Virginia roofing license: what your Class A, B or C license with ROC covers, whether gutters and siding are included, and your first 30 days

Published November 3, 2026 · Law checked November 3, 2026

• Free to read. The 30-day checklist is also a free printable (Google Docs, Word or PDF). The files come by email.
• Deepsel is our product: free estimate, invoice and scheduling software for contractors (scheduling, quotes, invoicing, card payments). The section before the FAQ says where it fits and where it doesn't.
• Not legal advice. Every rule here links to the statute, regulation or official page it comes from. Ask DPOR, your building department or a Virginia attorney before you bet a job on my reading.

A Virginia roofing license is a Class A, B or C contractor license from DPOR's Board for Contractors with the roofing specialty, ROC, on it. ROC covers putting on, repairing and tearing off roof coverings, the roofing components that go on with them, waterproofing and roof insulation above the deck, on houses and commercial buildings, up to your class's limit: Class C takes single jobs over $1,000 and under $30,000, Class B up to $150,000, Class A has no ceiling.^1,3 Gutters and siding aren't in ROC. DPOR's own classification list puts "Guttering" and "Siding" with home improvement (HIC) and residential building (RBC), so a firm with RBC already has all three, and a ROC-only firm needs HIC or a sub who holds it for a gutter or siding job over $1,000.⁵

Five things catch new Virginia roofing companies before the next job:

• A new roofing law starts January 1, 2027, 59 days from today. No paying or waiving a customer's deductible, required wording on any ad that invites a roof claim, and two notices in every residential roofing contract.¹⁷
• Sub crews. An unlicensed crew can work up to $25,000 a project for a firm holding RBC or HIC. A ROC-only firm doesn't get that exemption, so its subs need their own license on any job over $1,000.⁷
• Workers' comp counts your subs' workers. One employee of yours plus a sub crew of two makes three, and you need a policy even if the crew carries its own.¹¹
• Permits depend on the city. The state exempts house reroofs except in high-wind areas and historic districts; Virginia Beach wants a permit, Fairfax and Norfolk don't, and more than 256 square feet of decking needs one everywhere.^8,9
• The numbers online are stale. Google's AI answer for "virginia roofing license" on November 3, 2026 gave Class C a $10,000 limit, said it needs two years of experience, and said "Business/trade exams not required for Class C." The limit has been $30,000 since July 2025, the rule says one year, and your roofing qualifier passes DPOR's specialty exam.^19,2,3,5

This is the Virginia paperwork behind a roofing company, each item with the rule behind it. Contracts are in Virginia home improvement contract requirements, the $1,000 line and HIC in Virginia handyman license rules, and the trade work you'll meet on a roof in the electrical, plumbing and HVAC license guides.

The 30-day checklist is also a printable: make your own copy in Google Docs (lands in your Drive), download the Word version (.docx), or download the PDF. Pick a format, enter your email and I'll send the links. It's the same list as on this page, with tick boxes and blanks for your license, bond, policy and permit numbers and your renewal dates.

Virginia roofing license basics: the firm, the specialty and the qualifier

Virginia licenses the business, not the roofer. A contractor license has two parts: the class, which sets how big a job you can sign, and the classification or specialty, which sets what kind of work you can do.⁵ Roofing is the ROC specialty. The RBC (residential building), CBC (commercial building), HIC (home improvement) and CIC (commercial improvement) letters "also provide for this function."³ There's no individual roofer's license: Virginia's tradesman licenses cover trades such as electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas fitting, and roofing isn't one of them, so your crew needs none.¹

Sources for the table: the Board's regulations and DPOR's application and board page.^3,5 DPOR also says that since July 1, 2026 "certain fees include a separate Technology Fee of $7.25 per year," so check the amount on your renewal notice.⁵

Who has to be named on the firm's license

• The qualified individual for ROC. They must be "a full-time employee of the firm or ... a member of the responsible management of the firm," with the years of experience for the class, and they must have "completed a board-approved examination" for the specialty.³ Full-time means at least 30 hours a week on the firm's work, paid on a W-2, and DPOR's application adds "not a 1099 employee." ROC is on DPOR's list of designations where the qualifier must "be pre-approved and pass an examination," with an Experience Verification Form.⁵ DPOR's approval to sit a specialty exam lasts one year, with no extensions.⁶
• The designated employee, on Class B and A only, who passed the Board's business exams for the firm. Class C has none.^3,5
• Responsible management: the owners, partners, officers or LLC members. For Class C, one of them completes the eight-hour pre-license course, a basic business course "not specific to any particular classification or specialty."⁵

A solo owner who passed the roofing exam fills every role on a Class C license.

One qualifier, one company? And being someone else's qualifier

I found no rule in Virginia's statute or the Board's regulations that limits a qualifier to one company. The qualifier test does the limiting: the person is an owner or officer of the firm, or works there full-time on a W-2, at least 30 hours a week.³ An employee can't pass that at two firms, and an owner of two companies could qualify both. If your qualifier leaves, report a new one within 60 days.³

If another company asks to list you as its ROC qualifier, the same test decides it. You join its payroll full-time or its management, or you don't sign. The Board lists "Allowing a firm's license to be used by another" as a prohibited act, and giving false evidence on a license application, or using someone else's license, is a misdemeanor.^4,18

Virginia contractor license classes: your dollar ceiling

These limits are new. Before July 1, 2025, Class C stopped at $10,000 a job and $150,000 a year, and Class B at $120,000 and $750,000.² For a roofer that's a big change. At about $536 a square (the median all-in reroof price US roofers state on Reddit, owner statements rather than a survey), Class C now reaches a reroof of about 55 squares, where the old $10,000 line stopped near 18. One Virginia owner, trying to get properly licensed, put the old problem plainly: "the $1,000 unlicensed-project limit is keeping me from taking many jobs that are otherwise a good fit for my experience" (r/Contractor). DPOR's own step-by-step guide and the Prince William County documents still print the old numbers.^5,10 Sign a $30,000 job on Class C and you're contracting "without the proper class of license," which is the same misdemeanor as having none.¹⁸

