Virginia minor work: the ladder's floor is drafted into Class C's own definition — work at or BELOW $1,000 falls below every class and needs no licence; $1,001–$29,999 enters at Class C ($235 + $25 + $14.50 = $274.50, no exam, no net worth, one-year QI). Above the firm ladder sits § 54.1-1101 A(15): work up to $25,000 per project performed ON BEHALF OF a licensed RBC/CBC/HIC contractor is exempt for the worker (licensed individuals still do licensed services), and § 54.1-1131 C exempts single-family work under $250 for the tradesman. Three numbers, three sections, three questions. Every claim sourced and dated.
Three-class ladder set purely by contract value; work ≤ $1,000 needs no licence — § 54.1-1100 verbatim: Class A means a contractor 'whose single contract or project is $150,000 or more, or who receives $1 million or more in any 12-month period' (no upper monetary restriction); Class B 'whose single contract or project is $30,000 or more but less than $150,000, or who receives $250,000 or more but less than $1 million in any 12-month period'; Class C 'whose single contract or project is more than $1,000 but less than $30,000, or who receives less than $250,000 in any 12-month period.' 'Value' means fair market value and 'the contract price shall be prima facie evidence of value.' Work at or below $1,000 falls below every class — the Class C floor IS the exemption line. Both prongs of each definition bind: a single project at $150,000 jumps a firm from B to A, and a 12-month total below $250,000 drops a firm from B to C even when individual projects sit in the B range. S-VA-STAT-1100
Fifteen statutory exemptions — the owner's ONE primary residence per 24 months and the $25,000 sub-contract carve-out — § 54.1-1101 A verbatim (read live 2026-10-08), the items that matter to civilians: (6) material suppliers advising on products without construction/installation; (7) an owner on NO MORE THAN ONE PRIMARY RESIDENCE of his own, own use, during any 24-month period; (8) an owner building a house on his own realty as a bona fide gift to immediate family who lives in it; (9) an owner repairing/altering his own industrial/manufacturing or commercial/retail facility for own use; (10) an owner repairing his own rental dwellings under the Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; (11) an owner-developer where the third-party purchaser is made a third-party beneficiary of the contract with a licensed contractor; (12) student career/technical education projects under a school board; (14) students/apprentices (§ 2.2-2043) 'working directly under the supervision of a licensed contractor'; (15) work valued at $25,000 OR LESS per project performed ON BEHALF OF A PROPERLY LICENSED contractor holding a valid RBC, CBC or HIC classification — services needing an individual licence/certification must still be done by licensed individuals. Items (1)-(5) cover government, the Armed Services Procurement Act, federal enclaves, VDOT highway/bridge work and other-law exclusions. Conditions: exemptions (7),(10),(11),(12) need a CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY before conveying to a third-party purchaser unless waived in writing; (7)-(12),(14) must still comply with the Uniform Statewide Building Code; violating B or C is a Class 1 misdemeanor, third/subsequent conviction within 36 months a Class 6 felony. S-VA-STAT-1101
No individual may work as a tradesman without a licence (since 1995-07-01) — § 54.1-1129 A verbatim (reproduced in S-VA-REGS): since July 1, 1995 no individual shall work as a tradesman without a licence — subject to the supervision exception (working under a tradesman licensed in that specialty; a licence holder may perform work incidental to their own specialty). § 54.1-1131 C exempts work on ships/boats/barges/floating vessels and single-family-residence work valued UNDER $250 where the individual does not hold himself out to the general public as a tradesman. § 54.1-1129 D: a certified water well systems provider must be ON SITE at all times for drilling/installation/maintenance/repair, and a certified MASTER must be available at all times. 18VAC50-30 fixes fees ($150 original / $160 renewal), terms (electrical, gas, LPG, natural-gas-fitter-provider, HVAC, plumbing = 3 years; all others 2 years) and CE (3 hours per designation for plumbing/electrical/HVAC; 1 hour gas fitters). S-VA-TRADEREGS
State licence number (or exemption statement) required before a permit or a local business licence — § 54.1-1111 verbatim (reproduced in S-VA-REGS): (A) an applicant for a building permit must furnish the state licence number — or a written statement of exemption — before the building official may issue the permit; issuing without it is a Class 3 misdemeanor for the official. (B) the same proof gates the local BUSINESS licence (BPOL tax, Ch. 37 Title 58.1). § 54.1-1117 lets localities license certain contractors, with a civil penalty for violations of the local registration route 'shall not exceed $2,500.' S-VA-REGS
02 Which credentials this project can touch
Project
Credential
Relation
Rule
Source
minor-work
Class C Contractor (single contract $1,001–$29,999 or < $250K/12 months)
Virginia requires NO surety bond and NO general-liability insurance for A/B/C licensure — the net-worth requirement ($45,000 / $15,000) does that job (verified absences). Locality licence fees and permit fees are LOCAL_AUTHORITY_REQUIRED and are not published here.