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General Contractor apprenticeships in Virginia
Virginia has 35 registered general contractor apprenticeship programs: 0 union and 35 open shop.1 Apprentices are hired and paid while they learn.
Find a program near you
Enter your ZIP to sort by distance. Lineman, utility and studio programs are hidden because they lead to a different license.
35 programs
Alonzo Ours Construction, Inc
Manassas · Prince William County
Arrieta Construction, Inc.
Hayes · Gloucester County
Atrium Construction, LLC
King George · King George County
Austin Electrical Construction, Inc.
Buchanan · Botetourt County
Baker Concrete Construction INC.
Arlington · Arlington County
Ball Construction Company, LLC
Norton · Wise County
BenDanCo Construction, Inc.
Elkton · Rockingham County
Blair Construction
Gretna · Pittsylvania County
Blake Construction Company
Hot Springs · Bath County
Brayman Construction
Wytheville · Wythe County
BWB Construction
Glen Allen · Henrico County
C.W. Wright Construction Company LLC
S Chesterfield · Chesterfield County
CB Chandler Construction Inc.
Henrico · Henrico County
Clark Construction
Mc Lean · Fairfax County
Clark Construction Group, LLC
Mclean · Fairfax County
Cottage Construction
Mechanicsville · Hanover County
Cox Construction, Inc
Lyndhurst · Augusta County
CS Construction Specialties, Inc.
Richmond · Richmond city
DAW Construction
North Chesterfield · Richmond city
DSG Construction, LLC.
Danville · Pittsylvania County
E.J. Wade Construction
Mechanicsville · Hanover County
Faulconer Construction
Charlottesville · Albemarle County
Finish Line Construction, Inc.
Fredericksburg · Fredericksburg city
Folkes Electrical Construction Company Inc.
Ashland · Hanover County
Harbor Construction Co.
Hampton · Hampton city
J. A. Allen Construction, Inc.
Louisa · Louisa County
James River Construction
Richmond · Chesterfield County
Karnage Construction
Richmond · Henrico County
Lee Construction Group
Charlottesville · Albemarle County
Moores Electrical & Mechanical Construction
Altavista · Campbell County
North River Construction
Gloucester · Gloucester County
Rez Electric & Construction, INC.
Cape Charles · Northampton County
Sagres Construction Corporation
Alexandria · Alexandria city
TAW Construction LLC
Ashland · Hanover County
THS Construction
Rockville · Hanover County
Virginia Department Of Transportation - Construction Division
Richmond · Richmond city
Watson Electrical Construction, LLC
Chesapeake · Chesapeake city
No programs match. Clear the county or type filter, or try a nearby ZIP.
Union locals and training centers in Virginia
Call the local or its training center for the next application date.
Carpenters union locals
- Carpenters Local 205Ashland
Training
Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder
Home builder associations
- HBA of Virginia1051 East Cary Street, Suite 1400, Richmond
- Northern Virginia BIA3684 CENTERVIEW DR STE 110B, CHANTILLY(703) 817-0154
- Top of Virginia Building Association3684 Centerview Dr Ste 110B, Chantilly(703) 817-0154
- Blue Ridge HBA2330 Commonwealth Drive, Charlottesville(434) 953-5418
- New River Valley HBAPO Box 2010, Christiansburg(540) 443-0090
- South Central Virginia HBA300 Ringgold Industrial Pkwy, Danville
- Fredericksburg Area BA3006 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg(540) 898-2730
- Shenandoah Valley BAPO Box 1286, Harrisonburg(540) 860-1281
7 more chapters
- HBA of Richmond400 North Ridge Road, Henrico(804) 282-0475
- Home Building Association of Central Virginia25 Greystone Dr Ste 5, Lynchburg(434) 386-8558
- Roanoke Regional Home Builders Association1626 Apperson Dr, Salem(540) 389-7135
- HBA of Southside Virginia10300 Corporate Rd, South Prince George(804) 526-0012
- Coastal Virginia Building Industry Association5041 Corporate Woods Dr Ste 245, Virginia Beach(757) 305-9042
- Augusta HBA IncPO Box 36, Waynesboro(540) 942-4644
- HBA of RappahannockPO Box 88, Wicomico Church(804) 761-5248
Union or open shop?
Union
Run by the regional Carpenters training committee. You apply to the committee, take an aptitude test and an interview, and wait on a ranked list. The committee sends you to its contractors.
Pay is a set share of the union journey-level rate and steps up on a schedule. Classes are nights or week-long blocks, usually paid for by the program.
Open shop
Run by ABC, AGC or a single builder. You usually get hired by a member contractor first, and the contractor enrolls you.
Your employer sets the pay and the raises. Classes are nights or weekends, and some programs charge tuition.
What do programs ask for?
Age
Usually 18. Some programs take applications at 17.
High school diploma or GED
Most programs ask for one. Bring a transcript.
Aptitude test or interview
Union programs give an aptitude test (math and reading) and an interview, then rank applicants. Open-shop programs usually start with a job offer.
Driver's license and drug screen
Many programs ask for both, since apprentices drive between job sites.
Applying this month
Get your papers together1 week
High school transcript or GED, a photo ID, and your birth certificate or proof of age. Programs that ask for algebra want the transcript that shows it.
- Time
- 1 week
Practice for the aptitude test2 to 4 weeks
Union programs test algebra and reading. A few evenings with a practice test helps your ranking.
- Time
- 2 to 4 weeks
Pick three programs and check their dates1 evening
Union programs take applications in set windows, some once a year. Open-shop programs and employer programs often take them year-round.
- Time
- 1 evening
Apply, then keep working
Apply to all three. While you wait, a helper or trainee job with a licensed contractor gives you hours and a reference.
Can't get in yet?
Pre-apprenticeship
Short programs, often free, that teach the basics and help with the application. Ask the programs above which ones they take graduates from.
Start on a crew
Licensed contractors hire helpers with no experience. Keep a log of your hours and employers; many programs and license boards count them. If you'd rather learn the basics first, 4 schools in Virginia have general contractor programs.
The license steps in VirginiaHow do you get into a general contractor apprenticeship in Virginia?
Pick programs near you, check each one's website for its application dates, and apply to more than one. Union programs test and interview, then rank applicants; open-shop programs usually start once a member contractor hires you.
How much do general contractor apprentices make in Virginia?
Programs set their own scales, usually a share of journey-level pay that rises every year. For a floor, the lowest-paid tenth of all general contractors in Virginia earned $26.13 an hour or less in May 2025.
General Contractor pay in VirginiaOther routes in Virginia
Sources
- U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Virginia, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)