Virginia · Roofing licensing · official-source guide
Virginia licenses roofing contractors at the state level. The Board for Contractors, part of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, issues Class A, B and C firm licenses by contract value, and roofing is covered by the Roofing (ROC) specialty or by the residential and commercial building classifications. Initial fees run from $235 to $400 plus a $25 Recovery Fund assessment, and licenses last two years.
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Verify a licenseVerified against agency sources on 2026-09-28. Rules and fees change; confirm with the named authority before relying on this guide.
Yes. Virginia licenses roofing work at the state level, and the agency is the Board for Contractors, which sits inside the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). Section 54.1-1103 of the Code of Virginia says no person may engage in, or offer to engage in, contracting work in the Commonwealth unless licensed under Chapter 11 of Title 54.1. Roofing is contracting work because the statute defines a contractor as anyone who, for a fixed price, commission, fee or percentage, bids on, accepts or offers to accept contracts for the construction, removal, repair or improvement of a building permanently annexed to real property. The word offer matters for a marketing page: a roofer who advertises or bids without a license is already outside the statute, even before a shingle is touched. A Virginia contractor license has two parts. The first is the class, A, B or C, which is set by contract value. The second is the classification or specialty, which sets the type of work. DPOR licenses the business entity or sole proprietor, not an individual roofer, and the firm must name people who qualify it. Roofing has its own specialty called Roofing contracting, abbreviated ROC, and two broader classifications also include it. The state exempts a short list of people, such as an owner working on one primary residence he owns and uses in any 24-month period, and a supplier who only advises on products it sells. A company that sells and installs roofs for customers does not fit those exemptions. Sections below cover the classes, the specialty, exams, fees, renewal and the storm rules that matter to roof contractors.
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Virginia sorts contractors into three classes by dollar value, and the definitions sit in section 54.1-1100. A Class C contractor works on a single contract or project over $1,000 but under $30,000, or has total work in any 12-month period under $250,000. A Class B contractor works on a single contract or project of $30,000 or more but under $150,000, or has total work in any 12-month period of $250,000 or more but under $1 million. A Class A contractor works on a single contract or project of $150,000 or more, or has total work in any 12-month period of $1 million or more. The statute defines value as fair market value, and when a contractor performs or supervises the work, the contract price is prima facie evidence of value. Two tests apply at once, so a firm can be pushed into a higher class by annual volume even when each roof is small. A residential re-roof crew that closes many jobs under $30,000 can still need Class B once its combined work in 12 months reaches $250,000. A commercial roofer bidding a single low-slope replacement at $150,000 or more needs Class A. Working above your class is a prohibited act. Section 54.1-1115 makes contracting without the proper class of license for the value of the work a Class 1 misdemeanor, and the DPOR regulation lists practicing in a class the contractor does not hold as a violation. Choose the class for the volume you expect to reach, because adding a higher class later means filing a change in license class application with the board.
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Roofing contracting, abbreviated ROC, is defined in regulation 18VAC50-22-30. It means the service that provides for the installation, repair, removal or improvement of materials common to the industry that form a watertight, weather resistant surface for roofs and decks. The definition also reaches roofing system components when installed in conjunction with a roofing project, the application of dampproofing or waterproofing, and the installation of roof insulation panels and other roof insulation systems above the roof deck. That last phrase sets a boundary. Insulation work below the deck is not roofing under this definition, and it falls under the separate insulation specialty. The regulation also says the CBC and RBC classifications and the HIC and CIC specialties can perform roofing, so a firm does not need ROC on its license if it holds one of those four. What ROC does not include matters for a roofer who also sells exteriors. Plumbing, electrical, HVAC and gas fitting are never part of a roofing specialty, and the board treats work outside your listed classifications and specialties as a violation. Solar is a good example. Alternative energy system contracting has its own specialty, and the qualification table in 18VAC50-22-61 says a firm seeking it must also qualify and obtain the ROC specialty by examination and complete NABCEP certification or a board-approved certification. So a roofer who wants to install roof-mounted solar needs ROC first and then the alternative energy specialty. Gutters, siding and skylights are not named in the roofing definition, so a firm should confirm with the board before advertising them under a ROC-only license.
