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Like other states, Georgia mandates that all professionals who do contracting work must have the appropriate license before they bid on or perform any work. This requirement applies to both residential and commercial general contractors. 

With a General Building Contractor License in Georgia, you will be able to lawfully carry out work within certain financial limits. 

General contractors are unlimited when it comes to the kind of work they can do. However, if work during a project falls within the scope of other types of contracting, that work must be completed by a duly licensed contractor. These other types of contracting include:

• Conditioned air contracting
• Electrical contracting
• Plumbing contracting
• Utility contracting
• Low-voltage contracting

For the most part, a general contractor can undertake the construction of all institutional, private, public, industrial, and commercial structures.

Georgia General Contractor License: What You Need to Know

In order to obtain your general contractor license in Georgia, you will need to pass two exams: the Georgia General Contractor Exam and the Business & Law Exam. Pre-approval from the testing site at which you are interested in taking the exam must be obtained before scheduling your test.

Experience Requirements

In addition, you will need to provide proof of your experience. You must have at least one year of work experience if you hold a bachelor’s degree in architecture, construction management, engineering, or building construction (or another acceptable field). If you don’t have a bachelor’s degree, you must provide proof of four years of experience.

Part of this experience must include a submission that describes at least one project in which you had primary management responsibility or general oversight as a contractor. This experience should have resulted in the successful completion of the project within the five years preceding the date of your application. 

Insurance Requirements

You must also submit proof that you have obtained general liability insurance in a minimum amount of at least $500,000 — you are required to submit a signed certificate of insurance with your license application.

Once you hold a Georgia General Contractor License, you will be able to perform work in other states that have reciprocity agreements with Georgia. These states include South Carolina and Mississippi for residential contractors and Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee for general contractors. 

Preparing For Your General Contractor Exams in Georgia

The NASCLA General Building Contractor Exam has 115 questions, and you must get at least 81 of them correct in order to pass. The exam is open-book, and you will have 330 minutes to complete it. 

Topics covered include electrical systems, concrete, metals, thermal and moisture protection, plumbing and mechanical systems, and many others.

The Business & Law Exam is also required. It has 50 questions, and in order to pass, you must answer at least 35 correctly. You will have 120 minutes to complete this open-book exam. 

Topics include business organization, financial management, risk management, contracts, safety, licensing, and many others.

Make sure you are properly prepared to pass your exams! Sign up with RocketCert today for the best exam prep experience and materials available anywhere.