CSLB C-13 Fencing (Trade Exam) — All Questions
The figures these questions turn on, laid out by section on dense colour pages you can print: CSLB C-13 Fencing cheat sheet PDF — $9.99 →
137 questions
Under the Caltrans specification, what is the diamond count for chain-link fabric 60 inches high?
- a.24-1/2
- b.13-1/2
- c.17-1/2✓
- d.20-1/2
The table gives 17-1/2 diamonds for 60-inch fabric. Twenty and a half is the 72-inch count, 13-1/2 is the 48-inch count, and 24-1/2 is the 84-inch count.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-3.02C
A plain chain-link fence is 8 feet high on Caltrans specifications. What gauge wire is the fabric?
- a.9 gauge✓
- b.11 gauge
- c.6 gauge
- d.12-1/2 gauge
Fabric for a fence over 84 inches in height is 9 gauge, and 8 feet is 96 inches. Eleven gauge is for fences 84 inches or less, 12-1/2 gauge is wire-mesh wire, and 6 gauge is the post-clip gauge.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-3.02C
A slatted chain-link fence is only 5 feet high. What gauge does Caltrans require for the fabric?
- a.9 gauge✓
- b.11 gauge
- c.14 gauge
- d.7 gauge
Slatted chain-link fabric is 9 gauge regardless of height, as is fabric over 84 inches. Eleven gauge is for plain fabric up to 84 inches, 7 gauge is the coil-spring tension wire, and 14 gauge is a barbed-wire gauge.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-3.02C
The tension wire on a Caltrans chain-link fence is which material?
- a.6-gauge steel, as used for post clips
- b.9-gauge steel, as used for ties
- c.8-gauge galvanized wire, as used on wire mesh fences
- d.Commercial-quality 7-gauge coil spring steel✓
Chain-link tension wire is commercial-quality 7-gauge coil spring steel. Eight-gauge galvanized tension wire belongs to barbed wire and wire mesh fences, 9-gauge is the minimum for ties and hog rings, and 6-gauge is the minimum for post clips.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-3.02D
What is the minimum size of a stretcher bar on a Caltrans chain-link fence?
- a.1/8 by 3/4 inch
- b.1/4 by 3/4 inch✓
- c.1/4 by 1-1/2 inches
- d.3/8 by 1 inch
Each stretcher bar must be at least 1/4 by 3/4 inch. The 1/8 by 3/4 inch size is the minimum for the bar band, and the other two sizes are not given.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-3.02D
What is the minimum diameter of a steel truss rod on Caltrans chain link?
- a.1/2 inch
- b.3/8 inch✓
- c.1/4 inch
- d.3/4 inch
Each truss rod must be steel with a diameter of at least 3/8 inch. Quarter inch is the thickness of the truss-tightener strap, and the larger sizes are not required.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-3.02D
Caltrans fastens chain-link fabric to end, latch, corner and gate posts with stretcher bars and bands at what spacing?
- a.At 14-inch intervals
- b.At 1-foot intervals✓
- c.At 18-inch intervals
- d.At 24-inch intervals
The specification uses stretcher bars and stretcher bar bands at 1-foot intervals on terminal posts. Fourteen inches is the line-post tie spacing, 18 inches is the tension-wire fastening spacing, and 24 inches is one manual's rail-tie spacing.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-3.03
How far may the top of the fabric be from the top tension wire on Caltrans chain link?
- a.At most 6 inches
- b.About 4 inches
- c.At most 12 inches
- d.At most 2 inches✓
The top of the fabric to the top tension wire must be at most 2 inches. The 4-inch figure belongs to the post-length formula, and the other distances are not stated.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-3.03
How are barbed wire arms set on top of a Caltrans chain-link fence?
- a.Vertical, with 1 line of barbed wire at the top
- b.At about 45 degrees, with 3 lines of barbed wire✓
- c.At about 90 degrees outward, with 2 lines of wire
- d.Horizontal, with 5 lines of barbed wire in a row
The arms extend upward at an angle of about 45 degrees and are fitted for 3 lines of barbed wire, with the top outside wire about 12 inches above the fabric and 12 inches out. Vertical, horizontal or 90-degree arms are not the arrangement, and five lines is the Type BW fence.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-3.03
How are the top and bottom edges of Caltrans chain-link fabric finished?
- a.Barbed at both edges
- b.Knuckled at the top and barbed at the bottom
- c.Knuckled✓
- d.Barbed at the top and knuckled at the bottom
The specification calls for a knuckle finish on the top and bottom edges. A barbed finish at either edge is not specified for this fabric.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-3.02C
Want these explained in order? CSLB C-13 Fencing Study Guide — 2026 Edition — PDF + EPUB, $24.99 · 14-day refund →
Which ASTM F668 class is a polymer coating extruded and adhered to the wire?
