Louisiana Building Construction
Louisiana Building Construction Exam: Complete 2026 Study Guide
The Louisiana building construction exam is administered by PSI for the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. It is an open book exam covering sitework, concrete, masonry, metals, carpentry, thermal and moisture protection, doors and windows, finishes, safety, and code plan reading and estimating.
This guide breaks down what each topic section asks, shows sample practice questions, and lists the reference books the exam is built around.
Exam Overview
Here are the key numbers and rules for the LSLBC building construction test:
| Questions | 80 questions |
| Time limit | 3 hours |
| Passing score | 56 correct answers out of 80 scored questions |
| Books in the exam room | Open book |
On exam day
- Except for Code books, answers may be based on later editions of the references as they become available, while Code questions are based only on the listed edition of the Code book.
- References may be highlighted, underlined, annotated and indexed before the examination session and tabbed with permanent tabs only, while writing in references during the session and temporary tabs such as Post-It notes are not allowed.
- Candidates may not bring any additional papers, loose or attached, in with their approved references, and any such additional materials will be removed and confiscated.
References you may bring
- International Building Code (2018)
- Code of Federal Regulations - 29 CFR Part 1926 (OSHA), with latest available amendments
- Code of Federal Regulations - 29 CFR Part 1926 Selections by PSI, with latest available amendments
- Technical Digest No. 9 - Handling and Erection of Steel Joists and Joist Girders (3rd Edition, 2008)
- Carpentry and Building Construction (2010 or 2016 (Student Edition))
- Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (15th or 16th Edition, 2016)
- Pipe and Excavation Contracting (2011)
- Roofing Construction & Estimating (1995)
- Training and Certification of Field Personnel for Unbonded Post-Tensioning - Level 1 Field Fundamentals (3rd Edition, 2003)
- Modern Masonry - Brick, Block, Stone (8th edition (2015))
- Placing Reinforcing Bars, Recommended Practices (9th edition, 2011 or later printing)
Source: Building Construction Examination. Check the bulletin before test day: fees and rules can change.
Topics Covered on the LSLBC Building Construction Test
The official outline splits 80 questions across ten areas. Weight your study time accordingly.
General Code Plan Reading and Estimating — 15 items (19%)
The heaviest section. Expect labor burden math, board-foot estimation from material tables, and plan-reading questions: what a room-finish schedule lists, what a floor framing plan specifies (sizes and spacing of joists, girders, columns), what a wall-framing elevation shows (studs, plates, sills, bracing), and what a roof framing plan adds beyond rafter size and spacing. IBC questions here cover re-covering existing roofs, combustible materials permitted in Type I and II construction, and combustible roof insulation.
Concrete — 13 items (16%)
Mix design (five-bag mix as the minimum for most work), consolidation, cold joints, keyways in footings, stepped footing heights, beam pocket clearance, rebar cover in footings, supporting welded-wire fabric, mortar types for below-grade walls, and basement headroom from block courses.
Metals — 10 items (12%)
Five of the outline's eight Metals subtopics concern steel joists. Cold-formed steel framing items include box header assembly, punchouts and why holes are never punched in flanges, rough opening allowances in nonload-bearing and panelized walls, sheathing orientation, joist-to-track gaps, subfloor thickness at 24" OC, and the three types of residential steel framing. Steel joist erection topics include bridging bundle weights, lap lengths, and bearing seats.
Safety — 8 items (10%)
OSHA and jobsite safety: fire extinguisher classes (A, B, C, D) and travel distance limits, trench egress lateral travel, Material Safety Data Sheets, minimum post sizes for girder support, and violation penalties.
Sitework — 7 items (9%)
Site layout from a reference line, instrument types (theodolite vs. level), leveling a transit head, laying out a right angle with the 360° scale, and batter board setup distances.
Masonry — 7 items (9%)
Air entrainment minimums for freeze-thaw exposure, maximum coarse aggregate size relative to wall and slab thickness, rule-of-thumb footing width, parging thickness for basement dampproofing, and anchor bolt spacing for sill plates.
Carpentry — 7 items (9%)
Wood properties, grading, and lumber sizing; engineered wood such as plywood, OSB, LVL, glulam, and I-joists; carpentry tools; framing systems; floor, wall, and roof framing, including ridge calculation; and stair layout with rise/run calculation.
Thermal and Moisture Protection — 7 items (9%)
Roofing squares math, reroofing material restrictions, crawl-space ventilation ratios, radiant-heat barrier air space, and rigid insulation types suited to below-grade use.
Doors and Windows — 3 items (4%)
Window types and which opens fully for ventilation, muntins vs. mullions, egress window open area, and what a lower U-value means.
