Building Trades and Construction Design Technology is a Career Certificate program offered by Suncoast Technical College in Sarasota, FL. Tuition is $2,196 total.
Program Overview
Looking to get a foothold in the construction industry? Our Building Trades and Construction Design Technology program provides students with essential skills in masonry and painting, as well as a basic understanding of construction contracts and how they affect the construction process.
What sets this Program apart
- Identify and use basic hand and power tools.
- Receive training in construction techniques and in reading plans and specifications.
- Develop trade skills in carpentry, masonry, electricity, plumbing and air conditioning.
- Explore career opportunities and gain employability skills.
Admission Requirements and Process
Entry is governed by the 2025–2026 Suncoast Technical College academic catalog. The requirements and the application steps are listed below.
General Requirements
- A completed STC application, submitted online through the college’s application portal.
- Language, mathematics and reading competencies are assessed; speak to a school counsellor about basic-skills assessment and exemptions.
- Proof of Florida residency where the Florida-resident tuition rate is claimed; non-residents pay an additional out-of-state fee per clock hour.
Application Process
- 1
- 2Basic skills assessmentLanguage, mathematics and reading competencies are assessed. A school counsellor can explain the assessment and the exemptions that apply to it.
- 3Meet with Student ServicesContact the campus you plan to attend to arrange the next step. Health Science programmes additionally require attendance at a Health Information Session before registration.
- 4Register and payRegister for your programme and settle fees. Suncoast charges by the clock hour at the published Florida-resident rate, so the cost is set by the length of the programme.
School Information
Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited institution means your education has met independently reviewed quality standards designed to protect students.
This program: Suncoast Technical College is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE).
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Eligible for federal Title IV financial aid
- Recognised by employers across Florida
- Credits toward a state licence or industry certification
Accreditations
Program Schedule
The programme is 900 clock hours. The 2025–2026 catalog describes it as approximately 9 months (900 hours). Start dates are published on the college’s Start Dates page and vary by programme and campus.
Campus: Sarasota Campus.
Curriculum
The Occupational Completion Point sequence below is the course list printed in the 2025–2026 academic catalog. Its hours sum to exactly 900 — matching both the programme’s stored clock hours and the catalog’s own printed Program Length.
Required Courses
| Subject # | Name | Total |
|---|---|---|
| A | ||
| BCV0080 | Building Construction Assistant | 450 |
| Subtotal | 450 | |
| B | ||
| BCV0081 | Carpentry and Masonry Technician | 150 |
| Subtotal | 150 | |
| C | ||
| BCV0082 | Electrical and Plumbing Technician | 150 |
| Subtotal | 150 | |
| D | ||
| BCV0083 | Building Maintenance Technician | 150 |
| Subtotal | 150 | |
| Program Total | 900 | |
Cost of Attendance and Financial Aid Information
Suncoast charges by the clock hour rather than by the term. At the catalog’s Florida-resident rate of $2.44 per clock hour, plus the financial-aid fee of $0.24 and the capital-improvement fee — $2.92 per clock hour all in — this 900-hour programme comes to about $2,196.00 in tuition and $2,628.00 all in.
Lab and programme-specific fees vary and are not included in that figure; fee sheets are provided to each applicant during admissions. Florida non-residents additionally pay a $7.34 out-of-state fee per clock hour and higher per-hour fees. Federal financial aid is available to those who qualify — Suncoast is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE), which is what makes its programmes Title IV eligible.
Tuition about $2,196.00; about $2,628.00 all in, at $2.44 per clock hour for Florida residents ($2.92 all in).
Career Outcomes
Suncoast publishes the industry certifications and state credentials attached to each programme on its own Industry Certifications page, and links career information for every programme to O*NET. Talk to a school counsellor about which credentials this programme carries and when they are earned — for some programmes they are earned within the programme’s own time frame, for others within a year of completion.
What to expect as a Suncoast Technical College student
Suncoast is a public technical college run by Sarasota County Schools, and its career and technical programmes are measured in clock hours against Florida’s Occupational Completion Point framework: you earn a documented OCP at each stage of the sequence rather than only at the end. That is why cost, length and progress are all quoted in hours here rather than credits or semesters.
Expect the work to be hands-on and the schedule to be set by the programme rather than chosen course by course. Language, mathematics and reading competencies are assessed before or during the programme, and a school counsellor can explain the exemptions. Uniforms are required for several programmes and are ordered separately — the college asks for them at least seven days before your start date.
Frequently Asked Questions
School Information
Location
Why Accreditation Is Important
Attending an accredited institution means your education has met independently reviewed quality standards designed to protect students.
This program: Suncoast Technical College is accredited by the Commission of the Council on Occupational Education (COE).
- A reliable indicator of educational quality
- Eligible for federal Title IV financial aid
- Recognised by employers across Florida
- Credits toward a state licence or industry certification