What ROC covers, and whether gutters and siding are included

The Board's definition: roofing contracting "means the service that provides for the installation, repair, removal, or improvement of materials common to the industry that form a watertight, weather resistant surface for roofs and decks. This includes roofing system components when installed in conjunction with a roofing project, application of dampproofing or waterproofing, and installation of roof insulation panels and other roof insulation systems above roof deck."³ On the jobs that raise questions:

• Shingles, metal, tile, slate, flat and low-slope membranes: all "materials common to the industry." The definition doesn't split by material or by house and commercial.³
• Tear-off. "Removal" is in the definition.³
• Flashing, drip edge, underlayment, ridge and box vents: as I read it, these are the "roofing system components" the definition means when they go on with the roof. A powered attic fan is a different story, because its wiring is electrical work (ELE).³
• Roof insulation above the deck, the kind under a flat roof membrane: named in ROC. Attic insulation under the deck is the insulation specialty (INS), which HIC and RBC also cover.³
• Decking. The definition doesn't name sheathing, and I found no DPOR ruling either way. My reading: replacing rotted sheets on a reroof goes with the roof. The building code puts the line elsewhere: more than 256 square feet of decking on a house needs a permit.⁸
• Rafters, trusses and other structure: framing. That's the FRM specialty, which HIC and RBC also cover, and it's outside ROC.³
• Skylights. Flashing one is roofing. The unit itself is on DPOR's HIC and RBC list.⁵
• Chimneys. The flashing is roofing. Rebuilding brick or a crown is masonry (BRK), which HIC and RBC also cover.³
• Solar panels. Removing and reinstalling them is alternative energy system contracting (AES), and "No other classification or specialty service provides this function."³

Gutters, siding, soffit and fascia: the plain answer

None of them is in ROC. DPOR's published list of classifications and specialties ends with a note: "Specialty contractors engaging in construction which involves the following activities or items or similar activities or items may fall under the CIC, HIC and FIC specialty services, or they may fall under the CBC or RBC classifications." The list includes "Guttering," "Siding," "Skylights" and "Windows."⁵ HIC itself covers "repairs or improvements to dwellings and townhouses," and RBC includes the home improvement and roofing functions.³ So:

• Your license says RBC, or ROC plus HIC: roofing, gutters, siding, soffit and fascia on houses are all inside it.
• Your license says ROC alone: a gutter, siding or soffit-and-fascia job over $1,000 needs HIC on your license or a sub who holds HIC or RBC. Under $1,000 no state license applies at all.¹

The common case is a reroof with new gutters on the same contract. A Board policy adopted in August 2025 says a contractor may bid work outside its license "provided that the contractor subcontracts that work to properly licensed contractors and the work of the subcontractors is incidental to the contract," and may not bid a job whose "primary scope" is outside its license.⁶ So a reroof with gutters subbed to an HIC firm fits, and a gutters-and-siding job signed on ROC alone doesn't. If you'll do gutters yourselves on a ROC-only license, get DPOR's answer in writing first.

Adding HIC is the usual fix. It's an "umbrella" specialty, and the Board's policy says a qualifier needs experience in at least three of the "breakout" specialties (drywall, finish carpentry, flooring, glazing, insulation, masonry, painting, roofing, tile and framing) to get it; with fewer, you add those specialties one by one.⁶ Of the 1,615 firms holding ROC on DPOR's license lists on November 3, 2026, 898 (56%) also held HIC, 1,052 (65%) held HIC, RBC, CBC or CIC as well, and 528 (33%) held ROC and nothing else.⁵ One more trap: DPOR says a business name "must not indicate that you do work that is not allowed by your license," and its own example is a roofing-only firm that may not call itself "Builders."⁵ "Roofing and Siding" on a ROC-only firm invites the same question.

Residential and commercial

ROC has no residential limit; the CBC classification and CIC specialty list it for commercial buildings too.³ HIC and RBC stop at houses and townhouses. Your class still caps every contract, and commercial reroofs bring their own permit, asbestos and energy rules (below).

Where your license stops

• Structure. Rafters, trusses, a new roof over a deck or patio, a dormer: framing and new construction, which means RBC (or FRM for the framing alone). The Board's policy says even HIC firms "may not add roofing to decks, patios, or other portions of a structure that does not already have an existing roof."⁶
• Electrical. Attic fan wiring, heat cable circuits and solar wiring are ELE work, done by or under a licensed electrician.³
• Plumbing vents. Flashing the pipe and the boot is roofing. Extending, moving or cutting the vent pipe is plumbing: PLB covers "Venting systems related to plumbing."³
• HVAC. Moving a rooftop unit or extending a bath fan duct is HVA work, since HVA covers ventilating systems. Flashing the roof jack is yours.³
• Solar. Panel removal and reinstall go to an AES contractor. A roofer can add AES: the rules let a qualifier who got ROC by examination and holds a NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) or board-approved certification qualify for it, with the Board's AES exam.³
• Asbestos that turns friable. Only an asbestos contractor (ASB) may do an asbestos project, but Virginia excludes "nonfriable asbestos-containing roofing, flooring and siding materials which when installed, encapsulated or removed do not become friable."^3,16
• Jobs over your class limit, and gutters, siding, soffit and fascia on a ROC-only license (above).

Federal rules every Virginia roofing business meets

Fall protection: 6 feet, and what a written plan is for

Virginia runs its own job-safety program, VOSH (Virginia Occupational Safety and Health), and it enforces the federal residential fall protection rule.¹⁴ The rule: "Each employee engaged in residential construction activities 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levels shall be protected by guardrail systems, safety net system, or personal fall arrest system."¹⁴ OSHA's guidance names roofing as residential construction work. On a house that means a harness, lanyard and anchor for each roofer, or guardrails or nets.