Finishes — 3 items (4%)
Finger-jointed trim stock, cabinet layout starting from the high point of the floor, Type-X fire-code drywall, and Type-S vs. Type-W screws.
Sample Questions
Three practice questions from the topics above. Answers are not shown here — work them out with your references, then take the free practice exam, a separate set of 10 questions.
1. General Code Plan Reading and Estimating
Excavate 5,000 cu yd with 25% swell. How many hauled?
A. 5,500
B. 6,000
C. 6,250
D. 6,500
Tests swell factor math — the difference between bank yards in place and loose yards after excavation.
2. Concrete
Anchor bolts used to fasten a sill plate to a concrete foundation wall must extend at least ______ into the concrete.
A. 5 inches
B. 6 inches
C. 7 inches
D. 9 inches
Tests embedment depth for sill plate anchorage into a concrete foundation wall.
3. Metals
When horizontal bridging material is furnished for steel joists, what is the standard minimum lap length provided for at each splice?
A. 10 to 12 inches
B. 6 to 8 inches
C. 4 to 6 inches
D. 2 to 4 inches
Tests SJI bridging requirements — bridging appears in two of the outline's Metals subtopics.
What Types of Questions to Expect
Four patterns show up across the practice questions for this exam:
Lookup questions. A specific number buried in a reference: parging thickness, anchor bolt spacing, minimum concrete cover, crawl-space ventilation ratio. These reward a well-indexed book more than memory.
Calculation questions. Labor burden, swell, roofing squares, board feet. Each is a short arithmetic chain — set up the equation, then compute.
Code application questions. IBC and IRC items where you must match a described situation to the right provision: what can be reinstalled during reroofing, what combustible materials Type I and II construction permits, when an auxiliary drain pan is required.
Procedure and sequence questions. What comes first when leveling a transit head, what the first step is in laying out a right angle, where to start cabinet layout on an uneven floor, how to position welded-wire fabric before a pour. These come straight from the how-to sections of the textbooks.
Slow down on the units — inches vs. feet, square feet vs. squares, bank yards vs. loose yards.
Required Study Materials
All of the following are references the exam is built from:
- OSHA 29 CFR 1926 — construction industry standards. Source for trench egress, fire extinguisher placement, and fall protection items.
- Carpentry and Building Construction — the broadest single reference. Covers sitework layout, concrete, foundations, framing, steel framing, insulation, drywall, trim, plan reading, and estimating tables.
- Design and Control of Concrete Mixtures (17th) — mix proportioning, cement types, aggregates, admixtures, durability, and cold weather concreting.
- Placing Reinforcing Bars, Recommended Practices (10th, 2022) — bar supports, fabrication tables, splicing and tying.
- Modern Masonry – Brick, Block, Stone (9th) — mortar, wall systems, footings, foundation anchorage, dampproofing, and masonry safety.
- Pipe and Excavation Contracting (Revised) — excavation estimating, trenching, pipe installation and bedding.
- SJI Technical Digest 9: Steel Joist Erection (4th Edition) — joist series designations, bridging, bearing seats, and construction load limits.
- PTI Unbonded Post-Tensioning Level 1 — tendon installation, stressing, elongation, anchorages, encapsulated systems.
- IBC 2018 — occupancy classification, construction types, fire-resistance, roofing, glazing, and structural chapters.
- Roofing Construction and Estimating — roof slope factors, net roof area, sheathing and decking, asphalt shingle application.
Check the official bulletin for the current reference list and edition requirements before you buy, and register through PSI. Licensing questions go to the LSLBC.
Study Tips
Know your references before you build your knowledge. This is an open book exam. The single highest-return study activity is getting familiar enough with your references to find a table in seconds.
Front-load the big three. General Code Plan Reading and Estimating, Concrete, and Metals together account for nearly half the scored items. If your study time is limited, spend it there before touching Doors and Windows or Finishes.
Drill the math cold. Burden calculations, swell, squares, and board feet should not require a book. Practice them until the setup is automatic — that buys you lookup time on code questions.
Know which book holds what. When a question mentions air entrainment, mortar type, or footing width, you should know instantly whether to open the masonry text, the concrete text, or the IBC. Practicing that reflex matters as much as knowing the answer.
Pace yourself deliberately. You have 3 hours for 80 questions, or about 2 minutes 15 seconds per question. Lookup questions will run over that; recall and math questions should run well under. Answer everything you know without the book first, then circle back to the items that need a search.
Simulate the format. Take a full-length Louisiana Building Construction practice exam with your references at hand and a timer running. That tells you whether your index actually works under pressure.
Ready to Start Preparing?
Our full practice exam gives you 80 questions matched to the official outline weights, with an explanation on every item. Start with the free practice exam to find your weak topics, then work through the full set with your books open — the same way you will sit the real Louisiana building construction exam.