- a.Class 4
- b.Class 2b
- c.Class 1
- d.Class 2a✓
Class 2a is extruded and adhered. Class 1 is extruded over the wire, Class 2b is fused and adhered, and there is no Class 4 in the scope of the specification.ASTM F668 scope (store abstract)
When is the polymer coating applied to wire for coated chain-link fabric under ASTM F668?
- a.Before weaving✓
- b.After the fabric is installed
- c.To the top row of the fabric
- d.After weaving
The specification covers polymer-coated chain-link fabric coated before weaving. Coating after weaving or after installation describes a different process, and the coating is on all the wire.ASTM F668 scope (store abstract)
What does ASTM F1043 cover for chain-link fence?
- a.The color and thickness of the polymer coating
- b.The weave pattern of the chain-link fabric
- c.Strength and coatings of the framework✓
- d.The hinge hardware used on swing gates
ASTM F1043 covers the strength and protective coating requirements for industrial steel fence framework. Fabric weave, swing-gate hardware and coating color are covered by other documents such as F668, F900 and the vinyl-coating standard.ASTM F1043 scope (store abstract)
The ASTM framework standard says post spacing for chain link is not to exceed what?
- a.12 feet
- b.6 feet
- c.20 feet
- d.10 feet✓
The scope says post spacings for chain link fence are not to exceed 10 ft. Six, twelve and twenty feet are not the limit.ASTM F1043 scope (store abstract); Caltrans A85
A single chain-link walk gate is hung. Which orientation of the hinge pins keeps it from being lifted off?
- a.Both pins pointing down, with a retaining cap
- b.Top pin pointing up, bottom pin pointing down
- c.Top pin pointing down, bottom pin pointing up✓
- d.Both pins pointing up, with a retaining cap
The manual sets the top post hinge with the pin pointing down and the bottom with the pin pointing up. With both up, or top up and bottom down, the gate can be lifted off, and both down lets the lower hinge slip.Chain-link maker installation guide, Step 8
Which set of single walk gate widths does one chain-link manual list as standard?
- a.18, 24, 36 and 72 inches
- b.24, 30, 54 and 60 inches
- c.36, 39, 42 and 48 inches✓
- d.30, 40, 50 and 60 inches
The manual lists standard single walk gate widths of 36, 39, 42 and 48 inches. The set with 18 and 72 inches is far outside walk gate sizes, and the other sets (24, 30, 54, 60 and 30, 40, 50, 60) are not the widths the manual lists as standard.Chain-link maker installation guide, Step 1
What are the standard double drive gate widths in the same manual?
- a.14 or 16 feet
- b.4 or 6 feet
- c.20 or 24 feet
- d.10 or 12 feet✓
The manual lists 10 or 12 feet for double drive gates. Four and six feet are walk-gate sizes, and 14 feet and over are wider than the 12-foot limit on the Caltrans sheet.Chain-link maker installation guide, Step 1; Caltrans A85
What distinguishes a cantilever slide gate in ASTM F1184?
- a.It spans an opening with no top or bottom support✓
- b.It rolls on a ground track set across the opening
- c.It is supported from above on an overhead track
- d.It swings on two hinges from a single gate post
The standard describes a cantilever slide gate (Type II) as spanning an opening that lacks a top or bottom support within it. Support from above on a track describes the overhead Type I, and swing gates are covered by a different standard.ASTM F1184 scope (store abstract)
Under ASTM F2200, which class of automated vehicular gate is intended for the garage or parking area of a one-to-four family home?
- a.Class II
- b.Class IV
- c.Class III
- d.Class I✓
Class I is a gate for the garage or parking area of a one-to-four single-family dwelling. Class II is for commercial and multi-family locations open to the public, Class III for industrial locations not open to the public, and Class IV for guarded industrial locations.ASTM F2200 scope (store abstract)
Under the 2025 California Fire Code, an electric operator for a security gate across a fire access road must be listed to which standard?
- a.ASTM F668
- b.ASTM F900
- c.UL 325✓
- d.AASHTO M181
The Fire Code says electric gate operators shall be listed in accordance with UL 325. ASTM F900 is the swing-gate specification, AASHTO M181 is a fabric standard in the Caltrans specification, and F668 is the polymer-coated fabric specification.2025 California Fire Code 503.6
What is the minimum unobstructed width of a fire apparatus access road under the 2025 California Fire Code, apart from approved security gates?
