddler out of a yard with a pool. Which purpose should drive the plan?

• a.A decorative boundary marker for the yard
• b.A pool barrier built to statutory dimensions✓
• c.A windbreak to shelter the patio furniture and plants
• d.A privacy screen to block the street view

A fence meant to keep a young child from the water is a pool barrier, and the Swimming Pool Safety Act fixes its height, gaps and gate rules. A decorative marker, a windbreak and a privacy screen serve other purposes and would not be built to those dimensions, so none of them protects a toddler.Cal. Health & Safety Code 115923

Two neighbors share a fence that must be replaced. What does California Civil Code 841 say about cost?

• a.The newer owner of the two properties pays two thirds of the cost
• b.The owner who first notices the damage pays the full cost until the other pays back
• c.Equal sharing is presumed unless they agree otherwise in writing✓
• d.The contractor must collect half of the cost from each owner by law

The statute presumes adjoining landowners share equal benefit from the dividing fence and are equally responsible for reasonable costs unless they agree otherwise in writing. It names no rule that the first owner, the newer owner or the contractor carries the cost.Cal. Civil Code 841(b)(1)

A homeowner plans to spend money on a shared fence. What must the written notice to the neighbor describe, besides the problem?

• a.Proposed solution, estimated costs, cost sharing and timeline✓
• b.A stamped boundary survey together with a current title report
• c.The contractor's license number plus the amount of the bond
• d.Two competing bids and a signed lien waiver from the contractor

The notice must describe the nature of the problem, the proposed solution, the estimated costs, the proposed cost-sharing approach and the proposed timeline. A survey and title report, the contractor's license and bond, and competing bids with a lien waiver are not on the statute's list.Cal. Civil Code 841(b)(2)

A fence is built to be 12 feet tall only to block a neighbor's view out of spite. What does the Civil Code call it?

• a.A lawful improvement, if it stays on the owner's own land
• b.A trespass onto the neighbor's land
• c.A public nuisance for the county to abate
• d.A private nuisance✓

A fence unnecessarily exceeding 10 feet in height that is maliciously erected or maintained to annoy the adjoining owner is a private nuisance under the statute. Staying on the owner's land does not make it lawful, the statute calls it a private nuisance and not a public one, and no crossing of the line is required.Cal. Civil Code 841.4

A 6-foot wood privacy fence will enclose a back yard that has no pool. Under the California Building Code's list of permit exemptions, what is the permit status?

• a.Exempt if it is made of metal rather than wood
• b.A permit is required because the lot is residential
• c.A permit is required once the fence is taller than 4 feet, even in a back yard
• d.Exempt from a building permit, because it is not over 7 feet✓

The code exempts fences, other than swimming pool barriers, that are not over 7 feet high, and this one is 6 feet with no pool. Material does not decide it, so a metal-only exemption is wrong. Being on a residential lot does not by itself require a permit, and the exemption is set at 7 feet, not 4 feet. Local zoning rules may still apply.2025 CBC 105.2

A contractor wants to start digging a fence line five days from now. By the Government Code, when may the notice to the notification center be given?

• a.Seven days before the planned excavation date
• b.From 14 calendar days ahead down to two working days ahead✓
• c.At least 30 days before the planned excavation date
• d.On the morning of the planned dig, before the whole crew starts

The excavator notifies at least two working days and not more than 14 calendar days before beginning. Notice on the morning of the dig is too late, and seven or thirty days are not the stated limits.Cal. Gov. Code 4216.2(b)

A ticket from the notification center was issued 20 days ago and the post holes are not finished. What must the excavator do?

• a.Renew the ticket by the end of the 28th day if work continues✓
• b.Have the neighboring owner sign a renewal for the ticket
• c.Nothing, because a ticket stays valid until the work is finished
• d.Start over with a new job number on the first day of the month

A ticket is valid for 28 days and must be renewed by the end of the 28th day if work continues. Tickets do expire, and neighbors do not renew them.Cal. Gov. Code 4216.2(e)

What color does the excavator use to delineate the proposed excavation before calling the notification center?