The written fall protection plan is an exception. You may use one only when you "can demonstrate that it is infeasible or creates a greater hazard to use these systems," and the rule presumes the systems are feasible. A plan must be written by a qualified person for that specific site, kept at the job, carried out under a competent person, and say why conventional protection won't work there.¹⁴ Two more roofing lines: materials can't be stored within 6 feet of a roof edge without guardrails, and on low-slope commercial roofs warning lines and a safety monitor are allowed in combination.¹⁴ Lifts count too. One owner: "I got a OSHA fine a couple years ago for being more than 12' off the ground in the basket of my genie lift, doing siding, but sans harness and arrestor" (r/Roofing, since removed).

EPA's lead rule: fascia, soffit, trim and siding on pre-1978 homes

Asphalt shingles aren't painted, so a plain reroof rarely triggers EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule. What triggers it is disturbing painted surfaces for pay in a home built before 1978: wood fascia, soffit, trim, siding, or a window. Virginia doesn't run its own program, so EPA's rule applies to "all firms, even sole proprietorships."¹⁵ The minor repair exemption stops at "20 square feet or less of painted surface for exterior activities," never covers window replacement or "demolition of painted surface areas," and when you remove painted components "the entire surface area removed is the amount of painted surface disturbed." Tearing out a run of painted fascia boards passes 20 square feet fast. If that's your work, the firm gets EPA certification and a certified renovator directs the job. The federal civil penalty is up to $49,772 per violation.¹⁵

Asbestos in old roofing

The federal asbestos rule for demolition and renovation (NESHAP) excludes "residential buildings having four or fewer dwelling units," so it generally doesn't reach a house reroof.¹⁶ Virginia adds two rules on top. Its definition of an asbestos project leaves out nonfriable roofing and siding that come off without crumbling, so old asbestos-cement shingles removed whole aren't an asbestos project. And for buildings first permitted before January 1, 1985, the building department won't issue a renovation permit without an asbestos inspection certification, a rule that skips single-family homes and buildings of four units or fewer.¹⁶ For a commercial reroof on an older building, that inspection comes before the permit.

Crews and subs

Who can work under your license

Your employees work under the firm's license, and none of them needs a license of their own for roofing.¹ A sub crew is different. Virginia's definition of a contractor includes anyone who contracts to perform construction or repair "in whole or in part," so a crew paid more than $1,000 for its part of your job is contracting and needs its own license.¹ Hiring an unlicensed or improperly licensed sub is a prohibited act for you, and you carry "any monetary penalty or other sanction" from hiring someone without a required credential.^4,18

The exception depends on your letters. Work "valued at $25,000 or less per project on behalf of a properly licensed contractor" needs no license, "provided that such contractor holds a valid license in the (i) residential building, (ii) commercial building, or (iii) home improvement building contractor classification."⁷ An RBC or HIC firm can use an unlicensed crew on a $20,000 reroof. A ROC-only firm can't: its crew needs at least a Class C license with ROC.

Workers' comp: your subs' workers count

Virginia's comp law excludes employers with "regularly in service less than three employees."¹¹ For a roofer the count doesn't stop at your payroll, and a corporate officer counts as an employee. The Workers' Compensation Commission says: "If a business hires subcontractors to perform the same trade, business or occupation, or to fulfill a contract of the business, the subcontractors' employees are included in determining the total number of employees," and "A contractor with three or more total statutory employees is required to have coverage even if one or all subcontractors have their own coverage."¹¹ That's the statutory employer rule: you can owe comp to a sub's injured worker as if you'd hired him.¹¹

• No employees and no subs: no policy required. Virginia has no exemption or waiver form ("Some states offer such a form but Virginia does not").¹¹ Sole proprietors, single-member LLC members and partners can elect to cover themselves.
• A 1099 doesn't settle it: "Filing of a 1099, payment of cash wages or designating a worker an 'Independent Contractor' does not necessarily eliminate or alter employee status."¹¹
• Subs without their own coverage cost you at audit. The Commission warns "the contractor can be charged additional insurance premium if the subcontractor's coverage is not present."¹¹ Owners price that in: "100/sq for an insured sub and 75-80 if I'm having to cover WC for them" (r/Roofing). An audit can arrive as one bill, as a California owner found: "I got audited by my previous workman's comp insurance and the bill came out to over 200k!" (r/Roofing, since removed).
• Going without when required costs up to $250 a day, capped at $50,000. If no insurer will write you, the Commission points to NCCI's assigned risk market (1-800-622-4123).¹¹
• Your local business license needs your comp certification (the Commission's Form 61A asks how many sub workers assist you), and a locality can't license a contractor who should carry comp and doesn't.¹¹

Get a certificate of insurance from every sub before the first job, and look up their license on License Lookup.

General liability

Virginia doesn't require liability insurance for a roofing license. The Board's rules require it only from residential building energy analyst firms.³ You'll want it anyway, and read the classification line: "Alot of roofers get a binder for a GL policy to show they have GL insurance but the policy EXCLUDES roofing" (r/Roofing, one owner's warning).

Virginia reroof permits and inspections

Virginia has one building code, the Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC). The state licenses you; the local building department issues permits and inspects.⁸ The exemptions that matter to a roofer:⁸

• "Replacement of an unlimited amount of roof covering or siding" on houses and townhouses (Groups R-3, R-4 and R-5), "provided the building or structure is not in an area where the nominal design wind speed is greater than 100 miles per hour."
• "Replacement of 100 square feet ... or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones." Small repairs are exempt everywhere, commercial included.
• "Replacement of 256 square feet ... or less of roof decking" on houses and townhouses, unless it had to be fire-retardant-treated. That's eight full 4x8 sheets.
• Two exceptions let the building official require a permit anyway: replacement siding and roofing in a locally designated historic district, and any exempt work in a special flood hazard area.

