North Carolina Contractor License Classifications

North Carolina's 20 seeded classifications sit in three boards and three credential shapes: the five classifications of the Licensing Board for General Contractors — crossed with a limitation, not seeded as extra rows, because the licence itself carries Limited / Intermediate / Unlimited — the ten electrical classes of NCBEEC (a ladder priced in value and volts, plus seven single-phase Special Restricted classes), and the five contractor qualifications of SBEPHFS for plumbing, heating, fuel piping and fire sprinklers. There is no roofer, solar, painter, framer or handyman credential here — those absences are seeded as absences.

Verified 2026-10-0920 classifications3 credential shapesthree boardslimitation is a property, not a rowIndexation gate: passed

01 Three boards — what is actually licensed

GENERAL: 5 CLASSIFICATIONS × 3 LIMITATIONS|ELECTRICAL: L / I / U + 7 PHASES|PLUMBING/HEATING: 5 QUALIFICATIONS

One licence, two axes — the NCLBGC licence pairs a classification (Building, Residential, Highway, Public Utilities, Specialty) with a limitation (Limited ≤ $750,000, Intermediate ≤ $1,500,000, Unlimited without restriction). The limitation is chosen by project cost, so it travels with the licence rather than multiplying the rows on this page. S-NC-LBGC-CLASS
Above $40,000 only — every one of those classifications exists for work "costing $40,000 or more"; below the line North Carolina issues no general contractor licence at all. S-NC-LBGC-BUZZ
The exam belongs to a person — a qualifier ("a responsible managing employee, owner, officer, or member") passes it per classification and may qualify at most two licences; NASCLA covers Building, and the seven state waivers still require the NC Business & Law exam. S-NC-LBGC-FAQ
The trades have no dollar floor — NCBEEC and SBEPHFS gate on value, voltage and hours, never on the $40,000 line: the same credential a $500 repair needs as a $500,000 build. S-NC-BEEC-LIC S-NC-PHFS-APPL
Verified absence — no state roofer, solar, painter, framer, drywall, masonry, flooring, landscaping or handyman classification exists, and there is no standalone HVAC credential outside the Article 2 heating licence (confidence reported). S-NC-LBGC-CLASS

