Getting a Florida contractor license has two cost layers: the examination fees and the license application fees. Both are on the Business and Finance exam, and both are worth knowing before you budget for the process.
This is an independent study aid, not affiliated with the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), the Construction Industry Licensing Board, or Pearson VUE. Fees change: confirm current amounts with DBPR and Pearson VUE before you pay.
Examination fees
The exam fee structure has two parts. There is a $135 mandatory registration fee to Professional Testing, charged every time a registration is made for any portion. In addition, Pearson VUE charges per portion:
- Business and Finance: $80
- Contract Administration: $40
- Project Management: $40
A full first attempt registering for all three portions at once costs $295 (the $135 registration plus $160 in Pearson VUE fees). A single-portion retake costs $135 plus that portion's Pearson VUE fee, because the $135 registration fee is per registration, not per retake cycle. Retake only the portions you failed or missed.
Work the scenarios the way the exam does. You register for all three portions and fail Contract Administration. Your retake costs $135 plus $40, for $175. You register for Business and Finance alone on the first attempt and pass, then register for the other two portions later: each registration carries its own $135, so spreading the portions across three registrations costs more than bundling them. The exam's point is the per-registration structure, not your personal budget: know that the $135 repeats.
License application fees
After you pass, the initial certification fees (DBPR CILB 5-A) depend on when you apply. There are two tiers:
- $245 for applications between May 1 of an even year and August 31 of an odd year.
- $145 for applications between September 1 of an odd year and April 30 of an even year.
The window is worth a worked example. Apply in October 2027 and you fall in the September 1, 2027 (odd year) to April 30, 2028 (even year) window, so the fee is $145. Apply in June 2028 and you fall in the May 1, 2028 (even year) to August 31, 2029 (odd year) window, so the fee is $245. The exam tests whether you know the two tiers exist and that the fee depends on the application date.
Other costs to expect
The license requirements post covers the full application package. A few costs hide inside it:
- Fingerprinting for the FDLE/FBI criminal-history check is at the applicant's cost.
- Workers' compensation coverage or exemption. The construction-industry exemption application and renewal fee is $50, and exemption certificates issued since January 1, 2013 are valid for two years.
- Insurance. General contractors must carry at least $300,000 public liability and $50,000 property damage coverage; other categories $100,000/$25,000 except as specified. Premiums are real money but are not a state fee.
- Study references. The exam is open book, and the approved references (the Contractors Manual, the Builder's Guide to Accounting, Chapter 455, and the three AIA documents) are books you must own, tab, and highlight. Check the current DBPR reference list for the required editions before buying, since the Contractors Manual edition was in flux at the 2026 transition. See the open-book strategy post.
Ongoing costs after licensure
Licenses renew every two years. Each cycle requires 14 hours of continuing education, including one hour each of six mandated subjects (building code, workplace safety, business practices, workers' compensation, laws and rules, and wind mitigation). There is no CE requirement for the issuance year. Budget for course fees each biennium, and for maintaining your insurance coverage continuously, since failure to maintain it is a rule violation and a discipline ground.
The numbers worth drilling
- $135: registration fee, charged on every registration for any portion.
- $80/$40/$40: Pearson VUE fees per portion (Business and Finance / Contract Administration / Project Management).
- $295: full first attempt, all three portions, one registration.
- $135 plus the portion fee: any single-portion retake.
- $245 or $145: initial certification fee, depending on the application window.
- $50: construction-industry workers' comp exemption fee; two-year certificate.
If you are planning your timeline as well as your budget, the how long it takes post covers the full path from study to license in hand.
Try the free practice quiz
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