Window Replacement in Virginia: DPOR Classes and Climate

In Virginia, contractor licensing runs through the Board for Contractors at the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). The board says it "licenses businesses engaged in the construction, removal, repair, or improvement of facilities on property owned by others," and every license has two parts: a class (A, B or C) that sets the dollar value of work allowed, and a specialty that sets the type of work (DPOR Board for Contractors) ². The class thresholds are written into state law, and for a single contract the Class C range starts at over $1,000 (Va. Code § 54.1-1100) ¹. You can check any company in DPOR's License Lookup before you sign ⁴.

Climate is the other half. Most of Virginia sits in ENERGY STAR's North-Central window zone, with a South-Central band in the southeast and along the North Carolina line, and three mountain counties in the Northern zone ⁷.

Contractor classes A, B and C

The classes are defined in Va. Code § 54.1-1100. The statute's exact words (Va. Code § 54.1-1100) ¹:

• Class A: "'Class A contractors' perform or manage construction, removal, repair, or improvements when (i) the total value referred to in a single contract or project is $150,000 or more, or (ii) the total value of all such construction, removal, repair, or improvements undertaken by such person within any 12-month period is $1 million or more." ¹
• Class B: "'Class B contractors' perform or manage construction, removal, repair, or improvements when (i) the total value referred to in a single contract or project is $30,000 or more, but less than $150,000, or (ii) the total value of all such construction, removal, repair, or improvements undertaken by such person within any 12-month period is $250,000 or more, but less than $1 million." ¹
• Class C: "'Class C contractors' perform or manage construction, removal, repair, or improvements when (i) the total value referred to in a single contract or project is over $1,000 but less than $30,000, or (ii) the total value of all such construction, removal, repair, or improvements undertaken by such person within any 12-month period is less than $250,000." ¹

What the classes mean for a window job

The class follows contract size and yearly volume, not the type of work ¹². Under those definitions, a single window contract over $1,000 but less than $30,000 sits in the Class C range, and a whole-house job of $30,000 or more sits in the Class B range ¹. The company's 12-month total also counts, so a large window company may hold a Class A or B license even for a small job ¹. A useful question for any installer: does your license class cover the value of this contract?

The home improvement specialty

The second part of a license is the specialty, which DPOR says "determines what type of work is allowed" ². The board's regulations, 18 VAC 50-22-30, define home improvement contracting (abbreviated HIC) as "the service that provides for repairs or improvements to dwellings and townhouses as defined in the USBC or structures annexed to those dwellings or townhouses as defined in the USBC." The same definition says the residential building contractor (RBC) classification also provides for this function (DPOR Board for Contractors regulations) ³.

The regulations also set its limits: the HIC specialty "does not provide for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or gas fitting functions," and it does not include new construction beyond the existing building structure other than decks, patios, driveways and utility outbuildings that do not require a permit under the Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC) ³. If a window project involves enlarging openings or adding wiring, ask whether the company's specialties cover each part of the work. Permits are a separate, local question; see window replacement permits.

How to use the license lookup

DPOR's License Lookup takes search terms such as a name, license number, address or license type, and has separate tabs for an advanced license search and a disciplinary action search ⁴. Before you sign:

• Does the company name and license number on the quote match the lookup?
• Is the license active, and which class and specialties does it show?
• Does the disciplinary action search show anything for the company?

For license questions, DPOR's board page lists its Licensing Section at (804) 367-8511 ². The guide on how to choose a window installer covers references, written contracts and warranties.

Virginia's climate, mountains to tidewater

The 2025 State Climate Summary for Virginia, from the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies at North Carolina State University, describes the Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountains in the west and the Atlantic coastal region in the east, with the west and north cooler and drier than the eastern coast ⁵. Summers are often humid, with frequent afternoon and evening thunderstorms ⁵.

For windows, that means holding heat in through mountain and northern winters and limiting summer sun in the southeast. On the coast, ask how the installer will flash and seal each opening against wind-driven rain; the article on hurricane impact window cost covers impact-rated glass.

ENERGY STAR zones for Virginia

ENERGY STAR sets window criteria by climate zone, based on ratings from the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) (ENERGY STAR criteria) ⁸. ENERGY STAR's county list covers 129 Virginia counties and cities in three zones (climate zone finder) ⁷:

The Northern zone also has alternate paths that pair a U-factor of 0.23 to 0.26 with a higher minimum SHGC ⁶. Every ENERGY STAR window, in any zone, must meet an air leakage limit of 0.3 cubic feet per minute per square foot ⁶.

The lines can be close together. Hampton and Newport News are South-Central, while nearby York County, Poquoson and Williamsburg are North-Central ⁷. Check your own county or city in the finder.

What the numbers mean

• U-factor measures how fast heat moves through the whole window; lower insulates better. The U-factor explainer covers how it is measured.
• SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient) is the share of the sun's heat that passes through. South-Central caps it at 0.23 for hot southeastern summers, North-Central allows up to 0.40, and the Northern zone sets a minimum so winter sun can help heat the house ⁶. The article on the solar heat gain coefficient explains the trade-off.

The energy-efficient windows explainer and the article on low-E glass go deeper on reading the NFRC label.

Cost and next steps

Virginia prices follow the same drivers as anywhere: the number of windows, frame material, glass package, installation method and labor. This article does not quote Virginia prices, because the national surveys do not publish reliable state figures; the window replacement cost guide sets them side by side. Neighboring states handle licensing differently; see North Carolina and Maryland. Ask each installer to quote the same window, glass and installation method in writing, then use the article on how to compare window quotes.

When you are ready, you can compare quotes from window installers.

About these figures

• ¹ Official record: Va. Code § 54.1-1100 definitions of Class A, B and C contractors, quoted in full, including the $1,000, $30,000 and $150,000 contract thresholds and the $250,000 and $1 million 12-month totals, checked October 27, 2026.
• ² Official record: DPOR Board for Contractors page (businesses it licenses, class and specialty, Licensing Section phone), checked October 27, 2026.
• ³ Official record: Board for Contractors regulations, 18 VAC 50-22-30, definition and limits of the HIC specialty, checked October 27, 2026.
• ⁴ Official record: DPOR License Lookup search terms and its advanced and disciplinary action searches, checked October 27, 2026.
• ⁵ Reported: North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies 2025 State Climate Summary for Virginia (regions, winter lows, summer highs, precipitation, snowfall, tropical cyclones about once a year), checked October 27, 2026.
• ⁶ Official record: ENERGY STAR window criteria for the Northern, North-Central and South-Central zones and the 0.3 air leakage limit, checked October 27, 2026.
• ⁷ Official record: ENERGY STAR county climate zone list for Virginia (129 counties and cities: 107 North-Central, 19 South-Central, 3 Northern), checked October 27, 2026.
• ⁸ Official record: ENERGY STAR statement that window criteria rest on NFRC ratings and vary by climate zone, checked October 27, 2026.