Structural components always need a permit, so rafter repair does.⁸ Here's what the big localities say:

• Virginia Beach: its residential permit page lists "Roofing or siding replacements" as alterations that need a permit, with a final inspection.⁹
• Fairfax County: its permit page says no permit for "Replacement of roof shingles," "Re-siding of building/home with similar material," gutters, or "less than 256 square feet (9 boards) of roof plywood (unless required to be fire rated, such as townhomes)." Its Residential Miscellaneous permit page lists "Re-Roof/Re-Line Roof Repair" and chimney repair, so ask before anything beyond shingles.⁹
• Norfolk: "Building permits are not required for 1 and 2 family residential re-roofs." Its roofing sheet says sheathing and rafter repairs need "a SEPARATE REPAIR PERMIT" inspected before they're covered.⁹
• Henrico County: no permit for roof covering, siding, gutters, roof repairs or "256 square feet (8 sheets of sheathing) or less of roof decking," and it reminds you exempt work still has to meet the code.⁹

No permit doesn't mean no code. Virginia's existing building code bars a roof recover where the roof "has two or more applications of any type of roof covering," where the covering is "slate, clay, cement, or asbestos-cement tile," or where it's water-soaked or too deteriorated to hold new roofing, and rusted or damaged flashing and edge metal can't go back on.⁸ So no third layer. On commercial reroofs that replace more than 75% of a roof with insulation entirely above the deck, the energy code's insulation rules apply.⁸

Who pulls the permit

The owner or the contractor or sub doing the work can apply. Before it issues, you give your license number and proof your local business taxes are paid.^7,8 Homeowners may work on one primary residence they live in without a license.⁷ Skipping a required permit or inspection is a prohibited act for your firm.⁴

County licenses on top: Fairfax and Prince William

State law lets any city or county require its own home improvement license, except from Class A firms.⁷ Two big counties do, and both cover roofing:

• Fairfax County: "licensed Class 'C' contractors and those performing work that does not meet the threshold for a Class 'C' license must obtain a Fairfax County Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) license." You need two business references, your DPOR and Fairfax business license numbers, "Your standard contract template," a financial statement, and a surety bond: $10,000 for contracts over $1,000, $5,000 under. See the county's HIC page.¹⁰
• Prince William County: its home improvement license lists roofing and siding, has a $10,000 surety bond "in all categories," exempts Class A and B firms, and applies to Class C "if the work being performed is residential." The county's documents date from 2012 to 2015 and still show the old state limits, so call 703-792-6924 to confirm.¹⁰

Local business licenses (BPOL) in the big localities

Every Virginia city and county can charge the BPOL tax (Business, Professional and Occupational License). You license where your office is, and another locality can require its own license once you do more than $25,000 of work there in a year. State law caps the contracting rate at 16 cents per $100 of gross receipts and bars the percentage tax under $100,000 of receipts in localities over 50,000 people.¹³ You show your DPOR license number and certify your workers' comp status.^7,11

Sources: each locality's own page, read November 3, 2026.¹³ Richmond's $0.19 is above the statutory 16 cents, so ask the city before you budget.

Sales tax on roofing materials

In Virginia a roofer is the consumer of the shingles, not a retailer. Anyone who contracts to do construction or repair on real estate and furnishes the materials "shall be deemed to have purchased such tangible personal property for use or consumption," so the supply house charges you sales tax.¹² The Department of Taxation's rule adds that a contractor "does not pass the sales or use tax on to anyone else as a tax" and "will take the amount of the tax into consideration in submitting bids," and if a supplier doesn't charge Virginia tax, you owe use tax on the purchase. Selling materials without installing them makes you a dealer, which needs its own registration.¹² So build the tax into your square price and leave the sales tax line off a roofing invoice.

Can I take this job? A table for Virginia roofing contractors

The verdicts assume your firm holds ROC at Class C or higher and the contract fits your class. "HIC or RBC" means either one on your license, or a sub who holds it.

Sources for the table: classes and specialties,^1,3 DPOR's list and policies,^5,6 permits and the existing building code,^8,9 county licenses,¹⁰ BPOL,¹³ lead and asbestos,^15,16 the 2027 law,¹⁷ wrong class.¹⁸

Storm work gets one paragraph here. From January 1, 2027, no contractor may "pay, waive, or rebate all or part of an insurance deductible" on an owner-occupied home. Any ad that invites a roof claim, door hangers and magnets included, must say that the owner pays the deductible, that contractors can't practice public adjusting, and that waiving a deductible violates the Consumer Protection Act, in type at least 12-point or half the ad's largest type, whichever is bigger. Every residential roofing contract carries the two notices set out in the contract article.¹⁷ Owners who lost bids to deductible offers may welcome it: "I've lost 3 jobs so far from companies that offer to pay the deductible" (r/Roofing, since removed).

Your first 30 days: a checklist for a new Virginia roofing contractor

This is the same list as the printable. Week 1 keeps the next job legal, week 2 covers the people on the roof, and weeks 3 and 4 get the permit, tax and contract questions answered before they cost you.

Week 1: licenses and paperwork

1. Look up your firm on DPOR's License Lookup. Write down the license number, class, letters (ROC, HIC, RBC, CBC, CIC) and expiration date.⁵
2. Check your ROC qualifier meets the rule: an owner or officer, or a full-time W-2 employee working at least 30 hours a week.³
3. Decide on gutters and siding. RBC or HIC on the license: you're covered. ROC alone: add HIC ($125, a qualifier with experience in three breakout specialties and the exam), line up an HIC or RBC sub, or stay on the roof.^3,6
4. Register the LLC or corporation with the State Corporation Commission, and file an assumed name certificate if you trade under any other name.²⁰
5. Get the BPOL license where your office is: within 75 days in Fairfax, 30 days in Prince William, Loudoun, Chesterfield and Richmond, before you start in Virginia Beach. Bring your DPOR number and comp certification.^13,11
6. Class C working on houses in Fairfax or Prince William: apply for the county home improvement license and buy the $10,000 surety bond.¹⁰
7. Put your license number, class and specialties into your quote terms, contract and invoices. A residential contract must show your "name, address, license number, class of license, and classifications or specialty services," be signed before work starts or money changes hands, and carry the other items in the contract article.⁴
8. Check your trucks, website and ads. No statewide rule requires the license number on them, but ads can't be "false, deceptive, or misleading," and your business name can't suggest work outside your license.^4,5

