Choosing a roofing contractor in Virginia: verify the license before you sign

Five checks before you compare quotes

Price and schedule come second. In Virginia the first question is whether the person quoting the work is allowed to do it. The Code of Virginia says no person shall engage in or offer to engage in contracting work in the Commonwealth without a license. These five steps put that rule to work.

1. Ask for the license number in writing. The state's contract rules require the contractor's name, address, license number, class and classifications on a residential contract, so a roofer who hesitates to share them is already off the standard.
2. Look it up yourself. Use the DPOR License Lookup page rather than a card or a truck door. Match the business name on the record to the name on the quote.
3. Read the class. Class A, B or C is tied to contract value, so confirm the class covers the size of your job.
4. Read the classification. It should list roofing contracting (ROC) or a building classification that provides for roofing, matched to your building type (next two sections).
5. Hold the contract to the state list. Compare the draft with the minimum contents table below before any signature or payment.

What the two parts of a license mean

DPOR's Board for Contractors page explains that a contractor license has two parts. People often read only the first.

The regulation also ties bigger classes to firm requirements. A Class B or Class A firm must name a designated employee who passed a board-approved exam, plus a qualified individual with stated experience for each classification it holds. Those rules are why the lookup record is worth more than a business card.

Which license fits which building

The classification list in 18VAC50-22-20 splits work by building type, and roofing sits in more than one place. Find your property type, then ask the roofer which one appears on the license.

Source: 18VAC50-22-20 and 18VAC50-22-30, opened October 26, 2026. Summarized by us.

A row of townhouses, a condo building and a garden apartment complex can fall on different sides of that line. Arlington's own building-type test, covered on the Arlington roofing hub, is a separate county question, so ask the roofer and the county which entries apply to your address.

What the written contract must contain

For residential contracting, defined as work on single-family or multiple-family residential buildings, the Board's regulation treats not using a legible written contract as a prohibited act. You and the licensee, or the licensee's agent, sign it before work starts or payment is accepted. Subcontractors and routine maintenance or service contracts are carved out.

Two further duties sit on the contractor: deliver a fully executed copy before work begins, and keep the contract documents, change orders included, for five years. Ask for your copy the day you sign.

What the law says about unlicensed work

Section 54.1-1115 spells out consequences on the contractor's side, which is why the checks above are not a formality.

• At the bidBidding on work on another person's property without a license, or without the proper class for the value of the work, is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
• On the jobA per-day fine is added, and the statute treats the violation as a prohibited practice under the Virginia Consumer Protection Act when a consumer transaction is involved. The Board's list adds abandoning a job for 30 days or more without justification, keeping money paid for work not performed, skipping a required permit or inspection, working outside the licensed classification, and hiring an unlicensed subcontractor.
• In a disputeA contract signed by a person without a valid license cannot be enforced by that person unless he gave substantial performance in good faith and did not actually know a license was required. Failing to renew creates a presumption that he knew.

This is a reading of the text, not legal advice. Ask an attorney about your own contract.

If the contractor came to your door

Virginia's Home Solicitation Sales Act applies to a consumer sale in which the seller solicits personally, or by phone or electronic means, at a residence other than the seller's without prior invitation or appointment. It leaves out sales made entirely by phone or electronic means at the buyer's initiation with no other contact, and sales that follow prior negotiations.

• You may cancel until midnight of the third business day after you sign a compliant agreement. Cancellation is by written notice, in any form that shows you do not intend to be bound.
• The seller must give you a copy of the contract when it is executed.
• A waiver of the right to cancel is void, with one exception: a dated, personally signed emergency request that states you understand you are waiving the right, after which the seller has made a substantial beginning of performance. Read before you sign anything of that kind.

Where to turn when something goes wrong

Complaint to DPOR

Any person may file a complaint against a licensed contractor; the Director investigates and the Board may discipline if the facts support it (Code section 54.1-1114).

Recovery Fund claim

For an individual who contracted for a Virginia residence, or a property owners' association for common areas, with a court judgment or confirmed arbitration decision against a licensee involving improper or dishonest conduct. The statute says mere breach of contract is not included (sections 54.1-1118 and 54.1-1120).

Cancellation right

Three business days for a qualifying home solicitation sale (section 59.1-21.3).

The Fund has filing deadlines and conditions in the statute, so contact DPOR for the current claim steps rather than relying on a summary. For insurance questions, see our roofing insurance page and ask your insurer.

Questions to ask any roofer

Licensing says whether a firm may do the work. These questions test the plan for your roof.

• What is the license number, class and classification, and will they appear on the contract?
• Who will be on the roof: your employees or subcontractors, and are the subcontractors licensed too? The Board lists hiring an unlicensed subcontractor as a prohibited act.
• Will the scope name each layer being removed and installed, and the flashing, vents and edge details?
• Who applies for the permit, and which inspection follows?
• How are changes priced, and in what form do they reach you? The regulation requires them in writing, signed.
• What happens to the roof if rain arrives mid-job, and does the contract say so?
• Is any promise about the finished roof written into the contract, and who stands behind it? Get the text before signing.

Roofers of Arlington installs, repairs and replaces roofs, including flat roof systems and metal roofing, in Arlington and nearby. You can book a phone consultation to talk through your address, your building type and what you can see from the ground. For a first look at your roof before any call, read our roof inspection guide.

Arlington specifics

A license check says who may do the work. Which approvals it needs in Arlington depends on the building: the Arlington roofing hub sets out the county's permit table, the building-type test and local historic district review in one place. These guides cover specific building types:

• Condo and co-op roofs: who decides, and who signs a contract for shared roofs.
• Columbia Pike garden apartments and Clarendon and Lyon Park flat-roof apartments.
• Slate roofs and 1940s subdivision houses.

For the work itself, see roof repair, roof replacement and roofing materials, or the wider services overview.