Virginia Contractor License

Thinking of starting your work as a contractor in Virginia? You should know the state-specific requirements and the process of obtaining your contractor’s license in the state to be an authorized worker. Here, we will discuss all the necessary information about contractor’s licensing, the tools to verify the validity of the company and the contractor, laws, and regulations of licensure in Virginia, and more.

How do I find out if a contractor is licensed in Virginia?

In Virginia, every contractor who performs construction, repair, improvements, or related tasks with the total value of a single project over $1000 must hold a license. To prevent your project from risks and damages you may want to check if the contractor or the company is licensed or not. To do so, use License Lookup or the DPOR license lookup system and verify the information of the licensee by entering the name, license number, and address.

Does Virginia require contractors to be licensed?

In Virginia, anybody who conducts contracting works that exceed $1,000 in labor and materials should hold a license. The entire contractor’s licensure process in Virginia is handled by the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). Depending on the value of the project and the type of the work DPOR offers 4 contractor’s license classes and several specialties:

• Class A. This license is for those contractors whose total value of the project is $120,000 or $750,000 and more for twelve months. Qualified Individual (QI) for this license should have at least 5 years of experience.
• Class B. This license is for contractors whose total value of the contract or project is less than $120,000 or less than $750,000 for a twelve-month period. The QI should have at least 3 years of experience to obtain this license class.
• Class C. When the total value of your contract or project is less than $10,000 or less than $150,000 over 12 months. The QI must have at least 2 years of experience.

How do I get a general contractor’s license in Virginia?

To become a licensed contractor in Virginia, there are several steps you need to perform. Here, we have outlined those steps that are in accordance with laws and regulations established by DPOR:

• Register your business entity. Whether your company is LLC, corporation, partnership, etc., you should get your business and the name registered with Virginia State Corporation Commission.
• Choose the type of contractor’s license. You should select the class of the license and the specialty based on the project. Remember, that if you exceed the monetary limits of your license class it will be a violation of DPOR regulation.
• Identify your Qualified Individual and responsible management. When applying for your license you should identify the responsible management to ensure all regulations and statutes are followed properly. You must also choose a Qualified Individual. The QI could be an employee of your company or one of the members of responsible management.
• Determine the designated employee (DE). Class A and B contractors should have DE who passed their part of the examination.
• Complete pre-licensing course.
• Submit your application with the processing fee.

How do you find out if a company is licensed and bonded in Virginia?

Virginia DPOR has a state website allowing individuals to look up the credentials of the licensee and verify the status. By utilizing the DPOR license lookup tool you can check the information of reputable contractors. You can also use the disciplinary action search tool and look into the contractor’s performance history.