• a.White✓
• b.Blue
• c.Yellow
• d.Red

The statute defines to delineate as marking the proposed excavation in white, and the excavator does it before the call. Blue, yellow and red belong to the utilities' own color code for the lines they mark afterward, so they are not the excavator's delineation color.Cal. Gov. Code 4216(d)

A utility's field mark runs along the proposed fence line. Inside what distance of the mark must the excavator find the exact location with hand tools before using power equipment?

• a.5 feet on each side of the marking
• b.6 inches on each side of the marking
• c.24 inches on each side of the marking✓
• d.12 inches on the side nearest the fence

The tolerance zone is 24 inches on each side of the field marking, and hand tools come before power equipment inside it. Six inches, five feet and one side only are not the defined zone.Cal. Gov. Code 4216(u), 4216.4(a)

A new fence is planned on a steep hillside lot. How is the fence length measured for post spacing and payment, in the Caltrans specification?

• a.Along the top of the highest post in the run
• b.Along the plan view, as if the ground were flat
• c.Parallel to the ground slope, along the fence✓
• d.By the number of posts times 10 feet each

Caltrans measures post spacing parallel to the ground slope and pays fence length along the fence, parallel to the slope. A flat plan length would understate the fence on a hillside.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-1.03, 80-1.04

One installer's manual sets corner, end and gate post positions a few inches inside the property line. What is the reason?

• a.So the utility marks stay visible during construction
• b.So the footings do not encroach on the adjoining property✓
• c.So the fence can be built one foot taller than allowed
• d.So the neighbor can reach the posts to maintain the fence

The manual says the 4-inch offset keeps concrete footings from encroaching onto any adjoining property. Maintenance access, height and mark visibility are not the reason it gives.Chain-link maker installation guide, Step 1

A plan shows a new fence 14 feet from an energized 12,000-volt overhead line, and the crew will raise 20-foot steel posts there. What is the best planning decision?

• a.Proceed, because a 12,000-volt line carries little hazard
• b.Ask the neighbor to hold each post upright while it is set
• c.Proceed, because 14 feet is more than the 6-foot clearance in the table
• d.Stay outside the 6-foot Table 1 clearance and keep any post from tipping into it✓

A 20-foot post that tips toward a line 14 feet away can come inside the 6-foot clearance, so the plan has to prevent that or change the method. Distance to the line alone does not make a long post safe, nor does a lower voltage, and a helper adds a person to the hazard.8 CCR 2946 Table 1

A conservation standard recommends avoiding clearing vegetation during which period, for fence right-of-way work?

• a.The first week after a utility ticket is issued
• b.The nesting and brood-rearing seasons of ground-nesting birds✓
• c.The summer months, because all birds are active then
• d.Any day with wind, because dust blows into the brush

The NRCS standard says to avoid clearing vegetation during the nesting and brood rearing seasons for migratory and ground-nesting birds. Summer, wind and ticket age are not the stated criteria.NRCS Conservation Practice Standard 382, Fence (California, September 2022)

Which pair of references does the Board's study guide list for public works fence specifications?

• a.The National Electrical Code and the National Fuel Gas Code
• b.The Uniform Plumbing Code and the Uniform Mechanical Code
• c.The International Fire Code and the International Energy Conservation Code
• d.The Greenbook and the Caltrans Standard Plans and Specifications✓

The study guide's reference list names the Greenbook and the Caltrans Standard Plans and Standard Specifications, together with the 2025 California Building Code, ASTM fence standards, Title 8 and the Underground Service Alert guidelines. The plumbing and mechanical codes, the electrical and fuel gas codes, and the fire and energy codes are not the public-works fence references.CSLB C-13 study guide 13E-13 (03-2026), reference list

At a minimum, which three items should a fence plan include, according to the federal conservation standard?

• a.A plan view of layout and gates, installation details and quantities✓
• b.A paint schedule, a landscape lighting layout and a roof framing plan
• c.A soils boring log, a county tax map and a surety bond amount
• d.A staffing chart, a sales forecast and a warranty form for it

The standard lists a plan view or map showing layout and gate locations, details for installation showing post spacing, bracing and gates, and material quantities and requirements. The other groups are not in the list.NRCS Conservation Practice Standard 382, Plans and Specifications

On a Caltrans-style plan, a callout reads "Type BW." What fence is this?

