Construction Program

The construction curriculum is designed to offer you technical and hands-on training which will prepare you for entry into the construction industry. You will build residential structures on and off campus. You will receive instruction in residential construction with an emphasis on quality construction. 

Through hands-on training, successful completion enables you to enter into the construction industry as an advanced apprentice with masonry, framing, roofing, plumbing, and/or electrical skills. Throughout the program, you prepare for the California Residential Code certification and may take NCCER industry certifications.

Students Framing a House          Learning to Operate the Saw          Student Constructed Home          Students Finishing Concrete

Students Framing a House          Learning to Operate the Saw          Student Constructed Home          Students Finishing Concrete

Students Framing a House          Learning to Operate the Saw          Student Constructed Home          Students Finishing Concrete

Students Framing a House          Learning to Operate the Saw          Student Constructed Home          Students Finishing Concrete

Learn about our programs

Construction Program Overview (0:48)

Construction Programs (3:23)

FAQs

Tuition for the California Community College system is $46 per unit.

A student will have the option of choosing one out of three certificates of achievement available within the Construction program:

    1.  Construction Trades I - Major #8092 - Certificate of Achievement

                 a.  Courses include:
                      i.  CONS-50    Basic Residential Construction                                               4.0 units
                     ii.  CONS-51    Residential Construction:  Foundations & Framing          8.0 units
                    iii.  CONS-53    Residential Construction:  Exterior & Interior Finish        9.0 units
Students will need 21 units of completion for this certificate, or a total of $966 in tuition costs.

 

     2.  Construction Trades II - Major #8091 - Certificate of Achievement

                 a.  Courses include:
                      i.  ARCH-12       Architectural Practice I                                                           2.0 units
                     ii.  AT-21             Occupational Safety & Health                                               2.0 units
                    iii.  CONS-50       Basic Residential Construction                                            4.0 units              
                    iv.  CONS-51       Residential Construction:  Foundations & Framing       8.0 units
                     v.  CONS-175A  Residential Wiring 1                                                                3.0 units
                    vi.  ARCH-21       Materials of Construction                                                      3.0 units
                   vii.  ARCH-22       Architectural Practice II                                                          3.0 units
                  viii.  CONS-53       Residential Construction:  Exterior & Interior Finish     9.0 units
           ix.  CONS-55       Roof Framing Systems                                                           3.0 units
            x.  CONS-175B  Residential Wiring 2                                                               3.0 units
Students will need 40 units of completion for this certificate, or a total of $1,840 in tuition costs.

 

     3.  Construction Trades III - Major #TBD - Certificate of Achievement

                 a.  Courses include:
                       i.  ARCH-31     Building Codes                                                                           3.0 units
                      ii.  ARCH 32     Static and Strength of Materials                                           3.0 units
                     iii.  CONS-14     Building Inspection                                                                   3.0 units
                     iv.  CONS-52A   Introductory Construction Management 1                      8.0 units
                      v.  ARCH-41A   Office Practices                                                                         3.0 units
                     vi.  ARCH-42     Timber and Steel Structures                                                  3.0 units
                    vii.  CONS-52B   Introductory Construction Management 2                      8.0 units
                   viii.  CONS-60     Energy Efficient Remodeling                                                3.0 units
Students will need 34 units of completion for this certificate, or a total of $1564 in tuition costs.

 

Financial Aid, if available to the student, can cover tuition.  Review our Financial Aid website for further information.

Textbooks for this program range depending on the certificate, but an approximation would be:

     1.  Construction Trades I = $243.50

a.  CONS-50:

$93.50 Carpentry Fundamentals Lvl 1 (FCC Bookstore)

b.  CONS-51 & CONS-53:

$150.00 Modern Carpentry ISBN:9781645646600 (FCC Bookstore)

2.  Construction Trades II = $775.18

a.  ARCH-2 & ARCH-22:

$125.00 Professional Practice of Architectural Working Drawings ISBN: 9780470618158 (FCC Bookstore)

b.  AT-21:

$108.71 Safety & Health for Engineers ISBN:9781118959459 (FCC Bookstore)

c.  CONS-50:

$95.50 Carpentry Fundamentals Lvl 1 ISBN: 9780133402377 (FCC Bookstore)

d.  Cons-51 & CONS-53:

$150.00 Modern Carpentry ISBN:9781645646600 (FCC Bookstore)

e.  CONS-175A & CONS-175B:

$158.52 Electrical Wiring Residential ISBN: 9780357425770 (Amazon.com)

f.  ARCH-21:

$97.50 Fundamentals of Building Construction: Materials and Methods 7th Edition ISBN-13: 978-1119446194 (Amazon.com)

g.  CONS-55:

