Important Virginia licensing rule: ROC is the Roofing Contracting specialty. Class A, Class B, and Class C describe the financial level of work the licensed contractor business may perform. Passing the ROC specialty exam is an important qualification step, but it does not automatically create a Virginia contractor license.
Virginia uses the abbreviation ROC for Roofing Contracting. Under Virginia's contractor regulations, roofing contracting includes the installation, repair, removal, or improvement of roofing materials that form a watertight, weather-resistant surface for roofs and decks.
The scope also includes roofing-system components when they are installed as part of a roofing project, plus dampproofing, waterproofing, roof insulation panels, and other roof-insulation systems installed above the roof deck.
The technical examination is administered through PSI after the candidate receives the required approval. The test is computer based and open book. You get 120 minutes for 50 questions, which is about two minutes and twenty-four seconds per scored question.
Virginia specialty: Roofing Contracting, ROC.
Regulatory authority: Virginia Board for Contractors through DPOR.
Testing provider: PSI.
Questions: 50.
Time: 120 minutes.
Passing requirement: 36 correct answers.
Format: computer based and open book under current PSI rules.
Specialty scope: roofing installation, repair, removal, improvement, waterproofing, related components, and roof insulation systems within the Virginia ROC definition.
For structured preparation, review the Virginia Roofing Contracting Online Exam Prep Course .
ROC is the roofing specialty. The contractor license belongs to the business and must meet Virginia's requirements for license class, responsible management, Qualified Individual, experience, education, examinations, and application documentation.
| Step | Requirement | What to Verify |
|---|---|---|
| Choose ROC | Virginia Specialty | Confirm Roofing Contracting matches the residential and commercial roofing work the business plans to perform. |
| Select Class A, B, or C | License Class | Choose the class that matches the value of individual contracts and the business's annual contracting volume. |
| Identify the Qualified Individual | QI | The QI must meet the experience requirement for the selected class and qualify for ROC. |
| Complete Pre-License Education | 8-Hour Course | New Class A, B, and C contractor applicants must satisfy Virginia's eight-hour pre-license education requirement. |
| Receive Specialty Exam Approval | DPOR / PSI Process | ROC is one of the specialties requiring pre-approval and a written QI examination. |
| Pass the ROC Exam | Technical Specialty | Prepare for 50 questions, 120 minutes, and at least 36 correct answers. |
| Complete Business Exams | Class A / B | Class B uses Virginia and General portions. Class A adds the Advanced portion. |
| Prepare Business Documentation | Application | Responsible Management, entity details, QI information, Designated Employee when applicable, and required financial documentation. |
| Submit the Contractor Application | Virginia DPOR | Use the current application, current fees, and current Board instructions. |
Use the newest Virginia DPOR and PSI materials as the final authority before paying exam fees, ordering books, scheduling, or filing a contractor application.
| Item | Current Study Snapshot | What It Means |
|---|---|---|
| Regulator | Virginia Board for Contractors / DPOR | The Board licenses contractor businesses and regulates specialties. |
| Specialty | Roofing Contracting, ROC | The roofing specialty targeted by this page. |
| Testing Provider | PSI | Approved candidates register and schedule the QI specialty exam through PSI. |
| ROC Questions | 50 | The content outline is concentrated into six roofing subject areas. |
| ROC Time | 120 minutes | Roughly 2 minutes 24 seconds per scored question. |
| Passing Target | 36 correct | Build enough margin in practice that exam day is not a one-question adventure. |
| Exam Format | Open book | Reference selection and navigation speed are major exam skills. |
| PSI QI Exam Fee | $85 | Verify the current amount before registering. |
| QI Eligibility | Pre-approval required | Virginia approval comes before scheduling the ROC specialty examination. |
| Class C QI Experience | At least 1 year | Experience must support the requested specialty. |
| Class B QI Experience | At least 3 years | The required QI experience rises with the license class. |
| Class A QI Experience | At least 5 years | Class A carries the highest QI experience threshold. |
| Pre-License Education | 8 hours | Required for new Class A, B, and C contractor licenses. |
| Class B Business Exam | Virginia + General | Separate from the ROC technical examination. |
| Class A Business Exam | Virginia + General + Advanced | Class A adds the Advanced business portion. |
| 2026 Technology Fee | Applies to certain DPOR transactions beginning July 1, 2026 | Check the current DPOR total when filing or renewing. |
Keep the exams separate: ROC tests roofing trade knowledge. Class A and Class B business exams test contractor business and legal knowledge. Depending on your license class, your licensing path can include both.
The Virginia Roofing Contracting exam contains 50 scored questions across six published subject areas. The distribution is not even, so your study schedule should not be even either.
