Residential Construction Contract (Home Improvement)VirginiaContinue ↓

Virginia Residential Construction Contract (Home Improvement) (2026)

A contract between a homeowner and a contractor for building, remodeling or repair work — scope, schedule, price, payment milestones, change orders, insurance, warranty and the notices your state requires in the contract.

Updated September 2026≈ 9 minReviewed against 18 VAC 50-22-260 · 16 C.F.R. § 429.1
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Sample first page of the Residential Construction Contract (Home Improvement). Your answers fill in the blanks; the clauses required in Virginia are added automatically.

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Sample first page of the Residential Construction Contract (Home Improvement): title block and opening sections with blanks to fill

Sample first page of the Residential Construction Contract (Home Improvement). Your answers fill in the blanks; the clauses required in Virginia are added automatically.

This preview updates as you type. Blank fields show as ____ .

What this document covers

  • Owner, contractor and licence number
  • Project address and full scope of work
  • Start date and substantial completion date
  • Fixed price, cost-plus or time and materials
  • Down payment inside your state's legal cap
  • Payment milestones tied to the work
  • Written change-order procedure
  • Permits, inspections and code compliance
  • General liability and workers' compensation
  • Warranty, termination, disputes and the notices your state mandates

Virginia rules that this document follows

Contractor licenseBoard for Contractors (DPOR) — The written contract must state the contractor's name, address, licence number, class of licence and the classifications or specialty services covered.Source: 18 VAC 50-22-260(B)(9)
License number on the contractRequired — the contract must state itSource: 18 VAC 50-22-260(B)(9)
Written contract requiredYes — The contract must be in writing and signed before work begins, and must set out the cost terms, the payment schedule, the materials, who obtains the permits, how the contract may be modified, disclosure of the parties' cancellation rights and the statement about the Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund.Source: 18 VAC 50-22-260(B)(9)
Down payment capNone confirmed — no statutory cap was found; a deposit tied to mobilisation and special-order materials is the norm
Required noticesVIRGINIA CONTRACTOR TRANSACTION RECOVERY FUNDSource: 18 VAC 50-22-260(B)(9)
Right to cancel3 business days — Federal law gives the owner three business days to cancel a home improvement sale of $25 or more that was signed away from the contractor's regular place of business (at the owner's home, a fair, a hotel or a jobsite). The contract must carry the cancellation notice and two copies of a cancellation form.Source: 16 C.F.R. § 429.1(a) (FTC Cooling-Off Rule)

Rules current as of 2026-09-14. Statutes change; verify before relying on them.

How to use this Residential Construction Contract (Home Improvement) in Virginia

In Virginia the contract is regulated, not just recommended: The contract must be in writing and signed before work begins, and must set out the cost terms, the payment schedule, the materials, who obtains the permits, how the contract may be modified, disclosure of the parties' cancellation rights and the statement about the Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund. (18 VAC 50-22-260(B)(9)) This template writes the scope, the dates, the price, the payment milestones and the change-order rule into one document and prints the notices your state requires around it.

Price the job in one of three ways. A fixed price puts the risk of overruns on the contractor and is what most homeowners should ask for. Cost plus a fee makes sense for open-ended renovation, but only with a not-to-exceed number and access to the books. Time and materials suits small repairs where nobody can scope the work in advance. Tie the rest to milestones a person can stand in the room and verify — never to a calendar.

Put the licence number on the contract: The written contract must state the contractor's name, address, licence number, class of licence and the classifications or specialty services covered. (18 VAC 50-22-260(B)(9)) Ask for a certificate of general liability insurance and, where the contractor has employees, workers' compensation. An uninsured injury on your property is the one construction risk a homeowner cannot fix afterwards.

The contract has to carry the notices Virginia prescribes — VIRGINIA CONTRACTOR TRANSACTION RECOVERY FUND — and this template prints each of them. If the owner signs anywhere other than the contractor's regular place of business, the federal Cooling-Off Rule gives three business days to cancel and requires two copies of a cancellation form (16 C.F.R. § 429.1(a) (FTC Cooling-Off Rule)). Sign before any work begins, hand the owner a full copy the same day, and collect a lien waiver with every payment.

Frequently asked questions

Does Virginia require a written home improvement contract?

Yes. The contract must be in writing and signed before work begins, and must set out the cost terms, the payment schedule, the materials, who obtains the permits, how the contract may be modified, disclosure of the parties' cancellation rights and the statement about the Virginia Contractor Transaction Recovery Fund. (18 VAC 50-22-260(B)(9))

How big a down payment can a contractor ask for in Virginia?

No statutory down-payment cap was confirmed for Virginia. Even so, a deposit larger than what mobilisation and special-order materials actually cost is a warning sign — pay for work, not for promises.

Can I cancel a signed contract in Virginia?

Usually yes. Federal law gives the owner three business days to cancel a home improvement sale of $25 or more that was signed away from the contractor's regular place of business (at the owner's home, a fair, a hotel or a jobsite). The contract must carry the cancellation notice and two copies of a cancellation form. (16 C.F.R. § 429.1(a) (FTC Cooling-Off Rule)) If the contract was signed at the contractor's own showroom or office, that federal right does not apply and the contract's own termination clause governs.

What notices must the contract itself contain in Virginia?

These: VIRGINIA CONTRACTOR TRANSACTION RECOVERY FUND (18 VAC 50-22-260(B)(9)). This template prints each of them, using the statutory wording where the statute prescribes the words.

Does the contractor's license number have to be on the contract?

Yes. The written contract must state the contractor's name, address, licence number, class of licence and the classifications or specialty services covered. (18 VAC 50-22-260(B)(9)) A contract without it can expose the contractor to discipline and, in some states, make the contract hard to enforce.

Who pays if a subcontractor liens my house after I paid the contractor?

In most states the lien attaches to the house even though the owner paid, which is why this contract makes the contractor pay downstream and deliver a lien waiver with every payment. Collect the waivers before releasing each milestone, and keep the final payment until the last waiver is in hand.

Other names

  • home improvement contract
  • residential construction contract
  • remodeling contract
  • contractor agreement
  • general contractor contract
  • home remodeling agreement
  • renovation contract
  • construction agreement homeowner
  • home repair contract
  • builder contract

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FormsByState provides self-help document templates and general information, not legal advice. We are not a law firm. For advice about your situation consult a licensed attorney in your state.