Virginia Requirements for Becoming a Building Contractor
Published on October 24, 2018 by Brenda Forton
If you’ve been thinking about getting a Building Contractors license in the state of Virginia, there are a few things you need to know.
There are 3 Virginia Contractor License Classifications
Virginia contractor licenses consist of two parts, the class of the license, which determines what if any restrictions are placed on the size of contracts/projects that may be performed and the classification/specialty, which determines what type of work the licensed contractor is allowed to perform.
The Virginia Board for Contractors issues licenses in one of three classes: Class A, Class B, and Class C. In most cases, the type of license you should apply for is based on the value or contract price of the projects your business will be bidding on or engaged in (see the Note below for specific exceptions). Please read the following definitions before deciding which contractor license is suitable for your business.
Class A contractors perform or manage construction, removal, repair, or improvements when (i) the total value referred to in a single contract or project is $120,000 or more, or (ii) the total value of all such construction, removal, repair, or improvements undertaken by such person within any twelve-month period is $750,000 or more.
Class B contractors perform or manage construction, removal, repair, or improvements when (i) the total value referred to in a single contract or project is $10,000 or more, but less than $120,000, or (ii) the total value of all such construction, removal, repair, or improvements undertaken by such person within any twelve-month period is $150,000 or more, but less than $750,000.
Class C contractors perform or manage construction, removal, repair, or improvements when (i) the total value referred to in a single contract or project is over $1,000 but no more than $10,000, or (ii) the total value of all such construction, removal, repair, or improvements undertaken by such person within any twelve-month period is no more than $150,000.
Note: Landscape Irrigation and Water Well contractors must be licensed as a Class A, Class B or Class C contractor regardless of the dollar amount of the project or contract.
Click here to find Virginia Building Codes.
According to the Virginia Code, contractor licenses are issued to businesses and not individuals, even if the business is a sole proprietorship with one employee. All contractors of any kind must complete an 8-hour Contractor Basic Business course. Courses may be taken online or in a classroom as long as they are approved by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
There are 4 steps to obtain your Virginia Contractors license:
- Successfully complete the 8-hour Virginia Contractor Basic Business course available through an approved provider.
- Successfully PASS the required parts of the contractor exam that measures your knowledge of the profession.
- Obtain a Contractor’s License application from the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation:
Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 400
Richmond, Virginia 23233-1485
(804) 367-8511
www.dpor.virginia.gov
4. Submit the Contractor’s License application and supporting documents to the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. You will need to include a check or money order made payable to the Treasurer of Virginia for the following amounts:
- Class A – $385
- Class B – $370
- Class C – $235
NOTE – You may also pay by credit card using the credit card form included with the application.
Cut and paste this link into your internet browser for a step-by-step printable guide produced by the Virginia DPOR: http://www.dpor.virginia.gov/uploadedFiles/MainSite/Content/Boards/Contractors/Contractors%20step%20guide.pdf
All Virginia Contractor business entities must have a Qualified Individual for each of the classifications and specialties listed on their application.
The Qualified Individual is the person that has the appropriate amount of experience in the classification or specialty being applied for on the application. A person may be the Qualified Individual for more than one classification or specialty. This individual must be either a full-time employee or a member of the Responsible Management of the business applying for the license and must have a minimum amount of work experience within the scope of practice of their specialty. Qualified Individuals for Class A applicants must have a minimum of five years experience, three years experience for Class B and two years of experience for Class C.
Want to become licensed in more than one state? Take the NASCLA Accredited Commercial Contractor Examination!
When you pass the NASCLA Accredited Examination for Commercial General Building Contractors, you will be listed in the NASCLA National Examination Database. You will then have this information available for the following states which accept the NASCLA Accredited Examination: AL, AR, GA, LA, MS, NV, NC, OR, SC, TN, UT, US Virgin Islands, VA, and WV. You may also need to take each states’ specific business/law/project management exam in addition to the NASCLA exam.
The Builders License Training Institute offers Virginia Basic Business and Building Contractor Exam Prep and NASCLA Exam Prep courses available online anytime 24/7. There’s even financial aid and a scholarship program for eligible Students and Veterans.
It’s time to build a better future!