The Florida General Contractor exam is open book. That sounds generous until the clock starts and you are hunting through a book you never practiced using.
TL;DR: The Florida Certified General Contractor (Division I) license requires three open-book exams (Business & Finance, Contract Administration, and Project Management), each scored at 70%. You bring the approved reference books into the test center, including the Florida Contractors Manual, the AIA documents, the Florida Building Code volumes, and OSHA 29 CFR 1926. Confirm current editions on the DBPR construction examinations reference list before you buy.
Want the books and the prep in one order? The Florida General Contractor Exam Prep and Books Bundle holds every approved reference book plus Essential Test Prep, which teaches you to practice finding the answers in them. At $1,750 it saves $350 against buying the books ($1,450) and the prep ($650) separately.
What you carry into that room is a complete set of the Florida General Contractor exam reference books in their current approved editions, ready for you to practice with. Get it right once and you stop thinking about it. Get it wrong and you find out at the worst possible moment, because the reference you skipped is the part that fails you.
Here is the full Florida contractor exam book list for Division I (General, Building, and Residential), book by book, with the edition we stock for each.
Table of contents
- The three exams
- Required books
- Book bundles
- Official reference list
- Frequently asked questions
- Key takeaways
- Sources
The Florida GC exam is three open-book tests
The Certified General Contractor (Division I) license requires passing three exams, all open book, all scored at 70%:
- Business & Finance: 120 questions, 6.5 hours
- Contract Administration: 60 questions, 4.5 hours
- Project Management: 60 questions, 4.5 hours
Source: DBPR/CILB Construction Licensure Examinations Candidate Information Booklet. The exams are administered by Pearson VUE.
Books required for the Florida General Contractor exam
| Reference book | Edition we stock | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Florida Contractors Manual | 2025 | $178 |
 | Builder’s Guide to Accounting | Revised | $59 |
 | Florida Statutes (Ch. 455) | Ch. 455, 2025 | $35 |
 | AIA Document Bundle | A201-2017, A401-2017, A701-2018 | $100 |
 | Principles & Practices of Commercial Construction | 11th (2024) | $184 |
 | Florida Building Code: Building | 8th (2023) | $219 |
 | Florida Building Code: Residential | 8th (2023) | $219 |
 | Florida Building Code: Existing Building | 8th (2023) | $124 |
 | Florida Building Code: Accessibility | 8th (2023) | $80 |
 | Florida Building Code: Energy Conservation | 8th (2023) | $67 |
 | Energy Efficient Building Construction in Florida | 11th (2024) | $78 |
 | BCSI (Trusses) | 2025 | $49 |
![Code of Federal Regulations, (OSHA) 29 Part 1926, July 1, 2025 [OSHA Construction Industry Regulations & Standards]](https://licensetopass.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/20260825_095908-scaled.avif) | OSHA 29 CFR 1926 | 29 CFR 1926 | $60 |
The Florida Contractors Manual is approved for use across all parts. The AIA documents are the Contract Administration references, and Principles and Practices of Commercial Construction is the Project Management reference. For the exact book-to-exam assignment, the official DBPR reference list is the final word.
Buy the set (usually cheaper than sourcing each book)
- Florida Business & Finance Exam Books Bundle And Nothing But the Books – just the Business & Finance books ($400)
- Florida General Contractor License Books & Nothing But The Books Bundle – all the General Contractor books ($1450)
- Florida General Contractor Exam Prep and Books Bundle – all the books plus test prep ($1750)
The official Florida contractor exam book list
Florida’s approved reference list is published by the DBPR at the construction examinations reference list. Always confirm current editions and effective dates there before purchasing.
Once you have the books, our guide to the general contractor practice exam explains how to practise finding answers in them.
Frequently asked questions
Get the set
Most people buy the set rather than chase nine titles one at a time and discover the gap on exam day. The complete General Contractor books bundle is $1,450. The same books with all three test preps is $1,750. Sitting Business and Finance only? That bundle is $400.
Key takeaways
- The Florida General Contractor license needs three open-book exams: Business and Finance (120 questions, 6.5 hours), Contract Administration and Project Management (60 questions, 4.5 hours each), each passed at 70%.
- Only the approved reference books on the DBPR list go into the test center, so this book list is the exam’s toolkit.
- The Florida Contractors Manual (2025 edition) is approved for use across all three parts.
- Confirm current editions and effective dates on the DBPR reference list before you buy.
- The complete General Contractor books bundle is $1,450, or $1,750 with the Essential Test Prep.
Sources
- DBPR/CILB Construction Licensure Examinations Candidate Information Booklet: the three exams, question counts, time limits and the 70% passing score.
- DBPR construction examinations reference list: the approved books, editions and effective dates.
- Pearson VUE, Florida construction exams: the vendor that schedules, administers and scores the computer-based exams.