In Virginia, a licensed contractor doing work on your home must give you a written contract, signed by both of you before any work starts or any payment is taken. At a minimum it has to list the dates, the total cost, the payment schedule and down payment, the work and materials, the contractor's license details, how changes are handled, your cancellation rights and a notice about the state's Recovery Fund. Here is each item, what to look for, and what's worth adding.
The rule comes from the regulations of Virginia's Board for Contractors (18VAC50-22-260, last amended September 1, 2025). As of September 2026:
So a contractor who wants a deposit today and the paperwork "later" has the order backwards.
The regulation sets the minimum. As of September 2026, a residential contract must include:
| Required item | What to look for |
|---|---|
| Start date and estimated completion date | Actual dates, not "early spring" |
| Total cost | One figure for the whole job as described |
| Payment schedule, including the down payment | Each payment's amount, and what it's due for |
| The materials and work | Enough detail that another contractor could price the same job |
| A clause on delays | What counts as a delay, and what happens next |
| An assurance of permit and zoning compliance | That the work will follow local permit and zoning rules |
| Cancellation rights | What each of you may do to cancel, and how |
| Your acknowledgment of DPOR's consumer statement | Read the statement before you sign that line |
| The contractor's name, address, license number, class and specialties | Details that match DPOR's license record |
| Changes must be written and signed | No handshake change orders |
| A Recovery Fund notice | A notice about the Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund |
Ask for a start date and an estimated completion date you can plan around. The delay clause covers hold-ups outside the contractor's control, so read it: it should say what counts as a delay and how you'll be told about one.
The contract must give the total cost and a payment schedule that names the down payment. DPOR's Board for Contractors recommends a down payment of about 10% of the total, or about 30% when the job needs custom-made items (DPOR consumer information sheet, as of September 2026).
Beyond that, tie later payments to finished stages of the work rather than to dates, so what you've paid keeps pace with what's done.
The contract must carry the contractor's name, address, license number, class and specialties. DPOR says the license number belongs in the contract. Before you sign, look the license up on DPOR's free License Lookup and compare:
Once the contract is signed, changes must be written and signed. If the contractor finds rot under the old deck boards, or you pick a different tile, get a written change order with the new price and dates before that work goes ahead.
The contract must assure you that the work will comply with permits and zoning. It's worth naming who will pull the permit, too. DPOR's consumer booklet warns that the permit holder "becomes the general contractor and assumes responsibility for the overall job–which may include taxes, workers' compensation, and other legal liabilities", and advises that the licensed contractor pull the permits (DPOR).
If you're not sure whether your project needs one, see which home projects need a permit in Virginia.
The regulation sets a floor. None of these are required, but each heads off a common argument:
Your contract has to tell you about it, so it helps to know what it does. As of September 2026 (§ 54.1-1118, § 54.1-1120, § 54.1-1123):
That last point is one more reason to check the license before you sign.
Bigger jobs are where a clear contract matters most. Once you know what yours should say, compare independent local Pros for fence and deck repair or flooring and tile installation.
This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change, so confirm the details with DPOR's Board for Contractors before you sign.
Last updated September 2026.
A job worth $1,000 or less with no electrical, plumbing, HVAC or gas work in it doesn't need a licensed contractor in Virginia (Va. Code § 54.1-1100, as of September 2026), so the Board for Contractors' contract rules may not apply. A short written agreement that names the work, the price, the date and how you'll pay still prevents most misunderstandings.
Contracting without a required license is a Class 1 misdemeanor in Virginia, and the unlicensed contractor generally can't enforce the contract to get paid (Va. Code § 54.1-1115, as of September 2026). The state's Recovery Fund won't help you either, because it covers only licensed contractors.
It depends on what the contract says and on your situation. A licensed contractor's residential contract must state both parties' cancellation rights, so read that clause before you sign and ask about anything unclear. If a dispute comes up, contact DPOR or a lawyer.
No. Virginia's contractor regulations don't require insurance for a license (18VAC50-22), and DPOR's License Lookup doesn't show insurance (both as of September 2026). If you want coverage in place, ask for a certificate of insurance and write that request into the contract.