02 Licensing Board for General Contractors (G.S. 87-1) — ONE licence, a limitation × classification matrix

Code	Credential	Classification	Official scope	Citation	Source
RESIDENTIAL	General Contractor Licence (NC Licensing Board for General Contractors — NCGS § 87-1 requires it for any project costing $40,000 or more, raised from $30,000 eff. 2023-10-01; a limitation × classification matrix (Limited ≤ $750,000, Intermediate ≤ $1,500,000, Unlimited; Building/Residential/Highway/Public Utilities/Specialty) with financial responsibility instead of any bond or insurance ($17,000 working capital or $80,000 net worth for Limited; $75,000/$150,000 working capital for Intermediate/Unlimited; a surety bond only IN LIEU at $175,000/$500,000/$1,000,000); an exam per classification passed by a qualifier (PSI; NASCLA accepted for Building); selective 8 h/year CE for Building/Residential/Unclassified qualifiers; annual renewal filed Oct 1–Dec 31 effective January 1)	Residential (NCLBGC general contractor)	S-NC-LBGC-CLASS verbatim (read 2026-10-09): residential units constructed under the residential building code (G.S. 143-138) — with the six S() sub-classifications the Board lists under it. The Residential classification covers residential UNITS; the Building classification covers 'all residential building construction' as part of its general scope, so the two overlap on homes and the Board's classification page is the operative pairing guide.	21 NCAC 12A .0202; G.S. 143-138	S-NC-LBGC-CLASS
HIGHWAY	General Contractor Licence (NC Licensing Board for General Contractors — NCGS § 87-1 requires it for any project costing $40,000 or more, raised from $30,000 eff. 2023-10-01; a limitation × classification matrix (Limited ≤ $750,000, Intermediate ≤ $1,500,000, Unlimited; Building/Residential/Highway/Public Utilities/Specialty) with financial responsibility instead of any bond or insurance ($17,000 working capital or $80,000 net worth for Limited; $75,000/$150,000 working capital for Intermediate/Unlimited; a surety bond only IN LIEU at $175,000/$500,000/$1,000,000); an exam per classification passed by a qualifier (PSI; NASCLA accepted for Building); selective 8 h/year CE for Building/Residential/Unclassified qualifiers; annual renewal filed Oct 1–Dec 31 effective January 1)	Highway (NCLBGC general contractor)	One of the NCLBGC's five general-contractor classifications under 21 NCAC 12A .0202 (S-NC-LBGC-CLASS, read 2026-10-09): Highway. The Board's page names the five classifications and defines Building, Residential and the Public Utilities subclassifications verbatim; a standalone scope sentence for Highway was NOT machine-readable this pass, so the classification is seeded by name with its citation and NO invented scope text (research §O withheld). Highway work is also expressly named in the § 87-1 threshold sentence ('any building, highway, public utilities, grading or any improvement or structure').	21 NCAC 12A .0202; G.S. 87-10(b)	S-NC-LBGC-CLASS
PUBLIC-UTILITIES	General Contractor Licence (NC Licensing Board for General Contractors — NCGS § 87-1 requires it for any project costing $40,000 or more, raised from $30,000 eff. 2023-10-01; a limitation × classification matrix (Limited ≤ $750,000, Intermediate ≤ $1,500,000, Unlimited; Building/Residential/Highway/Public Utilities/Specialty) with financial responsibility instead of any bond or insurance ($17,000 working capital or $80,000 net worth for Limited; $75,000/$150,000 working capital for Intermediate/Unlimited; a surety bond only IN LIEU at $175,000/$500,000/$1,000,000); an exam per classification passed by a qualifier (PSI; NASCLA accepted for Building); selective 8 h/year CE for Building/Residential/Unclassified qualifiers; annual renewal filed Oct 1–Dec 31 effective January 1)	Public Utilities (NCLBGC general contractor)	S-NC-LBGC-CLASS verbatim (read 2026-10-09): the Public Utilities classification carries the G.S. 87-10(b)(3) subclassifications the Board lists — including PU(Communications), PU(Fuel Distribution) and PU(Electrical-Ahead of Point of Delivery) — for public-utilities construction, itself named in the § 87-1 threshold sentence ('any building, highway, public utilities, grading or any improvement or structure').	G.S. 87-10(b)(3); 21 NCAC 12A .0202	S-NC-LBGC-CLASS
SPECIALTY	General Contractor Licence (NC Licensing Board for General Contractors — NCGS § 87-1 requires it for any project costing $40,000 or more, raised from $30,000 eff. 2023-10-01; a limitation × classification matrix (Limited ≤ $750,000, Intermediate ≤ $1,500,000, Unlimited; Building/Residential/Highway/Public Utilities/Specialty) with financial responsibility instead of any bond or insurance ($17,000 working capital or $80,000 net worth for Limited; $75,000/$150,000 working capital for Intermediate/Unlimited; a surety bond only IN LIEU at $175,000/$500,000/$1,000,000); an exam per classification passed by a qualifier (PSI; NASCLA accepted for Building); selective 8 h/year CE for Building/Residential/Unclassified qualifiers; annual renewal filed Oct 1–Dec 31 effective January 1)	Specialty (NCLBGC general contractor)	One of the NCLBGC's five general-contractor classifications under 21 NCAC 12A .0202 (S-NC-LBGC-CLASS, read 2026-10-09): Specialty — the classification the rule reserves for specialty work, with the S(specialty) sub-classifications the Building and Residential pages also carry. The full rule .0202 text was NOT machine-readable this pass, so no finer scope is invented (research §O withheld). The Board's CE page is explicit that 'the 18 Specialty classifications' take NO continuing education (rule NC-GC-RENEWAL).	21 NCAC 12A .0202	S-NC-LBGC-CLASS
BUILDING	General Contractor Licence (NC Licensing Board for General Contractors — NCGS § 87-1 requires it for any project costing $40,000 or more, raised from $30,000 eff. 2023-10-01; a limitation × classification matrix (Limited ≤ $750,000, Intermediate ≤ $1,500,000, Unlimited; Building/Residential/Highway/Public Utilities/Specialty) with financial responsibility instead of any bond or insurance ($17,000 working capital or $80,000 net worth for Limited; $75,000/$150,000 working capital for Intermediate/Unlimited; a surety bond only IN LIEU at $175,000/$500,000/$1,000,000); an exam per classification passed by a qualifier (PSI; NASCLA accepted for Building); selective 8 h/year CE for Building/Residential/Unclassified qualifiers; annual renewal filed Oct 1–Dec 31 effective January 1)	Building (NCLBGC general contractor)	S-NC-LBGC-CLASS verbatim (read 2026-10-09): 'all building construction and demolition activity including: commercial, industrial, institutional, and all residential building construction' — plus the ten S(specialty) sub-classifications the Board lists under it. Because Building expressly absorbs ALL residential building construction, it is the classification a roofer, remodeler or solar-mounting contractor holds above the $40,000 threshold (rule NC-GC-THRESHOLD); there is no separate North Carolina roofing or solar credential.	21 NCAC 12A .0202; G.S. 87-10(b)	S-NC-LBGC-CLASS