Week 2: insurance, crews and safety

9. General liability: not required for the license. Price it, and get the agent to confirm in writing that the policy covers roofing work.³
10. Workers' comp: count your employees plus every sub's workers. Three or more and you need a policy, even if the subs carry their own. Up to $250 a day, capped at $50,000, if you go without.¹¹
11. Every sub: a DPOR license if the job is over $1,000 and your firm is ROC-only (over $25,000 a project if you hold RBC or HIC), plus a certificate of workers' comp, on file before they start.^7,11
12. Fall protection on every roof: a harness, lanyard and anchor for each worker 6 feet up, or guardrails or nets; materials kept 6 feet from the edge unless there's a guardrail. A written, site-specific plan only where you can show those systems won't work.¹⁴
13. If you'll replace painted fascia, soffit, trim or siding on pre-1978 homes: EPA firm certification and a certified renovator.¹⁵

Weeks 3 and 4: permits, tax and the contract

14. Ask each building department you'll work in whether a house reroof needs a permit, and open an account where it does (Virginia Beach: yes; Fairfax, Norfolk, Henrico: no for shingles). Write the answer down.^8,9
15. Add the permit triggers to your estimate steps: more than 256 sq ft (8 sheets) of decking, any rafter or truss repair, historic districts, flood zones, and every commercial reroof.⁸
16. Price layers and decking in the contract, and never quote a recover over two layers or over slate, clay or cement tile.⁸ The construction estimate template and the markup and margin guide help with the numbers.
17. Commercial jobs: for buildings first permitted before 1985, the asbestos inspection certificate goes in with the permit application.¹⁶
18. Sales tax: pay it at the supply house, build it into your price, and leave it off your invoices. Owe use tax on materials bought without Virginia tax.¹²
19. Before January 1, 2027: add the two roofing notices to your contract, add the deductible, public-adjusting and Consumer Protection Act wording to any flyer, door hanger or ad that invites a roof claim, and give an itemized estimate on every insurance job.¹⁷

On the calendar

20. Firm license: expires two years from the last day of the month it was issued. Renewal is $220, $260 or $270 by class, plus $30 for the Recovery Fund, and the license isn't valid during the 30-day grace period. There's no continuing education for the firm license.³
21. If your ROC qualifier leaves, report the new one within 60 days; a new designated employee within 120.³
22. BPOL renewals by March 1. Renewal forms go out in January.¹³
23. County home improvement license and bond (Fairfax, Prince William), general liability and workers' comp: each renewal date in the calendar, and the comp audit after each policy year.^10,11
24. January 1, 2027: the Residential Property Owners Protection Act takes effect.¹⁷

What happens if you cross the line

No license on a job over $1,000, or the wrong class

• It's a crime. Contracting without a license, or "without the proper class of license," is a Class 1 misdemeanor: up to 12 months in jail and a $2,500 fine, plus up to $500 for each day of the violation. A third conviction for unlicensed practice within 36 months is a Class 6 felony, and DPOR can also sue for $200 to $5,000 per violation, up to $25,000 a year.¹⁸
• You may not get paid. A contract made without a valid license "shall not be enforceable by the unlicensed contractor" unless the work was done in good faith and the contractor didn't know a license was required, and a lapsed license creates "a rebuttable presumption of actual knowledge." For the wrong class the statute doesn't say, and I didn't research how courts read it.¹⁸
• No mechanic's lien, with no license or the wrong class. The customer can also sue under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act: actual damages or $500, whichever is more, up to three times damages or $1,000 if willful, plus attorney's fees.¹⁸

Gutters or siding outside your letters, an unlicensed sub, no permit

Working in a specialty you don't hold, contracting with an unlicensed or improperly licensed sub, and "Failure to obtain a building permit or applicable inspection, where required" are all prohibited acts. The Board can fine up to $2,500 per violation and order remedial education, probation, suspension or revocation.⁴ Without proof that local license taxes are paid, the building official can't issue your permit at all.⁷

The 2027 roofing rules

Each violation of the new law is a prohibited practice under the Consumer Protection Act, with the same damages as above. Leave the anti-rebate notice out of a roofing contract and the owner "may void the contract within 10 days after execution."^17,18

No workers' comp, and insurance

Missing workers' comp when you need it costs up to $250 a day, capped at $50,000, and a locality won't issue or renew your business license.¹¹ I found no Virginia rule on what unlicensed or out-of-scope work does to your liability coverage. That's in your policy. Ask your agent in writing and keep the reply.

More for new roofing companies

• Roofing price per square: what to charge, crew pay and your real margin, with a free rate sheet.
• Roofing estimate template and checklist: every line from tear-off to dump fee, with a free spreadsheet and roof sheet.
• Roofing contract template: the decking and extra-layer clauses that stop you eating the cost.
• Roofing insurance and workers comp: what it costs in your state, the official comp rates and what can sink you, with a free checklist.
• Insurance claims, what a roofer may and may not say, and the notice your contract needs: Colorado, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nebraska.

Where Deepsel fits

Deepsel is the field service software I build, and it doesn't know Virginia's roofing rules. It won't flag a gutter job on a ROC-only license or a quote that passes your class limit, pull a permit, measure a roof, track your license, bond, comp certificates or sub paperwork, or handle an insurance claim. What it does: the shop-wide terms text you set once is copied onto every new quote, so your license number, class, ROC and your per-layer and per-sheet prices go on each one without retyping, and the invoice footer is copied onto every invoice. Price book items have a free-text unit, so you can price by the square, the sheet or the foot, and line quantities take decimals (23.5 squares). The shop sales tax rate starts at 0, which suits a Virginia roofer who pays the tax at the supply house. A checklist you build once (layers found, sheets replaced, permit number, fall protection set) can go on each quote for your crew to tick, stamped with who and when, and the customer never sees it. One caution: the 2027 notices must be bold 14-point type on the owner's signature page, and a terms block doesn't promise that formatting, so keep them in your contract document. Free covers 30 estimates and 30 invoices a month for your whole team; Pro is $29 a month with unlimited estimates and invoices (pricing).

Frequently asked questions

Does Virginia require roofers to be licensed?

