Trade business resources for Virginia.

In Virginia, contractors are licensed at the state level through the Board for Contractors under DPOR, rather than primarily at the city or county level. Any contractor performing work valued at $1,000 or more (labor and materials combined) must hold a valid state contractor license before legally contracting for that work.

State licensing board

Virginia uses a tiered contractor licensing system with three main classes: Class A (projects $120,000+ per contract or $750,000+ per year), Class B (projects $10,000–$120,000 per contract or $150,000–$750,000 per year), and Class C (projects $1,000–$10,000 per contract and under $150,000 per year). Within these classes, contractors select specialty designations (called 'Specialty Codes') covering trades such as electrical (EL), plumbing (PL), HVAC (HV), roofing (RF), and general building/residential (BC/RBC). Electricians and plumbers performing journeyman or master-level trade work may also need individual tradesperson certification through DPOR in addition to the business contractor license. General contractors handling full construction projects fall under the building/commercial or residential building categories depending on project type.

Business registration