Building swallows residential work

Building covers "all building construction and demolition activity including: commercial, industrial, institutional, and all residential building construction" — so a home builder needs no separate residential credential beyond it, while Residential remains the narrower, residential-code-specific classification (G.S. 143-138). Highway, Public Utilities and the 18 Specialty classifications owe no continuing education; Building, Residential and Unclassified qualifiers owe 8 hours a year. S-NC-LBGC-CLASS

03 NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (Article 4) — the value-and-voltage ladder plus seven phases

Code	Credential	Classification	Official scope	Citation	Source
SP-FA/LV	Electrical Contractor Licence (NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors — Chapter 87 Article 4, 21 NCAC 18B: ten classifications — Limited ($60,000 and ≤ 600 volts), Intermediate ($150,000), Unlimited and seven Special Restricted including SP-SFD single-family-detached; separate licence + fee per place of business; PSI exam at $125 (100 questions/6 hours for L/I/U, pass grade 70); 1-year term expiring one year after issuance; 8 h/year CE for U/I/L/SFD and 4 h for the other Special Restricted, at least half in person)	Special Restricted — Fire Alarm / Low-Voltage (NCBEEC)	S-NC-BEEC-LIC (read 2026-10-09): SP-FA/LV — 'Fire Alarm / Low-Voltage' — one of the seven Special Restricted classifications, each covering 'only a limited phase of electrical contracting work' (full scopes in rule .0800, NOT machine-read this pass — research §O withheld). Exam format per S-NC-BEEC-EXAM: 50 questions / 3 hours; CE 4 hours/year (2 classroom + 2 online allowed, at least half in person).	21 NCAC 18B .0407, .0800	S-NC-BEEC-LIC
L	Electrical Contractor Licence (NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors — Chapter 87 Article 4, 21 NCAC 18B: ten classifications — Limited ($60,000 and ≤ 600 volts), Intermediate ($150,000), Unlimited and seven Special Restricted including SP-SFD single-family-detached; separate licence + fee per place of business; PSI exam at $125 (100 questions/6 hours for L/I/U, pass grade 70); 1-year term expiring one year after issuance; 8 h/year CE for U/I/L/SFD and 4 h for the other Special Restricted, at least half in person)	Limited Electrical Contractor (NCBEEC)	S-NC-BEEC-LIC verbatim (read 2026-10-09): 'a single electrical contracting project of a value not in excess of sixty thousand dollars ($60,000) and on which the equipment or installation in the contract is rated at not more than 600 volts'. The entry electrical classification: both a VALUE cap and a VOLTAGE cap (rule NC-ELEC-SCOPE), a $125 PSI exam (100 questions/6 hours, pass grade 70), a 1-year term and 8 hours/year of CE with at least half in person.	21 NCAC 18B .0407; Chapter 87 Article 4	S-NC-BEEC-LIC
I	Electrical Contractor Licence (NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors — Chapter 87 Article 4, 21 NCAC 18B: ten classifications — Limited ($60,000 and ≤ 600 volts), Intermediate ($150,000), Unlimited and seven Special Restricted including SP-SFD single-family-detached; separate licence + fee per place of business; PSI exam at $125 (100 questions/6 hours for L/I/U, pass grade 70); 1-year term expiring one year after issuance; 8 h/year CE for U/I/L/SFD and 4 h for the other Special Restricted, at least half in person)	Intermediate Electrical Contractor (NCBEEC)	S-NC-BEEC-LIC verbatim (read 2026-10-09): a single electrical contracting project 'not in excess of one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000)'. The mid tier carries no voltage cap of its own on the licensing page, a $125 PSI exam, a 1-year term, 8 hours/year of CE (half in person), and — with Unlimited — the G.S. 87-43.2(a)(4) bonding-ability statement or bank line of credit at entry (the AMOUNT is not published on the pages read — withheld, research §O).	21 NCAC 18B .0407; Chapter 87 Article 4	S-NC-BEEC-LIC