The business does. Any roofing job over $1,000 needs a Class A, B or C contractor license from DPOR's Board for Contractors with the roofing specialty (ROC), or with RBC, HIC, CBC or CIC, which also cover roofing. Virginia has no individual roofer's license, so your crew members don't need one. Under $1,000 no state license is required, but Fairfax and Prince William counties want their own home improvement license for small residential jobs.

Do I need a separate license for gutters and siding in Virginia?

If your firm holds ROC alone, plan on it. ROC's definition covers the roof surface, its components, waterproofing and insulation above the deck, and doesn't name gutters or siding. DPOR's classification list puts guttering and siding with the home improvement (HIC) specialty or the residential building (RBC) classification. An RBC or HIC firm can do roofing, gutters and siding. A ROC-only firm can add HIC for $125 with a qualifier who has the experience and passes the exam, or sub the gutters and siding to a firm that holds it.

What can a Class C roofing contractor do in Virginia?

Any work your specialties cover, on contracts over $1,000 and under $30,000, as long as all your work in any 12 months stays under $250,000. Those limits took effect July 1, 2025. Google's AI answer on November 3, 2026 still said $10,000, two years of experience and no exam for Class C. The rule says one year, and your roofing qualifier passes DPOR's specialty exam. In Fairfax and Prince William counties, Class C firms working on houses also need a county license with a $10,000 bond.

Can an out-of-state roofing contractor work in Virginia?

Only with a Virginia contractor license for jobs over $1,000: no one may contract in Virginia without one. DPOR's application lets you submit a letter of good standing from your home state's board so your current license can be reviewed for the experience to sit for the specialty exam, or for reciprocity. You'll also need a business license from each Virginia locality where you do more than $25,000 of work in a year.

How do I look up a Virginia roofing license?

On DPOR's License Lookup at dpor.virginia.gov/LicenseLookup. Search the business name. The record shows the class (A, B or C), the expiration date and the letters: ROC for roofing, HIC for home improvement, RBC for residential building, CBC or CIC for commercial. Of the 1,615 firms holding ROC on November 3, 2026, about a third held it alone.

Does a Virginia roofer need insurance or a bond?

Not for a Class C license. Class B and A firms show $15,000 or $45,000 of net worth, or buy a $50,000 surety bond on the Board's form. No liability insurance is required for a roofing license. Workers' comp is required once you have three or more employees, counting your subcontractors' workers, and localities won't issue a contractor a business license without your comp certification. Fairfax and Prince William require a $10,000 bond with their county licenses for Class C firms.

Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Virginia?

On a house or townhouse, usually not: the state building code exempts replacing any amount of roof covering, unless the home is in an area with a design wind speed over 100 mph or a historic district. Virginia Beach lists roofing replacements as needing a permit; Fairfax, Norfolk and Henrico say a house reroof doesn't. Replacing more than 256 square feet of decking, structural repairs and commercial reroofs over 100 square feet need a permit everywhere.

Can a roofer pay or waive my insurance deductible in Virginia?

Not from January 1, 2027. The Residential Property Owners Protection Act bars any contractor from knowingly or willfully paying, waiving or rebating all or part of the deductible on repairs to an owner-occupied home covered by insurance. The same law adds disclosures to ads that invite roof claims and two notices to every residential roofing contract. Violations are Virginia Consumer Protection Act violations.

