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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
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
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 agreement 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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