$39.95 Roof Framing ISBN:9780896062870 & Roof Framer’s Bible ISBN: 9780964335431 (FCC Bookstore)

3.  Construction Trades III = $545.45

a.  ARCH-31:

$328.00 2019 California Building Code, Title 24, Part 2, Volume 1 with October 2020 Errata ISBN: 9781609838911 (FCC Bookstore)

b.  ARCH-32 & ARCH-42:

$119.95 Simplified Engineering for Architects and Builders 12th edition, 2016, ISBN: #9781118975046

c.  CONS-14:  TBD

d.  CONS-52A & CONS-52B:  no textbook required

e.  ARCH-41A:

$97.50 2022 National Construction Estimator, ISBN-13:978-1572183254 (FCC Bookstore)

f.  CONS-60:  TBD

 

A.  Required Fees:

  • Health fee ($21 per semester, $13 if off campus/online per semester)
  • Associated Student Body fee ($2 per semester, but opportunity to waive the fee at time of registration if the student so chooses)
  • Material fees for students are not required
  • Certification fees: $30 for OSHA-10 & OSHA-$30

     Optional fees:

  • Parking pass ($30 per semester)
    • Fall 2022 semester:  Parking is waived
    • Spring 2023 semester:  Parking is waived
  • Student ID Card ($5) 

B.  Some courses require additional materials fee for the following courses:

* Cost for required materials/equipment - must be purchased by the end of the first week

Some Courses require additional materials what will be required or recommended to ensure that you are successful in the program.

Cost:                        Materials/supplies:

$6.48 - $29.98      Safety Glasses (Z87 approved)
$-.--                          6-piece, Machinist caliper and micrometer tool kit
$6.29                      2" Binder
$19.95                    File storage:  Two (2) memory sticks or flash drives
$4.98                      Gloves - (Leather Work Gloves, Nitrile, PVC and Neoprene Work Gloves, or Hybrid Gloves) Home Depot
$3.98 - $24.97      Hearing protection: foam earplugs 10pk or earmuffs
$17.95                    16oz. or 20oz. Smooth Face Hammer
$32.98                    19oz. or 22oz. Milled Face Framing Hammer
$11.98                    Tape Measure - 1.25" x 25' suggested
$12.98                    Wood Chisel - 3/4" or 1"
$9.98                      Combination Square or Speed Square
$5.98                      Utility Knife (not a pocketknife)
$4.48                      Carpenters Pencil 20pk
$14.98 - $19.98   Construction tool belt (Canvas-Leather-Composite)
$13.98                    9” Claw bar Nail Puller
$9.98                      3-piece Nail Sets
$7.98                      Chalk Line
$5.48                      Torpedo Level
$8.98                      Flat-blade and No.2 Phillips Screwdrivers
$12.98 - $22.98   Pliers- Lineman’s or Channel Locks
$5.98 - $15.98     Diagonal Cutters - Side Cutters

 

C. Vendor Recommendations:

Each Construction certificate requires all students to have their materials prepared and purchased by the second week of classes. The following vendors are some examples where students may be able to purchase materials.

  1. Handheld tools:
    1. Home Depot, Lowes, Fresno AG, Cherry Auction / any swap meet
    2. Tools may also be borrowed from family members or friends.  There is no specific brand of hand tool that is required, it is important that the tool works well to perform task.  Instructors will provide a review of the materials during your first week of classes.
  2. Power tools:
    1. Will be provided by the school, but students may bring their own.
  3. Dress attire:
    1. Work boots are suggested as projects are done outside:  $29.98 - $64.98
      1. Walmart, Work World, Boot Barn, Ariat (Fig Garden)

Total Estimated for fees and materials:  $236.33 - $350.22

D.  Technology Requirements:

  • A Dell Precision laptop (or equivalent) or Desktop (8 GB and 500 GB storage) with Microsoft Windows 10 Operating Systems:
    • Windows 10
    • Mac:  MacOS 10.12 and above, must be able to run Windows 10 or above
    • iOS:  11.0 and above (iPad only) Must have a compatible LMS integration
  • Memory:
    • Windows:  75 MB permanent space on the hard drive
    • Mac:  120 MB permanent space on the hard drive
  • Additional Equipment:
    • High Speed Internet
    • Mouse with mouse wheel
    • A cloud-based file storage platform, such as iCloud, Google Drive, DropBox, or similar

Fresno City Library offers the opportunity for students to use the computer lab or to check out a laptop if available.  For additional information and hours of operations.

