Virginia licenses contractors through the Board for Contractors at DPOR. Licenses are set by class, A, B or C, which limits the size of contract a firm may take, and by specialty, such as Roofing (ROC), which sets the type of work. A homeowner can look a firm up on DPOR's licence lookup. This guide explains the structure and what it does and does not show.
Key takeaways
- Virginia's Board for Contractors, within DPOR, licenses contractors by class and by specialty.
- The class sets the value of contracts a firm may take. It does not describe the quality of the firm's work.
- Roofing appears as the Roofing (ROC) specialty, so a roofing firm should hold that classification for roof work.
- Ask the firm for its license number and look it up on DPOR's licence lookup before any work is agreed.
- This site prints no dollar threshold, net-worth figure or experience figure, because the published sources conflict.
How does Virginia license a roofing contractor?
Virginia licenses contractors through the Board for Contractors, which sits within the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Contractors are licensed by class and by specialty, and roofing is recorded as the Roofing (ROC) specialty.
The two parts of a license do different jobs. The class is about scale: it limits the value of the contracts a firm may take on. The specialty is about the type of work, and it is what tells a homeowner whether the firm is set up for roof work at all. A firm can be licensed in one specialty and not another, so the specialty on the license matters as much as the class.
Applicants for Class A, B and C licences face different requirements for net worth and experience, and an examination is required. The exact requirements are set out in the state's rules, which change, so this site does not restate them. A homeowner does not need to know the requirements to check a license. The lookup shows what the firm holds.
For a homeowner the practical point is simple. A firm doing roof work should hold a license whose specialty covers roofing, and its class should be large enough for the size of the job. The license is a public record, so checking it is an ordinary step rather than an insult to the firm.
What does the class of a license actually tell you?
The class limits the value of contracts a firm may accept, so a larger job generally needs a firm with a higher class. The class does not measure the quality of workmanship, the honesty of the firm or whether the roof will last.
Think of the class as a ceiling. A firm with a class that does not cover the size of your job may not be permitted to take it, and the firm should say so rather than accept the job and sort it out later. Ask which class the firm holds and whether that class covers the scope of the quote, including the value of any extra work.
The thresholds that separate one class from another are written in the state code and in the board's rules, and the published summaries of them do not agree. Several third-party licensing guides give one set of figures, and the code and other material give others. This site therefore prints no dollar threshold at all. The safe route is to ask the board, or to read the rule itself, before relying on any figure.
The class also says nothing about the crew. Two firms in the same class can have very different supervision, training and crews. The class is a starting filter. The license specialty, the references and the written scope do the rest of the work.
What does the Roofing (ROC) specialty cover?
The Roofing (ROC) specialty covers roof work as a classification on a Virginia contractor license. A firm should hold it for the roof work it proposes, and the license lookup shows whether the specialty is listed.
A specialty tells you what a firm is licensed to do, which is different from what it is good at. A firm that holds a roofing specialty has been through the board's process for that classification, but that is not a guarantee of how any particular roof will turn out. The specialty is one fact among several, and it should be checked against the actual scope.
Roof work can include a repair to a single section, a full replacement, a flat-roof membrane, a chimney or flashing repair and the removal of old coverings. Ask the firm which of those it is doing, and check that the specialty on its license covers that work. A firm that plans to do work outside its specialty should say so, and the quote should name the subcontractor.
Some jobs involve more than roofing. Structural repair of rafters or decking, or changes to a chimney, can bring other trades onto the site. Ask whether those trades are the firm's own or are hired separately, and whether each holds the license its work requires.
How do you look up a roofing firm's license?
Ask the firm for its license number and the name exactly as it appears on the license, then look both up on the DPOR licence lookup before any work is agreed. Check the class, the specialty and whether the license is current.
The lookup is a public tool that a homeowner can use directly. Enter the license number if the firm gives you one, or the business name if you do not have the number. A firm that is reluctant to give its number is worth noting, because the number is printed on the license and is meant to be shared.
Check three things on the record: that the name matches the firm that will sign the contract, that the class and specialty cover the job, and that the license is current. A name that differs slightly from the contract, such as a trade name in place of the legal name, is a reason to ask which entity will do the work.
Keep a printout or a screenshot of the record with the contract. If the job is later disputed, the record at the time the contract was signed is the one that matters, and it is useful to have it on file.
Where does a license check fit with a permit?
Some local permit applications ask for the contractor's DPOR registration number, so the license is part of the paperwork and not only a sign on the firm's van. Harrisonburg's roofing application, for example, asks for it.
A roofing permit application can ask for the contractor's registration number, which means the license check and the permit check overlap. The firm that gives you its number for the permit should give the same number for the license lookup, and the two records should match.
Permit rules are set by the office that issues them, and they differ between Staunton, Waynesboro, Harrisonburg and the county. The license lookup does not replace the permit question, and the permit does not prove the license. Each is a separate check, and each is worth doing before work starts.
If a firm cannot produce a license number for a job that needs one, do not sign. That is a simple test, and it is the one most homeowners can apply without any technical knowledge.
What if the firm is licensed elsewhere or uses subcontractors?
A license from another state does not answer a Virginia question, and a firm that uses subcontractors should show that each subcontractor holds the license its own work requires. The Virginia record is the one to check for work done in Virginia.
A firm may be licensed in another state and be working in Virginia. That can be a legitimate business, but it does not satisfy the Virginia question. Ask for the Virginia license number specifically, and look that number up on the state's record, rather than accepting a licence from elsewhere as proof of standing in Virginia.
Some roofing firms bring in subcontractors for particular parts of the job, such as a metal crew for valleys or a chimney mason for masonry. Ask which subcontractors will work on the house, and ask to see their licenses for the work they will do. A subcontractor's license is not the same as the firm's, and a homeowner should not assume one covers the other.
Keep the subcontractor names and license numbers with the contract. If a subcontractor's work is later questioned, the record of who did what, and under which license, is the simplest way to settle it without a dispute about who was responsible.
Frequently asked questions
What is DPOR?
DPOR is the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. Its Board for Contractors licenses contractors by class and by specialty, and a homeowner can search the board's license lookup.
Does a Class A license mean a roofer is better than a Class C?
Not necessarily. The class limits the size of contract a firm may take. It does not measure workmanship. A firm's references, the written scope and its specialty for roof work matter as much as its class.
What if the name on the contract is different from the license?
Ask which legal entity will do the work and whether it holds the license. A trade name on a contract is not the same as the licensed business name, and the difference should be settled before the contract is signed.
Can I rely on a verbal assurance that a firm is licensed?
No. Look the license up yourself on the state record, check the name and the specialty, and keep a copy with the contract. A verbal assurance is not a record.
This guide is general information for Staunton city homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.