Virginia vs Washington: contractor markets, side by side
Virginia has 42,424 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Washington has 70,774 — about 1.7× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) and the Washington Labor & Industries (L&I); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Virginia | Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 42,424 | 70,774 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 35.5 | 84.0 |
| Residents | 11,942,085 | 8,422,710 |
| Households | 4,997,364 | 3,540,228 |
| Median household income | $102,122 | $95,237 |
| Building permits (2025) | 32,274 | 34,913 |
| Top city by licenses | Virginia Beach | Seattle |
Washington is the denser market: 84.0 active licenses per 10k residents against 35.5 in Virginia. Density cuts both ways — more contractors to sell to per square mile, and more competition per job for the contractors themselves.
Household income runs higher in Virginia — $102,122 median against $95,237 in Washington — which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Virginia | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 3,849 | — |
| Plumbers | 1,388 | 539 |
| HVAC Contractors | 2,373 | 821 |
| General Contractors | 29,762 | 57,282 |
| Roofing Contractors | 1,316 | 639 |
| Landscape Contractors | 2,141 | 1,739 |
| Pool Contractors | — | 71 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 408 | 117 |
| Carpenters | 53 | 1,371 |
| Concrete Contractors | 1,262 | 870 |
| Masons | 1,015 | 364 |
| Drywall Contractors | 139 | 437 |
| Tile Contractors | — | 1,209 |
| Excavating Contractors | 3,096 | 409 |
| Painters | 2,104 | 2,702 |
| Flooring Contractors | 154 | 2,256 |
Counts are active licenses only, from each state's license board. A “—” means that board doesn't issue a statewide license for the trade, not that the trade doesn't exist there.