West Virginia Masonry License Requirements (2026)

West Virginia licenses masonry contractors statewide. A contractor is a person who undertakes covered construction work for compensation at $5,000 or more on a residential project or $25,000 or more on a commercial project. The current Contractor Licensing Board rule defines masonry work broadly: brick, concrete block, stone, marble, slate, and other masonry units, with or without mortar, plus related grout, caulking, tuckpointing, sandblasting, washing, pargeting, cleaning, and reinforcement-steel welding. The business needs a qualifying individual who is responsible management or a full-time employee, passes the Masonry and West Virginia Business and Law examinations at 70% or higher, and files the Board application/affidavit. A current state contractor license prevents an added local contractor competency license, but project permits, inspections, plans, codes, and zoning still apply.

Regulatory Body

This license is issued and enforced by West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board (WVCLB) pursuant to W. Va. Code §§30-42-3 through 30-42-10; W. Va. Code R. 28 CSR 2. The Contractor Licensing Board licenses contractors statewide. Its current rule defines a masonry contractor and requires a qualifying person to pass the required classification and West Virginia business-and-law examinations. Local authorities issue project permits but cannot demand an additional contractor competency license from a current state licensee.

• Official portal: https://apps.sos.wv.gov/adlaw/csr/readfile.aspx?DocId=58823&Format=PDF
• Address: West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board, State Capitol Complex, Charleston, WV
• Phone: (304) 558-7890

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must be at least 18 years old. Applicants must provide a Social Security Number. The Contractor Licensing Act licenses in-state and qualified out-of-state contractors. An out-of-state applicant seeking a conditional bid-only license must pass the West Virginia Business and Law examination and upgrade to the applicable classification before beginning work or hiring subcontractors.

Good moral character

The Board may discipline or deny for the grounds established in the Contractor Licensing Act and rule. The application must accurately establish the qualifier’s relationship to the business and the business’s compliance status.

Background investigation

The cited Act and active Board rule focus on examination, business, workforce, and wage-bond compliance. They do not prescribe a universal fingerprint-background-check requirement for every masonry contractor applicant.

Experience and Education

Eligibility here is not measured in years of experience but by The current statute and active rule require the qualifying person to pass the required Masonry classification examination and West Virginia Business and Law examination. They do not state a fixed masonry-experience duration in the cited provisions., per the cited materials.

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

• Contractor Licensing Board application/affidavit
• Qualifier affidavit and proof the qualifier is responsible management or a full-time employee
• Masonry classification and West Virginia Business and Law examination scores
• Business compliance affidavit covering applicable workers’ compensation, employment security, and wage-bond requirements

Education substitution

The cited current rule does not provide a blanket education substitution for the Masonry classification examination. Check the Board’s current application package if seeking a statutory universal-licensing route.

Exam Requirements

Testing provider or authority: A private testing agent approved and certified by the West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board. 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:

• West Virginia Masonry classification examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score 70%
• West Virginia Business and Law examination — question count: confirm with the authority, timing: confirm with the authority, passing score 70%

Examination fee: The Board rule requires applicants to pay the examination fee directly to the Board-approved testing agent. It does not state one current Masonry examination price, question count, or time limit in the rule.

Retake policy: An applicant scoring below 70 percent may apply for re-examination at the next regular examination session.

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 cited current Contractor Licensing Act and rule do not prescribe a statewide masonry-contractor general-liability or surety-bond amount. Project owners, contracts, lenders, and local permits may impose separate coverage requirements.

Workers' compensation

Before issuance and at renewal, the applicant must certify compliance with applicable workers’ compensation and employment-security requirements. Coverage obligations depend on the business and workforce.

Additional financial requirements

The cited current statute and rule require an affidavit of compliance with applicable wage-bond requirements, not a general statewide masonry financial-statement requirement.

Fee Schedule

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 West Virginia masonry.

Renewal and Continuing Education

Renewal of the West Virginia Masonry Contractor License comes due every year. As cited, the renewal fee stands at $90. A Contractor Licensing Board license expires one year after issuance. Retain a valid license copy at every construction site and include the license number in contracting advertisements and fully executed contracts.

Continuing education: The cited active Board rule does not state a continuing-education requirement for ordinary Masonry renewal. It requires timely renewal, payment, and verification of the statutory business-compliance requirements.

Reciprocity

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

The Board may grant an equivalent contractor classification without a written examination when another state provides similar action and the applicant supplies satisfactory proof of equivalent qualifications and pays the fee. The official materials do not publish a current Masonry state-by-state reciprocity list.

