How long does a homeowner have to cancel a home improvement contract in Virginia?
In Virginia, a buyer in a home solicitation sale of goods or services solicited and agreed to at a residence (other than a cash sale under $25) may cancel by giving written notice of cancellation to the seller at the address in the agreement until midnight of the third business day after signing. The seller must give the buyer a receipt or written agreement with a bold-faced statement captioned "BUYER’S RIGHT TO CANCEL" and a notice of cancellation form, and until the seller does so the buyer may cancel by any means. Within ten days after the sale is canceled, the seller must return any payments made by the buyer and any note or other evidence of debt, and a seller that performed services before cancellation is entitled to no compensation. The buyer may not cancel after asking the seller to provide goods or services without delay because of an emergency if the request is in a dated writing personally signed by the buyer that expressly says the buyer is waiving the right to cancel, the seller in good faith made a substantial beginning of performance before notice of cancellation, and any goods cannot be returned in substantially as good condition; any other waiver of the right to cancel is void. The federal cooling-off rule separately gives three business days to cancel many sales made at the buyer’s home. This is Va. Code §§ 59.1-21.2, 59.1-21.3, 59.1-21.4, 59.1-21.5, 59.1-21.6.
| What | Virginia |
|---|---|
| Right to cancel | 3 business days after signing |
What the statute says
“… the buyer has the right to cancel a home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day after the day on which the buyer signs an agreement or offer to purchase which complies with § 59.1-21.4 …”
Quoted word for word from the section’s text.
Source
Va. Code §§ 59.1-21.2, 59.1-21.3, 59.1-21.4, 59.1-21.5, 59.1-21.6
Read the statute in the Code of Virginia (Virginia General Assembly): law.lis.virginia.gov.
Checked against the statute on November 15, 2026.
This is a summary of a published statute, not legal advice. Rules change, local ordinances can add to them, and the terms of a specific lease may differ. Check the citation and speak to a lawyer before acting.
How Seayora uses this rule
An estimate on Seayora carries its own terms and contract text, and the customer’s approval is recorded with its date, so the day a cancellation period starts is on file for both the contractor and the homeowner.
Guides on this rule
- Right to Cancel a Home Improvement Contract by State — How long a homeowner has to cancel a home improvement contract, with the rule in each of the 51 jurisdictions whose statute gives the right.
Compare this rule in every state
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The same question in other states
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- District of Columbia
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