Virginia roofing contract rules
What a Virginia roofing contract must say, how long you can back out, how much a roofer may ask up front, when a lien can follow and what a roofer may do about your insurance claim. Each rule is quoted from the statute or agency rule. Checked 2026-10-09.
Short answer: You can cancel a Virginia home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after the day you sign the agreement or offer to purchase (3 business days, Va. Code §59.1-21.3(1)). The federal rule adds 3 business days for sales made at your home (16 CFR 429). A licensed Virginia contractor can be disciplined for keeping or misusing money you paid for work that was not done or was only partly done (18VAC50-22-260(B)(16)). A Virginia general contractor must file its memorandum of lien in the clerk's office no later than 90 days from the last day of the month it last worked or supplied materials, and in no event later than 90 days after the job was completed or work otherwise ended (Va. Code §43-4). 14 rules on this page are quoted from official statutes, agency rules or regulator pages; 7 more are marked not confirmed.
State cancel period
3 business days
Va. Code §59.1-21.3(1)
Deposit rule
Rule quoted
18VAC50-22-260(B)(16)
Lien filing deadline
90 days
Va. Code §43-4
Written contract
Rule quoted
18VAC50-22-260(B)(8)
Find your last day to cancel
Only the signing date is needed for the cancel dates. Add the other dates when they happen and the rules that start from them get a calendar day too. Counting starts the day after the date you enter.
Enter the signing date to see your dates.
Days are counted the way each rule defines them: federal “business days” skip Sundays and federal holidays and count Saturdays; where a state rule defines business days as Monday to Friday we skip Saturdays and Sundays; where a rule says business days without defining them, or just says “days”, we count every calendar day and show the earliest possible date. State holidays are not subtracted, so a real deadline can fall a day or two later than shown. If the last day lands on a weekend, do not wait for it. General information from public rules, not legal advice.
Virginia against the other states
Calendar-day equivalents are used for the bars only (business days scaled by 7/5, months by 30, years by 365); the exact unit is in the tables.
Before you sign: Virginia checklist
Every line below comes from a rule on this page. Tick a line as you check it.
Virginia: written contract
| Rule | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A licensed Virginia contractor doing residential repair work such as a roof must use a legible written contract, signed by both you and the contractor before work starts or any payment is accepted. Failing to do so is a prohibited act for which the Board for Contractors can discipline a licensed contractor. |
18VAC50-22-260(B)(8) Covers: Residential contracting, meaning construction, removal, repair, or improvements to single-family or multiple-family residential buildings; subcontractors and routine maintenance or service contracts are excluded. | |
| The Virginia contract must state when work begins and the estimated completion date, the total cost, the schedule of progress payments with the down payment amount, and the parties' cancellation rights. The same subdivision also requires a list of materials and work requested by the consumer, a statement on permits and inspections, the contractor's name, address, license number and class, and a notice of the Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund. |
18VAC50-22-260(B)(9)(a)-(c), (g) Covers: Written contracts for residential contracting by licensed contractors. |
Virginia: right to cancel
The federal rule (16 CFR §429.1(a)) gives 3 business days for a sale made at your home. Rules of Virginia below are added to it.
| Rule | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| You can cancel a Virginia home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after the day you sign the agreement or offer to purchase. The chapter does not define a business day, so the calculator counts every day, shows the earliest possible date, and the real last day can be later; confirm the date with the seller in writing. The three days run from a signed agreement that has the cancellation notice required by the next section. |
3 business days counted from the day you sign |
Va. Code §59.1-21.3(1) Covers: A consumer sale or lease of goods or services that a seller or its agent solicits in person; not a cash sale under $25, a sale under a preexisting revolving charge account, or a sale made after prior negotiations between the parties. |
| Virginia's three-day right covers consumer sales of services that a roofer solicits in person, but not cash sales under $25 or sales made after prior negotiations between you and the roofer. A sale made by an entity regulated by the State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance is also outside the definition. |
Va. Code §59.1-21.2(A)(1), (B)(2) Covers: Consumer sales of goods or services where the buyer's agreement or offer to purchase is given to the seller or its agent. | |
| After you cancel a Virginia home solicitation sale, the seller must within ten days hand back every payment you made and any note or other evidence of debt. | 10 days counted from the day the notice is given |
Va. Code §59.1-21.5(1) Covers: A home solicitation sale that has been canceled or an offer that has been revoked. |
Virginia: deposits and down payments