- a.16 feet
- b.26 feet
- c.20 feet✓
- d.12 feet
The Fire Code requires an unobstructed width of not less than 20 feet, exclusive of shoulders, except for approved security gates. Twelve, sixteen and twenty-six feet are not the minimum.2025 California Fire Code 503.2.1
Under California accessibility rules, what clear width must a door or gate opening provide at minimum?
- a.36 inches at a typical opening
- b.48 inches
- c.32 inches✓
- d.28 inches
Door openings, including gates on an accessible route, provide a clear width of 32 inches minimum, with 36 inches where the opening is more than 24 inches deep. Twenty-eight inches is too narrow, 36 inches applies to deep openings and walking surfaces, and 48 inches is the sidewalk width.2025 CBC 11B-404.2.3
How must a gate closer on an accessible-route gate be adjusted?
- a.So the gate takes no more than 1 second to close from 90 degrees
- b.So the gate takes 5 seconds or more to go from 90 degrees to 12 degrees✓
- c.So the gate takes 30 seconds or more to close from 90 degrees
- d.So the gate stays open at 90 degrees until it is pushed shut
The code adjusts the closer so that, from 90 degrees open, the gate takes 5 seconds minimum to reach a position 12 degrees from the latch. A very fast close, a 30-second close or a gate that holds open are not the requirement.2025 CBC 11B-404.2.8.1
What is the maximum force to open an interior hinged gate on an accessible route?
- a.15 pounds
- b.5 pounds✓
- c.25 pounds
- d.8.5 pounds
The code limits the opening force of interior hinged doors and gates to 5 pounds. Fifteen pounds is the cap for required fire doors, 8.5 pounds is a powered-door exception, and 25 is not stated.2025 CBC 11B-404.2.9
A chain-link run has 6 terminal posts, none of them corners, each fitted with 5 tension bands for 6-foot fabric. How many bands?
- a.30✓
- b.36
- c.60
- d.15
Six terminal posts × 5 bands = 30. Fifteen counts only three bands per post, 60 doubles every post as if each were a corner, and 36 uses six bands per post.Chain-link maker installation guide, Step 4 supplies
How does the manual say to attach a tension bar when stretching the fabric?
- a.Staple the fabric to the post and pull it by hand evenly
- b.Insert it about 3 feet inside the end and pull with a stretcher✓
- c.Stretch after all the ties are already in place
- d.Hook a truck to the fabric and drive slowly away from it
The manual inserts a tension bar about 3 feet inside the unattached end and fastens the stretcher to the bar and the post. Stapling the fabric and pulling by hand cannot give an even stretch, tying first leaves the fabric slack when the ties are set, and hooking a truck to the fabric is unsafe and uncontrolled.Chain-link maker installation guide, Step 7
How does one manual remove excess fabric from a chain-link panel?
- a.Burn the fabric apart at the seam with a torch
- b.Open the knuckles of one strand and unwind it✓
- c.Fold the excess fabric over on itself at the top
- d.Cut the fabric across its whole width with bolt cutters
The manual opens the top and bottom loops of a single strand with pliers and unwinds the strand until the fabric comes apart. Cutting across, burning and folding damage the coating and the mesh.Chain-link maker installation guide, Step 6
Which side of a Caltrans chain-link fence receives the fabric?
- a.The side of the posts nearest the road
- b.The outside face of the posts
- c.The side the plans designate✓
- d.The inside face of the posts
The specification fastens the fabric on the side of the posts designated by the Engineer. A fixed rule of outside, inside or road side is not what it says.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-3.03
The top rail passes through which fitting on each line post?
- a.A brace band clamped to the post
- b.A rail end cup set on the post
- c.A tension bar bolted to the post
- d.An eye-top (loop cap)✓
Eye-tops, also called loop caps, are set on the line posts and the rail passes through them. A rail end cup and brace band are used at terminal posts, and a tension bar anchors the fabric.Chain-link maker installation guide, Step 5
On Caltrans wire mesh fence, how far apart may pull-post assemblies be at the most?
- a.660 feet✓
- b.1,000 feet
- c.330 feet
- d.1,320 feet
The A86 sheet shows pull posts at 660 feet maximum for wire mesh fence. Thirteen hundred twenty feet is the barbed wire interval, 1,000 feet is the chain-link braced-post interval, and 330 feet is not stated.Caltrans 2024 Standard Plan A86
Which wire gauge is NOT permitted for Caltrans barbed wire?
