Who requires it
Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation — Board for Contractors
License & permit · Virginia
Virginia Contractors Bond
Class A and Class B contractor firms licensed by the Virginia Board for Contractors must prove financial responsibility. One path is documenting the Board’s net-worth amounts; the other is electing a fixed $50,000 surety bond on the Board’s A501-27BOND form. The bond is not a separate statewide requirement for Class C firms or for individual tradesman cards.
Common bond amount
$50,000
Optional Class A/B financial-responsibility election—not required if you meet Board net-worth proof; not the Class C path.
How you file
File Board Surety Bond Form A501-27BOND with the Board for Contractors
Renewal
Keep current while electing continuous bonding; show proof at renewal
Who requires it
Business entities and sole proprietors seeking or renewing a Class A or Class B contractor license who choose a bond instead of submitting Board-acceptable net-worth proof. The same license classes cover residential, commercial, highway/heavy, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, fire sprinkler, and specialty classifications—the classification describes the work, not a different statewide bond amount. Class C applicants and individual tradesmen follow other entry rules and do not use this $50,000 financial-responsibility election.
How much is required
§§ 54.1-1106 and 54.1-1108 establish a $50,000 bond when an applicant elects a surety bond instead of the Board’s net-worth financial-responsibility path. Board regulations set those net-worth floors at $45,000 for Class A and $15,000 for Class B (excluding property owned as tenants by the entirety). The bond amount does not change by classification—electrical, plumbing, and HVAC Class A/B firms that elect bonding still use $50,000 on A501-27BOND.
How to get and file it
Decide with your application team whether net-worth documentation or the surety election fits the firm. If bonding, have a surety company licensed in Virginia and approved by the Attorney General execute Board form A501-27BOND for $50,000 in the exact legal name on the DPOR application, attach power of attorney, and file the original with the Department with the Class A or Class B package. File the bond with DPOR when you elect continuous bonding under § 54.1-1106 or § 54.1-1108. Proof of a current bond is required to renew while you remain on that path. The form is written to track the license term. Sureties must notify the Board of claims and may cancel as to future liability on thirty days’ notice under § 54.1-1120.1. Local permit or home-improvement bonds under § 54.1-1111 are separate instruments.
Cost note
$50,000 is the required bond amount if you elect this path, not the premium you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- Who may elect
- Class A or Class B contractor firms instead of Board net-worth documentation
- Required amount
- $50,000 on A501-27BOND
- Net-worth alternative
- Class A $45,000 / Class B $15,000 equity proof per Board regulations
- Cancellation
- Surety may cancel as to future liability on 30 days’ notice to the Board
Official sources
- § 54.1-1106 — Class A license; financial responsibility and $50,000 bond ↗
- § 54.1-1108 — Class B license; financial responsibility and $50,000 bond ↗
- 18VAC50-22 — Board for Contractors Regulations (A501-27REGS) ↗
- Board for Contractors — Surety Bond Form A501-27BOND ↗
- § 54.1-1109 / § 54.1-1120.1 — Renewal proof and recovery on bond ↗
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
Is the bond different for Class A versus Class B?
No. Both classes use the same $50,000 statutory election if you choose surety instead of net worth. The net-worth alternative differs—$45,000 for Class A and $15,000 for Class B.
Does a Class C license need this bond?
No statewide Class C financial-responsibility surety parallel to the Class A/B $50,000 election appears in §§ 54.1-1106 and 54.1-1108. Class C applications follow § 54.1-1108.2 and Board Class C rules. Localities may still require their own bonds for some work.
Do I need a separate electrical or plumbing bond?
Not at the statewide Board financial-responsibility level. Those crafts are classifications on the contractor license (and separate tradesman licenses for individuals). Class A/B firms that elect bonding use this single $50,000 Board form.
Surety basics (not repeated here)
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
Apply for the Contractors Bond (Class A / B)
The application can open with this bond already selected. You can still go back and change selections.
Last verified 2026-08-10. This guide is based on verified educational content and official sources.
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