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Virginia splits work by building type, and roofing follows that split. Residential building contractors, abbreviated RBC, do construction, remodeling, repair and improvement of dwellings and townhouses as defined in the Uniform Statewide Building Code, including accessory buildings. The RBC classification includes the functions of the roofing specialty for those buildings. It does not cover commercial, industrial, institutional or governmental structures outside dwellings and townhouses. Commercial building contractors, abbreviated CBC, do the same kind of work on commercial, industrial, institutional, governmental and accessory use buildings, and the CBC classification includes roofing for those structures, including multi-family housing. It does not allow work on dwellings and townhouses as defined in the code. Two narrower specialties also cover roofing. Home improvement contracting, HIC, provides for repairs and improvements to dwellings and townhouses, and commercial improvement contracting, CIC, provides for repair or improvement to structures that are not dwellings or townhouses. HIC and CIC do not provide for new buildings beyond limited exceptions, and neither allows electrical, plumbing, HVAC or gas work. In practice, a roofing company that works on both single-family homes and commercial low-slope roofs has three routes. It can hold the ROC specialty, which the definition does not limit by building type. It can hold both RBC and CBC. Or it can hold HIC plus CIC. Each route carries its own qualified individual and exam requirements, so pick the one that matches the buildings you actually bid, and make sure your marketing describes only the work your license allows.
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Virginia licenses the firm, then tests the people behind it. For every classification or specialty on the license, the firm must name a qualified individual, called the QI. The QI must be at least 18, must be a full-time employee of the firm or a member of its responsible management, and must have met the board-approved examination for the specialty. The experience minimum depends on the class. Regulation 18VAC50-22-40 requires one year of experience in the classification or specialty for Class C, section 50 requires three years for Class B, and section 60 requires five years for Class A. Class A and Class B firms must also name a designated employee, the DE, who is at least 18, is a full-time employee or member of responsible management, and has passed the board-approved business examination or is exempt under section 54.1-1108.1. The Class C section names a QI but no designated employee examination. Nothing in the sections reviewed stops one person from serving as both QI and DE in a small firm if that person meets both sets of requirements. Every class also requires a member of responsible management to complete a board-approved basic business course. Applicants must disclose debts, judgments, tax obligations, bond defaults and bankruptcies for a look-back period that grows with the class: three years for Class C, four for Class B and five for Class A. They must also disclose felony convictions and non-marijuana misdemeanor convictions within three years, and prior discipline on any contractor license held in Virginia or elsewhere. A roofing owner who wants to change the QI later files a change application and pays the fee listed in the fee section.
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Two things must happen before a Virginia roofing license issues: prelicense education and examinations. DPOR requires eight hours of prelicense education for every new contractor license in Class A, B or C. For Class A and B, a member of responsible management or the designated employee takes it. For Class C, a member of responsible management takes it. DPOR describes the course as a basic business course covering regulations, statutes and requirements that apply to every business owner, and says it is not specific to any specialty. A board-approved advanced contractor class also satisfies the requirement. The course is separate from the exams. Exams are given by PSI, which DPOR names as the vendor, and DPOR lists exam availability as daily with no application deadline, with Virginia test centers in Charlottesville, Richmond, Roanoke, Vienna and Virginia Beach. Fees are paid directly to PSI: $40 for one portion of the exam, $72 for two portions, $85 for three portions, and $85 for the QI specialty exam. Regulation 18VAC50-22-80 sets a ceiling, saying the current examination will not exceed $200 per element to the candidate. The building and fire regulations are used as references on several examinations. DPOR publishes candidate information bulletins for the contractor business exam, taken by the designated employee, and the contractor specialty exam, taken by the qualified individual. Both are linked from the board page. A roofing company should have its QI take the specialty exam early, because DPOR states that successful completion of the examination is required before applying for licensure.
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Fees for a Virginia contractor license come from regulation 18VAC50-22-100, and they depend on class. The initial license fee is $235 for Class C, $380 for Class B and $400 for Class A, due with the application. A $25 Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund assessment is also required with each initial license application, under section 54.1-1119. A temporary license costs $60 with the application, on top of the applicable initial license fee. Changing the designated employee costs $125, changing the qualified individual costs $125, and adding a classification or specialty costs $125, each with its change application. No Recovery Fund assessment is required for those changes. All fees are nonrefundable, and DPOR repeats that application fees are not refundable on its board page. That matters if you apply for the wrong class, so check the value thresholds first. A bounced payment adds a processing charge set by the department. The board page also carries a notice that, effective July 1, 2026, certain fees include a separate technology fee of $7.25 per year, under 2026 House Bill 30, and that this fee remains in place through June 30, 2030 and is used solely to upgrade or replace DPOR's software system. DPOR does not say on that page which fees carry it, so a budget should use the fee table plus a small allowance and be confirmed against the current application. Exam fees are paid separately to the testing vendor, and there may be local business license costs from your city or county that are not part of the state fee schedule.
