Contractor Problems in Virginia: Complaints and Your Options

Short answerIf a contractor job goes wrong in Virginia, here is what we could confirm on official pages: where to file a complaint, state recovery fund, contract and cancellation rules. Each item links to its source. Keep your contract, payments and photos.

Where to file a complaint

The Board for Contractors page says to contact the Regulatory Programs and Compliance Section about a complaint, and the site has a File a Complaint link. Source

State recovery fund

DPOR's fund page says the Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund limits a single claim to $30,000, and claims involving the same contractor to $100,000 per biennium, prorated if exceeded. You need a Virginia court judgment against a licensed contractor, based on improper or dishonest conduct, for a contract involving your residence in Virginia, and must file within 12 months after the judgment is final. If the contractor is bonded, you must seek recovery through the bond. The Board's older consumer guide (Source) still shows a lower limit of $20,000 per claim. Source

Contract and cancellation rules

The Board for Contractors' guide says Virginia law requires all licensed contractors to provide a written contract for residential work. Source

This is general information, not legal advice. A topic we don't list means we couldn't confirm it on an official page, not that the protection doesn't exist.

Virginia licensing and costs · All states

General information, not professional advice. Conditions, codes and prices vary. Turn off power, gas or water before any work, and hire a licensed professional when in doubt. Cost figures are our estimates, not quotes.