A student can pay in one or a combination of ways:

  • Pay in person:  Fee Payments or Tuition, Business office Holds, Refunds/Fee Reversals, Financial Aid Payments/Repayments, Billing, Parking Permits
  • Business Office:  Location OAB 151A (Old Administration Building)
  • Pay online (directly using a credit card):  You may pay online in Self-Service or follow the steps about making a payment.
  • through a grant (review our Financial Aid website for grant information)
  • or with a scholarship or fee waiver through partner programs such as California's Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL) which provides employment training resources for adults and dislocated workers.  For more information about how to qualify for ETPL.

The Construction certificates have the potential for entry-level and mid-level job placement as a Construction Laborer, First-Line Supervisory of Construction Trades, Construction and Building Inspector, Carpenter, or Residential Electrician.  A potential resource for investigating jobs in the Construction field is: O*Net Online or Career Coach.

Yes! The Construction certificate is stackable — the units count — toward the Construction Trades III Certificate of Achievement and/or an associate degree in Construction or can be used as undergraduate coursework toward the transferring to a 4-year institution of higher education.

The Construction certificate is a “stackable” certificate meaning that your successful completion of this certificate can be used to apply for additional construction-related certificates and/or the Construction associate degree.

The Construction certificate is a “stackable” certificate meaning that your successful completion of this certificate can be used as valuable training in conjunction with other construction-related certificates such as Architecture, Electrical, and Heating, Ventilation, & Air Conditioning programs. If cross-training is not of interest, these courses in the Construction certificate are applicable to both the Construction and the Industrial Technology associate degree as well as transfer potential for an Industrial Technology, Construction Management, or Architecture bachelor’s degree at Fresno State. When the student applies for a bachelor’s degree program, the 4-year institution of higher education would make the decision as to which courses are fully transferable. Consult with a college counselor in order to discuss these opportunities.

This Construction program uses the same registration system as all California Community Colleges. A student must apply through CCCApply, if not already a California Community College student, in order to receive a student identification number. Once you have a student identification number, we can arrange for a counselor appointment to discuss the program and/or assist with registration through Self Service.

For more assistance with applying to Fresno City College, please access one or more of the resources below:

Initial Steps

Information to FCC Apply Now (Admissions & Aid)

If you are a first-time student, transfer student, high school student, graduating senior, or returning student, and would like to apply to become a Fresno City College student, start the enrollment process with the application, portal and email, orientation, advising, financial aid, and registration. Or feel free to join a Live Help via Zoom Session and find out more.

Extreme Registration (In person):

January 3rd, 2023: 1pm-6pm at Fresno City College Library

January 4th, 2023: 1pm-6pm at Fresno City College Library

For Extreme Registration

If you are interested in dropping in for some academic counseling support, have registration questions, need financial aid assistance, or have questions about fees and payment, please join in one of the Extreme Registration activities listed above, or call 559-442-8226 during event hours to get placed in the queue or they can sign up through the virtual Kiosk. The Kiosk is closed until the day and time of the event.

RAM Ready

January 3rd, 2023: Virtual

January 4th, 2023: Virtual

RAM Ready is our New Student Welcome event designed to help students navigate their first week and semester of college. The virtual experience will consist of presentations, campus tours, information about on campus resources available for students.

If you have any questions about Ram Ready, please contact the College Relations Office by phone at 559.442.8225 or email at collegerelations@fresnocitycollege.edu and use the subject line “Ram Ready Question”. You can also visit the website to get further information.

New Student Registration Resources

Link for New Student Registration Resources

FCC offers live assistance on Zoom to assist students in filling out the online application, logging into the Student Portal, accessing Canvas and Self-Service, and more. Use the link below to view available support times and register to attend a live workshop.

To make an appointment via zoom.

Student Services

For additional support and guidance about starting at Fresno City college you may visit or contact the Student Services office. The office supports campus wide efforts to improve service delivery, communication, collaboration and the social/personal development of students within the division and the campus as a whole.

Please visit the website to discover the additional student services that are available to support you as a student.

Each Construction certificate is designed to deliver 2-6 courses per semester for a total of 13-19.5 units, over a period of eighteen weeks for each course. Typical this can occur over a two-semester period for Construction Trades I & II or a four-semester period for Construction Trades III.

The Construction certificates do not have any third-party industry certifications associated with this program but will assist you in preparing for industry certifications associated with this program (OSHA-10 and 30, NCCER, ICC, General Contractor License, Building Inspector). Students are responsible for any desired Professional Industry Exams. Some examples are listed below:

            OSHA-10 certification fee $70

            OSHA-30 certification fee $150

            NCCER test fee $1,400

            ICC voucher fee $115

            General Contractor’s License fee $1,200

            Building Inspector examination/certification fee $219

The fees listed above are estimated and are subject to change

The Construction certificate instructor(s) can assist with job placement opportunities. In the second semester you could choose to take a course, AT-19, for a paid or unpaid work experience to build your resume and begin working in your field of study.