Sources

1. Code of Virginia § 54.1-1100 (Class A, B and C: single contract or project over $1,000 and under $30,000 for Class C, $30,000 to under $150,000 for B, $150,000 or more for A; 12-month totals under $250,000, under $1 million, and $1 million or more; "Contractor" includes anyone who contracts for construction, removal, repair or improvement "in whole or in part"; "Designated employee") and § 54.1-1128 ("Tradesman" covers the trades of electrical, plumbing and heating, ventilation and air conditioning). law.lis.virginia.gov, read November 3, 2026.
2. Department of Planning and Budget, State Fiscal Impact Statement for SB 1059 (2025): Class C raised "from $10,000 per project or $150,000 per year to $30,000 per project or $250,000 per year," and Class B from "$120,000 per project or $750,000 per year," lis.blob.core.windows.net; DPOR, "Key Legislation Set to Benefit Consumers and DPOR Professionals" (April 18, 2025: effective July 1, the bill "raises monetary project limits for Class A, B, and C contractors"), dpor.virginia.gov. Both read November 3, 2026.
3. 18VAC50-22, Board for Contractors Regulations, full chapter: 18VAC50-22-10 (full-time employee: 30 hours a week and a W-2; responsible management), -20 (RBC, CBC, ELE, PLB including "Venting systems related to plumbing," HVA), -30 (ROC, quoted in full above; HIC; FRM; INS; BRK; GLZ; AES: "No other classification or specialty service provides this function"; ASB), -40, -50 and -60 (qualified individual with one, three or five years of experience, full-time or responsible management, and "a board-approved examination"; designated employee for B and A; basic business course; $15,000 and $45,000 net worth or a $50,000 surety bond), -61 (AES qualifier may "Qualify and obtain the roofing contracting (ROC) specialty service by examination and complete the ... (NABCEP) certification," with a board exam), -62 (general liability insurance required only of residential building energy analyst firms), -100 ($125 to change a qualified individual or add a specialty), -110 and -130 (two-year term; not valid during the 30-day grace period), -140 (renewal $220, $260, $270 plus the $30 Recovery Fund assessment) and -220 (new qualified individual within 60 days; designated employee and principals within 120). law.lis.virginia.gov, history through Virginia Register Vol. 42 Iss. 1 (eff. September 24, 2025), read November 3, 2026. No continuing education requirement appears in the chapter.
4. 18VAC50-22-260 B, prohibited acts: 4 (false, deceptive or misleading advertising), 8 (written, signed residential contract before work or payment, excluding "routine maintenance or service contracts"), 9 i (license number, class and specialties on residential contracts), 19 (allowing a firm's license to be used by another), 27 (practicing outside your class or specialty), 29 (unlicensed or improperly licensed subs), 33 (no permit or inspection where required). law.lis.virginia.gov. Board penalty up to $2,500 per violation: Code of Virginia § 54.1-202, law.lis.virginia.gov. Board discipline types: DPOR, "Statement of Consumer Protections," revised 4/29/2025, dpor.virginia.gov. All read November 3, 2026.
5. DPOR documents: Board for Contractors License Application instructions, A501-27LIC-v18 (QI "minimum 30 hours per week and not a 1099 employee"; ROC among the designations where applicants "are required to be pre-approved and pass an examination," with an Experience Verification Form; "All classes of license require the pre-license course"; designated employee exams through PSI; a letter of good standing for review "to sit for the technical specialty exam or reciprocity"; net worth or the Board's surety bond form), dpor.virginia.gov; Board for Contractors page ("eight hours of pre-license education"; the course "is not specific to any particular classification or specialty"; Technology Fee of $7.25 per year from July 1, 2026), dpor.virginia.gov; "Virginia Board for Contractors License Classifications & Specialties" (the closing note listing "Guttering," "Siding," "Skylights" and "Windows" among items that "may fall under the CIC, HIC and FIC specialty services, or ... the CBC or RBC classifications"; the note is in DPOR's document, not in the regulation text), dpor.virginia.gov; "Contractor Licensing Information," A501-27INTRO (a license has two parts, class and classification or specialty), dpor.virginia.gov; "A Step By Step Guide to Obtaining Your Contractor License" (a business name "must not indicate that you do work that is not allowed by your license," with the roofing "Builders" example; still prints the pre-2025 limits), dpor.virginia.gov; License Lookup; DPOR regulant lists for Class A, B and C contractors (files 2705a, 2705b, 2705c, downloaded and counted November 3, 2026: 1,615 firms with ROC, of which 898 also hold HIC, 468 hold RBC, 1,052 hold HIC, RBC, CBC or CIC, and 528 hold ROC alone), dpor.virginia.gov. All read November 3, 2026.
6. DPOR, Board for Contractors Interpretations and Policies, Guidance Document 2959, revisions effective December 9, 2025: "primary scope of the contract" and subcontracting incidental work to "properly licensed contractors" (adopted 8/25); HIC contractors "may not add roofing to decks, patios, or other portions of a structure that does not already have an existing roof" (7/05); umbrella specialties need experience in "at least three of the 'breakout' specialties ... DRY, FIN, FLR, GLZ, INS, BRK, PTC, ROC, TMC, and FRM" (7/16); "Contractor specialty examination approvals are valid for one year" (12/22). townhall.virginia.gov, read November 3, 2026.
7. Code of Virginia § 54.1-1101 A 7 (one primary residence owned and used by the person) and A 15 (work "valued at $25,000 or less per project on behalf of a properly licensed contractor" holding the residential building, commercial building or home improvement classification), § 54.1-1103 (license required to contract in Virginia), § 54.1-1111 (license number and proof local license taxes are paid before a building permit; license proof before a local business license) and § 54.1-1117 (localities may license the business of home improvement, except Class A contractors). law.lis.virginia.gov, read November 3, 2026.
8. Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, 13VAC5-63-80, Section 108 (108.1 permit for "any structural component"; 108.2 items 14.5 roof covering or siding on R-3, R-4 and R-5 unless "the nominal design wind speed is greater than 100 miles per hour," and 100 square feet or less of roof covering in all groups; 14.6 roof decking of 256 square feet or less; exceptions for historic districts and special flood hazard areas; 108.3 who applies; 108.4 license and local tax proof), law.lis.virginia.gov; 13VAC5-63-433, Virginia Existing Building Code, Sections 601.4.5 (roof replacement energy rule) and 602.3.2.1 (reroofing; 602.3.2.1.2 "Roof recover not permitted"; 602.3.2.1.3 reinstallation of materials), law.lis.virginia.gov; Code of Virginia §§ 36-98 and 36-105 (the USBC supersedes local codes; the local building department enforces), law.lis.virginia.gov. All read November 3, 2026.
9. Fairfax County, "Does My Project Require a Permit?" (no permit for "Replacement of roof shingles," re-siding with similar material, gutters, "less than 256 square feet (9 boards) of roof plywood"; permits for roof repairs and chimney repairs under miscellaneous work), fairfaxcounty.gov, and "Miscellaneous (MISCR) - Residential" ("Re-Roof/Re-Line Roof Repair," "Chimney Repair"), fairfaxcounty.gov; City of Virginia Beach, "Residential Building Permits" ("Roofing or siding replacements"; final inspection for siding and roofing), planning.virginiabeach.gov; City of Norfolk, "When is a permit not required?" (no permits "for 1 and 2 family residential re-roofs"), norfolk.gov, and "Contractor / Owner Roofing Requirements" (two layers maximum; sheathing and structural repairs need "a SEPARATE REPAIR PERMIT"), norfolk.gov; Henrico County, "When a Building Permit is Not Required" (roof covering, siding, gutters, roof repairs, "256 square feet (8 sheets of sheathing) or less of roof decking"), henrico.gov. All read November 3, 2026.