• a.A barbed wire fence of five lines✓
• b.A fence with three lines of barbed wire over mesh
• c.A chain link fence with wire mesh
• d.A wood board fence

Type BW is the barbed wire fence with 5 lines of barbed wire. Chain link is Type CL, and the three-line mesh fence is Type WM.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.01B

Using the Caltrans A85 table, what are B and D for a 10-foot-high plain line post?

• a.B = 10 inches and D = 2'-6"
• b.B = 20 inches and D = 4'-0"
• c.B = 14 inches and D = 3'-6"✓
• d.B = 12 inches and D = 3'-0"

The plain 10-foot line-post row is 14 inches by 3 feet 6 inches. Twelve by 3'-0" is the plain 8-foot row, 20 by 4'-0" is the slatted 10-foot row, and 10 by 2'-6" is the plain 6-foot row.Caltrans 2024 Standard Plan A85

The Caltrans A85 gate-post table shows a 5-foot slatted gate post. What footing size does it give?

• a.B = 12 inches and D = 2'-6"
• b.B = 14 inches and D = 3'-6"
• c.B = 12 inches and D = 3'-0"✓
• d.B = 8 inches and D = 2'-6"

The 5-foot slatted gate-post row gives 12 inches wide by 3 feet deep. Fourteen by 3'-6" is the slatted 6-foot row, 12 by 2'-6" is the plain gate post, and 8 by 2'-6" is the plain 5-foot line post.Caltrans 2024 Standard Plan A85

A drawing is at 1 inch = 40 feet, and a fence run measures 2-3/8 inches on it. How long is the run?

• a.380 feet
• b.95 feet✓
• c.80 feet
• d.16.8 feet

Multiply the drawing length by the scale: 2.375 × 40 = 95 feet. Dividing by 40 gives 0.059, 80 feet uses 2 inches, and 380 feet uses 9.5 inches.Scale arithmetic (CSLB study guide: calculator provided)

A scaled dimension on a print disagrees with the number written beside it. What is the best practice?

• a.Use whichever of the two numbers is shorter to be safe
• b.Follow the written dimension and ask about the difference✓
• c.Average the scaled and the written numbers and use the result
• d.Follow the scaled length because plans are drawn to scale

A printed plan can stretch or shrink in copying, and the written dimension records the designer's decision, so use it and ask. Averaging or choosing the shorter one is a guess.Plan-reading practice; NRCS 382 plans and specifications

A single aluminum gate is 36 inches wide and the maker wants clearance for hardware. How far apart do the gate posts go, inside to inside?

• a.40 to 41 inches
• b.36 inches, the same as the gate
• c.35-1/2 to 36 inches
• d.37 to 37-1/2 inches✓

The aluminum instruction sets gate posts 1 to 1-1/2 inches wider than the gate, so 37 to 37-1/2 inches for a 36-inch gate. A 36-inch opening and 35-1/2 to 36 inches leave no room for hardware or swing, and 40 to 41 inches is wider than the instruction allows.Aluminum fence maker installation instructions, Step 2

On the Caltrans chain-link sheet, what is required in the middle of a gate that is 10 feet wide?

• a.A diagonal tension wire
• b.A second top rail
• c.A latch on both sides
• d.A vertical stay✓

The sheet requires a vertical stay in the middle of any gate wider than 8 feet. A second rail, a diagonal tension wire and a second latch are not what it asks for.Caltrans 2024 Standard Plan A85

A line post has a footing B of 14 inches in the Caltrans table for a 4.50-inch round post. What does the plan's width rule require B to be at least?

• a.18 inches, which is 4 times the 4.50-inch cross section of the post
• b.4.5 inches, which equals the 4.50-inch cross section
• c.13.5 inches, which is 3 times the 4.50-inch cross section✓
• d.9 inches, which is twice the 4.50-inch cross section

The width must be at least 3 times the post's largest cross section with a minimum of 8 inches, so 3 × 4.5 = 13.5 inches, and 14 inches satisfies it. Twice, once and four times the cross section are not the rule.Caltrans 2024 Standard Plan A85, note on footing width B

A slatted chain-link fence on Caltrans specifications uses fabric with what mesh?

