- The GB-98 combination technical exam (GB-2 Part 1 + GB-98 Part 2) costs $269.06 total.
- A one-part retake costs $134.53 - passing both parts the first time saves real money.
- Business and Law adds $68.88 if you test through PSI instead of an approved course.
- The qualifying-party application and work-affidavit fee is a flat $36.
Cost Overview: What You'll Actually Pay
Anyone researching the New Mexico GB-98 General Building Contractor Exam wants a straight answer to one question: what is this actually going to cost from start to finish? The New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department, Construction Industries Division, oversees licensure, and PSI administers the computer-based testing. Based on the current PSI contractor bulletin (updated April 3, 2026), the core costs are fixed and published, which makes budgeting for GB-98 more predictable than most people expect.
Unlike credentials that bundle vague "processing fees" into unclear totals, the NM-GB98 pathway has three distinct cost centers: the technical combination exam, the Business and Law exam (if you don't complete an approved course instead), and the qualifying-party application fee. Understanding each piece separately - rather than treating "GB-98 cost" as one lump number - is the fastest way to avoid budgeting mistakes.
GB-98 Combination Exam Fee Breakdown
The GB-98 credential is tested as a combination exam made up of two distinct parts, and the pricing reflects that structure directly. The full combination technical exam costs $269.06 and covers:
- GB-2 Residential Building Contractor Part 1 - 80 questions, 225 minutes
- GB-98 General Building Contractor Part 2 - 100 questions, 310 minutes
That's 180 questions across roughly 535 minutes of seat time when both parts are taken together, split across seventeen distinct content domains. Each technical part is open book and requires a 75% score to pass. Because the exam is open book, part of your cost calculation should include how you prepare your reference materials - not just how you study the content. For a domain-by-domain breakdown of what's actually tested inside Part 1 and Part 2, see the NM-GB98 Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 17 Content Areas.
Where the Question Volume Sits
Part 2 carries more weight in both length and question count, which affects how you should allocate study time relative to cost. Domain 16 (Part 2 - General Code, Plan Reading, and Estimating) alone accounts for 27 questions, the single largest block on either part.
- Part 1 totals 80 questions across 8 domains, from Sitework and Footings through OSHA Safety.
- Part 2 totals 100 questions across 9 domains, weighted heavily toward Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement (15) and General Code, Plan Reading, and Estimating (27).
Because you pay once for both parts as a combination exam, there's a real financial incentive to walk in prepared for all seventeen domains simultaneously rather than treating Part 1 and Part 2 as separate study projects. A structured plan like the one outlined in the NM-GB98 Study Guide 2026: How to Pass on Your First Attempt is built around exactly this combination-exam reality.
Business and Law Exam Cost
New contractor candidates in New Mexico must also satisfy a Business and Law requirement before licensure. You have two paths: pass the PSI Business and Law examination, or complete an approved Business and Law course. If you choose the exam route, the cost is $68.88 for a 50-question, 130-minute test. Like the technical parts, it's open book and requires a 75% passing score.
This is a meaningful cost decision point. Candidates who already hold business fundamentals from prior licensure or coursework may find the approved-course route more efficient, while others prefer the fixed, one-time cost of sitting the PSI exam. Either way, this fee is separate from - and additive to - the $269.06 technical combination exam cost, so your total testing budget should account for both unless a course substitution applies to you.
Key Takeaway
Budget for three separate line items: $269.06 (technical combination exam), $68.88 (Business and Law, if tested), and $36 (qualifying-party application). That's the realistic testing-and-application total before any retakes.
Application and Qualifying-Party Fees
Before you can sit for the GB-98 exam, you need to establish eligibility as a qualifying party, which involves a $36 application and work-affidavit fee. This fee is tied to demonstrating the underlying experience requirement: four years and 8,000 hours of qualifying experience within the preceding 10 years, with approved education or training eligible for half-time credit toward up to one-half of that requirement.
The affidavit process is where the Construction Industries Division verifies that your work history actually supports the license you're applying for. If you're unsure whether your background meets the threshold, or how education credit is calculated against the 8,000-hour requirement, the NM-GB98 Requirements 2026: Eligibility, Prerequisites & How to Qualify guide walks through the qualifying criteria in detail before you spend money on an application.
Retake Costs and How to Avoid Them
If you pass one part but not the other, you don't have to pay for the full combination exam again. A one-part retake costs $134.53 - essentially half the combination price, reflecting that you're only retesting the part you didn't clear. This is good news financially, but it still means a failed part effectively doubles your spend on that portion of the exam.
Since passing scores remain valid for one year, there's some flexibility in scheduling a retake without rushing - but it's still money you'd rather not spend twice. Given that Part 2 alone runs 100 questions and 310 minutes, failing it and having to reschedule is a real time cost on top of the $134.53 fee.
- Know exactly which domains you're weakest in before test day - guessing wastes the retake fee.
- Review how the exam is scored and what 75% actually requires in the NM-GB98 Passing Score 2026: Exactly What You Need to Pass breakdown.
- If you're unsure how demanding the format really is, the How Hard Is the NM-GB98 Exam? Complete Difficulty Guide 2026 article is worth reading before you schedule.