| Rule | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A licensed Virginia contractor can be disciplined for keeping or misusing money you paid for work that was not done or was only partly done. | 18VAC50-22-260(B)(16) Covers: Contractors licensed by the Virginia Board for Contractors. |
Virginia: Mechanic's lien
| Rule | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| A Virginia general contractor must file its memorandum of lien in the clerk's office no later than 90 days from the last day of the month it last worked or supplied materials, and in no event later than 90 days after the job was completed or work otherwise ended. The first 90 days are counted from the last day of the month of the last work, not from the work date itself, and the second limit runs from completion, so the calculator cannot give one exact date. |
90 days counted from the date the rule names |
Va. Code §43-4 Covers: A general contractor, or a lien claimant under sections 43-7 and 43-9, perfecting a mechanics' lien under section 43-3. |
| A suit to enforce a Virginia mechanic's lien must be brought within six months after the memorandum was recorded or sixty days after the work was completed or ended, whichever is later. Filing a petition to enforce the lien in a suit where it can properly be filed counts as bringing the suit. |
6 months counted from the date the rule names |
Va. Code §43-17 Covers: A lien perfected under sections 43-4, 43-5 and 43-7 to 43-10. |
| On a Virginia one- or two-family home, a lien claimant must notify the mechanics' lien agent named on the building permit within 30 days of first work (or of the permit date if work began first), or the lien covers only work done after the notice. The notice goes by registered or certified mail or by physical delivery to the agent named on the permit. |
30 days counted from the date the rule names |
Va. Code §43-4.01(C) Covers: One- or two-family dwellings whose building permit names a mechanics' lien agent; no one has to give this notice when the permit names no lien agent. |
Virginia: insurance claims and your roofer
| Rule | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| In Virginia only a licensed public adjuster may prepare or file an insurance claim for you or act for you in negotiating its settlement. | Va. Code §38.2-1845.12(B) Covers: Claims on your insured property. The article does not apply to insurer adjusters, attorneys licensed in Virginia, or people employed only to obtain facts or give technical help to a licensed public adjuster (section 38.2-1845.3). | |
| In Virginia no one may advertise or promise to pay or rebate any part of your insurance deductible as an inducement to hire a public adjuster. | Va. Code §38.2-1845.12(Q) Covers: Sales of public adjuster services, not roofing contracts. | |
| A Virginia homeowner insured under a fire insurance policy, alone or combined with other coverages, may not assign claim rights or benefits to another person without the insurer's written consent, and a contract term that does so is void. Section 38.2-2131 carries a 2025 enactment date in its history line. |
Va. Code §38.2-2131(A), (B) Covers: Policies covered by section 38.2-2131; you may still authorize or direct payment to a person for reasonable services or materials covered by the policy. |
The insurer’s own deadlines are on the Virginia claim deadlines page.
Virginia: after a disaster
| Rule | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| During a Virginia disaster it is unlawful for a supplier to sell necessary goods and services at an unconscionable price within the area covered by the state of emergency. Actual sales at the higher price are not required. A price that grossly exceeded the supplier's price in the 10 days before the disaster is one factor considered. |
Va. Code §59.1-527 Covers: The area for which a state of emergency is declared. | |
| Virginia's price-gouging ban applies for as long as the declared state of emergency is in effect or for 30 days after the disaster, whichever is longer. If the state of emergency is extended or renewed within 30 days after the occurrence, the period extends to include the 30 days following the extension or renewal. |
30 days counted from the date the rule names |
Va. Code §59.1-526 |
Virginia roofing license
DPOR Class C contractor licenses apply to jobs over $1,000 (statute read: Class C is over $1,000 but less than $30,000). Source, checked 2026-10-07.
What we could not confirm in Virginia
- A cap on the deposit or down payment a Virginia roofer may ask for: not confirmed. Not found. Read Va. Code sections 54.1-1100 to 54.1-1140, the home solicitation sales act (59.1-21.1 to 59.1-21.7) and 18VAC50-22-260. The contractor regulation requires the contract to state the down payment amount but sets no limit.
- A rule that a Virginia roofer must hold a deposit in trust or escrow: not confirmed. Not found in the sections read (Va. Code 54.1-1100 to 54.1-1140 and 18VAC50-22-260).
- A right to cancel a Virginia roofing contract if the insurer denies the claim: not confirmed. Not found in the home solicitation sales act (59.1-21.1 to 59.1-21.7) or 18VAC50-22-260.
- A ban on a Virginia roofer waiving or rebating the insurance deductible: not confirmed. Not found in Va. Code sections 54.1-1100 to 54.1-1140 or 18VAC50-22-260; the only deductible rebate ban found, in section 38.2-1845.12(Q), concerns public adjusters.
- A notice that must appear in a Virginia roofing contract about the insurance claim: not confirmed. Not found in 18VAC50-22-260 or Va. Code sections 54.1-1100 to 54.1-1140.
