01
Licensing
The $1,500 handyman exemption, 4 years of supervisory experience within the prior 10, the discretionary license bond with its $5,000 floor, the Recovery Fund, and the September 30 even-year renewal cycle.
Contractor exam study guide
AvailableHawaii Contractor Business and Law Study Guide
Hawaii contractor business and law, organized for the closed-book exam.
A 101-page independent study aid for the PSI Hawaii Business and Law Examination. It follows the official 11-area content outline across all 80 questions, with 160 practice questions and cited explanations. Content was verified against Hawaii primary sources in September 2026: HRS Chapter 444 (Contractors), HAR Title 16 Chapter 77, and PSI Bulletin 10625 (revised 1/20/2026, current outline effective 3/30/2026). Because the exam is closed book with no allowed references, the guide teaches the material cold: a memorization strategy, drill questions, and a key-figures cheat sheet instead of book-tabbing.
What is inside
Organized the way the exam tests it.
02
Business Organization
Business structures and liability, registered agents, and the records a contractor must keep.
03
Contract Management
Required contract terms, change-order rules, prompt payment on public and private jobs, and the safety-program requirement for construction contracts over $100,000.
04
Estimating and Bidding
Public-works bidding, the $25,000 bond threshold with 100% performance and 100% payment bonds, and the 90-day notice and suit rules for bond claimants.
05
Financial Management
Financial statements and ratios, job costing, and the cash-flow basics that keep a contracting business solvent.
06
Labor Law
Hawaii wage and hour rules, prevailing wage on public works over $2,000, overtime after 8 hours, and the one-employee workers' comp and unemployment thresholds.
07
Lien Law
The 45-day lien filing deadline, the 3-month enforcement window, and discharge of a lien at twice the claim amount.
08
Project Management
Scheduling, submittals, documentation, and managing subcontractors from award to closeout.
09
Risk Management
Insurance types and the $100k/$300k/$50k minimums, bonds versus insurance, and how contracts allocate risk.
10
Safety - OSHA
HIOSH state-plan employer duties, injury reporting, and jobsite safety requirements.
11
Tax Laws
The 4% general excise tax plus county surcharge, the 10% transient accommodations tax, and contractor tax obligations.
Fit check
Built for exam day, honest about limits.
A strong fit for
- Applicants preparing for the Hawaii Business and Law Examination
- Contractors adding a Hawaii classification who need the business law portion cold
- Out-of-state contractors learning Hawaii-specific requirements
- Anyone who wants cited explanations, not just answer keys
Deliberately not included
- It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced by the Hawaii Contractors License Board, the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, or PSI
- It does not include trade exam content for any classification
- It does not replace the official statutes, Board rules, PSI publications, or legal advice
- It does not guarantee a passing score
Delivery
Three steps to your PDF.
- 01
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Download the full study guide PDF. The link is single-use and expires shortly after it is issued.
Before purchase
Clear answers, up front.
Is this affiliated with the Hawaii Contractors License Board or PSI?
No. This is an independent study aid. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced by the Hawaii Contractors License Board, the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, or PSI. Always verify current requirements against PSI Bulletin 10625 and official sources before your exam.
Is the exam open book?
No. The Hawaii Business and Law exam is closed book: no reference materials are allowed in the testing room. That is why this guide is built around memorization, with a key-figures cheat sheet, drill questions, and a closed-book test strategy that teach the numbers cold.
How was the content verified?
Every factual claim was checked against Hawaii primary sources: HRS Chapter 444 (Contractors), HAR Title 16 Chapter 77, and PSI Bulletin 10625 (revised 1/20/2026, current outline effective 3/30/2026). Content was verified in September 2026, and where a figure was uncertain, the guide says so instead of guessing.
Does it cover the trade exam for my classification?
No. This guide covers the Business and Law Examination only. Trade exams are classification-specific and are not included.
How do I receive the guide?
After checkout, you get a secure access email with a sign-in link. Confirm on the site and download the PDF. The download link is single-use and expires shortly after it is issued; if it expires, email support from your checkout address and we will reissue access.
What is the refund policy?
Because this is a digital download, refunds are limited to duplicate purchases or failed delivery. If your download does not work, email support and we will fix it or refund you.
Independence disclosure
Read this before you buy.
Independent study aid. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced by the Hawaii Contractors License Board, the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, or PSI. The practice questions are original questions written in exam style, not real exam questions. Statutes and rules change; verify current requirements against PSI Bulletin 10625 and official sources before your exam. This guide does not guarantee a passing score and is not legal advice.