Residential-Basic
Rule 553-3-.01 and O.C.G.A. 43-41-6 require an individual applicant to show:
- at least 2 years of proven experience as or working for a residential contractor, mostly in residential-basic work; and
- significant responsibility for at least 2 residential-basic projects in the 2 years immediately before applying.
Any construction experience alone does not qualify: it drops both the residential-contractor requirement and the 2-project requirement. The degree-plus-1-year route belongs to Light Commercial and General Contractor, not Basic.
Residential-Light Commercial
Rules 553-3-.02 and .04 offer three paths:
- a baccalaureate degree (engineering, architecture, construction management, building construction or another accepted field) plus at least 1 year of experience;
- academic credits plus experience totaling at least 4 years; or
- 4 years of construction-related experience, at least 2 of them as or working for a residential contractor.
Every path also needs significant responsibility for at least 2 light-commercial projects in the 4 years immediately before applying.
The trap is mixing up the project windows: 2 years for Basic, 4 years for Light Commercial. The 1 year is the experience added to a degree, not a project window, and 5 years is not the rule.
General Contractor
Rule 553-4-.01 and O.C.G.A. 43-41-6 set these paths (the Limited Tier uses the same ones):
- a degree plus at least 1 year as or working for a general contractor;
- academic credits plus experience totaling at least 4 years; or
- 4 years of construction-related experience, with at least 2 as or working for a general contractor and at least 1 in administration, marketing, accounting, estimating, drafting, engineering, supervision or project management.
The management year
The common error is forgetting the management year on the 4-year experience path.
- 4 years in construction, 3 of them as a field carpenter for a general contractor, with no administration, estimating, supervision or project management time: fails.
- 4 years with 2 for a general contractor, including a year as an estimator: meets the rule.
- A construction management degree plus 1 year for a general contractor: meets the degree path.