- Virginia requires a state contractor license from the Board for Contractors for jobs over $1,000.
- The firm's qualifier needs one year of experience in the specialty for Class C, three years for Class B and five years for Class A.
- Plan for two exams: the trade exam and a business and law exam.
- Pay runs from about $18.37 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of roofers to $31.93 for the top tenth.
- Jobs are projected to grow 1.8% from 2022 to 2032, about the same as the 2% projected nationally.
The path in Virginia, step by step
Virginia licenses roofing work at the state level through the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors. These are the steps it lays out, in order.
- Pick a license class (A, B or C) based on your job sizes.
- Name a qualifier with the required years of roofing experience.
- Have the qualifier pass the board-approved ROC exam.
- Have a member of responsible management finish the board-approved basic business course.
- For Class A or B, show the required net worth or post a $50,000 surety bond.
- Apply to the Board for Contractors and pay the license fee plus the $25 Recovery Fund assessment.
The full license guide, with every fee and form: roofing license in Virginia.
Finding an apprenticeship in Virginia
Virginia runs Registered Apprenticeship through its own State Apprenticeship Agency, recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor to register and oversee programs there. Its staff are state employees, and it may use the federal paperwork or forms of its own. Apprenticeship.gov lists the Virginia State Apprenticeship Agency as the contact.
Either way, a registered program means paid work with a mentor, raises as you progress, classroom instruction and a credential recognized in every state. Search open spots in the Apprenticeship Job Finder.
Across the country. A few groups sponsor roofing apprenticeships. They combine on-the-job training with classroom instruction, usually with a set number of hours for each.
License levels and exams in Virginia
The license to aim for: Class A, B or C contractor license with the ROC (roofing contracting) specialty.
Trade exam. Yes. The qualifier must pass a board-approved exam for the specialty.
Business exam. A member of responsible management completes a board-approved basic business course.
Keeping it. Contractor licenses expire two years from the last day of the month they were issued. Renewal is $220 (C), $260 (B) or $270 (A) plus a $30 Recovery Fund assessment.
Coming from another state. The board lists exam waivers for North Carolina residential (RBC) and commercial (CBC) building contractors. Ask the board about roofing.
| License | What it covers |
|---|---|
| Class C | Single jobs over $1,000 but under $30,000, and under $250,000 a year. |
| Class B | Single jobs of $30,000 to under $150,000, or $250,000 to under $1 million a year. |
| Class A | Single jobs of $150,000 or more, or $1 million or more a year. |
| ROC | Roofing contracting: watertight roof and deck surfaces, roofing system parts, dampproofing and waterproofing, and roof insulation above the deck. |
| HIC | Home improvement specialty, which also covers roofing on homes. |
What the Virginia license costs
The fees the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors lists. Exam fees from a testing company, insurance and any bond come on top.
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
| Class C initial license | $235 |
| Class B initial license | $380 |
| Class A initial license | $400 |
| Recovery Fund assessment with initial application | $25 |
| Add a classification or specialty | $125 |
What roofers earn in Virginia
The median roofer in Virginia earned $23.28 an hour in May 2025, 35th of 51 states, with 2,070 on payrolls. The national median was $26.65.
At the bottom of the range, a quarter of roofers in Virginia earned under $22.00 an hour and a tenth under $18.37. At the top, a quarter earned over $27.69 and a tenth over $31.93.
| Pay level | Hourly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $18.37 | $38,220 |
| 25th percentile | $22.00 | $45,760 |
| Median | $23.28 | $48,420 |
| 75th percentile | $27.69 | $57,590 |
| 90th percentile | $31.93 | $66,420 |
Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: roofer salary in Virginia.
Jobs ahead in Virginia
Virginia's labor market office projects jobs for roofers growing from 2,800 in 2022 to 2,850 in 2032, a change of 1.8%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 220 openings a year.
Jobs are projected to grow 1.8% from 2022 to 2032, about the same as the 2% projected nationally, ranking 43rd of the 48 states in the file.
These are the state's own long-term projections, published together on Projections Central for the occupation group roofers.
Starting your own roofer business in Virginia
To contract on your own in Virginia, the license is the Class A, B or C contractor license with the ROC (roofing contracting) specialty.
Bond. Class A firms need a $45,000 net worth and Class B firms $15,000, or either can post a $50,000 surety bond instead.
Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Virginia median of $23.28 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $111.47 per billable hour. Try your own in the labor rate calculator.
The full checklist is in how to start a roofing business. The free Koira Office plan gives you a website on a Koira address, estimates customers sign with a deposit, invoices with card payments and your day's jobs in one place, with no per-person fee. See the plans.
Where this comes from
The license steps, fees and rules are from the official pages below, read on the date shown. Pay is the BLS May 2025 state estimate, the job outlook is Virginia's own long-term projection, and the apprenticeship details are from the U.S. Department of Labor. A detail an official page did not confirm is left out.
- Board for Contractors (checked 2026-10-08)
- Code of Virginia 54.1-1100 contractor classes (checked 2026-10-08)
- Code of Virginia 54.1-1103 license required (checked 2026-10-08)
- 18VAC50-22-100 fees (checked 2026-10-08)
- 18VAC50-22-140 renewal fees (checked 2026-10-08)
- 18VAC50-22-30 specialty definitions (checked 2026-10-08)
- 18VAC50-22-40 Class C requirements (checked 2026-10-08)
- 18VAC50-22-61 classification prerequisites (checked 2026-10-08)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, SOC 47-2181
- Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2022 to 2032 (state labor market offices) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Apprenticeship System (Office of Apprenticeship and State Apprenticeship Agencies) (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, State Offices (checked 2026-10-09)
- U.S. Department of Labor, Registered Apprenticeship Program (checked 2026-10-09)
- BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Roofers (checked 2026-10-09)
Training, schools and certifications for every state: how to become a roofer.