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Construction Work Regulated?

Who Regulates Construction?

Requirements?

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Construction Work Regulated?

Contractor licenses are issued to business entities for construction work in excess of $1,000. Water Well System and Landscape Irrigation contractors are required to be license regardless of the dollar amount of the project. Subcontractors working for licensed contractors holding the Residential Building, Commercial Building, and Home Improvement Specialties may perform work up to $5,000 per project without having to obtain a license, unless the work involves plumbing, electrical, HVAC, gas-fitting, elevator/escalator, accessibility equipment, water-well system work, or landscape irrigation. Businesses that perform residential building energy analyses are required to hold a Residential Building Energy Analyst Firm license.

Individual licenses are issued on both the Journeyman and Master levels for Plumbing, Electrical, Gas Fitting, Liquefied Petroleum Gas Fitting, Natural Gas Fitting, and HVAC. Individual certifications are issued to Trainee, Journeyman, and Master Water Well System Providers, Backflow Prevention Device Workers, Elevator Mechanics,
Accessibility Mechanics, Accessibility Mechanics (LULA endorsement), and Residential Building Energy Analysts.

In addition to the licensing requirements of the Board for Contractors, businesses and individual who provide lead and asbestos remediation are required to hold a license issued by the Board for Asbestos, Lead, and Home Inspectors. Additionally, contractors performing installation or repair services on conventional or alternative sewage
disposal systems, are required to hold a license from Board for Waterworks and Wastewater Works Operators and Onsite Sewage System Professionals

Individuals may use their license/certification to perform work less than $1,000 (except Water Well Service Providers, Elevator Mechanics, Accessibility Mechanics, and Residential Building Energy Analysts). Work performed in excess of that amount requires a Contractor license or Residential Building Energy Analyst Firm license, in
addition to the individual license/certification.

Highway construction, improvement and/or maintenance conducted for road projects are typically managed by the Virginia Department of Transportation require prequalification and certification. If this type of work is being done and it is not a VDOT project, a license issued by the Virginia Board for Contractors is required.

Who Regulates Construction?

Prequalification information for Highway and Bridge Contractors may be obtained from:

Virginia Department of Transportation Construction Division, Prequalification Section
1401 East Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23219
(804) 786-2938
https://www.virginiadot.org/business/const/prequal.asp

Contractor, Residential Building Energy Analysts and individual license/certification applications and/or licensing information may be obtained from:

Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation Board for Contractors
9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 400
Richmond, VA 23233
(804) 367-8511/Fax (804) 527-4401
https://www.dpor.virginia.gov

Asbestos and Lead Abatement Contractors may obtain licensing information from:

Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
Board for Asbestos, Lead, and Home Inspectors
9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 400
Richmond, VA 23233
(804) 367-8595/Fax (866) 350-5354

Conventional and Alternative Sewage Disposal System Contractors may obtain licensing information from:

Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation Board for Waterworks and Wastewater Works Operators and Onsite Sewage System Professionals
9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 400
Richmond, Virginia 23323
(804) 367-8595/Fax (866) 350-5354

Requirements?

Highway Prequalification: Contractors must submit experience, equipment information, and documents to support safety record, as well as an annual financial statement. The bidding capability of the applicant is based on the firm's safety record and past VDOT performance reports. The application process takes approximately 30 days and prequalification can take up to 60 days upon receipt of all information. Prequalification is performed on an annual basis.

Contractors: Contractor licenses are issued to business entities and are not transferable. Contractor businesses that change their form of business entity are required to obtain a new license for the newly formed entity and meet the current eligibility criteria for licensure. All applicants for licensure must have a member of Responsible Management (owner/officer) or the individual taking the business examination for Class A and B licenses, successfully complete a pre- license education course approved by the Board for Contractors.

All contractor licensees must have a Qualified Individual (QI) who possess the experience and knowledge in a particular specialty that allows that specialty to be on the contractor license. The QI for firms holding a trade-related specialty/classification (plumbing, electrical, HVAC, gas-fitting, LP gas, natural gas) must hold a master level
license in that specialty/classification. The QI for firms holding the water well system specialty must hold a Master Water Well System Provider certification. The QI for firms holding the elevator/escalator, accessibility mechanic, or accessibility mechanic (LULA) specialties, must hold the appropriate certification in those specialties. Some other specialties, such as radon mitigation, fire sprinklers, blasting, and manufactured housing, must hold the appropriate certification from the appropriate state agency or national certification organization. All other Qls must successfully complete a technical examination in the specialty in which the individual will serve as the QI. Additionally, all Qls must have the appropriate number of years of experience, depending on the license class desired. NOTE: Qualified Individuals must be approved to sit for the applicable technical examination. This approval process is incorporated into the application review. Applicants must submit an application and meet all eligibility criteria for licensure with the exception of the technical exam. Once it has been determined that the applicant is eligible for licensure, the Qualified Individual is approved to sit for the technical exam(s). When the exam(s) have been successfully completed the license is issued

Class A and Class B contractors must have a Designated Employee who must successfully complete the appropriate business examination. Applicants for the contractor's license must also complete an 8 hour pre-license education course that has been approved by the Board. The course covers basic business requirements for contractors in Virginia. Bonding Requirements: Applicants for a Class A or Class B license are required to provide documentation of fiscal standing, which is generally done by including a CPA audit or review with the application, or by providing documentation of all assets claimed on their financial statement. Effective July 1, 2017, applicants for a Class A or Class B license may provide a surety bond, in the amount of $50,000, in lieu of providing financial documentation. This is not a requirement, but an available option. The bond must be submitted on a form supplied by the Board for Contractors.

Fees charged by the board for the licensing and renewal of contractors are as follows:

Fees / Class A / Class B / Class C / Energy Analyst

Initial Fee / $385 / $370 / $235 / $210
Renewal Fee / $290 / $275 / $245 / $195
Reinstatement Fee / $540 / $510 / $455 / $405

All fees include Recovery Fund assessments, except energy analyst firms, which do not pay into the Fund.

Contractors are classified in 3 classes based on the value of individual contracts and annual volume. The limitations for the classes are as follows:

Class / Single Contract Limit / Annual Limit / Required Net Worth
Class A / Unlimited / Unlimited / $45,000
Class B / $120,000 / $750,000 / $15,000
Class C / $10,000 / $150,000 / N/A

All contractors shall participate in a transaction recovery fund: the initial assessment is $25. An additional assessment of no more than $50 may be included with all contractor license renewal fees when the Director determines that the balance of the fund is or will be less than $400,000. Payout limits are $20,000 per claimant and
$40,000 per contractor.

Fees charged by the Board for the licensing and renewal of individual license and certificate holders are as follows:

Type Fees

Initial / $130
Renewal / $90
Reinstatement / $140

RECIPROCAL AGREEMENTS
Virginia has a reciprocal agreement for electrical contractors and tradesmen with North Carolina.

Virginia has limited reciprocal agreements for electrical tradesmen with Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland and West Virginia.

Virginia has a limited reciprocal agreement for HVAC tradesmen with Louisiana and Maryland.

Virginia has a limited reciprocal agreement for plumbing and gas fitting tradesmen with the Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC).
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