LA General Contractor flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

LSLBC license threshold

Louisiana requires a State Licensing Board for Contractors license for projects of $50,000 or more in labor and materials, covering commercial, public, and residential work above that value.

Qualifying party

An individual who passes the LSLBC exam and is regularly employed by the firm to qualify its license; one person may qualify only one active license at a time.

Major classification

The broad category on an LSLBC license such as Building Construction, Highway, Street and Bridge, Heavy Construction, Municipal and Public Works, or Residential Construction that defines authorized scope.

Residential contractor threshold

Louisiana residential contractors must be licensed for residential projects of $75,000 or more; the Residential classification covers one- and two-family dwellings and related structures.

Private Works Act lien deadline

A claimant must record a Statement of Claim or Privilege within 60 days after the last day of the month in which the claimant last performed work or furnished materials.

Notice of Contract

A document the owner records before work begins that establishes the contract price and limits the owner's liability to the amount stated in that recorded notice.

Public works bond claim notice

On Louisiana public works, a claimant must give written notice to the contractor and the public entity within 45 days after the last day of the month in which the work was done.

Retainage release timing

On Louisiana public works, the owner generally withholds 5% of each progress payment and must release retainage within 45 days after substantial completion or acceptance.

Residential written contract rule

Louisiana requires a written contract for residential work over $7,500 that includes the license number and specific notices; violations can result in treble damages and license action.

Contractor sales tax on materials

A contractor is the consumer of materials incorporated into immovable property, so the contractor owes state and local sales/use tax and cannot claim a resale exemption for those materials.

Unlicensed contracting penalty

Performing work requiring an LSLBC license without one can result in fines, civil penalties, loss of lien rights, and an order to stop work or disgorge compensation.

LSLBC exam format

The Louisiana contractor exam is computer-based and multiple-choice, with a Business and Law portion plus a trade portion specific to the requested classification; confirm current bulletins for passing scores.

Building Construction classification

An LSLBC major classification authorizing construction of commercial, industrial, and institutional buildings, including structural, architectural, and related site work within the licensed scope.

Highway, Street and Bridge

An LSLBC classification covering roads, streets, bridges, drainage, paving, and related public infrastructure work; it does not authorize building construction outside that scope.

Concrete 28-day strength

Design compressive strength f'c is verified by cylinder breaks at 28 days; slump, air content, and temperature are field acceptance tests taken during placement.

Concrete sampling frequency

Strength specimens are typically taken at least once per 150 cubic yards of concrete placed and at least once per day of placement, per ACI sampling practice.

Turn-of-nut method

A high-strength bolt pretensioning method where the nut is rotated a specified fraction of a turn after snugging, with the amount depending on bolt length and diameter.

Proctor compaction test

A laboratory test that determines the maximum dry density and optimum moisture content of soil; field compaction is specified as a percentage of that maximum dry density.

Nuclear density gauge

A field device that measures in-place soil density and moisture by radiation attenuation, used to verify compaction against the Proctor maximum dry density.

OSHA fall protection trigger

Under OSHA construction standards, employees exposed to falls of 6 feet or more above a lower level must be protected by guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall-arrest systems.

Ladder extension above landing

A portable ladder used for access must extend at least 3 feet above the landing surface, and the top must be secured against displacement.

Trench protective system

Any trench 5 feet or deeper requires sloping, shoring, or shielding unless the excavation is entirely in stable rock; a competent person inspects daily.

Spoil pile setback

Excavated material and equipment must be kept at least 2 feet back from the edge of a trench to reduce surcharge loading and prevent cave-in.

NEC conductor ampacity

Conductor ampacity from NEC tables must be adjusted for ambient temperature and conduit fill, and overcurrent protection may not exceed the adjusted ampacity.

Fixture unit sizing

Plumbing drain, waste, and vent pipes are sized using fixture-unit tables, while water supply sizing uses fixture units combined with pressure-loss calculations.

Gas pipe longest-length method

Gas piping is sized using tables keyed to the longest run from meter to outlet, corrected for gas specific gravity and allowable pressure drop.

Structural steel bolt inspection

Inspection of pretensioned bolted joints verifies the specified minimum tension was achieved using the approved method and that correct bolt grade and grip length were used.

Municipal and Public Works

An LSLBC classification authorizing construction of public facilities and infrastructure such as water, sewer, and municipal improvements, subject to public bidding and bonding rules.

Working outside classification

Performing work outside the scope of the license's major classification or subclassification is a licensing violation that can result in fines, stop-work orders, and license suspension.

Competent person

An individual capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards and authorized to take prompt corrective measures, required for daily excavation inspections and fall protection planning.

Louisiana public bid requirement

Public entities must advertise for bids and award to the lowest responsible bidder; bids require a bid bond and the successful bidder must furnish performance and payment bonds.

Substantial completion

The stage when the work is sufficiently complete for its intended use, triggering retainage release timelines, warranty periods, and the start of lien claim deadlines.