U	Electrical Contractor Licence (NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors — Chapter 87 Article 4, 21 NCAC 18B: ten classifications — Limited ($60,000 and ≤ 600 volts), Intermediate ($150,000), Unlimited and seven Special Restricted including SP-SFD single-family-detached; separate licence + fee per place of business; PSI exam at $125 (100 questions/6 hours for L/I/U, pass grade 70); 1-year term expiring one year after issuance; 8 h/year CE for U/I/L/SFD and 4 h for the other Special Restricted, at least half in person)	Unlimited Electrical Contractor (NCBEEC)	S-NC-BEEC-LIC verbatim (read 2026-10-09): 'any electrical contracting project regardless of value'. The top electrical classification: no value cap, a $125 PSI exam, a 1-year term, 8 hours/year of CE (half in person), and the G.S. 87-43.2(a)(4) bonding-ability statement or bank line of credit at entry (amount withheld — not published on the pages read).	21 NCAC 18B .0407; Chapter 87 Article 4	S-NC-BEEC-LIC
SP-SFD	Electrical Contractor Licence (NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors — Chapter 87 Article 4, 21 NCAC 18B: ten classifications — Limited ($60,000 and ≤ 600 volts), Intermediate ($150,000), Unlimited and seven Special Restricted including SP-SFD single-family-detached; separate licence + fee per place of business; PSI exam at $125 (100 questions/6 hours for L/I/U, pass grade 70); 1-year term expiring one year after issuance; 8 h/year CE for U/I/L/SFD and 4 h for the other Special Restricted, at least half in person)	Special Restricted — Residential Dwelling (NCBEEC)	S-NC-BEEC-LIC (read 2026-10-09): SP-SFD — 'Residential Dwelling' — one of the seven Special Restricted classifications, each of which covers 'only a limited phase of electrical contracting work'. The FULL per-class scope lives in rule .0800, which was NOT machine-readable this pass, so no finer scope text is invented (research §O withheld). SP-SFD is the only Special Restricted class on the board's own CE page listed with the 8-hour requirement (shared with U/I/L); the other six take 4 hours.	21 NCAC 18B .0407, .0800	S-NC-BEEC-LIC
SP-SP	Electrical Contractor Licence (NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors — Chapter 87 Article 4, 21 NCAC 18B: ten classifications — Limited ($60,000 and ≤ 600 volts), Intermediate ($150,000), Unlimited and seven Special Restricted including SP-SFD single-family-detached; separate licence + fee per place of business; PSI exam at $125 (100 questions/6 hours for L/I/U, pass grade 70); 1-year term expiring one year after issuance; 8 h/year CE for U/I/L/SFD and 4 h for the other Special Restricted, at least half in person)	Special Restricted — Swimming Pool (NCBEEC)	S-NC-BEEC-LIC (read 2026-10-09): SP-SP — 'Swimming Pool' — one of the seven Special Restricted classifications, each covering 'only a limited phase of electrical contracting work' (full scopes in rule .0800, NOT machine-read this pass — research §O withheld). Exam format per S-NC-BEEC-EXAM: the pool exam is 25 questions / 1 hour; CE 4 hours/year, at least half in person.	21 NCAC 18B .0407, .0800	S-NC-BEEC-LIC