- Extra licensing or registration for roofers after a declared emergency in Virginia: not confirmed. Not found in Va. Code sections 54.1-1100 to 54.1-1140 or the post-disaster anti-price gouging act (59.1-525 to 59.1-529).
- A limit on deposits a Virginia roofer may take after a declared emergency: not confirmed. Not found in the post-disaster anti-price gouging act (59.1-525 to 59.1-529) or 18VAC50-22-260.
Virginia contract questions
- How long can I cancel a roofing contract in Virginia?
- Va. Code §59.1-21.3(1): 3 business days, counted from the day you sign. The federal rule gives 3 business days for sales made at your home. The median across the 25 of 27 states with a confirmed number is about 4 calendar days (business days scaled by 7/5). The chapter does not define a business day, so the calculator counts every day, shows the earliest possible date, and the real last day can be later; confirm the date with the seller in writing. The three days run from a signed agreement that has the cancellation notice required by the next section.
- What are the deposit rules for a roofing job in Virginia?
- 18VAC50-22-260(B)(16): A licensed Virginia contractor can be disciplined for keeping or misusing money you paid for work that was not done or was only partly done.
- What is a mechanic's lien on a house in Virginia?
- Va. Code §43-4: A Virginia general contractor must file its memorandum of lien in the clerk's office no later than 90 days from the last day of the month it last worked or supplied materials, and in no event later than 90 days after the job was completed or work otherwise ended. The first 90 days are counted from the last day of the month of the last work, not from the work date itself, and the second limit runs from completion, so the calculator cannot give one exact date.
- Can a roofer in Virginia handle my insurance claim for me?
- Va. Code §38.2-1845.12(B): In Virginia only a licensed public adjuster may prepare or file an insurance claim for you or act for you in negotiating its settlement.
Why contracts get signed fast after a Virginia hailstorm
NOAA lists 7 Virginia cities in our data with 34 city-days of hail at 1 inch or more since 2014; the largest stone was 2.0 inches and the busiest month is May.
Virginia cities we cover
| City | Cost | Roofers |
|---|---|---|
| Chesapeake | Roof age | Roofers in Chesapeake |
| Harrisonburg | Roof age | Roofers in Harrisonburg |
| Lynchburg | Roof age | Roofers in Lynchburg |
| Newport News | Roof age | Roofers in Newport News |
| Norfolk | Roof age | Roofers in Norfolk |
| Richmond | Roof age | Roofers in Richmond |
| Roanoke | Roof age | Roofers in Roanoke |
Where each Virginia rule comes from
| Rule | Source | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Written contract: no fixed number A licensed Virginia contractor doing residential repair work such as a roof must use a legible written contract, signed by both you and the contractor before work starts or any payment is accepted. |
18VAC50-22-260(B)(8) agency rule Quote“to make use of a legible written contract clearly specifying the terms and conditions of the work to be performed. ... Prior to commencement of work or acceptance of payments, the contract shall be signed by both the consumer and the licensee or the licensee's agent.” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Written contract: no fixed number The Virginia contract must state when work begins and the estimated completion date, the total cost, the schedule of progress payments with the down payment amount, and the parties' cancellation rights. |
18VAC50-22-260(B)(9)(a)-(c), (g) agency rule Quote“When work is to begin and the estimated completion date ... A statement regarding total cost of the project ... The amounts and schedule for progress payments, including a specific statement on the amount of the down payment ... Disclosure of the cancellation rights of the parties” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Right to cancel: 3 business days You can cancel a Virginia home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after the day you sign the agreement or offer to purchase. |
Va. Code §59.1-21.3(1) statute text Quote“the buyer has the right to cancel a home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after the day on which the buyer signs an agreement or offer to purchase” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Right to cancel: no fixed number Virginia's three-day right covers consumer sales of services that a roofer solicits in person, but not cash sales under $25 or sales made after prior negotiations between you and the roofer. |
Va. Code §59.1-21.2(A)(1), (B)(2) statute text Quote“"home solicitation sale" means: 1. A consumer sale or lease of goods or services in which the seller or a person acting for him engages (i) in a personal solicitation of the sale or lease ... "Home solicitation sale" does not include cash sales of less than $25, a sale or lease made pursuant to a preexisting revolving charge account, or a sale or lease made pursuant to prior negotiations between the parties.” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Right to cancel: 10 days After you cancel a Virginia home solicitation sale, the seller must within ten days hand back every payment you made and any note or other evidence of debt. |
Va. Code §59.1-21.5(1) statute text Quote“within ten days after a home solicitation sale has been canceled or an offer to purchase revoked the seller must tender to the buyer any payments made by the buyer and any note or other evidence of indebtedness.” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Deposits and down payments: no fixed number A licensed Virginia contractor can be disciplined for keeping or misusing money you paid for work that was not done or was only partly done. |