- a.12-1/2 gauge
- b.14 gauge
- c.15-1/2 gauge
- d.10 gauge✓
The specification allows 12-1/2, 13-1/2, 14 and 15-1/2 gauge, Class 3. Ten gauge is the gauge of the top and bottom wires of the wire mesh, not of barbed wire.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.02D
Caltrans wire mesh is how wide, and how many horizontal wires does it have?
- a.32 inches wide with 8 horizontal wires✓
- b.36 inches wide with 6 horizontal wires
- c.48 inches wide with 8 horizontal wires
- d.32 inches wide with 12 horizontal wires
The specification calls for wire mesh 32 inches wide with 8 horizontal wires and vertical stays 6 inches apart. The other combinations change the width or the wire count.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.02E
What is the specified tension wire for a Caltrans barbed wire or wire mesh fence?
- a.8-gauge galvanized wire✓
- b.7-gauge coil spring steel
- c.12-1/2 gauge Class 3 wire
- d.11-gauge tie wire
Wire fence tension wire is 8-gauge galvanized wire complying with ASTM A641. Seven-gauge coil spring steel is the chain-link tension wire, 12-1/2 gauge is the mesh intermediate wire gauge, and 11-gauge is the minimum for ties.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.02F
Which statement fits the Caltrans staples used on wood posts for wire?
- a.At least 1/2 inch long, made from fine 14-gauge steel wire
- b.At least 3 inches long, made from heavy 6-gauge wire
- c.Any length, made from untreated bright wire
- d.At least 1-3/4 inches long, of 9-gauge galvanized wire✓
Staples comply with ASTM F1667, are at least 1-3/4 inches long and are made from 9-gauge galvanized wire. The other descriptions use a shorter or longer length, a different gauge or untreated wire.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.02F
What are the minimum length and weight for an end, latch, pull or corner steel post in a Caltrans wire fence?
- a.7 feet long and 3.1 lb/ft✓
- b.6 feet long and 1.93 lb/ft
- c.8 feet long and 5 lb/ft
- d.7 feet long and 1.93 lb/ft
Each end, latch, pull and corner post is at least 7 feet long and 3.1 lb/ft, with a section modulus of 0.32 cubic inch. The 1.93 lb/ft figure is the minimum for braces and brace posts.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.02B
Which list of species is allowed for untreated wood posts in a Caltrans wire fence?
- a.Hem-Fir, aspen, poplar or white birch
- b.Redwood, cedar, Douglas fir or Southern yellow pine✓
- c.Pine of any species, or any spruce
- d.White oak, hard maple, black ash or elm
The specification accepts redwood, cedar, Douglas fir or Southern yellow pine for untreated posts and braces. Hem-Fir appears only in the treated list, and the other groups are not named.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.02C(2)
A 200-foot run of barbed wire is repaired with tied or mechanical splices. At most how many splices does the specification allow?
- a.16
- b.8✓
- c.4
- d.2
The specification allows two splices per 50 feet, so a 200-foot run has 4 sections and 8 splices. Four counts one per section, two counts one per run, and 16 doubles the allowance.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.03
A ground rod for a wood-post wire fence must be which size and material?
- a.8 feet long, 1/2 inch, galvanized or copper-coated steel✓
- b.8 feet long, 1/4 inch in diameter, aluminum
- c.12 feet long, 1 inch in diameter, aluminum
- d.4 feet long, 1/4 inch in diameter, bare steel
The rod is galvanized or copper-coated steel, 8 feet long, with a diameter of at least 1/2 inch, driven until its top is 6 inches below the ground. The other combinations use a different length, diameter or metal.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.02F and 80-2.03
A power line runs parallel to a wood-post fence about 80 feet away. What grounding does Caltrans require?
- a.No grounding, because the line runs parallel to the fence
- b.A rod at each end post or every 1,500 feet at most✓
- c.A ground rod at the gate post of the fence
- d.A ground rod each 50 feet along the fence line
A power line parallel to and within 100 feet of the fence calls for a rod at each end post or at intervals of at most 1,500 feet. Parallel lines are not exempt, and 50-foot spacing and gate-only rods are not stated.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.03
What does the Caltrans specification say about vertical stays in a wire fence gateway?
- a.Stays are left out of a gateway of this type
- b.Straight 12-gauge wire, spaced 6 inches apart on the gate
- c.Pretwisted 9.5-gauge galvanized wire, spaced 66 inches at most✓
- d.Heavy 6-gauge wire loops, spaced at 36 inches on center
Gateway stays are pretwisted 9.5-gauge galvanized wire evenly spaced between end bars at 66-inch maximum intervals. Straight 12-gauge stays are not specified, 6-gauge wire is for the loops, and stays are used.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.02G
Wire is wrapped at a terminal post of a wire fence. How many tight wraps does the specification require when each strand is tied back on itself?
