Rule 61G4-12.009(1)(a), F.A.C. sets the application and examination fee for certification at $335: $135 on scheduling, $80 for each test administered, and $40 for processing after you pass. Roofing normally means two tests, so that is $295 before you pass and $40 after. Retakes are $135 plus $80 per test. Books are usually the largest line and are not state-set.
The examination fee, by rule
The figures come from Rule 61G4-12.009(1)(a), F.A.C., which breaks the $335 into pieces paid at different moments:
- $135 — paid to the Department or its examination development vendor when you schedule.
- $80 per test administered — paid to the Department or its assigned vendor to cover examination administration. Roofing is a Division II category and normally requires two tests, General Trade Knowledge and Business & Finance, so this is charged twice.
- $40 — paid to the Department for processing the application after you have passed.
The DBPR examination registration packet describes the same computer-based split from the candidate's side: a $135 registration fee to Professional Testing, Inc., plus $80 each for the Business & Finance and Trade Knowledge computer-based tests collected by Pearson VUE when you schedule.
One test instead of two saves an $80 administration fee — and a whole subject. Rule 61G4-16.0015(3), F.A.C. exempts a current active certified Division I licensee from the Business & Finance portion. Before you pay for a second exam or a second course, check whether you actually need it.
What a retake costs
Rule 61G4-12.009(1)(b), F.A.C. covers the unsuccessful examinee, and the examinee who was approved but failed to appear. The fee for the next subsequent test — or both tests if necessary — is $135, plus $80 per test for administration on scheduling. All of it is nonrefundable.
You retake only the test you failed, not both. There is no cap on attempts, but every test must be passed within four years of your first attempt. Full detail on retaking the exam.
The registration packet also notes a $25 charge for returned checks or declined credit cards, with removal from all exam rosters — a small fee with an expensive consequence if it costs you a seat.
Reference books: usually the biggest single line
People budget for fees and forget the shelf. For an open-book examination the approved references are frequently the largest cost of the whole process, and the state does not set or publish those prices — they are ordinary market prices for technical volumes, so we are not going to quote a figure that would be stale by the time you read it.
Two things drive the cost, and both are traps. The approved list names specific editions, and it is revised over time. A second-hand set assembled for an earlier exam cycle is the classic mistake: the discount looks good, the editions are superseded, and you buy the set twice. Pull the current list for your examination before buying anything — see reference books and tabbing.
Prep, and why retakes are the expensive part
Prep is the one category where you choose the amount, from a full classroom course down to a practice bank like this one. Our own pricing we can state because we set it: the first 5 questions are free with no account, $49 buys 3-month access and $89 buys lifetime access, covering all 361 questions across the nine content areas plus the timed simulation.
The cost nobody plans for is the second attempt. A retake means the fee again, rescheduling, and another day off the job. That is the strongest financial argument for preparing properly the first time: prep is a one-off you choose, a retake is a fee you already paid once and are paying again for nothing new.
After you pass
Passing is not the last invoice. Before the license is issued you will need to satisfy the board on financial responsibility and insurance, and the $40 application processing fee falls due. After that the license becomes a recurring cost: Rule 61G4-12.009(3)(a), F.A.C. sets the biennial renewal fee for certification and registration at $200, and continuing education has to be paid for as well as sat.
For the non-fee requirements — experience, financial responsibility, insurance — see license requirements. Fees are set by rule and revised over time; confirm current amounts with the DBPR before you apply.
The cheapest exam is the one you pass first time
Start with the free questions — no account, no payment — then unlock the full bank for $49 for 3 months or $89 for life.