Short answer
The Richmond, VA metro had 3,633 construction establishments with paid employees in 2023, employing 39,511 people with $2.86 billion in annual payroll, according to Census County Business Patterns. Chesterfield County has the most (1,067). Virginia requires a Board for Contractors license for jobs over $1,000: Class C for single contracts under $30,000, Class B up to $150,000 and Class A above that, with annual volume limits too. Check it in DPOR's license lookup.
- 3,633 construction establishments and 39,511 employees in the Richmond metro in 2023: 17.2% of Virginia's establishments.
- Chesterfield (1,067), Henrico (711) and Hanover (564) counties each have more than the City of Richmond (430).
- Plumbing and HVAC contractors average 18.6 employees, and power and communication line contractors 40.6.
- Virginia Class A contractors take single contracts of $150,000 or more; Class C is capped below $30,000.
- Apartment permits rose 28% in 2025 while single-family permits fell 12%.
On this page
This report is for owners, developers and facility managers hiring a contractor in the Richmond region, firms looking for subcontractors or acquisitions, job seekers, and B2B sellers planning a central Virginia territory. It covers where the contractors are, the Census figures, Virginia's license classes, how to vet a firm and a prospecting plan.
Where Richmond's contractors are
US Census Bureau County Business Patterns (CBP) 2023, construction sector (NAICS 23), Richmond, VA Metro Area (CBSA 40060), largest jurisdictions:
| County or city | Establishments | Employees | Employees per establishment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield County, Virginia | 1,067 | 11,164 | 10.5 |
| Henrico County, Virginia | 711 | 8,944 | 12.6 |
| Hanover County, Virginia | 564 | 5,838 | 10.4 |
| Richmond city, Virginia | 430 | 5,975 | 13.9 |
| Powhatan County, Virginia | 210 | 1,693 | 8.1 |
| Goochland County, Virginia | 137 | 1,121 | 8.2 |
| New Kent County, Virginia | 90 | 496 | 5.5 |
| Dinwiddie County, Virginia | 74 | 575 | 7.8 |
Virginia's independent cities are counted separately from the counties around them. The metro's other nine jurisdictions, including Petersburg, Hopewell, Colonial Heights and Prince George County, have 350 establishments between them. The City of Richmond has 11.8% of the metro's contractors but, of the eight jurisdictions above, the largest firms on average.
Richmond construction by the numbers
| Measure | Metro Richmond, 2023 |
|---|---|
| Construction establishments | 3,633 |
| Employees | 39,511 |
| Annual payroll | $2,861,498,000 |
| Average employees per establishment | 10.9 |
| Average annual pay | $72,423 |
| Share of US construction establishments | 0.45% (of 814,557) |
Virginia had 21,118 construction establishments and 206,469 employees in the same release, so the metro is 17.2% of the state's contractors and 19.1% of its construction jobs. Average pay is about $4,200 below the national construction figure of $76,580.
| Employees per establishment | Establishments |
|---|---|
| 1 to 4 | 2,214 |
| 5 to 9 | 589 |
| 10 to 19 | 395 |
| 20 to 49 | 298 |
| 50 to 99 | 84 |
| 100 to 249 | 41 |
| 250 to 499 | 8 |
| 500 to 999 | 4 |
| 1,000 or more | 0 |
In broader bands: 3,198 establishments (88.0%) have 1 to 19 employees, 382 have 20 to 99 and 53 have 100 or more.
Trades and builders
| Type of work (NAICS) | Establishments | Employees |
|---|---|---|
| Specialty trade contractors (238) | 2,339 | 27,833 |
| Plumbing, heating and air conditioning (238220) | 465 | 8,649 |
| Electrical contractors (238210) | 364 | 5,012 |
| Building finishing (2383) | 573 | 3,912 |
| Site preparation (238910) | 157 | 2,669 |
| Poured concrete (238110) | 92 | 1,464 |
| Roofing (238160) | 98 | 619 |
| Building construction (236) | 1,101 | 6,964 |
| Residential remodelers (236118) | 578 | 2,199 |
| For-sale homebuilders (236117) | 106 | 982 |
| Commercial and institutional builders (236220) | 176 | 2,753 |
| Heavy and civil engineering (237) | 193 | 4,714 |
| Power and communication line contractors (237130) | 44 | 1,788 |
Specialty trades hold 70.4% of the jobs. Mechanical contractors are unusually large here: 465 plumbing and HVAC establishments average 18.6 employees, against a US average of 10.9 for the same industry. Power and communication line contractors average 40.6.
What CBP counts: establishments (locations) with paid employees, not companies; a contractor with an office in Glen Allen and a yard in Chester counts twice. Self-employed contractors with no payroll are left out, and employment is for the pay period including March 12, 2023.
Virginia's contractor classes
Virginia's Board for Contractors, part of the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), licenses contractors by class. The class depends on the size of a single contract and on the firm's total work over any 12 months, under Virginia Code § 54.1-1100:
| Class | Single contract or project | Or total work in 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| Class C | Over $1,000 and under $30,000 | Under $250,000 |
| Class B | $30,000 to under $150,000 | $250,000 to under $1 million |
| Class A | $150,000 or more | $1 million or more |
Class A and B applicants must verify net worth or equity with a financial statement or surety bond. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors also need a master tradesman license as a condition of the contractor license. DPOR describes a license as two parts: the class, which sets the value of contracts allowed, and the classification or specialty, which sets the type of work. Check both against your job.
