Contractor Business Center

Run and grow your contracting business. Manage jobs, calculate break-even targets, plan operations, and connect with other licensed contractors.

Contractors reviewing construction plans at an active jobsite

Contractor Business Center

Create your business plan

Price a job

Job Cost Estimation

Plan direct costs, overhead, contingency, and gross margin separately so the assumptions stay visible.

Break-even goal

Know the monthly revenue the business must support

Use realistic contribution margin and billable time. The result is a planning floor, not a promise of profit.

First 90 days

Turn the license into a working business system

These are practical planning habits, not official licensing board requirements.

Days 1–30
Build the foundation
Set up the financial, contract, and license routines before work accelerates.
Contract and change-order lab: Practice writing a complete scope, payment schedule, required notices, and signed change orders before using a document with a customer.Advertising checker: Review websites, social posts, proposals, signs, cards, and commercial vehicles for license-number and classification compliance.License health calendar: Track renewal, bond, insurance, personnel, address, qualifier, and judgment deadlines before they can interrupt lawful work.
Days 31–60
Control the work
Create repeatable hiring, safety, communication, and job-control habits.
First-hire checklist: Plan workers’ compensation, EDD registration, payroll, new-hire reporting, required notices, training, and supervision before the employee starts.Safety system: Build a written IIPP, job-hazard planning, inspections, training records, incident response, and correction tracking for the actual work performed.
Days 61–90
Measure and improve
Compare estimates with results and add new work only when the systems can support it.
Public-works readiness: Before bidding, verify registration, prevailing-wage, certified-payroll, apprenticeship, and subcontractor requirements for the project.Job costing and cash-flow discipline: Separate business banking, estimate true job cost, price for margin, track change orders and receivables, reserve for taxes, and compare actual results with the estimate.

Compliance planner

Keep the dates you confirm in one place

Enter dates from the responsible agency or provider. This planner does not calculate legal deadlines.

Contract and change-order lab

Practice writing a complete scope, payment schedule, required notices, and signed change orders before using a document with a customer.

Confirm with: California Business and Professions Code section 7159Official source: California Business and Professions Code section 7159

Confirmed due or review dateEnter the date shown by the issuing agency.

Advertising checker

Review websites, social posts, proposals, signs, cards, and commercial vehicles for license-number and classification compliance.

Confirm with: State licensing board advertising guidelinesOfficial source: State licensing board advertising guidelines

Confirmed due or review dateEnter the date shown by the issuing agency.

License health calendar

Track renewal, bond, insurance, personnel, address, qualifier, and judgment deadlines before they can interrupt lawful work.

Confirm with: State licensing board renewal informationOfficial source: State licensing board renewal information

Confirmed due or review dateEnter the date shown by the issuing agency.

First-hire checklist

Plan workers’ compensation, EDD registration, payroll, new-hire reporting, required notices, training, and supervision before the employee starts.

Confirm with: California EDD Employer Payroll Tax Account RegistrationOfficial source: California EDD Employer Payroll Tax Account Registration

Confirmed due or review dateEnter the date shown by the issuing agency.

Safety system

Build a written IIPP, job-hazard planning, inspections, training records, incident response, and correction tracking for the actual work performed.

Confirm with: Cal/OSHA Model Injury and Illness Prevention ProgramOfficial source: Cal/OSHA Model Injury and Illness Prevention Program

Confirmed due or review dateEnter the date shown by the issuing agency.

Public-works readiness

Before bidding, verify registration, prevailing-wage, certified-payroll, apprenticeship, and subcontractor requirements for the project.

Confirm with: California DIR Public Works Contractor RegistrationOfficial source: California DIR Public Works Contractor Registration

Confirmed due or review dateEnter the date shown by the issuing agency.

Job costing and cash-flow discipline

Separate business banking, estimate true job cost, price for margin, track change orders and receivables, reserve for taxes, and compare actual results with the estimate.

Confirm with: California Office of the Small Business Advocate — Set Up Your BusinessOfficial source: California Office of the Small Business Advocate — Set Up Your Business

Confirmed due or review dateEnter the date shown by the issuing agency.

Keep learning

Move between planning and exam preparation

Free exam previewTry the public sample questions before choosing a course.Purchased classroomOpen trade questions, progress, and missed-question review.Login or purchased access required Application ToolPrepare, save, and print the official application for your selected trade.Official resourcesOpen the free official study resources.