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9 permits · verified 2026-09-05

What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Chesapeake?

In short

A contractor or trade in Chesapeake, VA has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Chesapeake Commissioner of the Revenue, Business Tax Section charges $50 a year minimum for the bpol tax. 5 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-05 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Chesapeake

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Contractor Licenseonly if it applies to youVirginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors$274.50–$439.50 initial — $274.50 Class C, $419.50 Class B, $439.50 Class A, including the recovery fund and technology charges2 years from the last day of the month of issue2026-09-03
Tradesman Licenseonly if it applies to youVirginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors$171.75 original license — a $150 fee plus the $7.25-a-year technology charge3 years for electricians, plumbers, HVAC and gas fitters; 2 years otherwise2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Chesapeake

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Commercial Building PermitCity of Chesapeake Department of Development & PermitsVaries — formula on the Chesapeake pageone-time, per project2026-09-05
BPOL TaxCity of Chesapeake Commissioner of the Revenue, Business Tax Section$50 a year minimumannual — must be renewed by March 12026-09-05
Certificate of OccupancyCity of Chesapeake Department of Development & Permits$75 for a new building, commercial pool, relocated business, addition or alteration; a temporary CO is $75 residential / $100 commercialissued once per qualifying occupancy2026-09-05

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

VA registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youVirginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk$100 one-time filingno expiry, but a $50 annual registration fee is due every year2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youVirginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the ClerkVaries — formula on the VA pageno expiry, but an annual registration fee and a free annual report are due2026-09-03
Annual Registration Feeonly if it applies to youVirginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the ClerkVaries — formula on the VA pageannual — the last day of the twelfth month after the month of formation2026-09-03
General Business License — Local BPOL License (Virginia)only if it applies to youVirginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the ClerkVaries — formula on the VA pageannual — usually due 1 March2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

How much does it actually cost to permit a contractor or trade in Chesapeake?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a contractor or trade in Chesapeake, VA, 3 apply to every business of this type and 6 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

Of the 3 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $125.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 0 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Contractor License: $274.50–$439.50 initial — $274.50 Class C, $419.50 Class B, $439.50 Class A, including the recovery fund and technology charges

The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Chesapeake permits page and the VA state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Chesapeake?

Permits for a contractor or trade in Chesapeake, VA come from 4 separate offices: City of Chesapeake Department of Development & Permits, City of Chesapeake Commissioner of the Revenue, Business Tax Section, Virginia State Corporation Commission, Office of the Clerk, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, Board for Contractors. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a contractor or trade need in Chesapeake that other businesses do not?

2 of the 2 permits particular to a contractor or trade here apply to no other business type we cover in Chesapeake: Contractor License and Tradesman License.

Contractor License

The thresholds moved in 2025 and older guidance is now wrong. Class A is a single contract of $150,000 or more or a million a year; Class B is $30,000 to $150,000 or $250,000 to a million; Class C runs from just over $1,000 to $30,000. Below $1,000 no contractor license is needed at all. The fee is the small part: Class A applicants must document $45,000 of net worth and Class B $15,000, and Class A and B both need a designated employee who has passed the board's exams, which Class C does not. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors must additionally hold a master tradesman license as a condition of licensure — two credentials, two fees. Value means fair market value, so under-pricing a contract does not move you down a class. The printed fees are $400, $380 and $235; the rest is a $25 recovery fund assessment and the $7.25-a-year technology charge that ends on 30 June 2030.

Tradesman License

This is the individual credential that sits under the company's contractor license, and for the mechanical trades it is compulsory to hold both. The main trades run on a three-year cycle while every other license and certification in the chapter runs on two, which is a genuine trap when budgeting renewals. Renewal is $160. Exchanging a locality-issued card for a state license costs $110, and adding a second trade designation $105. Continuing education at renewal is three hours per designation for plumbing, electrical and HVAC and one hour for gas fitters, rising to eight for elevator and accessibility mechanics, water well providers and fire sprinkler inspectors.

The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Chesapeake, VA; what each one involves is set out on the Chesapeake permits page. The 4 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across VA and are covered on the VA state page.

How does a contractor or trade compare with other businesses in Chesapeake?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs Contractor License and Tradesman License. A auto repair shop needs Sign Permit, Motor Vehicle Repair — Home Occupation Restriction (Chesapeake) and Automotive Repair Licensing — Commonwealth of Virginia position, which a contractor or trade does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Chesapeake, VA, compared with a contractor or trade
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a contractor or tradeOnly a contractor or trade needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops3023
Childcare centres2022
Coffee shops4024
Fitness studios1021
Food trucks2022
Restaurants4024
Retail stores1021
Salons and barbers2022
Veterinary clinics3023

Sources

Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Chesapeake permits page and the VA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. 18VAC50-22-100 — Board for Contractors initial license feesVirginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  2. Code of Virginia section 54.1-1100 — Class A, B and C contractor definitions and thresholds as amended in 2025Virginia General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  3. 18VAC50-30-90 — tradesman license feesVirginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.