Contractors in Rhode Island are required to take a predetermined number of educational hours before they can submit an application for a contractor’s license and before they can renew their license. The course material is laid out by the state of Rhode Island, and the materials are available online. Contractors can complete their course materials online as well, and evidence of those hours must be submitted to the state of Rhode Island before a license will be renewed.

The construction industry is alive and well in Rhode Island.
The Rules Of Education For Contractors
In Rhode Island, a contractor must take the five hours of required courses within 24 months before taking their first licensing test. The Rhode Island contractor’s license is renewed every 24 months, and a renewal will not be approved until the contractor takes the five hours of continuing education courses, as per Rhode Island law.
If the contractor has taken courses at a vocational or trade school within the last 24 months, then a transcript of those courses can be submitted to the state to see if they fulfill the education requirements. It is up to the state to determine if the courses taken satisfy the education criteria, and the contractor should wait for an answer from the state before continuing the application.
The Subjects Covered
Each course credit hour consists of 50 minutes of training in the following five categories:
- Construction codes and building standards
- Reading and understanding contracts
- Workplace safety laws and procedures
- Business methods and ethical practices
- A general course that could be dealing with construction, land development, or planning
Each course is updated every year to reflect changes in Rhode Island law and in the construction industry. The industry-specific courses such as business methods will also include information on business law and accounting.
Alerting The State To Your Course Completion
Certified educational websites such as PDH Contractors will alert the state of Rhode Island to your completion of educational requirements via the Internet once you have completed your courses. However, PDH Contractors will not send a certificate to the state to verify your participation. The certificate of completion will be sent to your email address, and you should keep it on file in case the state of Rhode Island asks for it during a license audit.

Use a certified educational website like PDH Contractors to get your Rhode Island contractor coursework done.
Who Takes The Continuing Education Courses?
In Rhode Island, only a single company representative is required to take the continuing education courses for a contractor. This representative is identified by the company through the proper paperwork as the principle for education, and no other company employees are required to take the courses. The company retains its valid license even if the principle leaves the company. But there must be a new principle in place before the next license renewal is due.
You can start a course with PDH Contractors today to fulfill your five-hour educational requirement for the state of Rhode Island. PDH Contractors also has a library of current information on the latest in construction technology and methods. If you are looking to expand your construction business to a different state, then you can get all of the information you need about licensing requirements at PDH Contractors.