General · Building · Residential Contractor

The book list, taken directly from the state

Florida publishes the exact references its examination is written from. The list has two parts — and the second part is where package prices quietly become incomplete.

Eighteen references in total. Thirteen may be carried into the testing room. Five are for study only and may not be brought in. Questions are drawn from all eighteen.

1 ) References permitted in the testing room

Thirteen references you may bring into the examination.

Ref #	Title
R5	AIA A201 — General Conditions of the Contract for Construction
R6	AIA A401 — Standard Form of Agreement between Contractor and Subcontractor
R7	AIA A701 — Instructions to Bidders
R46	Code of Federal Regulations (OSHA) 29 Part 1926
R50	Contractors Manual
R85	Principles and Practices of Commercial Construction
R140	Energy Efficient Building Construction in Florida
R247	BCSI-ED2-D — Guide to Good Practices for Handling, Installing and Bracing of Metal Connected Wood Trusses
R200	Florida Building Code — Building
R203	Florida Building Code — Accessibility
R250	Florida Building Code — Residential
R251	Florida Building Code — Existing Building
R252	Florida Building Code — Energy Conservation

2) References to study (may not be brought in)

“The following references are suggested study for the examination only and MAY NOT be brought into the testing room or facility for the examination.” You will nevertheless be tested on this material.

Ref #	Title
R37	Builder's Guide to Accounting
R38	Building Estimator's Reference Book (Walker's)
R52	Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures
R83	Placing Reinforcing Bars
R87	Application and Finishing of Gypsum Panel Products, GA-216

Why these five still matter

Because you cannot carry them into the exam, it is tempting to treat them as optional. They are not. Questions still come from them. The books you bring in serve as your reference; the material you study from these five is what enables you to answer correctly when the reference is not available.

Where the price difference originates

A school can present a lower book price simply by omitting the second half. The five study-only titles are then frequently sold as a separate add-on — often adding several hundred dollars to the advertised package price.

Compare the title list before you compare the price.

Our packages include all eighteen

Both halves, current editions, with Quick Location tabs already printed and placed. Nothing is held back to be sold later.

Exam-room rules worth knowing

Taken from the state's list and important before you begin tabbing.

Only one copy of each reference may be brought in.
References must be bound and must remain bound throughout the exam.
Highlighting and underlining in pen or highlighter are permitted.
Hand-written and typed notes are not allowed. Existing notes must be blacked out or removed completely.
Moveable tabs (sticky flags and similar) are not allowed. Permanently attached printed tabs are acceptable.
You may not write in your references during the examination.
Only original editions are allowed, except where the list specifically authorises a PDF.
PDF copies must be bound with a ring binder, brads, snap binder, spiral, or screw posts — not staples.
Writing tablets and electronic tablets are not permitted.

Uncertain which books you already own?

Call and read us your shelf. We will tell you what is missing — whether or not you buy the rest from us.

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Source: Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Bureau of Education & Testing — General, Building and Residential Contractor Examination Reference List, valid January 2026 – December 2026. Checked 13 August 2026.