- a.At least 1
- b.Two
- c.At least 4✓
- d.At least 12
Each horizontal strand is wrapped around the post and tied back on itself with at least 4 tightly wound wraps. One or two wraps would slip, and twelve is more than the minimum.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.03
At line posts, wire mesh is fastened at intermediate points not exceeding what spacing?
- a.18 inches
- b.10 inches✓
- c.6 inches
- d.24 inches
The specification fastens the mesh at the top, the bottom and intermediate points not exceeding 10 inches apart. Twenty-four and eighteen inches are chain-link spacings in other sources, and six inches is the vertical-stay spacing of the mesh.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.03
A desert tortoise fence uses hardware cloth. How far is it extended above ground and how deep is it buried?
- a.At least 36 inches above ground and none buried
- b.At least 6 inches above ground and at least 6 inches buried
- c.At least 12 inches above ground and at least 24 inches buried
- d.At least 24 inches above ground and at least 12 inches buried✓
The specification extends the cloth a minimum of 24 inches above the ground and buries it a minimum of 12 inches. The reversed numbers, a surface fence and tiny dimensions do not match.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-4.02C
Which nominal gate post does the A86 table list for a 10-foot-wide wire mesh gate?
- a.3-1/2 inch at 9.11 lb/ft✓
- b.2-1/2 inch at 5.79 lb/ft
- c.5 inch at 14.62 lb/ft
- d.6 inch at 18.97 lb/ft
Gates over 6 feet and through 12 feet use a 3-1/2 inch post at 9.11 lb/ft. The 2-1/2 inch post is for gates up through 6 feet, 5 inch is for over 12 through 18 feet, and 6 inch is for over 18 feet to 24 feet.Caltrans 2024 Standard Plan A86
The federal conservation standard calls for inspection of fences after which events, at minimum?
- a.Storms and other disturbance events✓
- b.When livestock are moved onto the range
- c.On the annual property tax date
- d.After the first frost of the season
The operation and maintenance plan includes inspections after storms and other disturbance events. A calendar date, a frost, or moving livestock does not damage the fence, so none of them is a trigger the standard names.NRCS Conservation Practice Standard 382, Operation and Maintenance
Why are wood-post wire fences grounded with metal posts and rods in the Caltrans specification?
- a.To make the wire easier to splice in the field
- b.To increase the tension that the wire can carry
- c.The specification requires grounding of wood-post fences✓
- d.To keep livestock from touching the fence wire
The specification says the fabric and wires of a fence using wood line posts must be grounded, with distances and cases for crossing and parallel power lines. Grounding does not change tension, livestock contact or splicing.Caltrans 2024 Standard Specifications 80-2.03
According to the Forest Products Laboratory, where does decay in a wood fence post start to be most severe?
- a.At the middle of the post's length, above the grade line
- b.At the very top of the post, where the cap is
- c.At the bottom of the footing, deep in the hole
- d.At the ground line, where soil moisture meets air✓
The bulletin says decay is most severe at the groundline where moisture from the soil mixes with oxygen from the air. The top is drier, and decay is not confined to the middle or the base alone.USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Protecting Wood Fences for Yard and Garden
Which parts of a wood fence decay faster, according to the bulletin, because water is absorbed through them quickly?
- a.The heads of the galvanized nails used
- b.The wide faces of the boards themselves
- c.The ends of rails, braces and boards✓
- d.The tops of the concrete footings below
Water is absorbed through the ends of wood pieces faster than through their sides, so end grain of rails, braces and boards decays faster. Board faces, nail heads and concrete do not behave that way.USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Protecting Wood Fences for Yard and Garden
Wood used in contact with the ground that lacks natural durability should be what?
- a.Pressure treated✓
- b.Stained on the end grain
- c.Primed and painted
- d.Brushed with a water repellent
The bulletin says such wood, such as posts, should definitely be pressure treated. A water repellent suits above-ground wood only, and stain on the end grain or a primer and paint do not give deep protection against decay where wood meets soil.USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Protecting Wood Fences for Yard and Garden
When buying naturally durable posts, what should you look for?
- a.Posts with the lightest color
- b.Posts with mostly sapwood
- c.Posts with mostly heartwood✓
- d.Posts with the most knots
Heartwood contains chemicals that resist decay and termites, and sapwood rots below ground, so choose posts with mostly heartwood. Knots and color do not indicate durability.USDA Forest Products Laboratory, Protecting Wood Fences for Yard and Garden