To protect yourself and your property, confirm that your contractor holds the proper license for the type and value of the work before hiring them; you may ask to see a copy of their current license. Under Virginia Code §54.1-1100, contracting for or bidding upon the construction, removal, repair, or improvement of real property owned, controlled, or leased by another person without a license — or without the proper class of license for the value of the work to be performed — is prohibited. An unlicensed or improperly classed contractor is not only a legal risk but often a quality risk, and Först Consulting Group frequently finds that licensing gaps correlate with code and workmanship problems.