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How do fence contractors in Virginia get more customers from Google and AI search?
Short answer: Fence Contractors in Virginia get found online with a website that shows their license number, names the towns they serve such as Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Norfolk, and collects real local reviews. Licensing runs through the Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR). The state had 1,409 businesses with staff in this Census category in 2022.
- Licensing body: Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR).
- The Board's regulation bans false or misleading contracting ads. Written residential contracts must show the license number, class and specialties.
- 1,409 businesses with staff in 2022, 7th of 50 states; 83% have fewer than 10 staff.
- Largest cities: Virginia Beach, Chesapeake and Norfolk.
- Coldest month January (about 36°F), warmest July (about 76°F), statewide average.
- Code edition: 2021 International Residential Code (IRC).
Do fence contractors need a license in Virginia?
In Virginia, the licensing body for this work is Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR).
License or registration types named by the state: Class A, B or C contractor license; Classifications: Commercial Building (CBC), Residential Building (RBC), Home Improvement (H/H); Specialties: Concrete (CEM), Masonry (BRK), Painting and wallcovering (PTC), others.
- Class C applies to single jobs over $1,000 and under $30,000, or under $250,000 total in 12 months. Class B is $30,000 to under $150,000, or $250,000 to under $1 million a year.
- Class A is $150,000 or more per job, or $1 million or more in 12 months.
- Concrete is CEM, masonry is BRK and painting is PTC. DPOR lists no fence specialty by name.
- Applicants need 8 hours of pre-license education and must pass the exam. Class A and B also file financial verification.
Homeowners can check a license on the state lookup page. Put your number where they will look for it.
License numbers in ads and on websites
The Board's regulation bans false or misleading contracting ads. Written residential contracts must show the license number, class and specialties.
What does a year of fence company work look like in Virginia?
Publish each seasonal page four to six weeks ahead.
| Month | Avg temp | Jobs to plan for (our suggestion) |
|---|---|---|
| January | 36°F | privacy and pet fences before spring |
| February | 39°F | privacy and pet fences before spring |
| March | 46°F | privacy and pet fences before spring |
| April | 56°F | new installs, vinyl and wood fences |
| May | 64°F | new installs, vinyl and wood fences |
| June | 72°F | new installs, vinyl and wood fences |
| July | 76°F | installs and storm repairs |
| August | 74°F | installs and storm repairs |
| September | 68°F | new installs, vinyl and wood fences |
| October | 57°F | new installs, vinyl and wood fences |
| November | 47°F | privacy and pet fences before spring |
| December | 39°F | privacy and pet fences before spring |
Temperatures: NOAA NCEI nClimDiv statewide data. Job column: our planning suggestion, not survey data.
How many fencing contractors compete in Virginia’s main cities?
| City | County | Businesses with staff | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Beach | Virginia Beach city | 81 | 5,601 |
| Chesapeake | Chesapeake city | 53 | 4,790 |
| Norfolk | Norfolk city | 16 | 14,433 |
| Richmond | Richmond city | 29 | 7,905 |
| Newport News | Newport News city | 15 | 12,208 |
Competition is tightest around Chesapeake (Chesapeake city), with one business for every 4,790 residents, and loosest around Norfolk, at one per 14,433.
Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 and County Population Estimates 2023. Counts businesses with paid employees only.
How many fencing contractors are in Virginia?
The Census Bureau counted 1,409 businesses with employees in Virginia in 2022, in the category “All other specialty trade contractors (the Census group that includes fence builders)”. That ranks Virginia 7th of 50 states, one of the largest markets in the country, and 3% of the US total. 83% of them have fewer than 10 staff, and 103 have 20 or more.
Together they employ 8,938 people, with an average yearly payroll of $395,157 per business. The three busiest counties hold 23% of them, so the work is spread across the state.
With 8,715,698 residents (Census, July 2023), that is one business for every 6,186 people, against 8,300 nationally: fewer residents per business than the US average, so more competition for each job.
