Virginia Masonry License Requirements

Virginia regulates masonry contracting at the firm level through the DPOR Board for Contractors. A firm performing covered work selects the Masonry (BRK) specialty and a Class A, B, or C contractor license. The class follows the current statutory value thresholds: Class C is for a project over $1,000 but below $30,000 and annual work below $250,000; Class B is $30,000 to below $150,000 per project or $250,000 to below $1 million annually; Class A begins at $150,000 per project or $1 million annually. A qualified individual must meet the specialty experience and examination requirements for the class.

Regulatory Body

This license is issued and enforced by Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation — Board for Contractors (DPOR) pursuant to Code of Virginia Title 54.1 Chapter 11; 18 VAC 50-22 (Board for Contractors regulations). DPOR Board for Contractors licenses general and specialty contractors statewide, adopts the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code by reference, and conducts disciplinary proceedings.

Official portal: https://www.dpor.virginia.gov/Boards/Contractors/
Address: 9960 Mayland Drive, Suite 400, Richmond, VA 23233
Phone: (804) 367-8511

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. The contractor rules use firm, responsible-management, designated-employee, and qualified-individual criteria rather than a Virginia-residency requirement. Confirm separate entity-registration requirements with the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

Good moral character

The applicable Class A, B, or C application disclosures include all felony convictions, non-marijuana misdemeanor convictions from the preceding three years, and applicable contractor-license history and discipline.

Background investigation

Submit the disclosures required by the applicable Class A, B, or C rule for the firm and identified individuals.

Experience and Education

Plan to substantiate 1 year of The BRK qualified individual needs at least 1 year of masonry-specialty experience for Class C, 3 years for Class B, or 5 years for Class A. The qualified individual must be a full-time employee or a member of the firm’s responsible management. with hard records. Payroll, tax, project logs, and supervisor verification are what the board relies on when it reviews the claim.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

Documentation acceptable to DPOR showing the qualified individual meets the required BRK experience for the class sought
Board-approved pre-license education completion by the required responsible-management member or designated employee
For Class A or B, the required financial verification or the permitted surety-bond alternative

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: Virginia DPOR Board for Contractors / PSI. The following examination requirements cover the pathways described in this guide; follow each part's classification, waiver, and local-scope conditions. Unpublished format details do not remove an examination requirement:

Class A or B contractor business examination for the designated employee — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin
Masonry (BRK) qualified-individual specialty examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score: confirm in the current candidate bulletin

Examination fee: DPOR lists PSI charges of $40 for one portion, $72 for two portions, $85 for three portions, and $85 for a QI specialty examination. Confirm the required combination for the class and BRK application.

Retake policy: Use the current PSI candidate bulletin and DPOR examination instructions; do not rely on older fixed retake terms or exam specifications.

Insurance and Bonds

The cited materials impose no contractor license bond for this credential. Bear in mind that specific contracts, permits, or public works can still require their own bonds.

General liability

The current Class A, B, and C contractor-entry rules do not set a BRK general-liability minimum. Contract owners, local requirements, and the business’s risk profile may require coverage separately.

Workers' compensation

Workers' compensation obligations are separate from DPOR’s contractor-class entry rules. Verify current Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission requirements for the firm’s workforce and work arrangement.

Additional financial requirements

Class B requires at least $15,000 net worth or equity; Class A requires $45,000. DPOR permits a $50,000 surety bond on the Board form instead. Class C has no Class A/B financial-verification requirement.

Fee Schedule

Fee	Amount
Application	$235
Examination	$85
Initial license	$25
Renewal (every 2 years)	$250

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for Virginia masonry.

Renewal and Continuing Education

Renewal of the Virginia BRK Masonry Specialty Contractor — DPOR Board for Contractors comes due every 2 years. As cited, the renewal fee stands at $250. Licenses expire two years from the last day of the month issued. They are not valid during the 30-day period for submitting a renewal; after that period, reinstatement rules apply.

Continuing education: The current contractor renewal rule requires continued Class A/B/C qualifications and the renewal form and fee; it does not list a routine continuing-education hour requirement for BRK contractor-firm renewal.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Virginia Masonry License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity

The NASCLA Accredited Examination is not accepted by Virginia for this classification.