Hidden and Often-Forgotten Costs
The published fees cover testing and application, but there are a few cost-adjacent decisions candidates often overlook:
- Reference material preparation. Because both technical parts are open book, you'll want bound copies of the approved 2021 New Mexico building codes and the applicable 2021 IRC or IBC, plus relevant trade texts. These references may be highlighted, underlined, indexed, and permanently tabbed before testing - but not annotated with loose papers or extra writing. Preparing a properly tabbed set takes time and, depending on how you source your codebooks, some cost.
- Calculator. A silent, nonprinting, nonprogrammable calculator is allowed and effectively required for the estimating-heavy portions of both parts.
- Re-testing logistics. If you need a retake, factor in travel or scheduling time to a PSI test center on top of the $134.53 fee itself.
- Renewal peace of mind. On the positive side, General Building renewal carries no continuing education requirement, so there's no recurring CE cost to budget for once you're licensed - a genuine long-term savings compared to credentials that require ongoing coursework.
Key Takeaway
The biggest "hidden cost" isn't a fee at all - it's a failed part triggering a $134.53 retake. Solid preparation on all seventeen domains is the cheapest insurance available.
Cost vs. Content: Where Your Money Goes
It helps to see the fee structure mapped against what you're actually being tested on. The combination exam price covers a large amount of content - 180 questions spread across two parts and seventeen domains - so the per-question cost is modest when you consider the breadth being assessed.
| Component | Fee | Format |
|---|---|---|
| GB-98 Combination Exam (GB-2 Part 1 + GB-98 Part 2) | $269.06 | 180 questions total, open book, 75% to pass each part |
| One-Part Retake | $134.53 | Retest of the single failed part |
| Business and Law Exam | $68.88 | 50 questions, 130 minutes, open book, 75% to pass |
| Qualifying-Party Application & Affidavit | $36 | One-time eligibility fee |
Notice how the fee scales with question volume: Part 2's 100 questions and 310 minutes make up more than half the combination exam's total testing time, which lines up with why domains like General Code, Plan Reading, and Estimating (27 questions) and Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement (15 questions) deserve outsized attention relative to smaller domains like Masonry (10) or OSHA Safety (6) on Part 2.
If you want a single-page reference to keep the fee amounts, question counts, and passing thresholds straight while you study, the NM-GB98 Cheat Sheet 2026: One-Page Review of Must-Know Facts condenses all of this into a quick-glance format.
Budgeting Your Prep Timeline
Cost and preparation time are linked: the more efficiently you study, the less likely you are to pay for a retake. A short, focused prep runway built around the actual domain weighting can reduce that risk without dragging out your six-month eligibility window.
Part 1 Foundations
- Sitework, Footings, and Foundations; Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement; Masonry
- Build your tabbed reference set for the 2021 codes now, since annotation must happen before test day
Part 1 High-Volume Areas
- Carpentry (12 questions), Roofing (10), Associated Trades (12), and General Code/Plan Reading/Estimating (14)
- Practice open-book navigation speed - you're timed even with references allowed
Part 2 Heavy Domains
- Prioritize General Code, Plan Reading, and Estimating (27 questions) and Concrete and Concrete Reinforcement (15)
- Layer in Metals (10), Masonry (10), and Associated Trades (10)
Business and Law & Final Review
- Decide whether you're testing Business and Law or completing an approved course before you finalize your budget
- Run full-length timed practice covering both parts to confirm readiness before spending on the combination exam
For a deeper explanation of how the domain weighting should shape this kind of schedule, see the NM-GB98 Exam Domains 2026: Complete Guide to All 17 Content Areas. And if you're still deciding whether the license is worth the combined cost of fees, prep, and time, the Is the NM-GB98 Certification Worth It? Complete ROI Analysis 2026 article addresses that question directly, alongside the NM-GB98 Salary Guide 2026: Complete Earnings Analysis for context on what license-holders can pursue afterward.
Once you've mapped out your budget and schedule, running full timed simulations that mirror the real 80-question and 100-question formats is one of the most direct ways to protect your investment - you can start that practice on the main practice test site before committing to your exam date.
Frequently Asked Questions
The core fees are $269.06 for the GB-98 combination technical exam (GB-2 Part 1 and GB-98 Part 2), $68.88 for the Business and Law exam if you test rather than take a course, and $36 for the qualifying-party application and work-affidavit. A one-part retake adds $134.53 if needed.
Yes. The $269.06 combination fee covers only the GB-2 Part 1 and GB-98 Part 2 technical content. Business and Law is a separate $68.88 PSI exam unless you satisfy the requirement through an approved course instead.
You only need to retake the part you failed, at a cost of $134.53, rather than paying the full $269.06 combination fee again. Passing scores remain valid for one year, so you have time to schedule the retake.
General Building renewal has no continuing education requirement, so there's no recurring coursework cost tied to keeping the license current - a notable difference from credentials requiring periodic CE.
No. The $36 fee covers the qualifying-party application and work-affidavit review. You still need to demonstrate four years and 8,000 hours of qualifying experience within the preceding 10 years (with partial credit possible for approved education) before eligibility to test is granted.