J. W. Woolard Mechanical & Plumbing, Inc. v. Jones Development Corp.

In this appeal, an owner defended against a contractor’s mechanic’s lien suit on the ground that the contractor had failed to obtain a license from the State Board for Contractors as required by Code § 54-128. We here consider and apply Code § 54-142(D), which permits an unlicensed contractor, who has given substantial performance “without actual knowledge” of the statutory provisions, to recover for his work.

Pursuant to the statutory scheme, the State Board, for Contractors (the Board) issued a Class B contractor’s license to J.W. *335Woolard (Woolard) in 1983. That license remained in good…