• a.5 inches vertical and 3-1/2 inches horizontal
• b.A 2-inch diamond mesh in both directions
• c.A 1-inch diamond mesh in both directions
• d.3-1/2 inches vertical and 5 inches horizontal✓

The specification calls for 3-1/2-inch-vertical and 5-inch-horizontal mesh for slatted fabric. The reversed 5-by-3-1/2 orientation is the wrong way around, and 2-inch and 1-inch diamond meshes are not the slatted mesh the specification names.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-3.02C

On Caltrans details, how long must a line post be for 6-foot fabric if the footing is 3'-6" deep?

• a.72 inches
• b.110 inches✓
• c.114 inches
• d.78 inches

The post is at least the footing depth plus the fabric height less 4 inches: 42 + 72 − 4 = 110 inches. Seventy-two inches ignores the footing, 114 inches forgets the 4-inch subtraction, and 78 inches adds only 6 inches of depth.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-3.02B

A wire fence plan note says "WM." How many lines of barbed wire accompany the mesh?

• a.Two lines
• b.Five lines
• c.One line
• d.Three lines✓

Type WM is wire mesh fabric with 3 lines of barbed wire. Five lines is the barbed wire fence Type BW, and the mesh type is not drawn with one or two lines.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.01B

How many line posts lie between two terminal posts 156 feet apart if the maximum spacing is 10 feet?

• a.16
• b.15✓
• c.14
• d.17

156 ÷ 10 = 15.6, rounded up to 16 spaces, and 16 spaces hold 15 line posts. Fourteen leaves a space over 10 feet, 16 counts the spaces, and 17 adds a post for each terminal.Caltrans 2024 Standard Plan A85 (10'-0" max)

A fence line measures 380 feet with gate openings of 3 feet and 12 feet inside it. How much chain-link fabric is bought before waste?

• a.380 feet
• b.365 feet✓
• c.368 feet
• d.377 feet

Openings are not paid as fence, so 380 − 3 − 12 = 365 feet. Three hundred eighty ignores the gates, 377 subtracts only the large one, and 368 subtracts only the small one.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-1.04

A post hole is 14 inches in diameter and 42 inches deep. About how much concrete, in cubic feet, does one hole hold, ignoring the post?

• a.3.74✓
• b.1.87
• c.14.96
• d.7.48

The radius is 7/12 foot and the depth is 3.5 feet, so π × 0.5833² × 3.5 = 3.74 cubic feet. Seven point four eight doubles the volume, 1.87 is half of it, and 14.96 uses the diameter as the radius.Volume of a cylinder; Caltrans A85 footing size

A job has 60 post holes, each 10 inches in diameter and 30 inches deep. About how many cubic yards of concrete, ignoring the posts?

• a.9.1
• b.3.0✓
• c.1.1
• d.81.8

One hole is π × (5/12)² × 2.5 = 1.36 cubic feet, so 60 holes are 81.8 cubic feet, and 81.8 ÷ 27 = 3.03 cubic yards. Eighty-one point eight is the answer in cubic feet, 9.1 uses 9 cubic feet per yard, and 1.1 divides by the wrong quantity.Volume of a cylinder; 27 cubic feet per cubic yard

A wood fence run is 140 feet long. The boards are 5-1/2 inches wide with a 1/4-inch gap. How many boards are needed, rounded up, before waste?

• a.292
• b.255
• c.293✓
• d.305

Each board covers 5.75 inches, the run is 1,680 inches, and 1,680 ÷ 5.75 = 292.2, which rounds up to 293. Two hundred ninety-two rounds down, 305 uses a 5.5-inch cover plus a wider gap, and 255 ignores the gap.Takeoff arithmetic

A job costs $6,000 to build, and the owner wants a 15% margin on the selling price. What is the price, to the nearest dollar?

