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Florida Underground Utility Contractor Exam
QUESTIONS AND DETAILED SOLUTIONS JUST
RELEASED
Florida Underground Utility Contractor Exam – Summarized Exam Coverage
Below are the official topic domains from the Florida Underground Utility Contractor examination
outline, plus the Business & Finance exam domains. All questions are built on these content areas.
Exam Structure (Trade Knowledge)
• Survey and Layout – 10%
• Sitework – 14%
• Concrete Pipe Installation – 14%
• Sewer Installation – 14%
• Water Installation – 14%
• Manholes and Vaults – 14%
• Safety (OSHA) – 20%
Exam Structure (Business & Finance)
• Construction business management
• Contract law and Florida mechanics’ lien law (Ch. 713)
• Workers‘ compensation, liability insurance, bonding
• Financial statements, overhead, markup, project cost analysis
• Florida Statutes Chapters 489 (contractor licensing) and 455 (DBPR regulation)
• Florida Administrative Code (FAC) rules for contractors
Scope of Work (per Fla. Stat. § 489.105(3)(q))
• Sanitary sewer mains and laterals
• Storm sewer mains and laterals
• Water mains and service lines
• Empty underground conduits (≥2“ diameter) in rights-of-way
Not included – Conductor wiring or connection to energized electrical systems.
Key References
• Fla. Stat. Ch. 489 (Construction Contracting)
• Fla. Stat. Ch. 556 (Underground Facility Damage Prevention / One-Call)
• Fla. Stat. Ch. 713 (Mechanics’ Lien Law)
• OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 (Excavation Safety)
• AWWA C600 (Ductile Iron Water Main Installation)
• ACPA Concrete Pipe Installation Manual
• Florida Building Code (Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas volumes)
Survey and Layout (10%)
1. A project engineer hands you a set of plans showing a proposed sanitary sewer main with a pipe slope
noted as “1.5%.” Over a horizontal distance of 200 feet, how many feet will the pipe drop?
A) 1.5 feet
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B) 2.0 feet
C) 3.0 feet
D) 4.5 feet
Answer: C
Slope of 1.5% means 1.5 feet of vertical drop per 100 horizontal feet, so over 200 feet the drop equals 3.0
feet.
2. Your survey crew places a benchmark with an elevation of 125.45 feet. The invert of a proposed
manhole is specified as 118.20 feet. What is the depth of cut from the benchmark to the invert?
A) 6.25 feet
B) 7.25 feet
C) 8.20 feet
D) 243.65 feet
Answer: B
*Depth of cut equals benchmark elevation minus invert elevation = 125.45 – 118.20 = 7.25 feet.*
3. A water main is to be laid with a uniform slope of 0.8%. Over a distance of 1,500 feet, the total change
in elevation will be closest to which value?
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A) 8 feet
B) 10 feet
C) 12 feet
D) 15 feet
Answer: C
*0.8% slope = 0.8 feet drop per 100 feet; over 1,500 feet, drop = (0.8 × 1500)/100 = 12 feet.*
4. During a site layout, you find that a proposed sanitary sewer line runs parallel to a property line at a
distance of 25 feet. The plans call for a 10-foot utility easement centered on the pipeline. Is the
easement fully within the property?
A) No, because the easement would extend 5 feet beyond the property line
B) Yes, because a 10-foot easement centered on a line 25 feet from the property line leaves 20 feet to
the property line
C) Only if the property owner signs a waiver
D) No, unless the sewer line is at least 30 feet from the property line
Answer: B
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A 10-foot easement centered on the pipe means 5 feet on each side of center; 25 feet minus 5 feet leaves
20 feet of buffer, so the easement remains fully on the property.
5. A benchmark is set at elevation 342.11 feet. A laser level set up on that benchmark reads a backsight
of 4.22 feet on a grade rod. You then measure a foresight of 8.45 feet at the location of a proposed
storm drain invert. What is the invert elevation?
A) 337.88 feet
B) 338.23 feet
C) 346.33 feet
D) 354.78 feet
Answer: A
*Height of instrument = 342.11 + 4.22 = 346.33 feet; invert elevation = 346.33 – 8.45 = 337.88 feet.*
6. Plans show a fire hydrant lead branching from a water main at station 12+45. How many feet from
the project‘s point of beginning (station 0+00) is the connection point located?