Steep and Low Slope Roofing, including BUR and Waterproofing is the largest category with 18 questions. That is more than one-third of the scored exam. Expect the topic to pull from steep-slope roof systems, low-slope assemblies, built-up roofing, membrane systems, underlayments, waterproofing, flashing, drainage, and installation requirements.
Roofing Components contains 10 questions. This category can involve decks, insulation, vapor and air-control concepts, flashings, penetrations, edge conditions, drains, fasteners, accessories, and the supporting pieces that make the roofing system work as a system.
Repairs and Reroofing contains 7 questions. Study evaluation of existing roofs, tear-off decisions, recover conditions, replacement details, substrate preparation, flashing replacement, and code requirements that apply when an old roof becomes a new project.
Estimating and Plan Reading, Surface Preparation and Planning, and Safety each contain 5 questions. Together they account for 15 questions, so calculations, drawings, staging, substrate conditions, fall protection, ladders, scaffolds, and OSHA rules still deserve serious practice.
The two largest categories, Steep and Low Slope Roofing plus Roofing Components, combine for 28 of 50 questions. That is 56 percent of the exam, which makes those two areas the center of a smart study plan.
The strongest preparation combines roofing-system knowledge with open-book navigation. The goal is not to memorize every page in six references. The goal is to recognize the system, choose the right book, and reach the controlling detail quickly.
Estimating and plan reading: practice roof-area calculations, slope and pitch, squares, material quantities, waste, measurements, details, notes, sections, and roofing plans.
Surface preparation and planning: review substrate conditions, moisture, deck inspection, tear-off planning, temporary protection, staging, sequencing, weather considerations, and project setup.
Steep-slope roofing: study shingles, underlayments, flashings, valleys, ridges, hips, eaves, penetrations, fastening, ventilation, and steep-slope system details.
Low-slope roofing: review built-up roofing, modified bitumen, membrane systems, seams, insulation, drainage, flashing, penetrations, surfacing, and waterproofing.
Roofing components: know decks, insulation, fasteners, flashings, drains, scuppers, edge conditions, curbs, penetrations, and related system components.
Safety and reroofing: become comfortable with OSHA fall protection, ladders, scaffolds, PPE, demolition hazards, repairs, recover work, tear-off, and reroofing rules.
Candidates who want prepared references can review the Virginia Roofing Contracting Highlighted and Tabbed Book Package .
Roofing questions often look similar until one word changes the system. A question about asphalt shingles should not send you into a membrane-roofing manual, and a fall-protection question should not send you wandering through the IBC. Good reference selection saves time before the page search even begins.
Virginia ROC preparation should train you to identify the roofing system first, then choose the right reference quickly.
Use a sequence. Roofers already know that installing components in the wrong order can create leaks. Licensing paperwork is not waterproof either.
Review Virginia's Roofing Contracting specialty and make sure it matches the installation, repair, reroofing, waterproofing, and related work your business intends to perform.
Choose the contractor license class based on contract value and expected twelve-month contracting volume.
The QI must meet the experience requirement for the selected class and qualify in Roofing Contracting.
New Virginia contractor applicants must satisfy the Board-approved pre-license education requirement.
Roofing is one of the Virginia specialties requiring pre-approval before the Qualified Individual schedules the PSI examination.
Complete the open-book 50-question examination and earn at least 36 correct answers.
Class B uses the Virginia and General portions. Class A adds the Advanced portion.
Provide the current DPOR application, business information, QI documentation, exam results, financial documentation, and applicable fees.
The bars compare each subject with the 18-question steep- and low-slope roofing category.
Biggest study target: Steep and Low Slope Roofing plus Roofing Components combine for 28 of 50 questions, or 56 percent of the scored exam.
The current Virginia roofing prep library uses six major references. Always verify the exact titles and editions in the current PSI/DPOR information before exam day.
| Reference | Main Study Use | Preparation Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Code of Federal Regulations - 29 CFR Part 1926 | Construction safety, fall protection, ladders, scaffolds, PPE, material handling, and jobsite requirements | Safety |
| International Building Code, 2021 | Commercial roof assemblies, roof coverings, insulation, drainage coordination, reroofing, and code requirements | Commercial and low-slope code navigation |
| International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, 2021 | Residential roof coverings, underlayment, flashing, reroofing, roof-ceiling systems, and dwelling-related requirements | Residential and steep-slope code navigation |
| Roofing Construction & Estimating | Roofing methods, estimating, measurements, materials, system details, and practical construction information | Estimating, planning, and trade knowledge |
| NRCA Roofing Manual: Steep Slope Roof Systems, 2025 | Steep-slope assemblies, shingles, tiles, underlayments, flashings, details, and industry practices | Steep-slope roofing |
| NRCA Roofing Manual: Membrane Roofing Systems, 2023 | Membrane roof systems, low-slope details, components, flashing, insulation, waterproofing, and installation practices | Low-slope and membrane roofing |
Reference warning: roofing manuals and code editions can change. Verify every edition against the current Virginia/PSI requirements before spending exam day wondering why your chapter numbers do not match your study notes.
