Experience Verification for a
Virginia Contractor License
How to document and verify your experience — including out-of-state and international work — and avoid the most common reasons applications get delayed.
Experience must be documented and submitted with your DPOR application. It must clearly describe your work history, match your selected specialty, and be verified by someone with direct knowledge of your work — such as a licensed contractor, employer, or supervisor. DPOR accepts experience from other states and other countries.
What Qualifies as Contractor Experience?
Your experience can come from a wide range of work histories. DPOR is looking for verifiable, relevant hands-on experience that matches your chosen specialty.
Your experience must align with your chosen contractor specialty. See how to choose the right one.
Employment
Work performed as an employee of a licensed contractor or construction company.
Self-Employment
Work performed operating your own business, even if you were not previously licensed. (This one can be a little tricky though.)
Your Own Projects
Work performed on your own residence that required permitting can be used.
Out-of-State or International
Work performed in other U.S. states or other countries — as long as it can be clearly described and verified.
Out-of-State and International Experience
DPOR accepts experience gained outside of Virginia. This includes work performed in other U.S. states or in other countries. The key requirement is that it can be clearly described and properly verified. The fact that your experience was not in Virginia does not disqualify it.
Who Can Verify Your Experience?
Your experience must be confirmed by someone who has direct, first-hand knowledge of your work. Acceptable verifiers typically include:
- ✓ A licensed contractor who supervised or employed you
- ✓ A business owner or manager who can confirm your role
- ✓ A construction project owner or client in some cases
What Your Experience Description Must Include
Type of Work
What specifically did you do? Framing, roofing, remodeling, new construction — be specific.
Your Role
Were you a lead, a helper, a supervisor, or the owner? Your level of responsibility matters.
Timeframe
When did you perform this work and for how long? Duration is part of the evaluation.
Type of Construction
Residential or commercial? New construction or renovation? Match this to your specialty selection.
Experience Must Match Your Specialty
Specialty Alignment Is Critical
Your experience must align with the specialty you selected on your application. If you apply for HIC but your experience is primarily commercial work, your application may be flagged. Choose your specialty based on your actual work history.
Common Reasons Applications Get Delayed
- ✗ Vague descriptions like "worked in construction" without specifics
- ✗ A verifier who cannot clearly confirm your actual role or work
- ✗ Experience that does not match the selected specialty
- ✗ Missing timeframe or project-type detail
- ✗ Assuming out-of-state experience will not be accepted
Frequently Asked Questions
Ready to Move Forward?
Once your experience is documented, the next step is specialty exam prep. One class. One session. Get licensed.