Project labor agreements set one standard for every worker on the job.
The law, the pilots and the workforce behind project labor agreements in Virginia
Project labor agreements in Virginia have been legal on public works since 2020, when the General Assembly reversed a 2012 prohibition and let public bodies require them. A project labor agreement, or PLA, is a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement that sets the terms of employment for one public works project, and Virginia Code § 2.2-4321.2 now lets a public body write one into its bid specifications.
The change put Virginia in step with neighbors such as Maryland, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., where public owners use PLAs to lock in labor costs and schedules on complex jobs. County boards, school officials and procurement staff can find the research, the state-by-state rules and the project record in one place at whatisapla.com.
Virginia sits inside the footprint of the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters, which represents 42,000 union carpenters across six states and the District of Columbia. Its apprenticeship programs supply the trained carpenters that Virginia PLA projects are written to employ, and they keep that pipeline filling as the commonwealth’s public works program grows.
What does Virginia law say about project labor agreements?
The statute defines a PLA as a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement with one or more labor organizations that establishes the terms and conditions of employment for a specific public works project. It lets each public body, when it procures or lets contracts for public works, require bidders, contractors and subcontractors to enter into or adhere to a PLA on that project or related projects. Public works covers the construction, alteration, improvement, maintenance or repair of any public facility or property a public body owns, uses or leases. The General Assembly passed the authorization in 2020 as House Bill 358 and Senate Bill 182, and the Virginia Public Procurement Act defines public body broadly enough to reach state agencies as well as counties, cities and towns. The statute sets no dollar threshold, so each public body decides which projects warrant an agreement.
Can non-union contractors bid on Virginia PLA projects?
Yes. A PLA sets the rules for the job, not the roster of bidders. Any qualified contractor can compete, and its workers follow the agreement’s wage, safety and dispute terms for that project. Virginia’s right-to-work law remains in place alongside the PLA statute, so no worker must join a union as a condition of employment. The bidding research backs up the open door: a peer-reviewed study of 263 California community college bid openings found a PLA made no difference in the number of bidders, and a 2025 Illinois study of 773 public projects found PLA jobs drew 14% more bids.
READ MORE: Project labor agreements let non-union contractors bid and win
Where are project labor agreements used in Virginia?
Fairfax County moved first. In July 2024 it executed a $71.7 million contract to rehabilitate the Accotink Wastewater Pump Station, its largest, under what county officials described as the first local government PLA administered in Virginia, the county’s public works department reported. Fairfax developed the terms with the Baltimore-DC Metro Building Trades Council, the prequalified general contractors, a PLA consultant and county legal staff. The work raises the station’s capacity from 37 million to 45 million gallons per day.
Loudoun County launched a PLA pilot program in 2023, and in May 2026 its finance committee recommended PLAs for a $38 million Adult Detention Center expansion and an $86 million Route 15 widening. At the state level, the Commonwealth Transportation Board reviewed a recommended policy on PLA use in October 2025.
What does the research say about PLAs, cost and speed?
Economists Russell Ormiston and Kevin Duncan reviewed more than 20 years of studies for the Institute for Construction Employment Research and found no statistically significant cost effect in the strongest work, which settles the question do PLAs increase costs for Virginia budget writers. A peer-reviewed study of 313 public works projects in Sacramento County, California, found PLA projects finished 15% to 17% faster. Tradespeople in Richmond describe the local payoff in their own words in a discussion among Virginia electricians about how PLAs strengthen the communities where they work.
READ MORE: Project labor agreements finish public works faster, peer-reviewed study finds
How does Virginia compare with neighboring states on PLAs?
Virginia’s approach leaves the decision with each public body, which places it between the region’s extremes. Maryland directs state agencies to consider PLAs on large state capital projects under a 2023 executive order. Washington, D.C., requires them by statute on multi-trade contracts of $50 million or more for newer capital projects. New Jersey authorized them in 2002 and removed its $5 million local threshold in January 2026. West Virginia sits at the other end: a 2015 law bars public owners from requiring PLAs at all. Federal agencies building in Virginia follow Executive Order 14063, which requires PLAs on federal construction of $35 million or more unless an exception applies. For contractors that work across the Capital Region, the practical result is familiar terms on either side of the Potomac.
Key facts for Virginia public owners:
- Virginia Code § 2.2-4321.2 has authorized public bodies to require PLAs since 2020
- the statute reaches construction, repair and maintenance of public facilities
- any qualified union or non-union contractor can bid on PLA work
- Fairfax County administered the first local government PLA in the state in 2024
- Virginia’s right-to-work law still applies to every worker on the job
Virginia supervisors, school boards and procurement officers can see how PLAs work from bid to closeout and why their benefits reach well beyond the job site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are project labor agreements legal in Virginia?
Yes. Virginia Code § 2.2-4321.2, enacted in 2020, lets public bodies require PLAs on public works projects.
Were PLAs ever banned in Virginia?
Yes. A 2012 law barred public bodies from requiring them, and the General Assembly reversed that policy in 2020.
Who can require a PLA in Virginia?
Any public body under the Virginia Public Procurement Act, including counties, cities and towns. Each body decides project by project.
Is there a dollar threshold for Virginia PLAs?
The state statute sets none. Each public body decides which projects warrant an agreement.
What was the first local government PLA in Virginia?
Fairfax County’s $71.7 million Accotink Wastewater Pump Station rehabilitation, executed in July 2024. County officials called it the first local government PLA administered in the commonwealth.
Does Virginia’s right-to-work law still apply on PLA projects?
Yes. The PLA statute did not repeal right-to-work, and workers are not required to join a union as a condition of employment.
Can non-union contractors work on Virginia PLA projects?
Yes. Any qualified contractor can bid, win and perform the work under the agreement’s terms.
Do PLAs raise construction costs in Virginia?
The strongest peer-reviewed research finds no statistically significant cost increase from PLAs. Labor terms are fixed before bidding, which makes costs predictable.
Which Virginia counties are piloting PLAs?
Loudoun County has run a PLA pilot program since 2023, and its finance committee recommended two new pilot projects in May 2026. Fairfax County administered the state’s first local PLA in 2024.