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 West Virginia's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

• Kentucky Masonry License Requirements — Kentucky Masonry Contractor Requirements — Local Rules
• Maryland Masonry License Requirements — Maryland Home Improvement Contractor (MHIC) License
• Ohio Masonry License Requirements — Ohio Masonry — Local Registration Only (No State License)
• Pennsylvania Masonry License Requirements — Pennsylvania Home Improvement Contractor Registration
• Virginia Masonry License Requirements — Virginia BRK Masonry Specialty Contractor — DPOR Board for Contractors

Step-by-Step Application Roadmap

1. Classify the undertaking. Count the entire undertaking, including labor and materials. A covered residential project at $5,000 or more or commercial project at $25,000 or more requires a Board license before contracting or bidding.
2. Confirm the Masonry scope and qualifier. Use the Masonry classification for the masonry activities defined in the rule. Designate a qualifier who is responsible management or a full-time employee and can use the passing scores for the entity.
3. Pass both required examinations. The qualifier must score at least 70 percent on the Masonry classification examination and the West Virginia Business and Law examination. Use the Board-approved private testing agent and its current schedule and fees.
4. Submit the Board application and compliance affidavit. File the completed application/affidavit, qualifier documentation, examination scores, and the required business-compliance certifications. The annual license fee is $90 unless a statutory fee waiver applies.
5. Confirm workforce and wage-bond compliance. Before license issuance, certify applicable workers’ compensation, employment-security, and wage-bond compliance. Keep that status current for renewal.
6. Obtain site approvals and use written contracts when required. The permit authority must receive proof of a required contractor license or an affidavit that licensure is not required. A licensed contractor needs a signed written contract for covered work of $10,000 or more in aggregate value.
7. Renew annually. The license expires one year after issuance. Submit the renewal application and $90 fee by expiration; a renewal submitted more than 15 days late adds a $25 penalty.

Application Checklist

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

• Calculate the full undertaking, including labor and materials
• Confirm that Masonry is the correct Board classification
• Designate a responsible-management or full-time-employee qualifier
• Pass the Masonry and West Virginia Business and Law exams at 70% or higher
• Submit the Board application/affidavit, score evidence, and $90 annual fee
• Certify applicable workers’ compensation, employment-security, and wage-bond compliance
• Obtain site permits, inspections, and plan approvals
• Use a signed written contract for covered work of $10,000 or more
• Renew before the one-year expiration date

Progress is saved in this browser, so you can return to this checklist while your application is in flight.

Common Filing Mistakes

Based on the board's own instructions and the sources cited here, the problems below are what most often stall a West Virginia Masonry application.

Using the obsolete $2,500 threshold

The current statutory thresholds are $5,000 for residential work and $25,000 for commercial work, measured by the undertaking.

Assuming only a business owner can qualify the company

A qualifier may be responsible management or a full-time employee, but must submit the required affidavit and proof of relationship.

Relying on an invented fixed PSI fee or exam format

The current rule uses a Board-approved private testing agent and does not publish one fixed Masonry exam fee, question count, or time limit. Obtain the current agent information from the Board.

Skipping the workforce-compliance affidavit

Before issuance and renewal, the contractor must certify applicable workers’ compensation, employment-security, and wage-bond compliance.

Treating state preemption as a permit exemption

State law bars an extra local contractor competency license, not building permits, plan review, inspections, zoning, or code compliance.

Study and Reference Materials

What follows are the regulator-cited and commonly used preparation references for this trade. They appear here for convenience only; CLR takes no compensation for them.

• West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board rule 28 CSR 2 — West Virginia Secretary of State. Primary current source for the Masonry definition, qualifier relationship, examinations, $90 annual fee, renewal, and penalties.
• West Virginia Contractor Licensing Act — West Virginia Legislature. Primary statute for contractor thresholds, workforce compliance, permits, annual term, written contracts, and local-license preemption.
• Current examination information from the Board-approved testing agent — West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board. Use the current Board schedule and testing-agent materials for the Masonry content, reference list, price, locations, and timing; do not rely on stale third-party exam data.

Other West Virginia Trade Licenses

Should the Masonry path not apply, these other West Virginia trade guides from CLR may help:

• West Virginia General Contractor License Requirements
• West Virginia Electrician License Requirements
• West Virginia Plumber License Requirements
• West Virginia HVAC Technician License Requirements
• West Virginia Roofing Contractor License Requirements
• West Virginia Painting Contractor License Requirements
• West Virginia Landscaping Contractor License Requirements
• West Virginia Concrete Contractor License Requirements
• West Virginia Carpentry Contractor License Requirements
• West Virginia Solar Installer License Requirements
• West Virginia Low-Voltage Technician License Requirements
• West Virginia Fire Sprinkler Contractor License Requirements
• West Virginia Home Inspector License Requirements
• West Virginia Pool Contractor License Requirements
• West Virginia Handyman License Requirements
• West Virginia Pest Control License Requirements
• West Virginia Septic Contractor License Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions

When does West Virginia require a masonry contractor license?

A Masonry contractor license is required when the covered undertaking is $5,000 or more for residential work or $25,000 or more for commercial work. The undertaking includes all labor and materials.

What work fits the Masonry classification?

The active Board rule includes brick, block, stone, marble, slate, other masonry units, grout, caulking, tuckpointing, sandblasting, mortar washing, pargeting, cleaning, and welding reinforcement steel related to masonry construction.

Does a West Virginia masonry contractor need a trade exam?

Yes. Except for specified statutory routes, the current rule requires a 70% or higher score on the Masonry classification examination and the West Virginia Business and Law examination.

How much is the West Virginia masonry contractor license?

The active rule sets a $90 annual fee for most applicants and renewals. Examination charges are paid directly to the Board-approved testing agent and are not set as a single amount in the rule.

Can a city require a second masonry contractor license?

No. A local government may not require additional contractor competency licensing from a current state contractor licensee. It may still issue permits and require plans, inspections, zoning, and building-code compliance.

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