GC Laws — Virginia contractor-law checklist preview (free)
Sources reviewed 2026-09-30. Public summaries remain free on gclaws.com.

[ ] Licensing
      - Section 54.1-1103 requires the appropriate contractor license before engaging or offering to engage in covered contracting.
      - Section 54.1-1100: Class A applies at a single project of $150,000 or more or annual volume of $1 million or more. Class B covers a single project from $30,000 to below $150,000 or annual volume from $250,000 to below $1 million, unless Class A is required.
      - Section 54.1-1100 defines Class C for covered projects above $1,000 and below $30,000, or annual volume below $250,000; a higher single-project or annual-volume category requires the corresponding higher class.

[ ] Mechanic's liens
      - Section 43-4 requires the memorandum no later than 90 days from the last day of the month in which the claimant last furnished labor/materials and in all events no later than 90 days after project completion or termination. Record it in the clerk’s office where the property is located.
      - Section 43-4 limits the memorandum to labor/materials within the 150 days preceding the claimant’s last work or delivery, subject to its exceptions for retainage of up to 10% and specified amounts not yet due. The filing also requires the prescribed content and applicable contractor-license information.
      - Section 43-17 permits suit only until the later of six months after recording the memorandum or 60 days after the project was completed or terminated. That suit period does not extend the deadline to perfect the lien.

[ ] Retainage
      - Section 2.2-4333(A) requires public construction contracts to provide progress payments based on a percentage or stage of completion and permits retention of no more than 5% of the amount earned for work done and materials or equipment delivered to the site.
      - Section 2.2-4333(B) requires corresponding progress-payment and 5% retainage limits in public construction subcontracts. Amounts withheld may be included in the final payment.

[ ] Prompt payment
      - Section 2.2-4347 defines the required payment date as the contract date; if none is fixed, it is 30 days for a state agency or 45 days for a local government after the later of proper invoice receipt or receipt of the goods/services.
      - Section 2.2-4354(1) requires covered construction contractors to pay a subcontractor within 60 days of receipt of its invoice following satisfactory completion, even without owner payment. A contractual-compliance withholding requires specific written notice within 50 days. Retainage provisions and public contracts solely for direct architectural/engineering professional services are excepted from this subdivision.
      - Section 2.2-4354(2) requires the contractor, within seven days after receiving the public payment, either to pay the subcontractor’s attributable share or notify both agency and subcontractor in writing of the reason for withholding. The payment and interest requirements must pass down to lower-tier subcontracts.

[ ] Prevailing wage
      - State agencies must include prevailing-wage requirements for mechanics, laborers and workers in covered public-work bids and contracts paid wholly or partly with state funds. A locality may adopt an ordinance imposing the requirement on covered work paid wholly or partly with locality funds.
      - The Commissioner determines the prevailing rates under subsection (A), using surveys every three years; the rate cannot be below the federal Davis-Bacon rate, and the statutory method references 29 C.F.R. section 1.2 as of January 20, 2026.
      - Covered contractors and subcontractors must post the applicable rates and effective changes in prominent accessible places and certify compliance to the Commissioner within ten days after posting under subsection (L).

[ ] Davis-Bacon (federal)
      - Under 40 U.S.C. section 3142, covered contracts require payment to laborers and mechanics employed directly on the site of the work at least weekly, at rates no lower than the applicable prevailing wage determination. The required compensation includes the basic hourly rate and required fringe benefits, which may be provided through qualifying benefits or cash as the statute permits.
      - Qualifying apprentices may receive a lower registered-program rate only when the applicable registration and program conditions are met. The Department of Labor’s apprenticeship rules govern those exceptions.
      - The Department of Labor determines the prevailing rates for the work classifications and locality. Contractors and subcontractors must use the wage determination applicable to their covered contract.
      - Federal assistance alone does not establish coverage: many, but not all, construction-assistance statutes include Davis-Bacon requirements. Identify the funding program and its governing Related Act.
      - SAM.gov publishes Davis-Bacon wage determinations. Search by the wage-determination number or the Davis-Bacon public-buildings-or-works category, and match the decision to the contract, locality, and work classification.

This preview lists the topics and rules covered in the full state pack. The paid pack adds the complete source URLs, citations, review dates, and the three editable tools.
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