Exam Cheat Sheet · Quick Reference

Virginia Contractor Virginia Portion (Rules and Regulations)

Virginia

Verified, not estimated. Every figure below is drawn from the official exam structure we maintain — question counts, passing standard and topic weighting. Practice questions are grounded in the source law with statute citations. We omit any figure we can't verify rather than guess at it.
Total questions
24
Passing score
75%
Exam time
48 min
Format
Reference materials allowed

Virginia State Portion 24 questions

Regulation of Contractors 7 Q · 29%
Contractor license classes (A, B, and C) and contract value thresholdsLicense classifications and specialty designationsExemptions from contractor licensing requirementsApplication process and designated employee requirementsFinancial responsibility requirements (net worth, surety bond)Prohibited acts and penalties for unlicensed contractingLicense renewal, reinstatement, and reporting obligationsVirginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund eligibility and claim limits
Board Rules and Regulations 5 Q · 21%
License classifications and their authorized scope of work (Class A, B, C thresholds and distinctions)Qualifier and designated employee requirements by license classSpecialty contractor designations and their permitted scopeProhibited acts and standards of conduct for licenseesLicense renewal, reinstatement, and expiration proceduresReporting requirements for changes in business entity, responsible management, name, or addressLicensing fees, examination fees, and recovery fund assessmentsPre-license education course requirements and provider standards
Building Codes 5 Q · 21%
Uniform Statewide Building Code compliance requirements for contractors and exempt personsCertificate of occupancy requirements prior to property conveyanceBuilding permits and inspection requirements as prerequisites to contracting workBuilding code violations as evidence in contractor disciplinary proceedingsBuilding official reporting obligations for unlicensed or incompetent tradesmenContinuing education requirements related to building code changes for license renewal
Transaction Recovery Fund 5 Q · 21%
Purpose and administration of the Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery FundEligibility requirements for claimantsDefinition of improper or dishonest conduct qualifying for Fund recoveryMaximum recovery limits per claimant and per regulant per bienniumAssessment fees and minimum Fund balance requirementsFiling procedures and documentation required for verified claimsRegulant license suspension for failure to pay Fund assessmentsBoard authority to deny claims and assignment of claimant rights to the Board
Virginia Erosion and Sediment Control Regulations 2 Q · 8%
VESCP authority establishment and administration responsibilitiesErosion and sediment control plan submission and approval processPlan review timelines and deemed-approval provisionsCertificate holder requirement for land-disturbing activitiesExemptions from erosion and sediment control plan requirementsCivil penalties for violations of erosion and sediment control regulationsFee authority and public hearing requirements for VESCP programsOwner responsibility for plan preparation under construction contracts

Key Distinctions

Class A license thresholdsvsClass B license thresholds

Class A applies at a single project of $120,000 or more or $750,000 or more in any 12-month period, while Class B applies to a single contract of $10,000 or more but less than $120,000 or 12-month totals of $150,000 or more but less than $750,000.

NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Chapter 3 (Becoming a Licensed Contractor)
Class B license thresholdsvsClass C license thresholds

Class B covers single contracts of $10,000 to under $120,000 or 12-month totals of $150,000 to under $750,000, while Class C covers single jobs over $1,000 but under $10,000 and 12-month totals under $150,000.

NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E, § 54.1-1100 (Class B contractor definition)
Class A net worth requirementvsClass B net worth requirement

Class A firms must state a net worth or equity of $45,000 or more (excluding property owned as tenants by the entirety), Class B requires $15,000 or more, and Class C has no net worth requirement.

NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Chapter 3 (Becoming a Licensed Contractor) — Net Worth Requirements
Net worth demonstrationvsSurety bond alternative

A Class A applicant may either demonstrate net worth by financial statement/CPA-reviewed balance sheet or, in lieu of net worth, obtain and maintain a $50,000 bond from a corporate surety licensed in the Commonwealth and approved by the Attorney General.

NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E, § 54.1-1106(C)
Qualified individual experience by classvs—

Class A requires five years of experience in the classification or specialty, Class B three years, and Class C two years.

NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix F: Virginia Board for Contractors Regulations, 18VAC50-22-50(C)(2)
Class A/B business course requirementvsClass C business course requirement

For Class A and Class B, the designated employee or a member of responsible management must complete the board-approved basic business course, while for Class C (which has no designated employee) the requirement falls on a member of responsible management.

18VAC50-22-40(F)
Class A license classificationsvsClass B license classifications

Class A classifications are building, highway/heavy, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and specialty contractor, whereas Class B classifications additionally include fire sprinkler contractor.

NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Chapter 3 (Becoming a Licensed Contractor); Appendix E, § 54.1-1106(F)
Reinstatement (within 24 months)vsNew application (after 24 months)

A license may be reinstated for up to 24 months after expiration by meeting all renewal requirements and paying the reinstatement fee; after 24 months the firm must meet all current entry requirements and apply as a new applicant.

NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix F: Virginia Board for Contractors Regulations, 18VAC50-22-160
RenewalvsReinstatement

Renewal applies when the form and fees are received within 30 days of the expiration date; if not received within that 30 days, the licensee must go through the Board's reinstatement process.

NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Chapter 3 (Becoming a Licensed Contractor) — License Renewal and Reinstatement
Reportable change: trade name / addressvsReportable change: corporate officers vs. qualified individual

Change of address or business/trade name must be reported within 30 days, change of a qualified individual within 45 days, and change of corporate officers, LLC managers, or association officers/directors within 120 days.

NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Chapter 3 (Becoming a Licensed Contractor) — Reporting Obligations
Designated employee change — § 54.1-1106(E)vsDesignated employee change — 18VAC50-22-220

The statute requires the contractor to provide the new designated employee's name within 90 days of the departure, while the regulation states any change of designated employee shall be reported on a board form within 120 days of the change.

NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E, § 54.1-1106(E); NASCLA Contractors Guide, Chapter 3
Incompetence standard for backflow prevention device workersvsIncompetence standard for tradesmen

For certified backflow prevention device workers incompetence is egregious or repeated violation of ASSE standards referenced in the plumbing code adopted by the USBC, while for tradesmen it is based on violations of the USBC itself.

NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E: § 54.1-1134
Recoverable Fund amountsvsExcluded Fund amounts

Claims against the Transaction Recovery Fund may include actual monetary loss plus court costs and attorney fees but must exclude interest and punitive damages.

NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E, Page E-16 (§ 54.1-1123(A) and (C))
Class 1 misdemeanor (unlicensed/expired license contracting)vsClass 3 misdemeanor (building official issuing permit improperly)

Contracting without a valid or proper class of license, or using an expired or revoked license, is a Class 1 misdemeanor (plus up to $500/day for unlicensed work), while a building official who issues a permit without proof of licensure or a written exemption statement is guilty of a Class 3 misdemeanor.

NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E, § 54.1-1115(A)
Building code violation documentation as evidencevsPrima facie evidence

The Board shall consider a local building official's written documentation of a USBC violation as evidence of the violation, but the statute states it is not prima facie evidence.

NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E: § 54.1-1115.1

Key Terms

Class A contractor NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E, § 54.1-1100 (Class B contractor definition)
License class required when a single project is $120,000 or more or all projects in a 12-month period total $750,000 or more; requires $45,000 net worth (or a $50,000 bond), a designated employee, and a qualified individual with five years' experience.
Class B contractor NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Chapter 3 (Becoming a Licensed Contractor)
License class for a single contract or project of $10,000 or more but less than $120,000, or 12-month project totals of $150,000 or more but less than $750,000; requires $15,000 net worth and a qualified individual with three years' experience.
Class C contractor NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E, § 54.1-1100 (Class B contractor definition)
License class for single jobs over $1,000 but under $10,000 with 12-month totals under $150,000; the Board requires a master tradesman license as a condition of licensure for electrical, plumbing, and HVAC contractors at this level.
Designated employee NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Chapter 3 (Becoming a Licensed Contractor); Appendix E, § 54.1-1106(E)
The contractor's full-time employee or member of responsible management who is at least 18 years of age and has successfully completed the oral or written examination required by the Board on behalf of the contractor.
Qualified individual NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix F: Virginia Board for Contractors Regulations, 18VAC50-22-50(C)(2)
The person named for a classification or specialty who must have the minimum experience for the license class (five years Class A, three years Class B, two years Class C) and, for PLB, HVAC, Electrical, Gas Fitting, Natural Gas Fitting Provider, and LP Gas, must hold a master license under the Individual Licensing and Certification Regulations.
Responsible management 18VAC50-22-40(F)
Firm management personnel who may satisfy the board-approved basic business course requirement (required for Class C, and an alternative to the designated employee for Classes A and B) and whose failure to report out-of-state license suspension/revocation or a building code conviction in writing is a prohibited act.
Board classifications NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Chapter 3 (Becoming a Licensed Contractor); Appendix E, § 54.1-1106(F)
The classifications in which the Board may grant a license include building contractor, highway/heavy contractor, electrical contractor, plumbing contractor, HVAC contractor, and specialty contractor; 'landscaping contractor' is not a classification.
Commercial Building Contractor (CBC) classification Virginia Board for Contractors Regulations, 18VAC50-22-20
A classification authorizing listed specialty functions such as roofing contracting on commercial, institutional, governmental, and accessory use buildings, but not electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or gas fitting services and not construction, repair, or improvement of dwellings and townhouses as defined in the USBC.
Landscape irrigation / water well contracting NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E, § 54.1-1103(C)
Contracting work for landscape irrigation or construction of a water well requires a license regardless of the contract amount, with the class (A, B, or C) determined by the value thresholds.
Owner-built primary residence exemption NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E, § 54.1-1101(A)(7)
Exemption from contractor licensing for a person who performs or supervises construction, removal, repair, or improvement of no more than one primary residence owned by him and for his own use during any 24-month period.
USBC compliance for exempt persons NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E: § 54.1-1101
Persons exempt under subdivisions 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, or 14 of § 54.1-1101(A) — including owners repairing or improving residential dwelling units subject to the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act — must still comply with the Uniform Statewide Building Code.
Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E, § 54.1-1123(A)
Fund from which a claimant may recover for a regulant's improper or dishonest conduct in a single contracting transaction, capped at $30,000 per claimant, including actual loss, court costs, and attorney fees but excluding interest and punitive damages.
Recovery Fund assessment NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix F: Virginia Board for Contractors Regulations, 18VAC50-22-100
A $25 assessment required with each initial license application (except the residential building energy analyst firm license), refundable if the applicant does not become licensed.
Automatic suspension for unpaid assessment NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E, § 54.1-1119
If no payment of a Recovery Fund assessment is received within 30 days after mailing of the second notice, the regulant's license is automatically suspended and is restored only upon actual receipt by the Director of the delinquent assessment.
Awarding authority obligation NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E, § 54.1-1115(A)(6)
An awarding authority must require a bidder to submit his license or certificate number before considering a bid, and it is a Class 1 misdemeanor to receive or consider a bid from anyone it knows is not properly licensed.
License expiration Virginia Board for Contractors Regulations, 18VAC50-22-110
Licenses expire two years from the last day of the month in which they were issued, as indicated on the license.
Change of business entity NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix F: Virginia Board for Contractors Regulations, 18VAC50-22-210
When the legal entity holding the license is dissolved or altered to form a new entity, the original license becomes void and must be returned to the board within 30 days, and the firm must apply for a new license within 30 days; licenses are not transferable.
Deletion of sole classification NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix F: Virginia Board for Contractors Regulations, 18VAC50-22-240
If a licensee holds only one classification or specialty, deleting it results in termination of the license.
Elevator mechanic recertification NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E: § 54.1-1143
Recertification requires attestation of at least eight hours of Board-approved continuing education in elevator/escalator contracting plus evidence of knowledge of Uniform Statewide Building Code changes.
Building official mandatory report NASCLA Contractors Guide, Virginia (11th ed.), Appendix E: § 54.1-1134
A building official who finds an individual practicing as a tradesman without the required license shall file a report to that effect with the Board.

Formulas to Know

Minimum license class from project valuesCompare the single contract value AND the 12-month total to the class ranges (Class C: single job over $1,000 but under $10,000 and 12-month total under $150,000; Class B: single $10,000–under $120,000 OR 12-month total $150,000–under $750,000; Class A: single $120,000+ OR 12-month total $750,000+); the higher class triggered by either figure is the minimum required.
Recovery Fund payable amountEligible amount = actual monetary loss + court costs + attorney fees (exclude interest and punitive damages); then payable = lesser of eligible amount or the $30,000 per-claimant/single-transaction cap.
Fine for unlicensed contractingFine = up to $500 per day for each day in violation, in addition to Class 1 misdemeanor penalties.
Reinstatement eligibility windowIf months since expiration ≤ 24, reinstate (meet all renewal requirements + reinstatement fee); if > 24, apply as a new applicant meeting all current entry requirements.
Reporting deadlines by change typeAddress or business/trade name = 30 days; qualified individual = 45 days; designated employee = 90 days (§ 54.1-1106(E)) / 120 days on board form (18VAC50-22-220); corporate officers, LLC managers, association officers/directors = 120 days.
Board feesClass A designated employee exam = $60; Class B exam = $40; Qualified Individual exam = $20; Recovery Fund assessment with initial application = $25.
Third-offense escalation for certificate of occupancy violationFirst/second conviction = Class 1 misdemeanor; third or any subsequent conviction within a 36-month period = Class 6 felony.
Start free practice Full study guide