10. Fairfax County, "Home Improvement Contractor License (HIC)" (Class C contractors and those under the Class C threshold; references, DPOR and BPOL numbers, "Your standard contract template," financial statement; $5,000 and $10,000 surety bonds; valid one to two years), fairfaxcounty.gov; Prince William County Code, Chapter 5, Article III (county copy "Version 2013-01-25": home improvement includes "Roofing" and "Siding"; Class A and B state licensees exempt; "Surety bond requirement for home improvement license in all categories is $10,000.00"), pwcva.gov, and "Contractor Licensing Information," Version 2015-05-19 (Class C needs the county license "if the work being performed is residential"; 703-792-6924), pwcva.gov. Read November 3, 2026. The county documents use the pre-2025 state limits.
11. Virginia Workers' Compensation Act: Code of Virginia § 65.2-101 (employers with "regularly in service less than three employees" excluded; sole proprietors, single-member LLC members and partners may elect coverage), § 65.2-302 (statutory employer), § 65.2-805 ("not more than $250 per day," maximum $50,000) and § 58.1-3714 B (no business license for a contractor required to carry comp who doesn't; written certification), 65.2-101, 65.2-302, 65.2-805, 58.1-3714; Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission, "Contractor Information" (subcontractors' employees counted; "three or more total statutory employees"; additional premium where a sub's coverage "is not present"), workcomp.virginia.gov, "Employer FAQs" (sole proprietor with no employees and no subcontractors not required; no exemption or waiver form; NCCI assigned risk market 1-800-622-4123), workcomp.virginia.gov, and Form 61A, rev. 03/08/2024 (number of subcontractor workers; a 1099 "does not necessarily eliminate or alter employee status"), workcomp.virginia.gov. All read November 3, 2026.
12. Code of Virginia § 58.1-610 A (a contractor who furnishes tangible personal property "shall be deemed to have purchased such tangible personal property for use or consumption"), law.lis.virginia.gov; 23VAC10-210-410, Contractors respecting real estate (the contractor "does not pass the sales or use tax on to anyone else as a tax"; use tax where the supplier doesn't collect; a contractor who also sells is a dealer needing a Certificate of Registration), law.lis.virginia.gov. Both read November 3, 2026.
13. BPOL: Code of Virginia §§ 58.1-3703, 58.1-3706 A (no tax under $100,000 of gross receipts in localities over 50,000; contracting capped at "sixteen cents per $100 of gross receipts") and 58.1-3715 A (license where the principal office is; another locality above $25,000 a year), law.lis.virginia.gov; Fairfax County BPOL pages, fairfaxcounty.gov; Prince William County, "Business License" and 2026 application FORM100-25, pwcva.gov; Loudoun County, "Business License Tax" and "Business Tax Rates," loudoun.gov; City of Virginia Beach, "How to Start a Business," virginiabeach.gov document; Chesterfield County, "Business License," chesterfield.gov; City of Richmond, "BPOL Tax," rva.gov. All read November 3, 2026.
14. 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(10), (b)(11) and (b)(13) (residential construction 6 feet or more: guardrail, safety net or personal fall arrest systems; a fall protection plan only where the employer "can demonstrate that it is infeasible or creates a greater hazard"; presumption of feasibility), osha.gov; 29 CFR 1926.502(j)(7) (no materials within 6 feet of a roof edge without guardrails) and (k) (fall protection plan: qualified person, site-specific, kept at the job site, competent person, reasons documented), law.cornell.edu; OSHA, "Fall Protection in Residential Construction" guidance ("residential construction activities, such as roofing"), osha.gov; VOSH Program Directive 02-390B (June 15, 2011: VOSH applies § 1926.501(b)(13) and OSHA's residential compliance guidance in Virginia), doli.virginia.gov. All read November 3, 2026.
15. 40 CFR 745.83, definition of minor repair and maintenance (20 square feet or less of painted surface outside; not window replacement or "demolition of painted surface areas"; the entire surface of removed painted components counts), law.cornell.edu; EPA, "Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program" (Virginia not an authorized state; "all firms, even sole proprietorships"), epa.gov; 40 CFR 19.4, Table 1 (TSCA civil penalty $49,772), law.cornell.edu. All read November 3, 2026.
16. 40 CFR 61.141 ("Facility" excludes "residential buildings having four or fewer dwelling units"), law.cornell.edu; Code of Virginia § 54.1-500 ("asbestos project" excludes "nonfriable asbestos-containing roofing, flooring and siding materials which when installed, encapsulated or removed do not become friable"), law.lis.virginia.gov; § 54.1-503 A (asbestos contractor's license required to contract for an asbestos project), law.lis.virginia.gov; § 36-99.7 (asbestos inspection certification before a renovation permit for buildings first permitted before January 1, 1985; not for single-family dwellings or four or fewer units), law.lis.virginia.gov. All read November 3, 2026.
17. Residential Property Owners Protection Act, Code of Virginia §§ 59.1-617 to 59.1-620, effective January 1, 2027 (2026, cc. 657, 658): 59.1-617 definitions ("Advertisement" includes "a door hanger, business card, magnet flyer, pamphlet, phone call, or email"); 59.1-618 A (no paying, waiving or rebating a deductible) and B 1 to 6 (ad wording in "the larger of 12-point font or a size at least half as large as the largest font size used"; no inducements for an inspection or a claim; no referral payments; itemized good faith estimate on claim work; the anti-rebate notice, without which the owner "may void the contract within 10 days after execution"; the 14-point insurance statement); 59.1-619 (cancellation after a declared state of emergency); 59.1-620 (Consumer Protection Act enforcement), law.lis.virginia.gov; Code of Virginia § 38.2-1845.1 ("Public adjusting" includes "negotiating ... or providing advice to a policyholder" on a first-party property claim for compensation), law.lis.virginia.gov. Both read November 3, 2026.
18. Penalties: Code of Virginia § 54.1-1115 (Class 1 misdemeanor for contracting without a license "or without the proper class of license," using another's license or giving false evidence to the Board; up to $500 a day; contract unenforceable by the unlicensed contractor; lapse creates "a rebuttable presumption of actual knowledge") and § 54.1-1115.01 (the contractor is "solely responsible for any monetary penalty or other sanction" from hiring someone without a required credential), 54.1-1115, 54.1-1115.01; § 18.2-11 (Class 1 misdemeanor: up to twelve months and $2,500), 18.2-11; § 54.1-111 (civil penalty $200 to $5,000 per violation, $25,000 a year; third conviction in 36 months a Class 6 felony), 54.1-111; Virginia Consumer Protection Act § 59.1-200 A 46 and § 59.1-204, 59.1-204; § 43-3 D (no mechanic's lien without a license or the proper class), 43-3. All read November 3, 2026.
19. Google search results for "virginia roofing license" (US), AI overview giving Class C "Up to $10,000 per project (total annual revenue under $150,000)," "At least 2 years of verifiable experience" and "Business/trade exams not required for Class C," read in a browser on November 3, 2026.
20. Code of Virginia § 59.1-69 B: no business under an assumed or fictitious name unless a certificate is filed "in the office of the clerk of the Commission" (the State Corporation Commission). law.lis.virginia.gov, read November 3, 2026.