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Virginia does not ask Class C applicants for a net worth showing, but it does for Class B and Class A. Under regulation 18VAC50-22-50, a Class B firm must verify a net worth or equity of $15,000 or more, excluding property owned as tenants by the entirety, by submitting a completed financial statement with support, a financial statement reviewed by a certified public accountant, or a CPA audit. Under 18VAC50-22-60, a Class A firm must verify a net worth or equity of $45,000. In lieu of either requirement, the firm may obtain a $50,000 surety bond on the board's bond form. Section 54.1-1108 of the Code sets out the same choice for Class B, and says proof of the bond must come from a corporate surety licensed to do business in Virginia and approved by the Attorney General, filed with the department. DPOR lists the financial statement form and the surety bond form on its board page, and says the forms are required of Class A and B applicants only. A newer roofing company with thin equity, such as a crew that owns a truck and tools but carries little cash, can use the bond instead of proving net worth. The board also judges past performance, including reputation for paying material bills and meeting contract obligations. The regulations reviewed for this page do not set a general liability insurance minimum or a workers compensation requirement for contractor licensure of roofing firms. The only insurance requirement found in the board's regulations applies to residential building energy analyst firms, and the insurance rules that apply to your roofing business are listed as a gap below.
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A Virginia contractor license expires two years from the last day of the month in which it was issued, as shown on the license (18VAC50-22-110). Renewal fees are $220 for Class C, $260 for Class B and $270 for Class A, and a $30 Recovery Fund assessment is also required with each contractor license renewal (18VAC50-22-140). DPOR's board page says contractor firms can renew online, and that a mailed renewal card is also an option. The renewal form and fees must be received within 30 days of the expiration date, and the license is not valid during that 30-day grace period (18VAC50-22-130). That last point catches roofers in the busy season. A firm that lets the license lapse and keeps signing storm-repair contracts is unlicensed for those days. After 30 days, the firm must reinstate. Reinstatement costs $460 for Class C and $550 for Class B or Class A, and those amounts include the renewal fee, while the Recovery Fund assessment is still required. Reinstatement is available for up to 24 months after expiration. After that, the firm must apply as a new applicant and meet current entry requirements. Regulation 18VAC50-22-160 warns that regulated activity after expiration may be unlicensed activity subject to prosecution. A reinstated license keeps its number and is treated as continuous. Renewal qualifications in 18VAC50-22-130 require the firm to keep meeting the requirements for its class. That section lists no continuing education hours for contractor firms, so this page states none. The board can order remedial education as part of a disciplinary or consent order.
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Roofers who arrive after a hail event are common, and Virginia has a narrow path for them. Regulation 18VAC50-22-70 says firms originally licensed in a state with which the board has a reciprocal agreement, or whose eligibility criteria are substantially equivalent, may obtain a Virginia license in accordance with the terms of that agreement. The regulation does not name states, and this page does not either. A separate route is the temporary license under 18VAC50-22-65. The firm must hold a comparable license or certificate in another state, provide verification of current licensure in a format the board accepts, and show that the license is in good standing and has comparable qualifications. The firm must also meet the requirements of section 54.1-201.1 of the Code and submit a completed application for licensure at the same time. A temporary license will not be renewed, a firm will not be issued more than one, and the issuance of the full license voids the temporary one. If the board denies the license application, the temporary license is automatically suspended. The fee for a temporary license is $60 with the application plus the applicable initial license fee. A firm that keeps working after a temporary license expires or is suspended, without a comparable license, may be prosecuted and fined under section 54.1-111 A 1 of the Code. DPOR also lists an expedited Class A application with eligibility guidelines, and a certification request form that other states use to verify Virginia licensure. A storm chaser with no Virginia license has no legal basis to bid a Virginia roof.
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Unlicensed contracting is a crime in Virginia. Section 54.1-1115 makes it a Class 1 misdemeanor to contract for or bid on construction, removal, repair or improvements to real property owned, controlled or leased by another person without a license, or without the proper class of license for the value of the work. Presenting another person's license, using an expired or revoked license, and giving false evidence to the board are also listed. Subsection B adds a fine of up to $500 per day for each day the person is in violation, in addition to the misdemeanor penalties. Working without any valid license also counts as a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act when the work is a consumer transaction, which opens the door to the enforcement tools in that act. Subsection C hits collections. A construction contract signed by an unlicensed contractor cannot be enforced by that contractor unless the contractor gave substantial performance in good faith and did not have actual knowledge that a license was required. Failing to renew a license creates a rebuttable presumption of that knowledge, so a lapsed roofer usually cannot count on the exception. The bid side is covered as well: the awarding authority must require a bidder to submit a license number before considering a bid, and it is a violation for an awarding authority to consider a bid it knows is from an unlicensed firm. Licensed firms face discipline of their own. The board can impose remedial education, a monetary penalty, suspension or revocation, and hiring an unlicensed or improperly licensed subcontractor is itself a prohibited act.
