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9 permits · verified 2026-10-02

What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Chesterfield County Va?

In short

A contractor or trade in Chesterfield County Va, 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. Chesterfield County Commissioner of the Revenue charges $550,000 gross receipts a year — the amount below which the flat $10 fee applies instead of the percentage tax, and the amount subtracted when computing the percentage tax above it for the bpol no-tax-below / percentage-tax reduction threshold. 6 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-02 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Chesterfield County Va

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 Chesterfield County Va

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
BPOL (Business, Professional and Occupational License) Registration and Flat-Fee BracketChesterfield County Commissioner of the RevenueVaries — formula on the Chesterfield County Va pagecalendar year; renew by March 12026-10-02
BPOL Percentage Tax on Gross ReceiptsChesterfield County Commissioner of the RevenueVaries — formula on the Chesterfield County Va pagecalendar year; renew by March 12026-10-02
BPOL No-Tax-Below / Percentage-Tax Reduction ThresholdChesterfield County Commissioner of the Revenue$550,000 gross receipts a year — the amount below which the flat $10 fee applies instead of the percentage tax, and the amount subtracted when computing the percentage tax above itcalendar year2026-10-02

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 Chesterfield County Va?

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 Chesterfield County Va, 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, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $550,000.00. That is a floor, not a total. 6 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 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Chesterfield County Va permits page and the VA state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Chesterfield County Va?

Permits for a contractor or trade in Chesterfield County Va, VA come from 3 separate offices: Chesterfield County Commissioner of the Revenue, 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 Chesterfield County Va 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 Chesterfield County Va: 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 Chesterfield County Va, VA; what each one involves is set out on the Chesterfield County Va 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 Chesterfield County Va?

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 Automotive Repair Licensing — Commonwealth of Virginia position, which a contractor or trade does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Chesterfield County Va, VA, compared with a contractor or trade
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a contractor or tradeOnly a contractor or trade needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops1021
Childcare centres1021
Coffee shops5025
Fitness studios0020
Food trucks4024
Restaurants7027
Retail stores1021
Salons and barbers2022
Veterinary clinics1021

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 Chesterfield County Va 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.