Virginia next to its neighbors
| State | Businesses | Residents per business | Under 10 staff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 1,409 | 6,186 | 83% |
| Kentucky | 401 | 11,287 | 85% |
| Maryland | 934 | 6,617 | 82% |
| North Carolina | 998 | 10,857 | 80% |
| Tennessee | 581 | 12,266 | 76% |
| West Virginia | 140 | 12,643 | 84% |
Counties with the most fencing contractors
| County | Businesses | Residents per business |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfax County | 140 | 8,156 |
| Prince William County | 101 | 4,848 |
| Virginia Beach city | 81 | 5,601 |
| Loudoun County | 79 | 5,523 |
| Chesterfield County | 73 | 5,259 |
| Chesapeake city | 53 | 4,790 |
| Hanover County | 40 | 2,854 |
| Henrico County | 37 | 9,048 |
| Spotsylvania County | 31 | 4,825 |
| Richmond city | 29 | 7,905 |
89 of Virginia’s counties have at least one. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022.
How big are they?
Businesses by number of employees, 2022: 957 with 1-4 staff, 210 with 5-9 staff, 137 with 10-19 staff, 84 with 20-49 staff, 19 with 50+ staff.
Where Virginia is growing
New homes and new owners bring new work. Virginia's population changed +0.9% from July 2020 to July 2023. The fastest-growing counties with 50,000 or more people:
- Spotsylvania County: 149,588 people, +6.4% since 2020, 31 fencing contractors
- Suffolk city: 100,659 people, +6.2% since 2020, 16 fencing contractors
- James City County: 82,654 people, +5.3% since 2020, 12 fencing contractors
- Chesterfield County: 383,876 people, +5.1% since 2020, 73 fencing contractors
- Stafford County: 165,428 people, +4.9% since 2020, 20 fencing contractors
Source: US Census Bureau, County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023.
Which code applies in Virginia?
Virginia uses the 2021 edition of the International Residential Code (IRC) (Statewide 2021 IRC, effective 2024-01-18). Homeowners rarely ask about code editions, but inspectors do, and a line on your service pages saying your work meets the current 2021 code answers the question before it comes up.
What should a Virginia fence company website show?
- Your license or registration number where people can see it, even where the state does not require it in ads.
- A service area list that names real counties and towns, for example Fairfax County, Prince William County and Virginia Beach city.
- Seasonal pages published before April, so they are found when demand starts.
- Real reviews from local jobs, with the town named, and photos of your own work.
Virginia questions
Who licenses fence contractors in Virginia?
Virginia Board for Contractors (DPOR). Class C applies to single jobs over $1,000 and under $30,000, or under $250,000 total in 12 months. Class B is $30,000 to under $150,000, or $250,000 to under $1 million a year. Class A is $150,000 or more per job, or $1 million or more in 12 months. Concrete is CEM, masonry is BRK and painting is PTC. DPOR lists no fence specialty by name.
How many fencing contractors are there in Virginia?
The US Census Bureau counted 1,409 businesses with employees in Virginia in 2022 in the category All other specialty trade contractors (the Census group that includes fence builders), and 83% of them have fewer than 10 staff.
Which county in Virginia has the most fencing contractors?
Fairfax County, with 140 businesses with employees in 2022 (Census County Business Patterns).
Do I need my license number on my website in Virginia?
The Board's regulation bans false or misleading contracting ads. Written residential contracts must show the license number, class and specialties.
Which edition of the International Residential Code (IRC) does Virginia use?
The 2021 edition. Statewide 2021 IRC, effective 2024-01-18.
When is the busiest season for fence contractors in Virginia?
Virginia’s statewide average runs from about 36°F in January to about 76°F in July (NOAA, 1991 to 2020).
Sources
- US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2022 (state and county files)
- US Census Bureau, City, Town and County Population Estimates, Vintage 2023
- NOAA NCEI, nClimDiv statewide temperature and degree days, 1991 to 2020
- https://www.dpor.virginia.gov/Boards/Contractors
- https://law.lis.virginia.gov/vacode/title54.1/chapter11/section54.1-1100/
- https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter22/section30/
- https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title18/agency50/chapter22/section260/
- https://norfolk.gov/5088/Hiring-a-Contractor
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