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Virginia sets minimum contract content for residential work, and roofers on single-family and multi-family jobs must follow it. Regulation 18VAC50-22-260 makes it a prohibited act to skip a legible written contract for residential contracting, which the regulation defines as construction, removal, repair or improvements to single-family or multiple-family residential buildings, including accessory-use structures. Subcontractors to the contracting parties and routine maintenance or service contracts are excluded. The contract must be signed by both the consumer and the licensee or the licensee's agent before work begins or payments are accepted. It must state when work begins and the estimated completion date, the total cost for the type of contract used, the amounts and schedule for progress payments including a specific statement on the down payment, and a listing of specified materials and work the consumer requested. It must include a plain-language clause on events beyond the contractor's control, an assurance that the contractor will comply with local permit, inspection and zoning requirements, and disclosure of cancellation rights. It must carry a signed acknowledgment that the consumer received the DPOR statement of consumer protections, the contractor's name, address, license number, class and classifications or specialty services, a statement that changes affecting cost, materials, work or completion date must be written and signed, and a notice about the Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund. The contractor must deliver a fully executed copy before starting work and keep contract documents for five years. Abandonment is defined as unjustified cessation of work for 30 days or more, which matters for roofers who tear off and then wait on materials.
After a hail or wind event, roofers meet policyholders before adjusters do, and Virginia draws a firm line. Under section 38.2-1845.12, no person except a licensed public adjuster may accept a commission, fee or other compensation for investigating or settling claims, prepare, complete or file an insurance claim on behalf of a policyholder, aid or act for a policyholder in negotiating or settling a claim, advertise for employment as a public adjuster, or solicit, investigate or adjust a claim for a policyholder. The exemptions in section 38.2-1845.3 cover company adjusters, independent adjusters for insurers, licensed attorneys, and people who only gather facts or give technical help to a licensed public adjuster, such as photographers, estimators and engineers. Contractors are not listed. A roofer can inspect, document damage and write a repair estimate, but should not negotiate the claim or file it for the homeowner. Section 38.2-2131 adds that no insured under a fire insurance policy, including one combined with other coverages, may assign duties, rights or benefits arising from a claim or covered loss without the insurer's written consent, and a contract term that violates it is void. The insured may still authorize payment to a person for reasonable services or materials. Public adjusters also face limits that show what regulators watch for: no financial interest in the repair, no deductible rebates as an inducement, no solicitation during the loss-producing event, and no solicitation from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. Those bar public adjusters, not roofers, but a roofer copying them draws scrutiny. Any deductible-related rules that apply to roofers are a gap listed below.
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Storm work is often sold at the front door, and Virginia layers two sets of rules on it. First, DPOR requires a Statement of Consumer Protections to be provided in residential door-to-door solicitations, and the board page carries the form under other forms. The contract rule in 18VAC50-22-260 separately requires a signed acknowledgment that the consumer received the DPOR statement. Second, the Virginia Home Solicitation Sales Act, in section 59.1-21.2, defines a home solicitation sale as a consumer sale or lease of goods or services in which the seller or a person acting for the seller personally solicits the sale, or solicits by telephone or electronic means, at a residence other than the seller's without prior invitation or appointment, and the buyer's agreement or offer is given there. Section 59.1-21.3 then gives the buyer the right to cancel until midnight of the third business day after signing an agreement that complies with the act. Cancellation can be by any written expression of intent not to be bound, and mailed notice counts when deposited in a properly addressed, postage-paid mailbox. One exception is aimed at real emergencies. The buyer cannot cancel if the buyer asks the seller to provide the goods or services without delay because of an emergency, the seller in good faith makes a substantial beginning of performance before notice, and the buyer's emergency request is in a dated writing personally signed by the buyer that states the buyer understands the right to cancel is waived. Otherwise, waivers are void. A roofer should not start tear-off on a door-to-door sale inside the window without that signed writing.
