Florida Commercial Pool and Spa Contractor License Exam Prep

License Scope

A "commercial pool/spa contractor" means a contractor whose scope of work involves, but is not limited to:

• the construction, repair, and servicing of any swimming pool, or hot tub or spa, including the repair or replacement of existing equipment or the installation of new equipment, as necessary;
• the layout, excavation, operation of construction pumps for dewatering purposes, steelwork, installation of light niches, construction of floors, guniting, fiberglassing, installation of tile and coping, installation of all perimeter and filter piping, installation of all filter equipment and chemical feeders of any type, plastering of the interior, construction of decks, construction of equipment rooms or housing for pool equipment, and installation of package pool heaters; and
• includes the scope of work of a swimming pool/spa servicing contractor.

A "commercial pool/spa contractor" cannot perform direct connections to a sanitary sewer system or to potable water lines.

The installation, construction, modification, or replacement of equipment permanently attached to and associated with the pool or spa for the purpose of water treatment or cleaning of the pool or spa requires licensure; however, the usage of such equipment for the purposes of water treatment or cleaning shall not require licensure unless the usage involves construction, modification, or replacement of such equipment.

Method of Qualification

In order to become licensed, you must meet the following qualifications.

(a) – Is 18 years of age,
(b) – Is of good moral character, and
(c) – Meets eligibility requirements according to one of the following criteria:

1. Has a total of at least 4 years of active experience as a worker who has learned the trade by serving an apprenticeship as a skilled worker who is able to command the rate of a mechanic in the particular trade or as a foreman who is in charge of a group of workers and usually is responsible to a superintendent or a contractor or his or her equivalent, provided, however, that at least 1 year of active experience shall be as a foreman.
2. Has received a baccalaureate degree from an accredited 4-year college in the appropriate field of engineering, architecture, or building construction and has 1 year of proven experience in the category in which the person seeks to qualify. For the purpose of this part, a minimum of 2,000 person-hours shall be used in determining full-time equivalency.
3. Has a combination of not less than 1 year of experience as a foreman and not less than 3 years of credits for any accredited college-level courses; has a combination of not less than 1 year of experience as a skilled worker, 1 year of experience as a foreman, and not less than 2 years of credits for any accredited college-level courses; or has a combination of not less than 2 years of experience as a skilled worker, 1 year of experience as a foreman, and not less than 1 year of credits for any accredited college-level courses. All junior college or community college-level courses shall be considered accredited college-level courses.
4. An active certified swimming pool servicing contractor is eligible to take the swimming pool commercial contractors’ examination if he or she possesses a minimum of 4 years of proven experience in the classification in which he or she is certified.
5. An active certified residential swimming pool contractor is eligible to take the commercial swimming pool contractors’ examination if he or she possesses a minimum of 1 year of proven experience in the classification in which he or she is certified.

Licensing Steps

Step 1. Purchase the books you will need to take the licensing exam. The exam is open book and you are allowed to bring the state approved reference books to the exam with you.

Step 2. Register for your Florida commercial pool/spa contractor trade knowledge exam and business and finance exam.  We can help you with your exam registration - telephone CEI at: 800-423-7058. If you are confident with the required registration process and steps then you can register through Professional Testing Inc. at: www.floridaexam.com.

Step 3. Prepare for the licensing exams. You must pass both the technical trade knowledge exam and the business & finance exam to receive your license. We recommend that you sign up for our online or live business & finance exam preparation course to prepare for the business & finance exam, especially if you are not very familiar with accounting and construction business law.

Step 4. Take and pass both exams.

Step 5. Mail the license application with your passing exam scores to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. You will receive your license within approximately 60 days after submitting the completed application.

For detailed information please visit the State of Florida website.

Exam Details - What to Expect

The Applicant will be required to pass 2 separate exams with a score of 70% or higher.

• Business & Finance Exam – 6.5 hour computer-based exam
• Trade Knowledge Exam - 5 hour computer-based exam

Both exams are open-book, multiple-choice, and timed.

Reference books should be brought to both open book exams. Permanent book tabs and highlighting in books is allowed for the examinations.

Business & Finance Exam

The Business and Finance Examination consists of 120 questions. Candidates are allowed 6 ½ hours (390 minutes) of time to complete the examination.

Trade Knowledge Exam

The trade knowledge exam consists of 80 questions. Candidates are allowed 5 hours (300 minutes) of time to complete the examination.

Preparing for Your Exams

Applicants will need to get familiar with all of their exam books. Applicants must know how to properly read the test questions and quickly locate the answers. Knowing which books to use for each content area is essential to passing the exam. A quality exam preparation class is the best way to prepare for the exam. Most candidates are comfortable with the trade knowledge exam material, but need additional preparation for the business & finance exam material.

100% One Year Course Guarantee

Students receive access to their course for a full year from the date of their registration!

EXAM READY BOOKS (Highlighted & Tabbed for the Exam) 

The licensing exam is an open-book exam. CEI stocks all books required for the general contractor exam. 

Exam Ready Books are specially prepared to make passing the exam easier. Exam Ready Books are professionally highlighted and tabbed by CEI's staff to indicate the answers to common test questions. Book tabs will help you find the correct section of the books much more quickly when looking for the answer to an exam question, and highlights detail parts of the books from where questions are often asked.

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Book set includes all references required for the Trade and Business & Finance exams:

• AIA Documents: (A-201, A-401, A-701)
• Builder's Guide to Accounting
• Florida Contractor's Manual
• Florida Statutes Chapter 455                               
• Code of Federal Regulations. OSHA Title 29, Part 1926
• Walker's Buiding Estimator's Reference Book
• American National Standard for Permanently Installed Residential Spas
• American National Standard for Public Spas
• American National Standard for Public Swimming Pools
• American National Standard for Residential Inground Swimming Pools
• Chapter 64E-9, Public Swimming Pools and Bathing Places
• Concrete Masonry Handbook for Architects, Engineers, Builders
• Guide to Shotcrete, (506R-16)
• NFPA 70 – 2014 National, Electrical Code, Softbound, Article 680, Swimming Pools, Fountains & Similar Installations
• Placing Reinforcing Bars
• Pool & Spa Operator Handbook
• Florida Building Code, Building

Locations

Sarasota, FL - CEI

CEI

5016 Calle Minorga

Sarasota, FL 34242

Orlando, FL - Spring Hill Suites

Spring Hill Suites by Marriott

5828 Hazeltine National Drive

Orlando, FL 32822

Fort Lauderdale, FL

Tamarac Campus of GoldCoast

5600 Hiatus Road

Tamarac, FL 33321