Kentucky Contractor License Exam Guide (2026)

How Kentucky licenses contractors

HBC licenses electrical, HVAC, and plumbing contractors statewide and registers business entities for building permits. PSI (test-takers.psiexams.com/ky) administers the trade exams.

Kentucky spans humid river valleys, karst sinkholes, and high-wind Appalachian ridges. Exams highlight flood-resistant foundations, radon mitigation, ice-dam ventilation, and landslide stabilization in coal country.

Official source: Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction

Kentucky contractor license types

Each master contractor must document two years of journeyman experience, hold $500,000 liability insurance, and maintain a $5,000 surety bond before HBC issues the license.

What's on the Kentucky contractor exam

PSI hosts exams in Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, Owensboro, Prestonsburg, and online via remote proctoring.

What Kentucky exam questions emphasize

• Floodplain permitting and sump design along the Ohio and Kentucky rivers
• Radon mitigation and vapor barriers over karst terrain
• Wind/seismic bracing for rooftop equipment and masonry walls
• Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapters 227A, 198B, and 318 (licensing, enforcement, penalties)

Exam-day logistics

• Bring your Authorization to Test, two IDs, and the approved reference list
• Open-book sections restrict you to the official code books—tab before you arrive
• Failed attempts require a 14-day waiting period; scores are valid for one year

Trade-specific exam guides

If you're licensing in a single trade rather than the Kentucky general contractor classification, the dedicated trade hub will get you to the right code book and exam structure faster.

• General contractor exam guide — IBC/IRC, NASCLA acceptance, and Business & Law.
• Electrical contractor exam guide — NEC (NFPA 70) calculations and grounding/bonding.
• Plumbing contractor exam guide — IPC/UPC drainage sizing, venting, and backflow.
• HVAC contractor exam guide — IMC ventilation, refrigerant management, and load calcs.

Kentucky code books & approved references (2026)

Always confirm the exact editions and tab rules in your candidate bulletin before exam day. Editions can change between license cycles.

• 2020 National Electrical Code (Kentucky amendments)
• 2018 Kentucky Building and Mechanical Codes
• 2018 Kentucky Plumbing Code
• Kentucky Revised Statutes Chapters 227A, 198B, 318, and 376 (liens)
• OSHA 29 CFR 1926 for safety components

Fees & timeline for the Kentucky contractor license

• Application fee $50 plus $200 license fee for each trade
• PSI exam fee (~$100) per attempt
• Renewal every odd-numbered year with 6 hours of CE per trade
• $5,000 surety bond and $500,000 liability insurance proof
• Municipal business licenses may add additional costs

Consult the All States hub for multi-state budgeting, then rely on HBC’s latest fee bulletin.

Kentucky Business & Law focus

Kentucky embeds business law into each trade exam; PSI also offers a dedicated Business & Law test for general contractors seeking municipal credentials.

• Know licensing procedures, disciplinary steps, and mandatory bonds in KRS 227A/198B/318
• Memorize lien law deadlines (6 months to file and 12 months to enforce)
• Understand tax registration with the Department of Revenue and unemployment insurance
• Practice estimating, cash-flow, and scheduling problems—they form 15% of each trade exam

Practice with our national Business & Law exam hub for cross-state baseline rules.

A focused 4-week study plan for the Kentucky exam

Because kentucky spans humid river valleys, karst sinkholes, and high-wind Appalachian ridges, this four-week outline targets what Kentucky field inspectors and your licensing board exam items actually test—not generic national prep.

1. Week 1 — Map the exam. Pull your current candidate bulletin, list every reference, and confirm the modules you have to pass. Start a one-page error log. Spend extra time on: Floodplain permitting and sump design along the Ohio and Kentucky rivers.
2. Week 2 — Code book navigation. Drill open-book lookups (or memorisation drills if your module is closed-book) until you can find any answer in under 60 seconds. Anchor practice around: Radon mitigation and vapor barriers over karst terrain.
3. Week 3 — Business & Law. Kentucky embeds business law into each trade exam; PSI also offers a dedicated Business & Law test for general contractors seeking municipal credentials. Layer in scenario-based questions on contracts, lien notice, payroll, and insurance.
4. Week 4 — Full simulations. PSI hosts exams in Louisville, Lexington, Bowling Green, Owensboro, Prestonsburg, and online via remote proctoring. Run two full-length timed simulations. Review every miss with a one-sentence rule statement.