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Virginia does not, in the rules reviewed for this page, set one line saying where a license number must appear on a truck or ad, so this page does not claim one. What the sources do require is narrower and easier to defend. Regulation 18VAC50-22-260 makes it a prohibited act to publish any contracting advertisement containing a false, deceptive or misleading statement of fact, and to make any misrepresentation or false promise meant to influence or induce. Residential contracts must show the contractor's name, address, license number, class of license and classifications or specialty services. Bidding requires a license number, because awarding authorities must ask for it. Localities check it too. Section 54.1-1111 requires anyone applying for a local building permit to give proof of licensure or a written statement of exemption, and bars the building official from issuing the permit without the license number. Any contractor applying for or renewing a local business license must furnish the state license number or an exemption affidavit. Section 54.1-1117 lets a locality require its own license for home improvement businesses, except contractors licensed under section 54.1-1106, and lets a locality set a civil penalty of up to $2,500 when a person falsely claims a valid license under that section. For copy, describe the license by its real class and specialty, never as unlimited, and do not advertise a service outside your listed classifications. A firm without a license should not use the word licensed at all. Failure to obtain a required building permit or inspection is also a listed violation.
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Anyone can check a Virginia roofer through DPOR's public License Lookup, which sits on the department's website at the URL listed in this file. A homeowner, insurer or general contractor can search and confirm that the firm holds a current license, its class, and its classifications or specialties. Check that ROC, RBC, CBC, HIC or CIC appears, and that the class fits the size of the job. DPOR also accepts complaints, and regulation 18VAC50-22-260 says complaints may be filed with the department at any time during business hours. Licensed firms carry an added consumer safeguard, the Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund. Under section 54.1-1120, a claimant must be an individual whose contract with the regulant involved contracting for the claimant's residence in Virginia, or a property owners' association for common area improvements, and must first win a judgment or an arbitration award confirmed by a court. The claim must be filed with the director within 12 months after the final judgment. Under section 54.1-1123, one claimant's recovery from the fund for one transaction is capped at $30,000, including any amount paid from the contractor's surety bond, and the aggregate for one regulant is limited by the board to $100,000 in a biennium. Interest and punitive damages are excluded. Licensed status also affects the roofer. A firm that reinstates a lapsed license is treated as continuously licensed, and consumers who contracted during the gap may still claim on the fund. Keep your own listing accurate, since customers will check it.
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These are common details other guides publish about Virginia, but we could not verify them from the agency source. Confirm them directly before relying on them.
Yes for most paid work. Section 54.1-1103 bars anyone from contracting work in Virginia without a license from the Board for Contractors. The owner of one primary residence he uses may work on it under an exemption, but a firm that bids customer roofs needs a Class A, B or C license.
Class B covers a single contract of $30,000 or more but under $150,000. Annual volume also counts: $250,000 or more but under $1 million in 12 months puts a firm in Class B even when each job is smaller. Confirm both tests before you sign the contract.
There is a Roofing contracting specialty, abbreviated ROC, added to a Class A, B or C firm license. The residential and commercial building classifications, and the home improvement and commercial improvement specialties, can also perform roofing, so a firm may not need ROC itself.
The qualified individual needs one year in the specialty for Class C, three years for Class B and five years for Class A. That person must also be at least 18, work full time for the firm or sit in its responsible management, and pass the board-approved exam.
Class B needs $15,000 in verified net worth or equity, and Class A needs $45,000. Either class can instead file a $50,000 surety bond on the board's form. Class C has no net worth showing in the regulation.
Every two years, on the last day of the month it was issued. Renewal is $220 for Class C, $260 for Class B and $270 for Class A, plus a $30 Recovery Fund assessment. The license is not valid during the 30-day grace period after expiration.
No. The license is not valid during the 30-day grace period, and regulated activity after expiration may be treated as unlicensed activity. A lapse past 30 days requires reinstatement, available for up to 24 months after expiration.
No. Section 38.2-1845.12 reserves preparing or filing claims, negotiating settlements and taking pay for adjusting claims to licensed public adjusters. Contractors are not among the exemptions. A roofer can document damage and write a repair estimate.
Not without the insurer's written consent for fire insurance policies, including those combined with other coverages. Section 38.2-2131 makes contrary contract terms void. The insured can still direct payment to a person for reasonable services or materials.
It must be written, signed by both sides before work or payment, and show start and estimated completion dates, total cost, payment schedule and down payment, materials, permit assurance, cancellation rights, your license number, class and specialty, and a Recovery Fund notice.
Generally yes, until midnight of the third business day after signing an agreement that complies with the Home Solicitation Sales Act. An emergency waiver works only when the buyer signs a dated writing requesting immediate work and acknowledging the loss of the right.
A Class 1 misdemeanor plus a fine of up to $500 per day of violation. The unlicensed contractor also generally cannot enforce the contract in court, and a lapsed license creates a presumption that the contractor knew a license was required.
We can review the local market, your current search visibility, and paid-search fit before recommending any marketing work.