CSLB General Building (B): Finish Trades
Section 4 of CSLB’s General Building (B) study guide · about 20% of the exam
110 questions across every section on the 3½-hour clock, with a score for finish trades so you know where you stand.
Free finish trades drillA 10 by 12-foot floor will be tiled with 12 by 12-inch tiles. With a 10 percent waste allowance and boxes of 15 tiles, how many whole boxes are needed?
Finish Trades on the General Building (B) exam
Painting and coatings, tile and stone, floor covering, cabinetry and millwork, plaster and drywall, windows and doors, and landscaping.
- Share of the exam
- About 20% (CSLB study guide); 22 of the 110 questions in our practice exam
- CSLB’s topics
- Painting, staining, coating, and interior wall covering · Tile and stone · Floor covering · Cabinetry and millwork · Plaster, drywall, and ceilings · Windows, skylights, and doors · Landscaping
- Our drill
- 10 questions from 72 finish trades questions, untimed, an explanation after every answer; one free attempt, unlimited with a pass
What finish trades questions test
- Painting and coatings: surface preparation, primers, coverage and the causes of common paint failures
- Tile and stone: substrates, setting materials, layout and movement joints
- Floor covering: wood, resilient and carpet installation and acclimation
- Cabinetry and millwork: installation, fastening and finish standards
- Plaster, drywall and ceilings: board types, fastening, finishing levels and suspended ceilings
- Windows, skylights and doors: installation, flashing and safety glazing
- Landscaping: grading away from the building, irrigation and planting basics
Sit the full exam under the real clock
110 questions across every section on the 3½-hour clock, with a score for finish trades so you know where you stand.
Free finish trades drillHow to study it
- Learn the cause of each common finish failure (blistering, cracking, lippage, popped fasteners). Many questions describe a symptom and ask for the cause.
- Know the drywall and tile installation sequence step by step.
Common questions
What finish trades does the B exam cover?
Seven topics in CSLB’s study guide: painting and wall covering, tile and stone, floor covering, cabinetry and millwork, plaster, drywall and ceilings, windows, skylights and doors, and landscaping. Together they are about 20% of the exam.
Which references cover the finish trades?
CSLB lists Fundamentals of Building Construction, Modern Carpentry, Olin’s Construction Principles, Materials, and Methods, and the North American Architectural Woodwork Standards, along with the California codes.
110 questions across every section on the 3½-hour clock, with a score for finish trades so you know where you stand.
Free finish trades drillThe other General Building (B) sections
Section topics and weight from CSLB study guide: General Building (B) (13E-B, 03-2026), checked November 2026.
Original independent practice questions written to CSLB’s published study guide outline. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the Contractors State License Board (CSLB) or PSI.