What is a Certificate of Insurance (COI)?

A Certificate of Insurance (COI) is a document issued by an insurance company that verifies a vendor or subcontractor has active insurance coverage. General contractors and property managers require COIs to confirm vendors carry adequate general liability, workers compensation, and other required policies before allowing them on a job site.

How does VendorShield automate COI tracking?

VendorShield uses AI to analyze uploaded COI PDFs instantly. It extracts policy details including coverage types, limits, effective dates, and insurer information. The system automatically scores each COI for risk, flags coverage gaps against your requirements, and sends alerts before policies expire.

Can vendors upload their own COIs?

Yes. VendorShield provides each vendor with a self-serve portal link. Vendors can upload their COIs directly without needing an account. This eliminates the back-and-forth email chains that typically slow down compliance.

How much does VendorShield cost?

VendorShield starts at $499/month for the Starter plan (up to 25 vendors). The Pro plan is $799/month with unlimited vendors and custom compliance rules. Enterprise pricing is custom with multi-organization support, SSO, and dedicated support. All plans include a 14-day free trial.

What types of businesses use VendorShield?

VendorShield is built for general contractors, construction firms, property management companies, and any business that needs to track vendor insurance compliance. If you manage subcontractors or third-party vendors who must carry insurance, VendorShield automates the entire process.

All states

VAStatewide GC license required

Virginia Contractor License & Insurance Requirements

Virginia DPOR licenses contractors at three classes by project size and aggregate volume: Class A (no project cap, $120K+ exam-based), Class B (≤$120K per project / ≤$750K annual), Class C (≤$10K per project / ≤$150K annual). Specialty designations apply for trades.

License threshold

Any contracting work over $1,000 (Class C minimum trigger) per Code of Virginia §54.1-1100

WC trigger

3+ employees (full or part-time) (Code of Virginia §65.2-101)

Bond

No license bond. Public-works bid bonds project-specific.

Authority

Verify license

License authority: Virginia DPOR — Board for Contractors — license verification portal.

Workers' comp posture

Virginia Code §65.2-101 requires WC for employers regularly employing three or more workers. Sole-proprietor and corporate-officer exclusions exist. Construction subs at the 1–2 employee level are legitimately exempt — capture the affidavit.

Common public-bid insurance minimums

These are limits commonly required on VA public-works prequalification. They are NOT a state-mandated minimum — verify against your specific procurement spec or contract.

General Liability

$1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate (typical VDOT + state-university spec)

Workers' Comp

Statutory + $1M Employer's Liability

Auto Liability

$1M combined single limit

Virginia state-specific quirks

Three-class structure (A/B/C) caps both per-project and annual aggregate dollar volume — a Class C with a $200K annual run rate must upgrade.
Specialty designations (HIC, ELE, PLB, HVA, etc.) attach to the base class — verify the designation matches the work.
Three-employee WC threshold is one of the highest in the country; sole-prop affidavit is acceptable for many small subs.
Recovery Fund participation funds consumer claims up to $20,000 per claim.
Virginia Public Procurement Act (§2.2-4300) governs public-bid wording — AI endorsement and indemnity provisions must conform.

3 pitfalls every VA GC misses

Aggregate-volume cap miss

Class B caps at $750K annual aggregate. A sub running multiple Class-B-cap projects in a year is operating illegally — catch this at intake by asking for projected annual revenue.

Wrong specialty designation

A Class A with HIC designation cannot do electrical without ELE. Always confirm the designation matches the contracted trade.

WC three-employee gap

Subs at 1–2 employees are legitimately WC-exempt under §65.2-101. Capture a sole-prop affidavit and accept the gap explicitly in the contract.

Automate Virginia sub vetting

VendorShield checks every COI for Virginia compliance — license currency against Virginia DPOR — Board for Contractors, WC posture, public-bid limit minimums, and 3 state-specific pitfalls flagged at intake. No more manual statute lookups.

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Frequently asked questions

What are Virginia's contractor license classes?

Class A (no project cap, exam required, requires $120K+ projects), Class B (≤$120K per project / ≤$750K annual), Class C (≤$10K per project / ≤$150K annual). Class C is the entry tier — anything over $1,000 in single-project value requires at least Class C.

Are Virginia trade licenses separate?

Yes — specialty designations (HIC, ELE, PLB, HVA, etc.) attach to the base class. Verify the designation matches the contracted trade, not just that the contractor has 'a license.'

When does workers' comp apply in Virginia?

Three or more regular employees per §65.2-101 — one of the highest thresholds in the country. Sole-prop and corporate-officer exclusions exist by election.

How do I verify a Virginia contractor license?

Use the DPOR License Lookup at dpor.virginia.gov/LicenseLookup/. Confirm class, designation, status (Active/Suspended/Revoked), and Recovery Fund participation.

What is the Virginia Recovery Fund?

A consumer-protection pool funded by contractor licensing fees that pays homeowners for unfinished or defective work by DPOR-licensed contractors, up to $20,000 per claim.

Other states

CACalifornia TXTexas FLFlorida NYNew York GAGeorgia ILIllinois

Reference data current as of 2026-06-04. This page is informational and is not legal advice. Always verify with the linked state authority before relying on a number for procurement, prequalification, or legal use.