Open-book reality: your references are tools. A roofer does not bring every tool in the truck onto the roof at once. Treat your books the same way. Identify the job, choose the tool, and move.
The Virginia ROC specialty covers the installation, repair, removal, and improvement of materials common to the roofing industry that create watertight and weather-resistant surfaces for roofs and decks.
The scope includes roofing-system components when those components are installed as part of the roofing project. It also includes dampproofing, waterproofing, roof insulation panels, and other roof-insulation systems installed above the roof deck.
Virginia's regulations also recognize that broader classifications and specialties can include roofing functions. Commercial Building Contractor and Residential Building Contractor classifications, along with Home Improvement and Commercial Improvement specialties, may include roofing within their permitted scope.
That does not mean ROC automatically covers unrelated trades. Electrical, plumbing, HVAC, gas fitting, and other regulated work still follow their own licensing rules. A roof penetration may be on your roof, but the pipe running through it did not become a roofing license just because it found daylight.
Scope warning: review the current Virginia contractor regulations before bidding work that combines roofing with separately regulated trades or work outside the ROC specialty.
ROC tells Virginia what kind of work you perform. Class A, B, or C tells Virginia the financial level of projects your licensed business may perform.
| License Level | Contract / Volume Range | QI Experience | Business Exam Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class C | Over $1,000 but under $30,000 per contract, with annual volume below $250,000 under current Virginia thresholds | At least 1 year | No Class A/B Designated Employee business-exam structure, but pre-license education, ROC qualification, and other application requirements still apply |
| Class B | $30,000 to under $150,000 per contract, or $250,000 to under $1 million in a twelve-month period | At least 3 years | Virginia + General |
| Class A | $150,000 or more per contract, or $1 million or more in a twelve-month period | At least 5 years | Virginia + General + Advanced |
| ROC | Roofing specialty | Experience requirement depends on Class A, B, or C | ROC technical exam is separate from Class A/B business testing |
Virginia application tip: use the current DPOR forms. Old roofing knowledge may still keep rain out, but old application paperwork can still come back to you.
New applicants can review the Virginia 8-Hour Pre-License Education Online Course .
Build technical knowledge, learn the reference library, and practice full exam timing before test day.
The Virginia Roofing exam is focused, but that does not make it simple. Roofing has many systems, materials, conditions, and details, and the correct answer can change depending on roof slope, substrate, code, material, or whether the project is new roofing, repair, reroofing, or waterproofing.
Candidates receive 120 minutes for 50 scored questions. That averages about 2 minutes and 24 seconds per question.
Field experience is valuable, but the exam can ask for details that experienced roofers normally confirm in a code book, OSHA rule, NRCA detail, manufacturer-style industry guidance, or estimating reference.
The biggest subject contains 18 questions, so a candidate who is weak in steep- and low-slope systems can feel that weakness repeatedly. At the same time, the five-question categories can still decide whether a 35 becomes a 36.
Practice should therefore look like the real test: open book, timed, mixed across categories, and performed with the same references you plan to use. A perfectly highlighted manual does not help much if you need a search party to find the index.
Testing-center rule: current PSI policies control the references, markings, tabs, identification, and other materials allowed into the examination. Check the newest instructions before test day.
Need a rental option? Review the Virginia Roofing Contracting Book Rental Package .
Candidates who want exam prep, books, licensing support, and broader setup help can review the All-Inclusive Virginia Roofing Contractor Package .
Virginia Roofing Exam Basics
Exam Topics
Books and Open-Book Rules
Virginia License Classes
Experience and Education
Scope of Work
1 Exam Prep
Passing the Virginia Roofing Contractor exam starts with understanding how the test is organized. The current exam contains 50 scored questions and gives you 120 minutes. You need 36 correct answers to pass. Those numbers make the test manageable, but only if your preparation matches the way the exam actually works. Roofing is not one topic. It is a collection of systems, materials, details, calculations, safety rules, repair conditions, and code requirements.
The biggest area is steep and low slope roofing, including built-up roofing and waterproofing. That category alone contains 18 questions. Roofing Components adds another 10. Together those two subjects make up 56 percent of the scored examination. That should immediately shape your study schedule. Spend serious time learning steep-slope and membrane systems, underlayments, flashing, drainage, insulation, roof edges, penetrations, components, and waterproofing. Smaller sections still matter, but your hours should follow the exam weight.
