What Are the Requirements for a Class A Virginia Contractor License?
A Class A contractor license is Virginia's highest contractor license class. Unlike Class B and Class C, a Class A license does not place a maximum monetary limit on the individual projects or total annual work a contractor can perform.
Class A also has the highest qualification requirements of Virginia's three contractor license classes, including five years of experience for the Qualified Individual, a Designated Employee who passes the Class A contractor exam, and a higher financial qualification requirement.
If you're still deciding which license class your business needs, our Virginia Contractor License Classes Explained compares Virginia's Class A, Class B, and Class C licenses.
Here are the main requirements for obtaining a Virginia Class A contractor license.
Virginia Class A Monetary Limits
Your contractor license class determines the monetary value of the projects your business is allowed to perform.
Under the current Virginia contractor license class definitions, a Class A applies when a single contract or project is valued at $150,000 or more or when the total value of projects performed during any 12-month period is $1 million or more.
Unlike Class B and Class C, there is no upper monetary limit for a Class A contractor license.
Virginia's contractor monetary limits changed in 2025, so older resources may still show the previous amounts. You can find the current limits for all three license classes in our Updated Virginia Contractor License Monetary Limits.
Class A Experience Requirement
Every classification or specialty on a Class A contractor license must have a Qualified Individual (QI).
For Class A, the QI must have at least 5 years of experience in the classification or specialty being requested.
The QI must also be at least 18 years old and either a full-time employee of the business or a member of its responsible management. These requirements are established in the Virginia Class A contractor regulations.
Does a Class A Contractor Have to Take an Exam?
Yes. A Class A contractor must have a Designated Employee (DE) who passes the required Class A contractor examination.
The Class A exam consists of two portions:
Virginia
General
Advanced
Unlike the technical exam, the Class A examination is focused on business, law, regulations, and general contracting knowledge rather than a specific contractor classification or specialty.
The DE must be at least 18 years old and must be either a member of Responsible Management or a bona fide full-time employee of the business. DPOR's current contractor licensing guide confirms that Class A Designated Employees must successfully complete the Virginia, General, and Advanced portions of the examination.
What About the Technical or Classification Exam?
The Class A exam and technical exam are two different examinations with two different purposes.
The Designated Employee (DE) takes the Class A exam.
The Qualified Individual (QI) is responsible for meeting the experience and examination requirements for the classification or specialty being requested.
For example, if a Class A business is applying for the Residential Building Contractor (RBC) classification, its QI must meet the RBC requirements and take the RBC technical exam after the contractor application has been approved by DPOR.
The DE and QI do not necessarily have to be different people. The same person can serve in both roles if that individual meets the requirements for each.
Is the 8-Hour Pre-Licensing Course Required for Class A?
Yes. A new Class A contractor applicant must complete a Board-approved 8-hour contractor pre-license education course.
For Class A, the person who completes the course can be either:
the Designated Employee, or
a member of Responsible Management.
Importantly, the person who takes the 8-hour course does not have to be the same person who takes the Class A exam or the technical exam.
DPOR specifically describes pre-license education as a requirement separate from the Class A examination. The course itself is a basic business course covering relevant statutes, regulations, and requirements and is not specific to a particular classification or specialty.
You can learn more in What Is the Virginia Contractor 8-Hour Pre-Licensing Course? or view DPOR's official contractor pre-license education information.
What Is the Class A Financial Requirement?
A Class A applicant must meet a higher financial qualification requirement than a Class B applicant.
The business must verify at least $45,000 in net worth or equity.
Under Virginia's current Class A regulation, the business can demonstrate its financial position using:
a completed financial statement with supporting documentation;
a financial statement reviewed by a Certified Public Accountant (CPA); or
a CPA audit.
DPOR's current contractor application instructions also identify $45,000 as the minimum net worth/equity requirement for Class A applicants.
Can a Class A Contractor Use a Surety Bond Instead?
Yes.
Instead of satisfying the $45,000 net worth or equity requirement through financial documentation, a Class A applicant may obtain a $50,000 surety bond using the Board's required bond form.
