VIRGINIA HIC EXAM – QUIZ AND RATIONELES
VIRGINIA HIC EXAM
(Home Improvement Contracting Exam)
Questions and Answers with Detailed Rationales
1. Under Virginia law, which state agency's Board for Contractors licenses Home Improvement
Contractors (HIC)?
A. Department of Housing and Community Development
B. Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR)
C. Department of Labor and Industry
D. State Corporation Commission
Rationale: The Board for Contractors operates under DPOR, which administers contractor
licensing statewide under Title 54.1, Chapter 11 of the Code of Virginia.
2. The Home Improvement Contracting (HIC) specialty covers work on:
A. Commercial buildings of any size
B. One-family and two-family residential dwellings and structures appurtenant to them
C. High-rise apartment buildings
D. New subdivisions only
Rationale: HIC is limited to repairs and improvements to one- and two-family residences and
structures annexed to the real property, not high-rises or multi-unit buildings.
,VIRGINIA HIC EXAM – QUIZ AND RATIONELES
3. Which of the following is EXCLUDED from the HIC specialty's scope of work?
A. Kitchen remodeling
B. Deck construction
C. Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and gas-fitting work
D. Siding replacement
Rationale: HIC does not authorize electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or gas-fitting functions; those
require their own separate classification or specialty license.
4. A contractor licensed only in HIC wants to build a brand-new single-family home from the
ground up. Is this permitted?
A. Yes, HIC covers all residential work including new construction
B. No, HIC excludes new construction beyond decks, patios, driveways, and utility
outbuildings
C. Yes, as long as the lot is under one acre
D. Only with a temporary permit
Rationale: HIC is an improvement/repair specialty; it does not extend to new home construction
except for limited additions like decks, patios, driveways, and utility outbuildings.
5. A Class C contractor license in Virginia currently permits a single contract of approximately:
A. $1,000 to $9,999
B. $50,000 to $99,999
C. $120,000 or more
D. Unlimited
Rationale: Class C is the smallest license tier, generally covering single contracts in roughly the
$1,000–$9,999 range, with a low annual gross volume cap.
,VIRGINIA HIC EXAM – QUIZ AND RATIONELES
6. A Class B contractor license generally covers single contracts in the range of:
A. $1,000–$9,999
B. $10,000 up to just under $120,000
C. $500,000 and up
D. There is no dollar range for Class B
Rationale: Class B sits between Class C and Class A, generally authorizing single contracts from
about $10,000 up to just under the Class A threshold, or a mid-range annual gross volume.
7. A Class A contractor license is required when:
A. A single contract is under $1,000
**B. A single project reaches roughly $120,000 or more, or annual gross volume reaches
roughly $750,000 or more**
C. The contractor only performs handyman work
D. The contractor is a sole proprietor
Rationale: Class A is the highest tier, required once a single project or the contractor's total
annual volume crosses into the highest statutory threshold.
8. If a contractor's largest single job is $15,000 but total annual volume across many small jobs
will reach $800,000, which class is required?
A. Class C, because no single job exceeds $120,000
B. Class B, because no single job is large
C. Class A, because either the single-project OR annual-volume threshold can trigger the
higher class
D. No license is required if jobs are small
Rationale: Class is determined by whichever threshold is higher — a single project amount or
cumulative annual volume. Exceeding either one requires the corresponding class.
, VIRGINIA HIC EXAM – QUIZ AND RATIONELES
9. A homeowner hires an unlicensed handyman for a single $600 repair. Under Virginia law, is
a contractor license required?
A. Yes, all repair work requires a license
B. No, work valued at $1,000 or less generally does not require a contractor license
C. Only if the homeowner requests it
D. Only for electrical work
Rationale: Virginia's licensing thresholds generally exempt very small jobs (around $1,000 or
less) from the contractor licensing requirement, though local business license rules may still
apply.
10. Which specialty must be licensed as Class A, B, or C regardless of the dollar value of the
contract?
A. Painting
B. Landscape irrigation and water well contracting
C. Drywall finishing
D. Fence installation
Rationale: Certain specialties, such as landscape irrigation and water well contracting, require
licensure at some class level no matter how small the contract amount, due to public health and
safety concerns.
11. What is the MAXIMUM penalty for a contractor who undertakes work without the proper
class of license?
A. $100 fine per day
**B. $500 fine per day for each day of violation plus penalties for a Class 1 misdemeanor**
C. $1,000 flat fee
D. License suspension only
Rationale: Under Virginia Code § 54.1-1115, any person who undertakes work without a valid
license or the proper class of license shall be fined an amount not to exceed $500 per day for
each day of violation, in addition to the authorized penalties for the commission of a Class 1
misdemeanor.