Reciprocal State	Accepted Exam	Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

The Board permits licensure under a reciprocal agreement or substantial equivalency. Its published agreement list identifies North Carolina RBC/CBC examination waivers and an Ohio business-law/advanced-law waiver, not a BRK-specific agreement. Submit a complete application and out-of-state verification for any reciprocity request.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares published Masonry license requirements by state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Masonry Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Virginia's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

District of Columbia Masonry License Requirements — DC Contractor Basic Business License and Project Permits for Masonry Work
Kentucky Masonry License Requirements — Kentucky Masonry Contractor Requirements — Local Rules
Maryland Masonry License Requirements — Maryland Home Improvement Contractor (MHIC) License
North Carolina Masonry License Requirements — North Carolina General Contractor License — S(Masonry Construction), Building, or Residential Classification
Tennessee Masonry License Requirements — Tennessee Masonry Contractor License (BC-9 or Licensed Masonry Contractor)
West Virginia Masonry License Requirements — West Virginia Masonry Contractor License

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

Choose the BRK specialty and contractor class. Class C is over $1,000 to below $30,000 per project and under $250,000 annually; Class B is $30,000 to below $150,000 or $250,000 to below $1 million; Class A begins at $150,000 or $1 million.
Name the qualified individual. The BRK qualifier needs 1/3/5 years of masonry specialty experience for Class C/B/A and must be a full-time employee or responsible-management member.
Complete pre-license education. DPOR currently requires eight hours for every new Class A, B, or C contractor license; the required participant differs by class.
Complete the applicable examinations. Classes A and B require the contractor business examination for the designated employee. The BRK qualified individual takes the specialty examination applicable to masonry.
Prepare financial verification for Class A or B. Provide the required financial statement/supporting documents, CPA-reviewed statement or audit, or the permitted $50,000 Board-form surety bond.
File the current DPOR firm application. The Class C/B/A initial license fee is $235/$380/$400, plus a $25 Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund assessment.
Meet other project-specific requirements. Confirm permits, building-code responsibilities, contract requirements, insurance, and jobsite-safety obligations before starting work.

Application Checklist

These are the pieces to lock down before filing with DPOR:

BRK Masonry specialty and the correct Class A, B, or C value range
Qualified individual with 1, 3, or 5 years of BRK experience by class
Eight-hour DPOR pre-license education completion
Applicable DPOR/PSI business and BRK specialty examination results
Class A/B financial verification or the permitted $50,000 surety bond alternative
Current DPOR contractor-firm application and Recovery Fund assessment
Project-specific permits, code, contract, insurance, and safety requirements

Common Filing Mistakes

Working from the cited board instructions, here are the snags most likely to trip up a Virginia Masonry filing.

Using the former class limits

Virginia’s current limits are $30,000/$150,000 per project and $250,000/$1 million annual breakpoints, with Class C beginning above $1,000.

Using a Class C qualifier with two years as the stated minimum

The current Class C rule requires one year of specialty experience; Class B and A require three and five years.

Assuming every applicant takes the same business exam

The business examination is a Class A/B designated-employee requirement. Confirm the separate specialty-exam requirement for the BRK qualified individual.

Bidding or working without the required class

Contracting without a license or the proper class is a Class 1 misdemeanor and may carry a civil penalty of up to $500 per day.

Treating the 30-day renewal period as active licensure

DPOR states that the license is not valid after expiration, even during the 30-day period in which renewal may be completed without reinstatement.

Study and Reference Materials

These are the preparation and reference materials tied to this credential — cited by the regulator or widely used by applicants. CLR earns nothing from listing them.

DPOR Board for Contractors examination information — Virginia DPOR. Use the current DPOR/PSI candidate information bulletin for the required BRK and business examination materials.
Virginia contractor statutes and regulations — Virginia General Assembly / DPOR. Use Title 54.1, Chapter 11 and 18 VAC 50-22 for licensing scope, qualifications, fees, and renewal.

Other Virginia Trade Licenses

CLR covers other Virginia trades as well — the published guides below may be more relevant:

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Virginia have a standalone mason license?

Virginia licenses the contractor firm, using the Masonry (BRK) specialty under the Class A, B, or C contractor license rather than a separate mason tradesman license.

What class limits apply to masonry contractors?

Class C is over $1,000 to below $30,000 per project and under $250,000 annually. Class B is $30,000 to below $150,000 per project or $250,000 to below $1 million annually. Class A begins at $150,000 per project or $1 million annually.

How much BRK experience must the qualified individual have?

The Board rules require at least one year for Class C, three years for Class B, and five years for Class A in the specialty sought.

Are business and masonry exams both required?

The contractor business examination applies to the Class A/B designated employee. The BRK qualified individual must complete the Board-approved specialty examination applicable to masonry; verify the current PSI bulletin before scheduling.

How much does renewal cost?

The two-year renewal charge is $250 for Class C, $290 for Class B, and $300 for Class A, each including the $30 Recovery Fund assessment.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

Verified 2026-09-04 · Next scheduled review 2026-12-03

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Corrections and presentation updates

2026-09-30: Corrected examination detection when format details are unpublished and updated the summary layout and requirements score. Source-check dates are unchanged.
2026-09-08: Shared template updated to distinguish unspecified eligibility requirements, retain cost qualifications, and use consistent headings. Source-check dates are unchanged by presentation updates.
2026-09-21: Local-only guides now use a compliance-focused structure and terminology instead of implying a statewide license application. Source-check dates are unchanged by this presentation update.