Can you build your own house in Virginia without a contractor’s license?

You qualify whether you build your Virginia primary residence yourself or supervise the work¹. Virginia’s contractor-license exemption covers both roles, as well as removal, repair and improvement¹. You must own the residence and use it yourself¹. Owning the property alone does not qualify you for Virginia’s exemption¹.

You are limited to one primary residence during any 24-month period¹. Check whether you meet that time limit before you commit to another Virginia project¹. Ask the Board for Contractors how the exemption applies if you recently built or improved another primary residence¹. Also ask the board if you plan to rent or sell the new house instead of using it as your primary residence¹.

Apply to your local building official for a building permit for your Virginia house². Get the application form from the local building department². Describe the work you plan to do and its location, then provide any other information the building official asks for².

File a written statement claiming your exemption from contractor or subcontractor licensing². Virginia accepts this statement instead of proof of a license if you are exempt from the licensing requirement². Ask your local building department for its exemption form and the building permit fee for the house you plan to build².

You do not have to apply in person for your Virginia building permit². Virginia allows applications by mail, subject to the rule’s online-processing provision or your voluntary choice of another method². Ask your local office which application method it offers².

You still must follow Virginia’s Uniform Statewide Building Code even when the owner-builder exemption removes the contractor-license requirement for qualifying work¹. Get your building permit before you start construction unless the building official specifically allows you to start earlier². Your exemption statement does not give you permission to begin work².

Virginia’s permit exemptions for small structures do not exempt your new house². Qualifying detached storage sheds and playhouses, for example, can be exempt up to 256 square feet². To qualify for that exemption, your structure must meet the conditions for its use and the other stated conditions².

You still must meet other applicable rules after getting building-code approval in Virginia⁶. Virginia’s code does not override specified local floodplain rules or separate state wastewater-system regulations⁶. Ask your local building official which other approvals your site needs before you schedule construction⁶.

You can use the primary-residence licensing exemption anywhere in Virginia¹. Your local building inspections department enforces the statewide building code⁶. Use DHCD’s Code Officials Directory to find the building official for your locality⁶. Ask the Board for Contractors your questions about contractor licensing⁷.

You still need building permits in rural Virginia². You need residential building permits in Prince Edward County, Lunenburg County and Patrick County³. These county answers apply to unincorporated land³.

No Virginia county is listed as requiring no residential building permits³. Browse the Virginia owner-builder county list as you choose where to build. Ask the building department serving your address for the application, exemption statement and inspection schedule^2,4.

You need the applicable inspections at each stage of building your Virginia house⁴. As the permit holder, you must notify the building official when work is ready for inspection⁴. These checks include footings, foundations, framing and building systems before you cover them, where applicable⁴. Energy-conservation materials also need inspection before you cover them, where applicable⁴. Plan your work around those inspections so you can get the required checks before covering components⁴.

You need a final inspection when your permitted construction is complete⁴. Get the certificate of occupancy before you move into your Virginia house⁵. The building official must issue your certificate within five working days after approving the final inspection and finding that the house complies⁵.

You face a separate certificate rule if you sell your owner-built house in Virginia¹. Before transferring ownership, get the certificate unless your buyer acknowledges in writing that it is missing and agrees to buy the property without it¹. You still need a certificate before occupancy, even if your buyer accepts the house without one⁵.