Virginia contractor licenses and siding contracts: what to check

Who needs a license

The Board for Contractors, part of Virginia's Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), licenses businesses engaged in the construction, removal, repair or improvement of facilities on property owned by others. A license is issued to the business (a firm or sole proprietor), not to individual workers.

Sources: Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors.

Class A, B and C

Every license has a class, A, B or C, set by the value of the work: the value of a single contract and the total value of work in any 12 months. Class C covers the smallest jobs, Class B larger ones and Class A the largest. A contractor should not take a job above what their class allows. This site does not publish the dollar limits; they are in the statute.

Sources: Code of Virginia § 54.1-1100.

The home improvement specialty

Besides the class, a license lists classifications or specialties that say what kind of work the firm may do. The home improvement contracting (HIC) specialty covers repairs or improvements to dwellings and townhouses; the residential building (RBC) classification also covers that work. Siding a house falls under this kind of work.

Sources: 18VAC50-22-30 (specialty definitions).

Check the license

Ask for the license number and look it up on DPOR's License Lookup. Check that the name matches the business on the contract, that the license is current (an expired license cannot be used), and that the class and specialty fit the job.

Sources: DPOR License Lookup; Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors.

What the written contract must say

Virginia's contractor regulations (18VAC50-22-260) require residential contracts to be in writing, legible and signed by both the homeowner and the contractor before work starts or payment is taken. They must include:

• when work will begin and the estimated completion date
• the total cost (or, for cost-plus or time-and-materials contracts, how the price is set)
• the amounts and schedule of progress payments, including the down payment
• a list of the materials and work you asked for
• a statement that the contractor will comply with local permit, inspection and zoning requirements
• disclosure of the cancellation rights of the parties
• your signed acknowledgement that you received DPOR's statement of consumer protection
• the contractor's name, address, license number, class and specialties
• a statement that changes to cost, materials, work or completion date must be in writing and signed by everyone
• a notice about the Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund and how to contact the board about a claim

Sources: 18VAC50-22-260 (prohibited acts and residential contracts).

Copies and change orders

The contractor must give you a fully signed copy of the contract before work begins, and changes during the job need written change orders signed by both of you. Keep every page.

Sources: 18VAC50-22-260 (prohibited acts and residential contracts).

Cancelling a contract signed at home

Virginia's Home Solicitation Sales Act lets a buyer cancel a home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after signing, by written notice to the seller at the address in the agreement. It covers sales where the seller solicits at your home without a prior invitation or appointment; a job you arranged by calling a contractor yourself may fall outside it. Read the cancellation terms your contract must state.

Sources: Code of Virginia § 59.1-21.3; Code of Virginia § 59.1-21.2.

Good habits

• Get two or more written quotes for the same scope
• Never pay in full before the work is done
• Ask how hidden rot will be priced before the wall is opened
• Ask for proof of insurance as well as the license
• Keep photos of the house before, during and after