Three species, three regions, one short list for you
Virginia's advantage is specificity. Rather than a general warning about venomous snakes, DWR maps where each one actually occurs, and that lets you narrow your concern to a list you can learn. If you live in the western mountains, your list is copperhead and timber rattlesnake. The rattlesnake needs forested terrain with rocky ledges, and it is listed as endangered in Virginia, which means killing one is a far more serious act than most people realize. If you live south and east of Petersburg, your list is copperhead and cottonmouth, and the cottonmouth concern belongs at water: ditches, ponds, swamp edges, docks, and boat ramps. Everywhere else in the state, the list is copperhead alone, and DWR notes copperheads are common in gardens and woodlots while rarely appearing inside homes. That framing changes daily decisions. In Richmond or Newport News, a snake in the basement is nearly certain to be harmless. On a mountain property, the caution belongs to rock ledges and woodpiles. At the coast, it belongs to water's edge. Same state, three different habits.
Why Virginia DWR will not come get your snake
People often call the state first and are surprised by the answer. Virginia DWR does not remove snakes. Removal is performed by licensed pest control companies, and knowing that in advance saves a day of waiting for help that is not coming. The practical consequence is that you are hiring a private operator, and the quality varies. Ask how they identify a species, since Virginia has three venomous snakes and dozens of harmless ones, and one of the three is endangered. Ask whether they are licensed and insured for this work. Ask what they do with the animal afterward. Be aware of the possession rule as well. Virginia limits private possession to no more than one non-SGCN reptile per address, which is a reminder that catching and keeping a snake is regulated rather than casual. While you wait for an operator, do the simple things. Keep everyone out of the room or the area, close interior doors, place a rolled towel at the gap under the door of the room the snake is in, and leave the animal undisturbed. Do not attempt to corner or move it.
Copperheads in gardens and woodlot edges
DWR's description of the copperhead, common in gardens and woodlots but rarely inside houses, is the single most useful sentence for a Virginia homeowner, because it tells you where to be careful and where to relax. Copperheads hunt by staying motionless in leaf litter and mulch, relying on camouflage that is genuinely excellent in fallen leaves. A deep mulch bed against a foundation, an unraked border along a woodlot, or a woodpile on bare ground gives them the same conditions as forest floor, plus rodents. So the risk is concentrated in hand work rather than in walking around. Weeding by hand, moving landscape stone, picking up a hose left in a bed, gathering an armload of firewood, or reaching under a shrub is how people meet one at close range. The adjustments are ordinary. Keep mulch thinner and pulled back from the wall. Rake leaf litter out of borders near doors and walkways. Use a rake or hook to lift anything flat, and lift the far edge first. Wear gloves and closed shoes in the garden, and work in daylight rather than at dusk during the warm months.
Crawlspaces, coastal humidity, and the indoor sightings
Nearly every snake found inside a Virginia home came in at ground level through a crawlspace, following mice. That is good news, because it means indoor sightings are usually a harmless species and a solvable structural problem rather than a venomous emergency. Conditions under a Virginia house suit a snake well. Humidity near 69 percent and about 44 inches of annual rain keep the space damp, insects and amphibians persist, and rodents settle in. Nothing disturbs any of it for years. The openings repeat from house to house. Vent screens corrode in humid coastal air and fail. Access doors go missing during a repair and are never replaced. Plumbing, gas, and duct penetrations are cut oversized and left open. Gaps form where the vapor barrier meets the block. A proper pass closes all of it: quarter inch hardware cloth screwed over each vent frame, a solid latching door, hardware cloth and sealant at every penetration, and footing washouts filled. Handle rodent control first so nothing is closed in, and schedule the work for the coldest weeks, when activity is at its lowest.
Hiring well in a state with an endangered species
The timber rattlesnake's status as a state endangered species raises the stakes on who you hire, and it is worth a few extra questions before anyone drives out. Start with identification and philosophy. How do they identify a species, and what is their default: capture and release, or kill? In a state where most snakes are harmless and one venomous species is endangered, a company that reaches for a shovel first is the wrong choice, particularly on mountain property where the rattlesnake actually occurs. Then ask about credentials. Are they licensed and insured for wildlife handling, and how do they document what they removed and where it went? Then scope. Does the price cover capture only, or an inspection as well? If sealing is included, which openings and how much of the crawlspace? Is rodent control part of the plan or separate, and in what order? Finally ask for written findings with photographs. That record is useful for a landlord, for the next owner, and for you the following autumn when it is time to check the perimeter again.