“The most effective way to do it, is to do it” – Amelia Earhart

How To Get Your Contractors License (Oakland Edition)

Oakland is one of the great cities, and not just because of the Oakland A’s and the movie Moneyball — which is the greatest movie ever made, in case you didn’t know that.

Pause this article (using your remote control) and then use your remote control to turn on Netflix and watch Moneyball. Trust me.

I’m the content writer here at Contractor License School and I’m basically here to tell you this: elephants are surprisingly good at getting into rooms.

I’m also here to tell you this:

Stop sleeping on your dreams. It’s time to get your contractors license.

You know it’s true. And I know it’s true.

So I’m going to simplify the entire process of getting your contractors license into two steps.

Step One: Apply To CSLB

You apply through the government department that governs contractors: Contractors State License Board.

If you have four years of experience, you’re qualified to submit your application.

They usually take a few weeks to process your application.

Once you’re processed and they’ve accepted you, they schedule a time to administer two tests. You must pass these tests. A trade test and a business and law test. 125 questions each. 250 questions total. Simple so far, right?

Step Two: Pass The Tests

Once you pass the tests, there are a few small things you must do (like getting insurance) and then CSLB will give you your license.

Cool, right?

To pass the tests you’ll probably want to study. And maybe even go to an Oakland game. And maybe even hit the gym and get in some exercise (fun fact: exercise reverses aging).

By the way, the movie Moneyball has a lot of great shots of Brad Pitt playing Billy Beane driving through Oakland. One of the great things about Oakland is it has one of the greatest populations in the state — it’s actually in the top ten in terms of numbers.

Which means lots of opportunities for work, for jobs, and to grow your business.

You’re right there near San Francisco and Berkeley and Alameda and Lafayette and Walnut Creek (where my grandpa grew up) and Pleasant Hill and Concord and Danville.

Again, plenty of opportunity to grow your construction business.

How To Study For The Tests

The best way, in our opinion, is through a combination of study material. Reading a book to study is boring and difficult.

However, if you pair the book with teaching (like a video or a class) and top it off with practice tests, you’re going to be a lot better off. Yes?

Get Our Home Study Package

You can order our Home Study Package, starting at $499. We’ll ship you your trade and law books and we’ll give you access to our prerecorded classes on video and audio as well as access to our trade and law practice tests.

Or You Can Enroll In Our Online Course

This option is a little more expensive than our Home Study option but it includes live-streamed classes (we teach through Zoom). It’s cool because you get an exclusive live-streamed class with one of our top-tier teachers. And we only allow access to 44 students at a time (when you enroll in the DIAMOND option).

WHO ARE WE?

We’re a Contractor School. We’ve graduated thousands of students throughout the state of California (and plenty in Oakland).

But we’re more than just a contractor school. We don’t spit out our students to fend for themselves in the world of business. We help our students incorporate their businesses; we offer web design services, and we just launched a brand new course:

A Construction Project Management Course.

If you want to be a construction project manager, you should consider that course.

What Happens After You Pass The Tests

Basically three things. They’re more simple that they sound and we teach you and prepare you for all these steps in our classes:

You must get a surety bond in the amount of $30,000 (which will cost you around $200 a year).

You must get live scanned (fingerprinted). And this doesn’t cost much.

And you must pass an open book asbestos test. It’s easy. And you take it online through CSLB’s website.

After those things, CSLB will send you your license number in the mail.

The entire process of getting your license usually takes around 3-6 months and costs a few thousand dollars.

Call Us With Questions or Comments

We’re happy to assist you with any questions. We’re happy to talk. And we’re really happy to help our students get their licenses.

Just Do It

Finally, the most important step of all of the steps: just do it.

If you put off chasing your dreams, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.

People are willing to spend thousands of dollars of flat-screen TVs and sound systems and gambling and lottery tickets, but they won’t spend that money on themselves.

Investing in yourself is the best bet you’ll ever make.

Enrolling in our course and getting your license will change your life forever.

Bet on yourself.

We’re betting on you.

Let’s get started.

Yes?