Florida Contractor License Types: General vs Building vs Residential

Florida’s Division I contractor classes — General (CGC), Building (CBC), and Residential (CRC) — are scope classes: each defines what you may build under Fla. Stat. 489.105(3). That’s a separate question from certified vs registered, which is about where you may work; a contractor in any of these three classes may be either certified statewide or registered in one local jurisdiction.

See certified vs registered contractor in Florida for that geography question in detail — this page covers the scope question only.

Compare the three at a glance

Class (also called)	What you can build	Height / size limit	Insurance minimum
General — CGC	Any type of work — unlimited scope	No limit	$300,000 / $50,000
Building — CBC	Commercial & residential buildings, plus remodeling of any size that doesn’t affect structural members	≤ 3 stories (new construction)	$300,000 / $50,000
Residential — CRC	One-, two-, or three-family homes & accessory structures	≤ 2 habitable stories over ≤ 1 uninhabitable	$100,000 / $25,000

Insurance figures are public liability / property-damage minimums (see Florida contractor insurance requirements). CGC = Certified General Contractor, CBC = Certified Building Contractor, CRC = Certified Residential Contractor.

General, Building, and Residential make up Division I of the Construction Industry Licensing Board; the specialty trades (electrical, plumbing, roofing, and the like) fall under Division II (Fla. Stat. 489.105(3)).

General contractor (CGC)

Statute defines the general contractor’s scope as unlimited: “a contractor whose services are unlimited as to the type of work which he or she may do, who may contract for any activity requiring licensure under this part, and who may perform any work requiring licensure under this part, except as otherwise expressly provided in s. 489.113” (Fla. Stat. 489.105(3)(a)). It is the only Division I class with no height or building-type ceiling. Start with the Florida GC license requirements if this is the class you’re pursuing.

Building contractor (CBC)

The Florida building contractor license covers construction of “commercial buildings and single-dwelling or multiple-dwelling residential buildings, which do not exceed three stories in height,” plus remodeling, repair, or improvement of a building of any size where the work does not affect the structural members (Fla. Stat. 489.105(3)(b)). It sits between General and Residential in scope — broader than Residential’s family-home limit, but capped at three stories for new construction.

Residential contractor (CRC)

The Florida residential contractor license is limited to “construction, remodeling, repair, or improvement of one-family, two-family, or three-family residences not exceeding two habitable stories above no more than one uninhabitable story,” along with accessory-use structures (Fla. Stat. 489.105(3)(c)). It carries the lowest insurance minimum of the three Division I classes.

Which class fits your work?

These three classes are defined entirely by what they let you build, not by who you are — compare the scope column above against the projects you actually take on. If your work spans commercial and multi-story residential jobs, Building’s three-story ceiling may or may not cover it; if you build or remodel single-family homes exclusively, Residential’s scope may align. The interactive selector on certified vs registered contractor in Florida walks through both the scope question and the separate certified-vs-registered geography question together.

This is general information, not legal advice — confirm your specific situation and project scope with the Florida DBPR before choosing a license class.

For the full path from experience through renewal, see the Florida general contractor license guide.

Common questions

What are the contractor license types in Florida?

Florida’s Division I contractor license types are General, Building, and Residential — defined in Fla. Stat. 489.105(3)(a)–(c). These are scope classes: they differ by what you’re allowed to build, not by geography. Each can be held either certified (statewide) or registered (one local jurisdiction) — see certified vs registered contractor in Florida for that separate question. Division II covers separate specialty-trade licenses (electrical, plumbing, roofing, and others).

What’s the difference between a CGC, CBC, and CRC?

CGC (Certified General Contractor) has unlimited scope. CBC (Certified Building Contractor) is limited to commercial and residential buildings not exceeding three stories, plus remodeling or repair of any size building that doesn’t affect structural members. CRC (Certified Residential Contractor) is limited to one-, two-, or three-family residences not exceeding two habitable stories above no more than one uninhabitable story. All three sit under Fla. Stat. 489.105(3).

Can I hold more than one Division I license class?

The statute defines each class by scope, and nothing in 489.105(3) limits a person to a single class — but qualifying for each class has its own experience and exam requirements. Confirm current multi-class rules with the DBPR before applying for more than one.

Do all three classes carry the same insurance minimum?

No. General and Building both require $300,000 liability and $50,000 property damage coverage. Residential — grouped with “all other categories” in the DBPR’s Construction Industry FAQ — requires $100,000 liability and $25,000 property damage.

This page summarizes Florida law and is general information, not legal advice. Verify scope, height limits, and insurance minimums with the Florida DBPR before acting.

Last verified: 2026-07-03