SP-WP	Electrical Contractor Licence (NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors — Chapter 87 Article 4, 21 NCAC 18B: ten classifications — Limited ($60,000 and ≤ 600 volts), Intermediate ($150,000), Unlimited and seven Special Restricted including SP-SFD single-family-detached; separate licence + fee per place of business; PSI exam at $125 (100 questions/6 hours for L/I/U, pass grade 70); 1-year term expiring one year after issuance; 8 h/year CE for U/I/L/SFD and 4 h for the other Special Restricted, at least half in person)	Special Restricted — Groundwater Pump (NCBEEC)	S-NC-BEEC-LIC (read 2026-10-09): SP-WP — 'Groundwater Pump' — one of the seven Special Restricted classifications, each covering 'only a limited phase of electrical contracting work' (full scopes in rule .0800, NOT machine-read this pass — research §O withheld). Exam: Special Restricted format (40 questions / 3 hours); CE 4 hours/year, at least half in person.	21 NCAC 18B .0407, .0800	S-NC-BEEC-LIC
SP-ES	Electrical Contractor Licence (NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors — Chapter 87 Article 4, 21 NCAC 18B: ten classifications — Limited ($60,000 and ≤ 600 volts), Intermediate ($150,000), Unlimited and seven Special Restricted including SP-SFD single-family-detached; separate licence + fee per place of business; PSI exam at $125 (100 questions/6 hours for L/I/U, pass grade 70); 1-year term expiring one year after issuance; 8 h/year CE for U/I/L/SFD and 4 h for the other Special Restricted, at least half in person)	Special Restricted — Electric Sign (NCBEEC)	S-NC-BEEC-LIC (read 2026-10-09): SP-ES — 'Electric Sign' — one of the seven Special Restricted classifications, each covering 'only a limited phase of electrical contracting work' (full scopes in rule .0800, NOT machine-read this pass — research §O withheld). Exam: Special Restricted format (40 questions / 3 hours); CE 4 hours/year, at least half in person.	21 NCAC 18B .0407, .0800	S-NC-BEEC-LIC
SP-EL	Electrical Contractor Licence (NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors — Chapter 87 Article 4, 21 NCAC 18B: ten classifications — Limited ($60,000 and ≤ 600 volts), Intermediate ($150,000), Unlimited and seven Special Restricted including SP-SFD single-family-detached; separate licence + fee per place of business; PSI exam at $125 (100 questions/6 hours for L/I/U, pass grade 70); 1-year term expiring one year after issuance; 8 h/year CE for U/I/L/SFD and 4 h for the other Special Restricted, at least half in person)	Special Restricted — Elevator (NCBEEC)	S-NC-BEEC-LIC (read 2026-10-09): SP-EL — 'Elevator' — one of the seven Special Restricted classifications, each covering 'only a limited phase of electrical contracting work' (full scopes in rule .0800, NOT machine-read this pass — research §O withheld). Exam: Special Restricted format (40 questions / 3 hours); CE 4 hours/year, at least half in person.	21 NCAC 18B .0407, .0800	S-NC-BEEC-LIC
SP-PH	Electrical Contractor Licence (NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors — Chapter 87 Article 4, 21 NCAC 18B: ten classifications — Limited ($60,000 and ≤ 600 volts), Intermediate ($150,000), Unlimited and seven Special Restricted including SP-SFD single-family-detached; separate licence + fee per place of business; PSI exam at $125 (100 questions/6 hours for L/I/U, pass grade 70); 1-year term expiring one year after issuance; 8 h/year CE for U/I/L/SFD and 4 h for the other Special Restricted, at least half in person)	Special Restricted — Plumbing / Heating / Air-Conditioning (NCBEEC)	S-NC-BEEC-LIC (read 2026-10-09): SP-PH — 'Plumbing/Heating/Air-Conditioning' — one of the seven Special Restricted classifications, each covering 'only a limited phase of electrical contracting work' (full scopes in rule .0800, NOT machine-read this pass — research §O withheld). Exam format per S-NC-BEEC-EXAM: Special Restricted = 40 questions / 3 hours; CE 4 hours/year, at least half in person.	21 NCAC 18B .0407, .0800	S-NC-BEEC-LIC