• a.$6,900
• b.$6,090
• c.$7,059✓
• d.$7,200

To get a 15% margin on the selling price, price = cost ÷ (1 − 0.15) = 6,000 ÷ 0.85 = $7,059. A 15% markup on cost gives $6,900, $6,090 adds 15 percent of 600, and $7,200 uses a 20 percent markup.Markup and margin arithmetic

A run climbs 6 feet over 80 feet of horizontal distance. What is the fence length along the ground, to the nearest tenth of a foot?

• a.74.0 feet
• b.86.0 feet
• c.80.2 feet✓
• d.80.0 feet

The ground length is the square root of (80 squared plus 6 squared), which is 80.2 feet. Adding the rise gives 86.0 and subtracting it gives 74.0, which treats the rise as a straight add-on, and 80.0 is the horizontal distance, which ignores the slope.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-1.03

A 6-foot chain-link fence has two end posts and two corner posts. One manual gives 5 tension bands per terminal post and doubles the count for corner posts. How many bands?

• a.15
• b.30✓
• c.20
• d.40

The end posts take 2 × 5 = 10 bands and the corner posts take 2 × 10 = 20, for 30 in all. Twenty counts every post once, 40 doubles every post, and 15 uses three bands.Chain-link maker installation guide, Step 4 supplies list

Using one manual's tie rule (1 per 24 inches of top rail, 1 per 12 inches of line post), how many ties for 30 four-foot line posts and 150 feet of top rail?

• a.120
• b.195✓
• c.270
• d.150

The line posts need 30 × (48 ÷ 12) = 120 ties and the rail needs 1,800 ÷ 24 = 75, for 195. A count of 120 leaves out the rail, 150 uses feet as ties, and 270 uses a 12-inch spacing on the rail.Chain-link maker installation guide, Step 6 supplies list

A vinyl job uses 10 line posts at 140 pounds each and 2 gate posts at 285 pounds each, per the manual's table. How many 60-pound bags, rounded up?

• a.25
• b.28
• c.33✓
• d.40

The total is 1,400 + 570 = 1,970 pounds, and 1,970 ÷ 60 = 32.8, which rounds up to 33. Twenty-five is the answer for 80-pound bags, 28 leaves out part of the load, and 40 over-counts.Vinyl fence maker installation manual, concrete usage table

A top-rail run is 243 feet, and the rail comes in 21-foot lengths. How many pieces, rounded up?

• a.12✓
• b.13
• c.10
• d.11

243 ÷ 21 = 11.6, so 12 pieces of top rail are needed. Eleven is short by part of a piece, 13 is more than needed, and 10 would leave the run open.Takeoff arithmetic

A crew installs 450 feet of fence at a crew production of 15 feet per hour. How many hours does the work take?

• a.45
• b.30✓
• c.15
• d.67.5

At 15 feet per hour, 450 feet takes 450 ÷ 15 = 30 hours of crew production. Fifteen halves the time, 45 is a different multiple, and 67.5 multiplies by 0.15 instead of dividing.Production arithmetic

Which of these is a cost that quantities alone do not show in a fence estimate?

• a.The number of line posts needed
• b.The feet of top rail needed
• c.The count of gate hinges needed
• d.Disposal of old treated posts✓

Posts, rail and hinges come straight off the takeoff, but disposal of old treated wood is a separate cost with its own handling rules.Estimating practice; treated wood waste notice (San Joaquin Valley APCD)

A fence job's cost is $9,000 and the markup on cost is 20%. What is the price?

• a.$10,800✓
• b.$11,250
• c.$9,020
• d.$7,200

Markup is a percentage of cost, so 9,000 × 1.20 = $10,800. A $11,250 price would be a 20% margin on price, $9,020 adds 20 dollars, and $7,200 subtracts 20 percent instead of adding it.Markup arithmetic

A job needs 25 holes, each 12 inches in diameter and 36 inches deep, with bags labeled 0.6 cubic foot. About how many bags, ignoring the posts?

• a.100
• b.59
• c.25
• d.99✓

One hole is pi x 0.5 squared x 3 = 2.36 cubic feet, so 25 holes are 58.9 cubic feet, and 58.9 / 0.6 = 98.2 bags, which rounds up to 99. Fifty-nine is the cubic-foot volume, not the bag count, 100 is a round guess, and 25 counts one bag per hole.Volume of a cylinder; bag yield as printed on the bag

A crew is laying out a long chain-link run with a gate, two corners and two ends. Which posts are located first?