18VAC50-22-260(B)(16) agency rule Quote“The retention or misapplication of funds paid, for which work is either not performed or performed only in part.” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Mechanic's lien: 90 days A Virginia general contractor must file its memorandum of lien in the clerk's office no later than 90 days from the last day of the month it last worked or supplied materials, and in no event later than 90 days after the job was completed or work otherwise ended. |
Va. Code §43-4 statute text Quote“shall file a memorandum of lien at any time after the work is commenced or material furnished, but not later than 90 days from the last day of the month in which he last performs labor or furnishes material, and in no event later than 90 days from the time such building, structure, or railroad is completed, or the work thereon otherwise terminated. The memorandum shall be filed in the clerk's office in the county or city in which the building, structure or railroad, or any part thereof is located.” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Mechanic's lien: 6 months A suit to enforce a Virginia mechanic's lien must be brought within six months after the memorandum was recorded or sixty days after the work was completed or ended, whichever is later. |
Va. Code §43-17 statute text Quote“No suit to enforce any lien perfected under §§ 43-4 , 43-5 and 43-7 to 43-10 shall be brought after six months from the time when the memorandum of lien was recorded or after sixty days from the time the building, structure or railroad was completed or the work thereon otherwise terminated, whichever time shall last occur” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Mechanic's lien: 30 days On a Virginia one- or two-family home, a lien claimant must notify the mechanics' lien agent named on the building permit within 30 days of first work (or of the permit date if work began first), or the lien covers only work done after the notice. |
Va. Code §43-4.01(C) statute text Quote“no person other than a person claiming a lien under subsection B of § 43-3 may claim a lien under this title or file a memorandum or otherwise perfect and enforce a lien under this title with respect to a one or two family residential dwelling unit if such person fails to notify any mechanics' lien agent identified on the building permit in accordance with subsection B above (i) within 30 days of the first date that he performs labor or furnishes material ... provided that such lien is limited to labor performed or materials furnished on or after the date a notice is given by such person to the mechanics' lien agent” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Insurance claims and your roofer: no fixed number In Virginia only a licensed public adjuster may prepare or file an insurance claim for you or act for you in negotiating its settlement. |
Va. Code §38.2-1845.12(B) statute text Quote“No person except a public adjuster duly licensed under this article shall: 1. Accept a commission, fee, or other compensation for investigating or settling claims; 2. Prepare, complete, or file an insurance claim on behalf of a policyholder; 3. Aid or act on behalf of a policyholder in negotiating for or effecting the settlement of a claim for loss or damage covered by an insurance contract” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Insurance claims and your roofer: no fixed number In Virginia no one may advertise or promise to pay or rebate any part of your insurance deductible as an inducement to hire a public adjuster. |
Va. Code §38.2-1845.12(Q) statute text Quote“No person shall advertise or promise to pay or rebate all or any portion of any insurance deductible as an inducement to the sale of the services of a public adjuster.” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| Insurance claims and your roofer: no fixed number A Virginia homeowner insured under a fire insurance policy, alone or combined with other coverages, may not assign claim rights or benefits to another person without the insurer's written consent, and a contract term that does so is void. |
Va. Code §38.2-2131(A), (B) statute text Quote“no person insured under a fire insurance policy or a fire insurance policy in combination with other coverages shall assign or otherwise transfer, in whole or in part, to any other person the duties, rights, or benefits of the insured under the policy arising from a claim or covered loss without written consent of the insurer. B. Any contract provision entered in violation of this section shall be void and unenforceable.” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| After a disaster: no fixed number During a Virginia disaster it is unlawful for a supplier to sell necessary goods and services at an unconscionable price within the area covered by the state of emergency. |
Va. Code §59.1-527 statute text Quote“During any time of disaster, it shall be unlawful for any supplier to sell, lease, or license, or to offer to sell, lease, or license, any necessary goods and services at an unconscionable price within the area for which the state of emergency is declared.” |
2026-10-09 official page |
| After a disaster: 30 days Virginia's price-gouging ban applies for as long as the declared state of emergency is in effect or for 30 days after the disaster, whichever is longer. |
Va. Code §59.1-526 statute text Quote“"Time of disaster" means the longer of (i) the period of time when a state of emergency declared by the Governor or the President of the United States as the result of a disaster, emergency, or major disaster, as those terms are used and defined in § 44-146.16 , is in effect or (ii) 30 days after the occurrence of the disaster” |
2026-10-09 official page |
Nearby states
South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky, Michigan or all states.
Related: Virginia claim deadlines, Virginia roofers, insurer roof-age rules.