The surety bond is an alternative method of satisfying the financial qualification requirement. It is not an additional requirement on top of the $45,000 net worth/equity requirement.
DPOR instructs Class A and Class B applicants to select one financial verification method.
Class A Contractor License Requirements at a Glance
The Class A licensing process can look complicated because different people may be responsible for different requirements. In simplified terms, the process generally looks like this:
Establish the business that will hold the contractor license.
Complete the required 8-hour contractor pre-license course. For a Class A application, either the Designated Employee or a member of Responsible Management can complete the course.
Choose your classification or specialty and identify your Qualified Individual. The QI must have at least five years of qualifying experience and meet the requirements associated with the requested classification or specialty.
Have the Designated Employee take and pass the Class A contractor exam. The Class A DE must pass the Virginia, General, and Advanced portions of the examination.
Submit the Class A contractor license application to DPOR. The application identifies the business's Responsible Management, Designated Employee, Qualified Individual, license class, classification or specialty, financial qualification information, and other required information.
After DPOR approval, have the Qualified Individual take the required technical/classification exam, if an exam is required for the requested classification or specialty. Once the remaining requirements have been satisfied, DPOR can complete the licensing process.
Important: The Class A exam is taken before the contractor license application is submitted, while a required technical/classification exam is taken after DPOR approves the application for testing.
Who Does What on a Class A Contractor License?
There are three terms you'll see frequently during the Class A licensing process:
Responsible Management refers to the individuals who have management responsibility for the business. Who qualifies depends on the business structure.
The Designated Employee (DE) is responsible for satisfying the Class A examination requirement.
The Qualified Individual (QI) qualifies the business for a particular classification or specialty through the required experience, examination, or prerequisite qualifications.
One person can potentially fill more than one of these roles as long as that person meets the requirements for each role.
Class A vs. Class B
Class A and Class B share several licensing requirements, but Class A raises the qualification level.
A Class A license:
has no upper monetary limit;
requires the QI to have at least 5 years of qualifying experience, compared with 3 years for Class B;
requires a Designated Employee;
requires the DE to pass the Virginia, General, and Advanced portions of the Class A examination; and
requires $45,000 in net worth/equity or the $50,000 surety-bond alternative, compared with the $15,000 financial requirement for Class B.
Both classes still require an appropriate classification or specialty and a QI who meets the requirements associated with it.
Is There an Expedited Class A Application?
Yes. Virginia offers an Expedited Class A License Application for qualifying applicants.
The expedited application is specifically available for businesses seeking a Class A contractor license and has its own requirements and additional fee. DPOR's current expedited application requires the applicant to provide documentation satisfying the $45,000 financial requirement as part of the application.
Frequently Asked Questions
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There is no upper project or annual monetary limit for Class A. Class A applies when an individual project is $150,000 or more or when total projects reach $1 million or more during a 12-month period.
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The Qualified Individual must have at least five years of experience in the classification or specialty for which that person will serve as the qualifier.
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No.
The Designated Employee takes the Class A examination, which includes the Virginia, General, and Advanced portions.
The Qualified Individual satisfies the applicable technical/classification examination or prerequisite requirements for the classification or specialty.
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Yes, provided that individual meets the requirements for both roles.
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No. For Class A, the course may be completed by either the Designated Employee or a member of Responsible Management.
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No. The $50,000 surety bond is an alternative to satisfying the standard Class A financial qualification requirement.
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No. The five-year experience requirement applies to the Qualified Individual for the classification or specialty being requested.
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No. Class A is a license class, not a classification or specialty.
The class determines the monetary scope and certain qualification requirements of the contractor license. The classification or specialty determines the type of work the business is authorized to perform.
For example, a business could hold a Class A Residential Building Contractor (RBC) license.
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No. Having a Class A license removes the upper monetary restriction, but it does not automatically authorize every type of contracting work.
The business must still hold the appropriate classification or specialty for the work it performs. Virginia separately defines the scopes and qualification requirements for those classifications and specialties.