Two independent ceilings on Limited

Limited is capped at $60,000 and at 600 volts — a $20,000 job at 4,160 volts and a $90,000 job at 120 volts both leave the class and need Intermediate or Unlimited. The seven Special Restricted classes each cover "only a limited phase" of electrical contracting; their phase lists live in rule .0800, which was not machine-readable this pass, so no phase is claimed here. S-NC-BEEC-LIC

04 NC State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler Contractors (Article 2) — no dollar threshold anywhere

Code	Credential	Classification	Official scope	Citation	Source
RLP	Plumbing/Heating/Fuel Piping/Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licence (NC State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler Contractors — Chapter 87 Article 2, 21 NCAC 50: 31 licence qualifications; plumbing/heating contractor 2 years (4,000 hours) on-site experience with up to half substitutable with academics; Restricted Limited Plumbing 9 months (1,500 h); fuel piping 1 year (2,000 h); fire sprinkler installation NICET Level III; residential fire sprinkler = active plumbing contractor licence 2 years + a 16-hour Board course; PSI exam at seven NC centres; CE eliminated 2012-12-31 (Disciplinary Education instead); all licences expire December 31 annually)	Restricted Limited Plumbing (SBEPHFS)	S-NC-PHFS-APPL verbatim (read 2026-10-09): the Restricted Limited Plumbing qualification needs 9 months (1,500 hours) of experience, with up to half substitutable with academics — the shortest plumbing ladder on the board. $150 annual licence fee (21 NCAC 50 .1102); annual December 31 expiry. The exact WORK the RLP restricts its holder to lives in rule text that was NOT machine-readable this pass, so no scope beyond the credential's own name is asserted (research §O withheld).	Chapter 87 Article 2; 21 NCAC 50	S-NC-PHFS-APPL
FUEL-PIPING	Plumbing/Heating/Fuel Piping/Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licence (NC State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler Contractors — Chapter 87 Article 2, 21 NCAC 50: 31 licence qualifications; plumbing/heating contractor 2 years (4,000 hours) on-site experience with up to half substitutable with academics; Restricted Limited Plumbing 9 months (1,500 h); fuel piping 1 year (2,000 h); fire sprinkler installation NICET Level III; residential fire sprinkler = active plumbing contractor licence 2 years + a 16-hour Board course; PSI exam at seven NC centres; CE eliminated 2012-12-31 (Disciplinary Education instead); all licences expire December 31 annually)	Fuel Piping Contractor (SBEPHFS)	S-NC-PHFS-APPL verbatim (read 2026-10-09): the Fuel Piping contractor qualification needs 1 year (2,000 hours) of experience — the gas-piping half of the board's Article 2 remit (plumbing, heating, fuel gas and fire sprinklers). $150 annual licence fee shared with the plumbing/heating contractor tier (21 NCAC 50 .1102 — '$150 annual plumbing/heating/fuel-piping contractor'); annual December 31 expiry; no CE.	Chapter 87 Article 2; 21 NCAC 50 .1102	S-NC-PHFS-APPL
FIRE-SPRINKLER	Plumbing/Heating/Fuel Piping/Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licence (NC State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler Contractors — Chapter 87 Article 2, 21 NCAC 50: 31 licence qualifications; plumbing/heating contractor 2 years (4,000 hours) on-site experience with up to half substitutable with academics; Restricted Limited Plumbing 9 months (1,500 h); fuel piping 1 year (2,000 h); fire sprinkler installation NICET Level III; residential fire sprinkler = active plumbing contractor licence 2 years + a 16-hour Board course; PSI exam at seven NC centres; CE eliminated 2012-12-31 (Disciplinary Education instead); all licences expire December 31 annually)	Fire Sprinkler Installation Contractor (SBEPHFS)	S-NC-PHFS-APPL verbatim (read 2026-10-09): the Fire Sprinkler Installation qualification requires 'a current certification by NICET for Fire Protection Engineering, Level III, Automatic Sprinkler System Layout' — a NATIONAL certification as the experience gate, not hours. $150 annual licence fee for installation, inspection, residential-installation and maintenance-technician tiers (21 NCAC 50 .1102); annual December 31 expiry; no CE.	Chapter 87 Article 2; 21 NCAC 50 .1102	S-NC-PHFS-APPL
RESIDENTIAL-FIRE-SPRINKLER	Plumbing/Heating/Fuel Piping/Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licence (NC State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler Contractors — Chapter 87 Article 2, 21 NCAC 50: 31 licence qualifications; plumbing/heating contractor 2 years (4,000 hours) on-site experience with up to half substitutable with academics; Restricted Limited Plumbing 9 months (1,500 h); fuel piping 1 year (2,000 h); fire sprinkler installation NICET Level III; residential fire sprinkler = active plumbing contractor licence 2 years + a 16-hour Board course; PSI exam at seven NC centres; CE eliminated 2012-12-31 (Disciplinary Education instead); all licences expire December 31 annually)	Residential Fire Sprinkler (SBEPHFS)	S-NC-PHFS-APPL verbatim (read 2026-10-09): the Residential Fire Sprinkler qualification is 'a[n active] Plumbing Contractor license 2 years + a 16-hour Board course' — the plumbing contractor credential plus the board's own 16-hour course, NOT the NICET III gate the commercial tier needs. $150 annual fee (21 NCAC 50 .1102 includes residential installation); annual December 31 expiry; no CE.	Chapter 87 Article 2; 21 NCAC 50 .1102	S-NC-PHFS-APPL
PLUMBING-HEATING-CONTRACTOR	Plumbing/Heating/Fuel Piping/Fire Sprinkler Contractor Licence (NC State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating & Fire Sprinkler Contractors — Chapter 87 Article 2, 21 NCAC 50: 31 licence qualifications; plumbing/heating contractor 2 years (4,000 hours) on-site experience with up to half substitutable with academics; Restricted Limited Plumbing 9 months (1,500 h); fuel piping 1 year (2,000 h); fire sprinkler installation NICET Level III; residential fire sprinkler = active plumbing contractor licence 2 years + a 16-hour Board course; PSI exam at seven NC centres; CE eliminated 2012-12-31 (Disciplinary Education instead); all licences expire December 31 annually)	Plumbing / Heating / Fuel Piping Contractor (SBEPHFS)	S-NC-PHFS-APPL verbatim (read 2026-10-09): the contractor qualification needs '2 years (4,000 hours) on-site full-time experience … whether or not license was required for the work performed. However, up to one-half (2,000 hours) (45 quarter hours or 30 semester hours) of the experience requirement may be in academic or technical training'. One of the board's 31 licence qualifications (contractor, technician and specialty variants across Plumbing Groups 1/2/3, Heating Groups 1–3, Fuel Piping and Fire Sprinkler); PSI exam at seven NC centres with a 90-day authorization window and a 45-day activation deadline; $150 annual licence fee (21 NCAC 50 .1102); annual December 31 expiry; NO continuing education since 2012-12-31 (Disciplinary Education instead).	Chapter 87 Article 2; 21 NCAC 50 .1102	S-NC-PHFS-APPL