Open-book testing changes how you study. It does not remove the need to study. A candidate who knows roofing but cannot navigate the references can lose time searching. A candidate who knows the books but does not understand the question can open the wrong reference very efficiently. You need both skills. Practice identifying the system first, choosing the reference second, and searching third.
You should also treat the IBC, IRC, OSHA regulations, Roofing Construction & Estimating, and the NRCA manuals as different tools. Learn which questions belong to each source. Practice the indexes. Practice tables and chapter headings. Use permanent tabs and highlighting only as allowed by current testing rules. Then complete timed mixed-question sessions with the real books.
Remember that the ROC exam is only one part of Virginia contractor licensing. The business chooses Class A, B, or C based on the size and volume of work it plans to perform. The Qualified Individual must meet the experience standard for that class. New licenses require pre-license education, and Class A or Class B candidates have separate business-exam requirements. Passing the roofing test is a major checkpoint, but the contractor license still requires the rest of the Virginia process.
A structured program such as the 1 Exam Prep Virginia Roofing Contracting Online Exam Prep Course can help organize the books, practice questions, testing techniques, and roofing topics into one plan. Your target is simple: know the roofing system, know the reference, manage the clock, and walk into PSI with a process you have already practiced many times.
The Virginia Roofing Contractor exam is the technical examination used for the Roofing Contracting specialty, usually called ROC. It is designed to check whether the Qualified Individual understands the roofing knowledge needed for licensed contractor work in Virginia. The test includes residential and commercial roofing concepts, steep-slope and low-slope systems, estimating, planning, roofing components, repairs, reroofing, waterproofing, and safety.
The current exam contains 50 scored questions and allows 120 minutes. You need 36 correct answers to pass. That gives you about two minutes and twenty-four seconds for each scored question. Because the exam is open book, you may use approved references under current PSI rules. Open book helps, but it also creates a new problem: you must know which book to use and where to look.
The largest test area is Steep and Low Slope Roofing, including BUR and Waterproofing, with 18 questions. Roofing Components contains 10. Repairs and Reroofing contains 7. Estimating and Plan Reading, Surface Preparation and Planning, and Safety each contain 5 questions. The top two categories alone account for 28 of the 50 questions.
The current roofing study library used by 1 Exam Prep includes OSHA 29 CFR Part 1926, the 2021 International Building Code, the 2021 International Residential Code, Roofing Construction & Estimating, the 2025 NRCA Steep Slope Roof Systems manual, and the 2023 NRCA Membrane Roofing Systems manual. Candidates should verify the current PSI list before buying or preparing books because approved references can change.
Study with the books open. Practice estimating and plan reading. Practice identifying roof systems. Learn where shingle, membrane, waterproofing, insulation, flashing, drainage, reroofing, and safety answers are most likely to be found. Use timed practice sessions so you can measure how long a lookup really takes. If one question takes five minutes during practice, that is a warning worth fixing before exam day.
Passing ROC is not the entire licensing process. Virginia contractor businesses are licensed as Class A, Class B, or Class C. The class controls the financial size of work the contractor may perform. ROC describes the roofing work. The Qualified Individual must meet the experience requirement for the selected class, and new applicants must complete Virginia's required pre-license education. Class A and Class B also have business-exam requirements.
In plain language, your plan is this: learn roofing, learn your books, practice under a timer, pass the ROC exam, and complete the remaining Virginia contractor licensing steps. Keep the process organized and the exam becomes much less mysterious. Roofing already gives you enough reasons to watch the weather. Your exam preparation should not create another storm.
This current 1 Exam Prep Virginia contractor video explains how the Virginia contractor licensing exams work, how to prepare for open-book testing, how highlighted and tabbed books can help, and how trade-exam preparation fits the licensing process. Those strategies apply directly to Virginia ROC candidates.
Roofing study tip: use the video for Virginia licensing and open-book strategy, then pair it with ROC-specific study of steep-slope systems, membrane roofing, roofing components, repairs, estimating, and OSHA safety.
Use current Virginia DPOR and PSI information together with Virginia-specific 1 Exam Prep roofing courses, books, tab packages, rentals, business preparation, and licensing support.
Final verification rule: use current PSI information for exam scheduling, testing rules, and specialty-exam requirements, and current Virginia DPOR information for ROC scope, QI eligibility, license class, pre-license education, fees, and application requirements.
Build stronger roofing-system knowledge, faster open-book navigation, better estimating and plan-reading skills, more confidence with steep-slope and membrane systems, stronger reroofing and safety knowledge, and a clearer understanding of how ROC fits your Virginia Class A, B, or C contractor license.