VIRGINIA HIC EXAM
(Home Improvement Contracting Exam)
Questions and Answers with Detailed Rationales
1. Under Virginia law, which state agency's Board for Contractors licenses Home Improvement
Contractors (HIC)?
A. Department of Housing and Community Development
B. Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR)
C. Department of Labor and Industry
D. State Corporation Commission
Rationale: The Board for Contractors operates under DPOR, which administers contractor
licensing statewide under Title 54.1, Chapter 11 of the Code of Virginia.
2. The Home Improvement Contracting (HIC) specialty covers work on:
A. Commercial buildings of any size
B. One-family and two-family residential dwellings and structures appurtenant to them
C. High-rise apartment buildings
D. New subdivisions only
Rationale: HIC is limited to repairs and improvements to one- and two-family residences and
structures annexed to the real property, not high-rises or multi-unit buildings.
,VIRGINIA HIC EXAM – QUIZ AND RATIONELES
3. Which of the following is EXCLUDED from the HIC specialty's scope of work?
A. Kitchen remodeling
B. Deck construction
C. Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, and gas-fitting work
D. Siding replacement
Rationale: HIC does not authorize electrical, plumbing, HVAC, or gas-fitting functions; those
require their own separate classification or specialty license.
4. A contractor licensed only in HIC wants to build a brand-new single-family home from the
ground up. Is this permitted?
A. Yes, HIC covers all residential work including new construction
B. No, HIC excludes new construction beyond decks, patios, driveways, and utility
outbuildings
C. Yes, as long as the lot is under one acre
D. Only with a temporary permit
Rationale: HIC is an improvement/repair specialty; it does not extend to new home construction
except for limited additions like decks, patios, driveways, and utility outbuildings.
5. A Class C contractor license in Virginia currently permits a single contract of approximately:
A. $1,000 to $9,999
B. $50,000 to $99,999
C. $120,000 or more
D. Unlimited
Rationale: Class C is the smallest license tier, generally covering single contracts in roughly the
$1,000–$9,999 range, with a low annual gross volume cap.
,VIRGINIA HIC EXAM – QUIZ AND RATIONELES
6. A Class B contractor license generally covers single contracts in the range of:
A. $1,000–$9,999
B. $10,000 up to just under $120,000
C. $500,000 and up
D. There is no dollar range for Class B
Rationale: Class B sits between Class C and Class A, generally authorizing single contracts from
about $10,000 up to just under the Class A threshold, or a mid-range annual gross volume.
7. A Class A contractor license is required when:
A. A single contract is under $1,000
**B. A single project reaches roughly $120,000 or more, or annual gross volume reaches
roughly $750,000 or more**
C. The contractor only performs handyman work
D. The contractor is a sole proprietor
Rationale: Class A is the highest tier, required once a single project or the contractor's total
annual volume crosses into the highest statutory threshold.
8. If a contractor's largest single job is $15,000 but total annual volume across many small jobs
will reach $800,000, which class is required?
A. Class C, because no single job exceeds $120,000
B. Class B, because no single job is large
C. Class A, because either the single-project OR annual-volume threshold can trigger the
higher class
D. No license is required if jobs are small
Rationale: Class is determined by whichever threshold is higher — a single project amount or
cumulative annual volume. Exceeding either one requires the corresponding class.
, VIRGINIA HIC EXAM – QUIZ AND RATIONELES
9. A homeowner hires an unlicensed handyman for a single $600 repair. Under Virginia law, is
a contractor license required?
A. Yes, all repair work requires a license
B. No, work valued at $1,000 or less generally does not require a contractor license
C. Only if the homeowner requests it
D. Only for electrical work
Rationale: Virginia's licensing thresholds generally exempt very small jobs (around $1,000 or
less) from the contractor licensing requirement, though local business license rules may still
apply.
10. Which specialty must be licensed as Class A, B, or C regardless of the dollar value of the
contract?
A. Painting
B. Landscape irrigation and water well contracting
C. Drywall finishing
D. Fence installation
Rationale: Certain specialties, such as landscape irrigation and water well contracting, require
licensure at some class level no matter how small the contract amount, due to public health and
safety concerns.
11. What is the MAXIMUM penalty for a contractor who undertakes work without the proper
class of license?
A. $100 fine per day
**B. $500 fine per day for each day of violation plus penalties for a Class 1 misdemeanor**
C. $1,000 flat fee
D. License suspension only
Rationale: Under Virginia Code § 54.1-1115, any person who undertakes work without a valid
license or the proper class of license shall be fined an amount not to exceed $500 per day for
each day of violation, in addition to the authorized penalties for the commission of a Class 1
misdemeanor.