A) 124.5 feet
B) 1,245 feet
C) 12,450 feet
Florida Underground Utility Contractor Exam
QUESTIONS AND DETAILED SOLUTIONS JUST
RELEASED
Florida Underground Utility Contractor Exam – Summarized Exam Coverage
Below are the official topic domains from the Florida Underground Utility Contractor examination
outline, plus the Business & Finance exam domains. All questions are built on these content areas.
Exam Structure (Trade Knowledge)
• Survey and Layout – 10%
• Sitework – 14%
• Concrete Pipe Installation – 14%
• Sewer Installation – 14%
• Water Installation – 14%
• Manholes and Vaults – 14%
• Safety (OSHA) – 20%
Exam Structure (Business & Finance)
• Construction business management
• Contract law and Florida mechanics’ lien law (Ch. 713)
• Workers‘ compensation, liability insurance, bonding
• Financial statements, overhead, markup, project cost analysis
• Florida Statutes Chapters 489 (contractor licensing) and 455 (DBPR regulation)
• Florida Administrative Code (FAC) rules for contractors
Scope of Work (per Fla. Stat. § 489.105(3)(q))
• Sanitary sewer mains and laterals
• Storm sewer mains and laterals
• Water mains and service lines
• Empty underground conduits (≥2“ diameter) in rights-of-way
Not included – Conductor wiring or connection to energized electrical systems.
Key References
• Fla. Stat. Ch. 489 (Construction Contracting)
• Fla. Stat. Ch. 556 (Underground Facility Damage Prevention / One-Call)
• Fla. Stat. Ch. 713 (Mechanics’ Lien Law)
• OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926 (Excavation Safety)
• AWWA C600 (Ductile Iron Water Main Installation)
• ACPA Concrete Pipe Installation Manual
• Florida Building Code (Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas volumes)
Survey and Layout (10%)
1. A project engineer hands you a set of plans showing a proposed sanitary sewer main with a pipe slope
noted as “1.5%.” Over a horizontal distance of 200 feet, how many feet will the pipe drop?
A) 1.5 feet
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B) 2.0 feet
C) 3.0 feet
D) 4.5 feet
Answer: C
Slope of 1.5% means 1.5 feet of vertical drop per 100 horizontal feet, so over 200 feet the drop equals 3.0
feet.
2. Your survey crew places a benchmark with an elevation of 125.45 feet. The invert of a proposed
manhole is specified as 118.20 feet. What is the depth of cut from the benchmark to the invert?
A) 6.25 feet
B) 7.25 feet
C) 8.20 feet
D) 243.65 feet
Answer: B
*Depth of cut equals benchmark elevation minus invert elevation = 125.45 – 118.20 = 7.25 feet.*
3. A water main is to be laid with a uniform slope of 0.8%. Over a distance of 1,500 feet, the total change
in elevation will be closest to which value?
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A) 8 feet
B) 10 feet
C) 12 feet
D) 15 feet
Answer: C
*0.8% slope = 0.8 feet drop per 100 feet; over 1,500 feet, drop = (0.8 × 1500)/100 = 12 feet.*
4. During a site layout, you find that a proposed sanitary sewer line runs parallel to a property line at a
distance of 25 feet. The plans call for a 10-foot utility easement centered on the pipeline. Is the
easement fully within the property?
A) No, because the easement would extend 5 feet beyond the property line
B) Yes, because a 10-foot easement centered on a line 25 feet from the property line leaves 20 feet to
the property line
C) Only if the property owner signs a waiver
D) No, unless the sewer line is at least 30 feet from the property line
Answer: B
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A 10-foot easement centered on the pipe means 5 feet on each side of center; 25 feet minus 5 feet leaves
20 feet of buffer, so the easement remains fully on the property.
5. A benchmark is set at elevation 342.11 feet. A laser level set up on that benchmark reads a backsight
of 4.22 feet on a grade rod. You then measure a foresight of 8.45 feet at the location of a proposed
storm drain invert. What is the invert elevation?
A) 337.88 feet
B) 338.23 feet
C) 346.33 feet
D) 354.78 feet
Answer: A
*Height of instrument = 342.11 + 4.22 = 346.33 feet; invert elevation = 346.33 – 8.45 = 337.88 feet.*
6. Plans show a fire hydrant lead branching from a water main at station 12+45. How many feet from
the project‘s point of beginning (station 0+00) is the connection point located?
A) 124.5 feet
B) 1,245 feet
C) 12,450 feet
