Construction: General Contractor

The Gold Coast School of Construction is the leader in construction education for both Registered County and State Certified contractors.  Students enroll with Gold Coast because they have one goal, to pass the state exam!  Our curriculum, methods, and team of experienced instructors are dedicated to helping every student achieve that goal.  We understand that anyone can claim to be the best school in Florida, but we can prove it.

The Gold Coast curriculum is a comprehensive review of all state examinations topics.  Our materials are continuously updated to reflect exam and code changes, and are direct, yet simple to understand.  Our instructors are licensed practicing professionals including Contractors, Architects, Engineers, Building Inspectors, and OSHA trainers who care about your success. 

We understand that the details of how to get your license can be overwhelming.   The information on the next few pages will help answer many of your questions, but feel free to contact our helpful Career Counselors at 1-800-732-9140 to discuss this over the phone.

 

For Course Details, click:

General Contractor Exam Prep Program

Unlike many other license categories (Real Estate, Insurance, etc) there are no required pre-license courses that must be taken before you can take your state exam.  The state will allow anyone and everyone to take the contractor’s exam, however the object is to pass it the very first time.  We make that possible with our exclusive program.

Gold Coasts Exam Prep program is offered in two formats, the Full Service Contractor Exam-Prep and our Basic Contractor Exam Prep.  These prep courses are designed for contractors who are serious about passing their exams and getting started with growing their business.

Your Full-service Contractor Exam Prep Program will be divided into 3 parts all of which are included in your tuition.

Part I:

• Comprehensive study guides complete with audio/visual presentations in a DVD format
• Our exclusive module workbook that is topic specific with self contained learning segments
• Exclusive exhibits
• Multiple practice exams

Part II:

• Classroom instruction one night a week from 7:00pm-9:00pm (Offered in both English and espanol).  Bring your questions and we will show you how to work through to the answer together.

Your tuition is valid for one year allowing you to take as many classes as you would like at any of our multiple locations during this period.

Part III:

• Intensive Cram Sessions one weekend each month (Cram’s are in-depth reviews of exam style questions and scenarios and are designed to drive home the key topics needed to be successful on the state exam).

Enrolled students can repeat these crams at no extra charge as often as necessary within your one year tuition period.

We also offer a Basic Contractor Exam Prep Program which is a self/home study program that includes:

Part I:

• Comprehensive study guides complete with audio/visual presentations in a DVD format
• Our exclusive module workbook that is topic specific with self contained learning segments
• Exclusive exhibits
• Multiple practice exams

Our Basic Contractor Exam Prep Program provides all the information and materials needed to help you pass the exam, but requires far more individual effort and discipline when it comes to reading and studying.  If you learn best from live instruction, our Full Service Package is designed for you. 

Proceed to Requirements:

Below will describe the basic requirements for becoming in a licensed General Contractor:

• Must be 18 years of age
• Have good moral character. (A criminal incident in the past does not prevent you from getting a license so long as you have had your civil rights restored, all debts to society paid, no pending or current liens such as IRS, and have no pending or ongoing criminal litigation).
• Credit worthy. (Applicants will be subject to a credit report on both the applicant and the business with a preferred FICO score of a 660 or above. )
  • If you do not meet the 660 FICO score, you CAN still get your license by posting a licensing bond.
    •  Bond amounts vary based on whether the applicant is a Division I or Division II contractor, however this amount can be reduced by 50% upon taking a board-approved financial responsibility course.
    • Gold Coast offers this course in addition to our exam prep programs: Learn more...Click Here!
• Four years of general construction experience.  (See below for experience details)

4 years of necessary experience:

You must have 4 years of general construction experience, however up to 3 years of experience can be substituted by years spent in college.  The college courses can be ANY college level courses, and does not need to be in the construction field.  If you have a four year college degree, you qualify as having 3 years of general construction experience.  The 4th year of general construction experience must be acquired through gaining structural experience.  For General Contractors, you must have been a foreman or supervisor that was involved in all aspects of a commercial building that is 4 stories or taller. 

Important note about experience:

There is no longer a "verifier" signature required, but the information you are required to list is much more detailed and includes employers names, addresses, jobsite names, and durations of employment.

You do not have to have the necessary experience before you take the exam.  In fact, after passing the state exam you have up to 4 years to gain the necessary experience to become a licensed General Contractor. 

For a free evaluation of your experience and guidance in this career field, feel free to contact our Career Counselors at 1-800-732-9140.

Proceed to Course Schedule:

Please select your prefered Class, Type of Class, Location and Start Date from the menu below:

Select a Course Example: 63-Hour Sales Associate License Course

Choose a Location Example: West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, North Dade, etc.

Select Type of Class Example: 7-day class, 4 week evening class, etc.

Select a Date Example: 2/14/2013, 6/20/2013, 11/24/2013, 12/12/2013, etc.

To register for your Full Service or Basic Contractor Exam Prep Program use the registration box above, or call our Career Counselors at 1-800-732-9140.

Tuition Information:

Full Service Exam Prep Program: (Includes all DVD’s, class tutorials, and Cram Classes) - $795

Basic Exam Prep Program: (Excludes the in-class instruction and crams)- $645

Class Locations and Basic Schedule: (7:00pm-9:30pm)

Tuesdays: Doral

Wednesdays: Lantana

Thursdays: Broward and Doral (espanol)

Proceed to Cram Course:

To guarantee proper scheduling for this construction course, please contact our Career Counselors at 1-800-732-9140 to discuss the complete details.

Our cram courses are designed to be an intensive review of sample scenarios and questions that will appear on the contractor exam. Attending these reviews will greatly increase the likelihood of passing your exam the first time.

Exam-Cram Formats:

Weekend Cram: (Sat-Sun) 9:00am-5:00pm

1-day $199 (Recommended for A/C, Roofing, Pool, and Specialty Contractors)

2-days $299 (Recommended for General, Building, and Residential Contractors.)

Included in our Full Service package, this two day intensive presentation consolidates the information and “zeros in” on exam topics. Day One is for all applicants and covers Business and Finance, preparing the applicant for Day One of the exam. Day Two covers the Technical portion of the exam with separate presentations for each covered license category. This powerful 2-day experience simulates exam conditions, gathers, consolidates, and amplifies the various threads of information which boosts the applicant’s ability to succeed.