Moving to West Virginia as a general contractor: every state's rule

1. 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. General Building Contractor examination: 80 questions, 3 hours, open book, 70% to pass, given by Prov, Inc. A NASCLA Accredited Examination score accepted by the Board can take its place..
2. 2Law / code exam. Pass a law, rules, or code exam. West Virginia Contractor Licensing Act examination, the business and law examination every applicant must pass: 90 questions, 3 hours, open book, 70% to pass, given by Prov, Inc. It covers W. Va. Code Chapter 30 Article 42, the Board's legislative rule at 28 CSR 2, the procedural rule on written contracts at 28 CSR 4 and the construction-defect notice law at W. Va. Code Chapter 21 Article 11A..
3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($59.95). $59.95 for each examination, first attempt or retake, paid to Prov, Inc. by the person taking it; the trade examination and the Contractor Licensing Act examination are paid separately. Schedule at provexam.com or on (866) 720-7768. Rescheduling is free with at least three business days' notice, and the fee is not refunded if you take the wrong examination, so confirm which examinations you need with the Board first..
4. 4License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($90). $90 annual license fee, paid with the application/affidavit by check, certified check, cashier's check or money order payable to the West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board, or by credit card at the Charleston office. Qualifying low-income and military-family applicants may ask for the initial fee to be waived..
5. 5Business license. Obtain a business license. An eight-digit West Virginia Business Registration Tax number from the State Tax Department, without which the application is not processed, and, for a corporation, LLC, LLP, LP or PLLC, a Certificate of Authority from the West Virginia Secretary of State. Registration is at business4wv.com or through the One Stop Business Center in Charleston. The business must be in good standing with these agencies before a license is issued..
6. 6Insurance. Carry the required insurance. If the business has employees other than its owners, partners, members or officers: proof of workers' compensation and unemployment compensation coverage, filed as a copy of the workers' compensation certificate and the most recent quarterly unemployment report. An out-of-state business with no employees living in West Virginia supplies its own state's certificate of insurance and latest quarterly unemployment contribution page. The Board's application guide also lists general liability insurance. With no employees, mark those boxes "No Employees"..
7. 7Surety bond. Post a surety bond (if applicable). Wage bond, required of a contractor with employees that has not been actively engaged in construction work in West Virginia for at least one year, unless it has been in business in another state for five years, holds at least $100,000 in assets, or is a subsidiary of a parent in business for five years. It equals four weeks of gross payroll at full capacity plus 15% for benefits. A business doing commercial work with employees should confirm its status with the Division of Labor Wage & Hour Section at (304) 558-7890, and every applicant files the notarized Wage Bond Status Affidavit..
8. 8Other. Qualifier paperwork: a notarized Qualifier Exam Score Acknowledgement allowing the business to use the qualifier's examination scores, plus payroll records (or hiring documents for a new business) if the qualifier is not an owner, partner, member or corporate officer..
9. 9Other. The notarized application/affidavit, signed by an owner, partner, corporate officer or manager/member, disclosing every jurisdiction where the business has been licensed, any license suspension or revocation, and any court judgment for damages arising out of contracting work. It can be filed online at wvclboard.wv.gov or on the fillable PDF by mail..

Published fees on this path total $149.95, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.