• a.The posts that are cheapest to dig
• b.The posts at the middle of each run
• c.The line posts nearest the gate
• d.The terminal posts: ends, corners and gates✓

Terminal posts (end, corner and gate) carry the pull of the fabric or the weight of a gate, so they are located first and the line posts are spaced between them. The line posts nearest the gate depend on where the gate falls, and mid-run posts and the easiest holes to dig would leave the spacing to chance.Chain-link maker installation guide

Two terminal posts are 118 feet apart, center to center, and line posts may be no more than 10 feet apart. What is the actual spacing if the line posts are set equally?

• a.10 feet
• b.About 10 feet 8 inches
• c.About 9 feet 10 inches✓
• d.About 8 feet 10 inches

118 ÷ 10 = 11.8, rounded up to 12 spaces, and 118 ÷ 12 = 9.83 feet, which is 9 feet 10 inches. Ten feet would need 11.8 spaces, 10 feet 8 inches exceeds the maximum, and 8 feet 10 inches would come from 13 spaces.Caltrans 2024 Standard Plan A85 (10'-0" max)

A crew squares a corner with marks 21 feet and 28 feet from the corner stake along the two strings. What must the diagonal measure?

• a.35 feet✓
• b.49 feet
• c.31 feet
• d.24.5 feet

Twenty-one and twenty-eight are 3 × 7 and 4 × 7, so the diagonal is 5 × 7 = 35 feet. Forty-nine adds the two legs, 31 splits the difference between the legs and the diagonal, and 24.5 averages the legs.3-4-5 right-triangle layout; arithmetic

In one manual, where is the guide string set relative to the terminal posts for chain link?

• a.At the center of each post, 2 feet above grade
• b.On the outside face of the posts, 4 inches below the top✓
• c.On the outside face, at the very top of the post
• d.On the inside face, at ground level on each post

The manual positions the string on the outside face of the terminal posts 4 inches below the top, and line posts are set so their tops are even with it. A string at ground level, at mid-height or at the very top does not give the stated line.Chain-link maker installation guide, Step 3

A corner post will sit in a 12-inch-wide footing. How far inside the property line should the center of the post be, at least, so the concrete does not cross the line?

• a.4 inches
• b.3 inches
• c.6 inches✓
• d.12 inches

The edge of the footing must be inside the line, so the center is at least half the footing width, which is 6 inches. Three inches would let the concrete cross, 12 inches is a full width, and 4 inches is the offset for an 8-inch footing.Chain-link maker installation guide, Step 1 (4-inch offset for an 8-inch hole)

On a Caltrans chain-link fence, a change in alignment of 40 degrees is treated as what?

• a.A corner✓
• b.A line post
• c.An alignment angle
• d.A gate

Caltrans defines a corner for chain link as a change in line whose deflection exceeds 30 degrees, so 40 degrees is a corner. An alignment angle is a much smaller change, and line posts and gates are other kinds of post.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-3.01B

In a steel-post barbed wire fence, a change in line of 4 degrees is called what?

• a.An alignment angle✓
• b.A pull assembly
• c.A corner post
• d.A gateway opening

For a steel-post barbed wire or wire mesh fence, a deflection under 5 degrees is an alignment angle, and over 5 degrees is a corner. A pull post and a gateway are not names for a change in line.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.01B

A wood-post wire fence changes direction by 12 degrees. How is that treated?

• a.As a ground-rod location, needing a rod at the bend
• b.As a gateway, needing end bars and a latching chain
• c.As an alignment angle, braced with diagonal tension wires✓
• d.As a corner, needing a full corner assembly with braces and rods

For wood posts, the line between an alignment angle and a corner is 15 degrees, so a 12-degree change is an alignment angle, and adjacent line posts are braced with diagonal tension wires. A full corner assembly is for changes over 15 degrees, a gateway is an opening in the fence, and a ground rod is an electrical measure, not a response to a bend.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.01B and 80-2.03