Virginia contractor license requirements

Licenses and registrations

Class C contractor license

Contractors whose single contracts or projects are over $1,000 but less than $30,000, or whose total work in any 12-month period is less than $250,000.

• When it applies: Single contract or project over $1,000 but less than $30,000, or less than $250,000 total in any 12-month period (Va. Code § 54.1-1100, as amended by 2025 Acts of Assembly cc. 127 and 133, effective July 1, 2025).
• Good to know: No net worth requirement and no business exam. Qualified individual needs 1 year of experience.

Class B contractor license

Contractors whose single contracts or projects are $30,000 or more but less than $150,000, or whose 12-month total is $250,000 or more but less than $1 million.

• When it applies: Single contract or project $30,000 or more but less than $150,000, or $250,000 or more but less than $1 million in any 12-month period (Va. Code § 54.1-1100).
• Good to know: $15,000 net worth. Designated employee passes the General and Virginia exams. Qualified individual needs 3 years of experience.

Class A contractor license

Contractors with single contracts or projects of $150,000 or more, or $1 million or more of work in any 12-month period.

• When it applies: Single contract or project $150,000 or more, or $1 million or more in any 12-month period (Va. Code § 54.1-1100). The DPOR application says Class A has no monetary limits.
• Good to know: $45,000 net worth. Designated employee passes the Advanced, General and Virginia exams. Qualified individual needs 5 years of experience.

Home Improvement Contracting (HIC) specialty

Repairs or improvements to existing dwellings and townhouses, or structures attached to them. Excludes electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas fitting work, and most new construction outside the existing structure (decks, patios, driveways and some outbuildings are allowed).

• Good to know: Held under a Class A, B or C license. Requires pre-approval and a technical exam for the qualified individual.

Residential Building Contractor (RBC) classification

Construction, remodeling, repair, improvement, removal or demolition of dwellings and townhouses, including accessory structures. Excludes electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas fitting work.

• Good to know: Held under a Class A, B or C license. Requires pre-approval and a technical exam for the qualified individual.

Roofing (ROC) specialty

Installing, repairing, removing or improving watertight, weather-resistant roof and deck surfaces, including dampproofing, waterproofing and roof insulation systems.

• Good to know: Listed as a pre-approval designation on the DPOR application.

What you need to qualify

• Exams: Class A designated employee passes the Advanced, General and Virginia business exams. Class B passes the General and Virginia exams. Class C has no business exam. Specialties such as HIC and RBC need a technical exam for the qualified individual. Exams are given by PSI.
• Experience: Qualified individual needs 1 year (Class C), 3 years (Class B) or 5 years (Class A) of experience in the classification or specialty.
• Bond: No general license bond is stated. Class A and B applicants may file a surety bond on the Board's form as one way to prove financial responsibility.
• Financial: Class A applicants must document $45,000 in net worth/equity and Class B applicants $15,000, by financial statement form, CPA review or audit, or surety bond. Class C has no net worth requirement.
• Business registration: Licenses are issued to business entities. All businesses, including out-of-state businesses, must register with the State Corporation Commission. A FEIN is required except for sole proprietors and solely owned LLCs.
• Also required: A Board-approved pre-license business course is required for all classes (DPOR's 2025 introduction form describes it as an eight-hour class). Qualified individuals and designated employees must be in responsible management or full-time employees working at least 30 hours a week.

Fees, renewal and continuing education

• Fees: Application fee on DPOR form A501-27LIC (v18, 08/01/2026): Class A $439.50, Class B $419.50, Class C $274.50. These include the Recovery Fund fee and the Technology Fee of $7.25 per year that started July 1, 2026. Regulation 18VAC50-22-100 lists base initial fees of $400 (A), $380 (B) and $235 (C) plus a $25 Recovery Fund assessment. Base renewal fees are $270 (A), $260 (B) and $220 (C) plus a $30 Recovery Fund assessment.
• Renewal: Every 2 years. Licenses expire two years from the last day of the month in which they were issued.
• Continuing education: No general continuing education requirement for Class A, B or C contractor licenses was found in 18VAC50-22. Journeyman and master tradesmen must take continuing education: 3 hours for plumbing, electrical and HVAC, and 1 hour for gas fitting.

Contracts and homeowner protections

Residential work needs a written contract signed by the consumer and the contractor before work starts or payment is accepted. It must include start and estimated completion dates, total cost, the payment schedule and down payment, materials and work requested, cancellation rights, the contractor's name, address, license number and class, a signed acknowledgment that the consumer received DPOR's statement of protection, notice of the Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund, and a rule that changes must be in writing and signed. Contracts and change orders must be kept for 5 years. Stopping work without justification for 30 days or more is abandonment. The Recovery Fund pays up to $30,000 per claimant per transaction and up to $100,000 per licensee per biennium. No deposit cap appears in the regulation.

Electrical, plumbing and HVAC work

The Board for Contractors licenses individual electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians and gas fitters (journeyman, master and residential tradesman licenses). Electrical, plumbing and HVAC contracting firms must have a master tradesman as a condition of licensure.

City and county rules

Contractors must comply with the local licensing requirements of every county, city and town where they work. A locality may not issue or renew a business license unless the contractor gives its state license number or proof of exemption. Check with the local Commissioner of the Revenue and building official.

Working without a license

Contracting or bidding without the required license or license class is a Class 1 misdemeanor, plus a fine of up to $500 per day of violation (Va. Code § 54.1-1115).

What to confirm with the state

We couldn't confirm these on an official page when we checked. Ask the licensing office before you rely on them:

• Whether any general liability insurance is required for a Virginia contractor license (none is stated on the DPOR application).
• Hour count of the pre-license course on the current (2026) application; the 2025 DPOR introduction form says eight hours.

Sources

1. DPOR Board for Contractors
2. DPOR Contractor License Application A501-27LIC (v18, 08/01/2026)
3. DPOR Change in License Class Application A501-27CHLIC (v16)
4. DPOR Board for Contractors Introduction form A501-27INTRO (v6, 07/01/2025)
5. Va. Code § 54.1-1100 Definitions
6. HB 1707 (2025), Chapter 127, effective July 1, 2025 - Virginia LIS
7. Va. Code Title 54.1 Chapter 11 (full text)
8. 18VAC50-22 Board for Contractors Regulations (full text)
9. DPOR Tradesmen