Finish Trades: where the job gets inspected last
20% of the B exam, and the widest spread of topics on it: coatings, tile, flooring, cabinets, drywall and plaster, windows and doors, and landscaping.
What CSLB says it covers
- Painting, staining, coating and interior wall covering
- Tile and stone; floor covering
- Cabinetry and millwork
- Plaster, drywall and ceilings
- Windows, skylights and doors
- Landscaping
Two kinds of question live here. Code questions, mostly about windows, glazing and gypsum board, have one legal answer. Workmanship questions (when to paint, how flat a floor must be for tile) are answered by industry and manufacturer standards. For those, this page cites the federal Unified Facilities Guide Specifications (UFGS): a specification, not a code, but a clear written statement of common practice.
The numbers that get asked
| Rule | Number |
|---|---|
| Emergency escape opening: net clear area (grade-floor window) CRC, Covina windows and doors handout | 5.7 sq ft (5.0) |
| Escape opening: clear height / clear width / sill max CRC, Covina windows and doors handout | 24 / 20 / 44 in |
| Safety glazing near a door: within … of either side CRC, City of Burbank 2025 list | 24 in |
| Garage side of the wall to the house / ceiling under habitable rooms CRC, San Bernardino and LA County lists | ½ in gypsum / ⅝ in Type X |
| Nonabsorbent surface on shower walls, above the floor CRC, San Bernardino County list | 6 ft |
| Do not paint below / above; or within … of the dew point UFGS 09 90 00 | 50°F / 95°F; 5°F |
| Concrete, stucco, masonry cure before paint (slab on grade) UFGS 09 90 00 | 30 days (90) |
| Ceramic tile: substrate and air, and for 7 days after UFGS 09 30 10 | 50°F and rising |
| Floor flatness for dry-set tile UFGS 09 30 10 | ⅛ in in 10 ft |
| Gypsum board finish under gloss paint / under tile UFGS 09 29 00 (GA 214 levels) | Level 5 / Level 2 |
| Landscape water ordinance applies: new / rehabilitated landscape MWELO, 23 CCR §491 | 500 / 2,500 sq ft |
CRC = California Residential Code, as restated by the building departments named. MWELO = California's Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance. Checked 29 September 2026.
Where people lose points
- An escape window has to pass all four tests. Net area, clear height, clear width and sill height. A window can meet both minimum dimensions and still fail on area: 20 × 24 inches is only 3.3 sq ft.
- 5.7 or 5.0. 5.0 sq ft applies only to grade-floor openings. Upstairs bedrooms need 5.7.
- Type X goes where the fire risk is. ½-inch gypsum on the garage side of the separation; ⅝-inch Type X on a garage ceiling with habitable rooms above.
- The dew point rule beats the thermometer. 60°F is warm enough to paint, but not if the surface is within 5°F of the dew point.
- Level 5 is the top, not the default. Level 5 is a full skim coat for gloss finishes and harsh light; tile only needs Level 2.
How the questions tend to read
A condition on site and a yes, no or which. Two examples of our own (not actual exam questions):
A second-floor bedroom window opens to a clear 30 inches wide by 26 inches high, with the sill 40 inches above the floor. Does it meet the emergency escape rules?
No. Width (30 ≥ 20), height (26 ≥ 24) and sill (40 ≤ 44) all pass, but the net area is 30 × 26 = 780 sq in ÷ 144 = 5.4 sq ft, under the 5.7 sq ft required above the grade floor.
It is 62°F, the wall surface reads 58°F and the dew point is 55°F. Should the crew start the exterior coating under a UFGS-style spec?
No. The surface is only 3°F above the dew point; the spec requires at least 5°F. The air temperature is fine, which is the trap.
How to study it
- Split code from workmanship. Put egress, glazing, gypsum and shower-wall rules on one card; paint, tile and flooring conditions on another.
- Do the window area math until it is automatic. Square inches ÷ 144 = square feet.
- Read one window handout and one re-roof or remodel handout from a California city. They list exactly what inspectors check.
- Landscaping is small but specific. Know when the water ordinance applies and what it limits.
- Budget. About 3 hours in two weeks and 5 in four (B study plan).
Common questions
What is the minimum size of a bedroom egress window in California?
5.7 sq ft net clear (5.0 at the grade floor), at least 24 inches high and 20 inches wide, with the sill no more than 44 inches above the floor.
Is landscaping really on the B exam?
Yes. The study guide lists it under Finish Trades.
Last reviewed 29 September 2026 against the CSLB General Building (B) study guide 13E-B (03-2026); California Residential Code values as restated by the City of Covina (windows and doors handout), the City of Burbank (2025 plan check list), San Bernardino County (residential plan review comments) and Los Angeles County (2026 residential plan review list); UFGS 09 90 00, 09 30 10 and 09 29 00; and the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance, 23 CCR §491. Confirm with your building department. We are not affiliated with CSLB or PSI.