Before you hire
- Look the firm up in DPOR's license lookup. Check the class (is it large enough for your contract?), the specialty and the expiry date.
- For electrical, plumbing and HVAC work, confirm the master tradesman behind the license.
- Ask the county or city building office about the firm's recent permits; Chesterfield, Henrico, Hanover and the City of Richmond each issue their own.
- Get insurance certificates and three references from jobs of similar size in the last two years.
- Compare bids on one written scope and agree on payment draws tied to inspections.
What's being permitted
The Census Bureau's Building Permits Survey counted 9,091 new housing units authorized in the metro in 2025, up from 8,642 in 2024. The mix shifted toward apartments: units in buildings of five or more rose from 3,408 to 4,372 (28.3%), while single-family units fell from 5,023 to 4,399 (12.4%). Multifamily work favors larger Class A general contractors and the mechanical and electrical subcontractors that work for them.
Public companies
No SEC-registered listed construction company has its business address in the Richmond metro. Virginia's two, NVR in Reston and Argan in Arlington, are in Northern Virginia, outside this market. Class A licenses, permit records and association directories are the best public guides to which local firms are largest.
Selling to Richmond construction companies
| Size band | Establishments | Who usually decides |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 19 employees | 3,198 | The owner, who is usually the license's designated employee or qualified individual |
| 20 to 99 employees | 382 | Owner with an operations manager, service manager or controller |
| 100 or more | 53 | Operations, fleet, safety and procurement leaders |
The license class is a free segmentation field: Class A firms take the large jobs, Class C firms are small residential and service businesses. For mechanical and electrical firms with service departments, buying centers on the service manager and the fleet. Our guide on how to sell to small businesses covers the owner-led end of the market.
Illustrative example. The company and its assumptions are invented; the counts are from CBP 2023.
James River Upfit (jamesriverupfit.example) builds out work vans with shelving and ladder racks. Its targets are plumbing and HVAC (465 establishments), electrical (364) and other building equipment contractors (44) in the metro: 873 in all. If 25% run fleets of ten or more vans, that's about 218 accounts. At five upfits a year per account and $4,500 each, winning 12% (26 accounts) is $585,000 in annual sales. Knowing which firms are hiring technicians tells it who is adding vans; Bebop finds contractors that match a description like this and researches each one.
Where to find names
| Source | What it gives you |
|---|---|
| DPOR license lookup | Every Virginia contractor license with class, specialties and status |
| Board for Contractors | License applications, financial verification forms and regulations |
| VDOT prequalification | The Prequalified Contractor List for VDOT road and bridge work |
| AGC of Virginia | Commercial, highway and utility contractors statewide |
| ABC Virginia | Merit shop contractors, with a membership directory |
| Greater Richmond Partnership | Regional economic development for the city and surrounding counties |
VDOT's Prequalification Section says a contractor must meet standards of safety, experience and quality to be on its list and work on VDOT projects as a prime contractor or subcontractor, which makes the list a good start for heavy civil prospects.
Next step: build the list with the construction companies industry guide, or see the statewide Virginia construction companies report.
Sources
- County Business Patterns 2023, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
- Code of Virginia § 54.1-1100, Definitions, Virginia General Assembly, Legislative Information System, accessed 30 October 2026
- Board for Contractors, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, accessed 30 October 2026
- License Lookup, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation, accessed 30 October 2026
- Prequalification, Virginia Department of Transportation, accessed 30 October 2026
- Building Permits Survey, annual metro area data 2024 and 2025, US Census Bureau, accessed 30 October 2026
Written by the Bebop team at Blackpearl Group. Published .
Questions people ask
How many construction companies are in Richmond, VA?
The US Census Bureau counted 3,633 construction establishments with paid employees in the Richmond, Virginia metro area in 2023, employing 39,511 people. Chesterfield County had 1,067, Henrico 711, Hanover 564 and the City of Richmond 430. These are locations with payroll, not companies, and self-employed contractors with no employees aren't counted.
What is the difference between a Class A, B and C contractor in Virginia?
The class sets how large a job a contractor can take. Under Virginia Code § 54.1-1100, Class C covers single contracts over $1,000 and under $30,000 (and under $250,000 a year), Class B covers single contracts of $30,000 to under $150,000 (or $250,000 to under $1 million a year), and Class A covers single contracts of $150,000 or more or $1 million or more a year.
How do I check a contractor's license in Virginia?
Use the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation's license lookup. Search by business name or license number and check the license class, the specialties listed and the expiry date. Make sure the class covers your contract value: a Class C contractor can't take a single contract of $30,000 or more. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors also need a master tradesman license.
Which part of the Richmond area has the most contractors?
Chesterfield County, with 1,067 construction establishments and 11,164 employees in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns. Henrico County (711) and Hanover County (564) follow, then the City of Richmond with 430. The city's contractors are the largest on average, at 13.9 employees per establishment, against 10.5 in Chesterfield and 12.6 in Henrico.
Are there public construction companies in Richmond?
No listed construction company has its business address in the Richmond metro, according to SEC company records for construction industry codes. The two listed construction companies elsewhere in Virginia, homebuilder NVR in Reston and Argan in Arlington, are in Northern Virginia. Census data shows 53 construction establishments in the Richmond metro with 100 or more employees, all of them private or branches.