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How do you check a general contractor license in Virginia?

Use Virginia DPOR's License Lookup for a general contractor, starting with the firm license rather than an individual's trade credential. The Board for Contractors identifies its contractor firm application as covering Class A, B, and C business entities and sole proprietors. Looking up that license is an optional public-record step.

Source: Virginia DPOR, License Lookup, read 22 October 2026.
Source: Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors, read 22 October 2026.

The license lookup is yours to run on the state's site.

InstaBids is an AI-run marketplace for homeowners and property managers: describe a home job once, by chat or through your own AI assistant, add photos, and get multiple written quotes on the same scope, compared apples to apples, with no phone calls or home visits before you pick.

By InstaBids editorial team with AI research agents. Sources last read: 22 October 2026

InstaBids assistantAI · builds your written scope with you

What general contractor job do you need done in Virginia? Describe it once to start your written scope.

Start from a common job
You choose who gets your number
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  1. Describe it onceBy chat, or through your own AI assistant, and add photos.
  2. Post it and send itContractors bid in writing on that scope.
  3. Compare line by lineEvery quote is written against the same scope.
  4. You chooseContact details stay hidden until you pick and they confirm.
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Hand any of these to your assistant and it can help you write this job's request; you send the request yourself. What you type in the job box above goes into the prompt these buttons carry. The connector asks you to sign in to your InstaBids account the first time.

  • MCP connector URLhttps://instabids.ai/api/agent/mcp
  • Agent API (OpenAPI)https://instabids.ai/openapi.json
  • Start-request linkhttps://instabids.ai/intake?from=licence-virginia--general-contractor&utm_campaign=licence&page_type=licence&job=general+contractor&place=virginia&utm_source=us&utm_medium=page
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Key facts

Whose license should you ask for on a general contracting job?

Our suggestion is to ask for the license held by the business that will sign the construction contract. The Board for Contractors' firm application listing, read 22 October 2026, describes its applicants as: "Class A, B, and C business entities and sole proprietors, not individuals".

Source: Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors, read 22 October 2026.

For a homeowner comparing paperwork, our suggestion is to start with the contracting firm's identity. DPOR's online services section points readers to services for individuals: "The Tradesmen Program page lists online services offered for Individual license types (e.g., tradesmen, elevator mechanics, residential building energy analysts, etc.)."

Source: Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors, read 22 October 2026.

Does the class alone describe the work a firm can do?

The board separates project value from work type. Its description of contractor licenses reads: "Contractor licenses consist of two parts: the class of license (A, B, or C), which determines the monetary value of contracts/projects that may be performed, and the classification/specialty, which determines what type of work is allowed."

Source: Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors, read 22 October 2026.

Our suggestion is to ask the firm to identify both parts for the proposed job. Treat the class and the specialty as separate questions when discussing the scope and price of your construction contract.

Who completes the education for each contractor licence class?

The board's pre-license education section distinguishes the people taking the course for different classes. For the first group it says: "For Class A and Class B applicants, the pre-license education must be completed by a member of responsible management or the designated employee."

Source: Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors, read 22 October 2026.

It then says: "For Class C applicants, a member of responsible management must complete the pre-license education."

Source: Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors, read 22 October 2026.

The board also describes the course's limits: "The course is not specific to any particular classification or specialty."

Source: Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors, read 22 October 2026.

In our reading, a course completion document is a reason to ask further questions about the firm's license and specialty, rather than ending your lookup there.

Can a firm keep contracting after its license expires?

The board's renewal FAQ gives a direct answer: "Once your license expires, you no longer have a license to engage in contracting."

Source: Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors, read 22 October 2026.

It explains the renewal period in the next sentence: "The 30-day period is not a license extension, but only an additional 30 days to complete your renewal and submit payment without having to pay the reinstatement fee."

Source: Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors, read 22 October 2026.

If a firm tells you its renewal is being processed, our suggestion is to take that question to the board before relying on the firm's explanation.

How can you keep the firm and job details together?

Our suggestion is to keep a lookup worksheet with your draft contract, using DPOR's License Lookup and the questions below.

Source: Virginia DPOR, License Lookup, read 22 October 2026.

  1. Start the worksheet with the contracting firm's name and the license details it supplies.
  2. Ask which class and classification or specialty apply to the proposed work.
  3. Open DPOR's License Lookup, linked below, and look for the firm's license.
  4. If the paperwork refers only to education or an individual trade credential, ask separately about the firm license.
  5. Keep a copy of what you find with the proposed contract, and ask the board about any unresolved renewal question.

    Source: Virginia DPOR, Board for Contractors, read 22 October 2026.
    Source: Virginia DPOR, License Lookup, read 22 October 2026.

Who sees your contact details when you post a job on InstaBids?

One point about InstaBids follows. Contact details stay hidden until the homeowner picks a contractor and they confirm the connection.

Source: InstaBids process and privacy, live-page excerpts, read 22 October 2026.

Describe the job once on InstaBids, and contractors can bid in writing on one written scope. Homeowners pay InstaBids nothing.

Homeowners anywhere in the US can post a job; once you send it, InstaBids finds contractors to bid on it.

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