Virginia has no handyman license. But any construction, repair or improvement job worth more than $1,000 needs a state contractor license, and electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas work has its own licenses at almost any job size. A handyman who sticks to small, non-trade jobs needs no state license; one who takes bigger jobs or trade work does.
This guide covers where those lines fall as of September 2026, the license classes that changed on July 1, 2025, how to get a Class C license, the local business license, and how licensing works when you offer services on One Stop Pros.
No. Contractors and tradespeople are licensed by DPOR, the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. It has no "handyman" license, and there is no handyman exemption beyond the $1,000 floor. Two things decide whether you need a license: the value of the job and the kind of work.
| The job | What you need (as of September 2026) |
|---|---|
| Worth $1,000 or less, with no electrical, plumbing, HVAC or gas work | No state license |
| Worth more than $1,000 | A DPOR contractor license: Class C, B or A |
| Electrical, plumbing, HVAC or gas work, at almost any size | A DPOR tradesman license, or supervision by someone who holds one |
Sources: Va. Code § 54.1-1100 and § 54.1-1129.
The statute says "over" $1,000, so a job has to be worth more than $1,000 before a contractor license is needed.
There is one more route. Since 2023, someone working on behalf of a contractor licensed for residential building (RBC), commercial building (CBC) or home improvement (HIC) work may do work of $25,000 or less per project without a contractor license of their own. Work that needs a trade license is excluded (§ 54.1-1101).
On July 1, 2025, Virginia raised the limits for every contractor license class (2025 Acts of Assembly, chapters 127 and 133). Many websites still show the old, lower limits, so check the date on anything you read. These are the current classes:
| Class | A single contract | Your total in any 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Class C | More than $1,000 and under $30,000 | Under $250,000 |
| Class B | $30,000 to under $150,000 | $250,000 to under $1 million |
| Class A | $150,000 or more | $1 million or more |
Sources: Va. Code § 54.1-1100 and DPOR's Statement of Consumer Protections (effective July 1, 2025), as of September 2026.
A Class C license is Virginia's license for smaller contracting jobs. Go past either Class C limit, on one contract or over 12 months, and you need Class B.
Two numbers count: the value of each contract, and the total of all your contracts over any 12 months. Your license class has to cover both. If you're not sure how to value a particular job, ask DPOR before you bid.
A tradesman license is DPOR's license for an individual electrician, plumber, HVAC technician or gas fitter. It applies at almost any job size, far below the $1,000 contractor floor.
All of this is as of September 2026. If customers ask you for trade work beyond the exemption, refer it to a licensed tradesman, or get licensed yourself. Customers can look up any tradesman's license for free on DPOR's License Lookup.
Probably. A DPOR license lets you do the work. Your county or city licenses the business, usually through a BPOL (Business, Professional and Occupational License). Having one doesn't cover the other. As of September 2026:
| Gross receipts in the year | BPOL |
|---|---|
| $10,000 or less | No fee |
| $10,001 to $50,000 | $30 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $50 |
| More than $100,000 | A rate per $100 of receipts, by type of business |
Arlington County licenses businesses too, including home-based ones. The license is due March 1, and a new home business needs a Home Occupation Permit first. The current fees are on the county's business license page.
Anywhere else, including Prince William and Loudoun counties, check with your county or city before you take your first job.
As of September 2026, the penalties are:
That last point matters in practice: if a customer won't pay for a job over $1,000 that you weren't licensed to take, the contract generally won't help you collect.
One Stop Pros is a marketplace. Pros are independent service providers who contract directly with their customers. Here is how licensing fits in:
So the rules in this guide are yours to follow, on One Stop Pros as anywhere else. If a job needs a license you don't hold, turn it down. If your services fit these rules, you can become a Pro on One Stop Pros.
This is general information, not legal advice. Licensing rules change, so confirm your situation with DPOR before you bid on a job.
Last updated September 2026.
Yes. A construction, repair or improvement job worth $1,000 or less doesn't need a contractor license (Va. Code § 54.1-1100, as of September 2026). Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and gas work is the exception: it has its own licensing rules at almost any size.
Only within a narrow exemption: work worth less than $250 on a single-family home, by someone who doesn't hold themselves out to the public as a tradesman (Va. Code § 54.1-1131, subsection C). Anything beyond that needs a DPOR tradesman license, or supervision by someone who holds one.
Not from the state, as long as the job involves no electrical work: neither furniture assembly nor TV mounting appears on DPOR's list of regulated professions (as of September 2026). Adding an outlet or power inside the wall is electrical work, and a job worth more than $1,000 still needs a contractor license. Your county or city may also require a business license.
No. A homeowner working on their own primary residence (one home in any 24 months) is exempt from contractor licensing, and isn't a tradesman when doing trade work on it (Va. Code § 54.1-1101). Building permits still apply.