United States · Licensing examClass A, B or C: what each allows
| Class | Per project | Per 12 months | Experience |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class C | Under $30,000 | Under $250,000 | 1 year |
| Class B | Under $150,000 | Under $1 million | 3 years |
| Class A | No limit | No limit | 5 years |
The experience is the qualified individual's, in the specialty. Class A and B applicants also show net worth of at least $45,000 or $15,000, or file a surety bond; Class C has no financial requirement. DPOR adds that the business must also meet local licensing rules, so contact the Commissioner of the Revenue and building official where you'll work.
What's on the VA contractor license exam?
The business exam comes in portions. A Class B designated employee passes the General and Virginia portions, and a Class A designated employee passes General, Virginia and Advanced. Class C has no designated employee, so no business exam.
The specialty side depends on the work. For trade specialties, the qualified individual holds a Master Tradesman license in that trade. For home improvement, the qualified individual passes the home improvement technical exam. The PSI bulletins for the business and specialty exams list the topics.
Exam fees, dates and test sites
| Exam | PSI fee |
|---|---|
| One business portion | $40 |
| Two portions | $72 |
| Three portions | $85 |
| Specialty exam (qualified individual) | $85 |
You pay PSI directly and can call it at (855) 340-3910. DPOR lists testing as daily, which it notes typically means Monday to Friday, with no application deadline. Sites are in Charlottesville, Richmond, Roanoke, Vienna and Virginia Beach, plus Johnson City, Tennessee, and Salisbury, Maryland. You must pass before you apply for the license.
The pre-license course and license fees
Someone from responsible management, or the designated employee for Class A and B, completes an 8-hour pre-license course approved by the board. For Class C, it must be someone from responsible management. The course doesn't replace the exams. DPOR keeps a list of approved course providers.
The application instructions list initial license fees of $439.50 for Class A, $419.50 for Class B and $274.50 for Class C. Applying for Commercial Building or Commercial Improvement only costs $25 less, because no Recovery Fund fee is due. DPOR says a $7.25-a-year technology fee applies to certain fees from July 1, 2026. Application fees aren't refundable.
Sources: Virginia DPOR and 1 more. Checked October 2026.
- Virginia DPOR: Board for Contractors ↗
- Virginia DPOR: Contractor licensing information and application instructions ↗
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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