§ 8.01-581.011.Modification or correction of award.

Not every flaw in an arbitration award calls for starting over. This section handles the smaller category of fixable mistakes — the kind that do not touch the substance of what the arbitrators decided. Courts can modify or correct an award on three grounds: an evident miscalculation of figures or an evident mistake in describing a person, thing, or property named in the award; the arbitrators ruled on something nobody submitted to them, and removing that ruling would not disturb their decision on the issues that were submitted; or the award is imperfect in form without affecting the merits of the dispute.

The application has to come within ninety days after the award is delivered to the applicant. If the court grants it, the award gets fixed to reflect what the arbitrators plainly intended, and the court confirms it as modified. If the court denies the application, the original award stands and gets confirmed as made — either way, the process ends in a confirmed award, not a blank slate.

This remedy can travel alongside a motion to vacate. A party unsure which fits better can ask for both in the alternative, letting the court sort out whether the flaw calls for a full vacatur or just a targeted fix.