CSLB Quick Facts

License required for jobs over
$1,000
Minimum contractor bond
$25,000
Journey-level experience
4 years
Current exam passing scores
School-observed: 65% for Law & Business and 63% to 71% for trade exams; CSLB does not publish fixed passing scores

The CSLB oversees 46 contractor classifications in California.

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What’s Your Passion?

By 3 min read

What’s Your Passion?

There are many opportunities in the construction industry, and many of those opportunities are perfect for small businesses and new construction companies. Is specialization right for you?  In this blog, we discuss some of the considerations of starting a construction company that specializes.

What’s Your Passion?

Someone once said when your job is doing what you love, it isn’t work. Do you want to go to work every day or do you want to head out the door to do what you love? Some people love to make beautiful kitchens; others specialize in making beautiful cabinets or restoring wood floors, renovations, making crown molding. That list of what people are passionate about goes on for a long while, and every one of those items on that list is a marketable construction service. The question is, can you make a living in construction doing what you love?

The Benefits of Specializing

When you specialize in construction, you gain a bit of freedom. Specialty markets are highly focused and driven by consumer demand. Custom cabinets are hot service because people are constantly remodeling their kitchens either because they are flipping a home to sell or making their house into a home. Specialty construction forms work for both other contractors and the general public.

Specialty companies empower other contractors, and that is a good thing. When your level of workmanship is capable of attracting other contractors who want to use your services to help drive their company, then you gain more customers. A good example of how this works is a company that offers remodeling services but subcontracts with a plumbing service. The general company does not have to specialize or have someone on staff that they need to keep busy, they just have to call you. That symbiotic relationship helps both companies.

There is Less Overhead

In many cases, you only have to focus on the aspects of what you build. If all you do is resurface doors, then your overhead expenses are smaller than if you offered complete remodeling services. You don’t need to buy all of those ladders, special power tools, and other equipment. You just need a couple of saw horses, a sander, and some painting supplies. If you are starting a new company, then specializing is a way to lower the startup costs.

Specializing has a lot of pluses. Are you ready to start your own specialty construction company?

About CSLS:

CSLS is the largest contractor licensing school in California with over 25 locations throughout the state. We have the highest success rate of any school – 99% of our students pass their exam on the first try, and that’s guaranteed or your money back.

Our teaching process prepares you in a step by step manner for everything you need to know to pass the law, business , and trade portion of your exam.  Our programs are designed for convenience. We have online programs, home study, crash-course and in-school options, making it easy and affordable for you to become a licensed contractor.

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