Hours, not dollars

The plumbing/heating contractor needs 2 years (4,000 hours) on site with up to half substitutable academic training; Restricted Limited Plumbing reaches the board at 9 months (1,500 hours); fuel piping at 1 year (2,000 hours); fire sprinkler installation at NICET Level III; and residential fire sprinkler needs an active plumbing contractor licence (2 years) plus the 16-hour Board course. Every one of them renews on December 31 with no continuing education at all. S-NC-PHFS-APPL

05 Deterministic scope limits

nc:building — all residential building construction (21 NCAC 12A .0202) S-NC-LBGC-CLASS
Why a roofer, remodeler or solar-mounting contractor holds a BUILDING-classification licence above the threshold: the classification expressly reaches all residential building construction (rule NC-GC-THRESHOLD, REQ-NC-NO-SEPARATE-TRADE-001).
nc:building — single project value exceeding 750000 under a limited license (G.S. 87-10(a1)) S-NC-LBGC-CLASS
The limitation is a property of the LICENCE, not a separate classification: a Limited licensee may not take a project above $750,000 measured on project cost minus land (rule NC-GC-LIMITATION).
minor-work — construction work under 40000 without a gc license (NCGS § 87-1) S-NC-LBGC-BUZZ
The exception that does most of the work for small contractors: below $40,000 of project cost there is NO state general-contractor licence to hold (rule NC-GC-THRESHOLD) — but the trade boards still attach at any price (rules NC-ELEC-LICENSE, NC-PLB-LICENSE).
home-addition — substitute performance via power of attorney or spouse by deed (NCLBGC FAQ (owner-builder rules)) S-NC-LBGC-FAQ
The exclusion that makes the owner-builder path honest: a spouse-by-deed or power-of-attorney substitution is exactly what the affidavit exists to prevent (rule NC-GC-OWNER-BUILDER).
nc:elec-sp-sfd — only a limited phase of electrical contracting work (21 NCAC 18B .0800) S-NC-BEEC-LIC
Asserted at exactly the width the official page states: a LIMITED PHASE. The seven SP-* classes exist; their internal scopes stay withheld (rule NC-ELEC-SCOPE).
nc:plumbing-contractor — licensed work performed outside the licensee firm name (21 NCAC 50 (SBEPHFS FAQ)) S-NC-PHFS-FAQ
The sharpest continuity bar in any state seeded: not even work IN PROGRESS may continue under the firm once the listed licensee is gone (rule NC-MOBILITY).
nc:plumbing-contractor — licensed work by w2 employees under the firms license (21 NCAC 50 (SBEPHFS FAQ)) S-NC-PHFS-FAQ
The firm's licence covers its W-2 employees' licensed work — the affirmative half of the moonlighting rule (rule NC-MOBILITY).
nc:plumbing-contractor — state licensing on land ceded under g s 104 7 (NCGS § 104-7) S-NC-PHFS-FAQ
A narrow carve-out stated by the board itself — only CEDDED land escapes state licensing; a federal building on a leased downtown lot is fully licensable work (rule NC-PLB-LICENSE).
nc:elec-limited — project over 60000 or installation rated over 600 volts (21 NCAC 18B .0407) S-NC-BEEC-LIC
The only classification with a VOLTAGE cap — a service upgrade or commercial job can fail on volts alone, before value (rule NC-ELEC-SCOPE).
nc:elec-unlimited — any electrical contracting project regardless of value (21 NCAC 18B .0407) S-NC-BEEC-LIC
The top of the electrical ladder — no value cap at all (rule NC-ELEC-SCOPE).
home-addition — own force work on land the performer owns and occupies (NCGS § 87-1 exception (3); G.S. 143-135) S-NC-SOG-87-1
Confidence `reported` marks the secondary host. The exception reaches work on land the performer OWNS and occupies (or the entity occupies) — income property is outside it, exactly as in every other state seeded. The remaining five exceptions (under $40,000; equipment/monuments; farm buildings; G.S. 87-1.1 public buildings at ≤ 25% of the bid; modular installation with a $5,000 bond) are published in REQ-NC-GC-EXCEPTIONS-001.
home-addition — owner build own qualifying project under the affidavit (NCLBGC FAQ (owner-builder rules)) S-NC-LBGC-FAQ
The owner-builder door: an OWNER may build their own qualifying project without the licence, but the affidavit's conditions are the price — active management, personal presence at every inspection, and 12 months of occupancy/control before any sale or lease (rule NC-GC-OWNER-BUILDER).

These limits feed the deterministic rules (NC-GC-THRESHOLD, NC-GC-EXCEPTIONS, NC-ELEC-SCOPE, NC-PLB-LICENSE, NC-PLB-EXPERIENCE) that project pages evaluate — missing facts return NOT_DETERMINED, never a forced answer.

06 Sources

S-NC-BEEC-LICboard page

NC State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (NCBEEC)

NCBEEC — Licensing (ten classifications, per-year fees, L/I/U scopes verbatim, bonding-ability statement, 1-year term, $25 late, $15 duplicate)

https://www.ncbeec.org/licensing/