The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Aiken County - Planning and Development Department (Codes Division)

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Unincorporated Aiken County, SC?

Adopted code

Aiken County - Planning and Development Department (Codes Division)

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Aiken County, SC, issued by Aiken County - Planning and Development Department (Codes Division). Aiken County lists a roof permit as its own permit type: its portal's list of "the activities requiring a building or related permits" includes "Roof (2021 South Carolina Residential Code) or (South Carolina Building Code)", applied for on the Aiken County Building Permit Application, on paper or through the Development Services Online Portal. The portal cites "Aiken County Code Sections 5-76 and 24-10.15.2" as requiring a permit "prior to constructing, enlarging, altering, or changing the utility service or meter of a building or structure." State law requires the permit office to see evidence of the contractor's Residential Builders Commission registration or licence, or of an exemption, before it issues the permit. Inspections can be scheduled on the portal or by calling 803-642-1518. Property inside the City of Aiken or the City of North Augusta is permitted by that city, not by the County.

Roof code checklist: Unincorporated Aiken County, SC

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYeswww6.citizenserve.com2026-09-26
Repair permit thresholdPublishedwww6.citizenserve.com2026-09-26
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-09-26
Deck & sheathingPublishedR803library.municode.com2026-09-26
Drip edgeNot published
Ice & water shieldNot published
Mid-roof inspectionNolibrary.municode.com2026-09-26
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNolibrary.municode.com2026-09-26
Wind design criteriaPublishedR301.2.1Aiken 15.pdf2026-09-26
Adopted codePublishedSec. 5-121library.municode.com2026-09-26
Contractor license / registrationYesscstatehouse.gov2026-09-26
Sales & use taxPublishedST575.pdf2026-09-26

Each row comes from the sourced record on this page; full wording is in the table below. "Not published" means no official source for that item was found when the record was last verified.

Jurisdiction
Aiken County, South Carolina (unincorporated)
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
1930 University Parkway, Suite 2800, Aiken, SC 29801
Contact
  • url: https://www.aikencountysc.gov/261/Planning-Development
  • phone: 803-642-1520
Permit portal
Permit portal
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • state_level: Roofing is a named Residential Specialty Contractor classification of the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission: "Roofers: the installation, alteration and repair of materials common to the residential building industry that form a watertight, weather resistant surface for roofs and decks, including all accessories, flashing, valleys, gravel stops and roof insulation panels above the roof deck." A residential specialty contractor is one who contracts to do "construction work, repairs, improvement, or reimprovement which requires special skills and involves the use of specialized construction trades or craft, when the undertakings exceed five hundred dollars" (S.C. Code Section 40-59-20(7)), and "all residential specialty contractors must be registered, by the commission" (Section 40-59-220(A)). When the cost of an undertaking for an individual property owner "exceeds five thousand dollars, the residential specialty contractor must obtain an executed bond" (Section 40-59-220(D)). A residential builder, one who constructs or superintends the "construction, repair, improvement, or reimprovement of a residential building" when "the cost of the undertaking exceeds five thousand dollars", must be licensed (Sections 40-59-20(6) and 40-59-220(A)). The permit office "shall refuse to issue a permit for an undertaking which requires licensure or registration under this chapter unless the applicant has furnished evidence that he is either licensed or registered in accordance with this chapter or exempt from the requirements of this chapter" (Section 40-59-280). Section 40-59-260 states that the chapter "does not apply to an owner of residential property who improves the property" where the owner "does the work himself, with his own employees, or with licensed contractors or registered entities or individuals" and the structure is for the owner's or family's own occupancy and not for sale or rent, and Section 40-59-270 states that the chapter "does not apply to a person licensed under Chapter 11" for that work.
  • county_level: Aiken County's building permit application asks for the "SC Contractor License No." of the contractor. For an owner building under the state exemption, County Code Section 5-81(b)(3) provides that "an owner must personally appear in the office of the building official and sign the building permit application as well as a "Disclosure Statement" provided by Aiken County, stating that a licensed builder did not build the structure", and Section 5-81(c) provides that "Nothing in state law may be construed to authorize an owner of a residential building or structure to hire a person or entity that is not licensed or registered in accordance with state law." The County's building chapter, read in full, sets no County contractor licence or registration of its own. The County states that it "does not require a business license in the unincorporated area of the county"; a town may require one for work inside its limits.
Permit process note
Aiken County lists a roof permit as its own permit type: its portal's list of "the activities requiring a building or related permits" includes "Roof (2021 South Carolina Residential Code) or (South Carolina Building Code)", applied for on the Aiken County Building Permit Application, on paper or through the Development Services Online Portal. The portal cites "Aiken County Code Sections 5-76 and 24-10.15.2" as requiring a permit "prior to constructing, enlarging, altering, or changing the utility service or meter of a building or structure." State law requires the permit office to see evidence of the contractor's Residential Builders Commission registration or licence, or of an exemption, before it issues the permit. Inspections can be scheduled on the portal or by calling 803-642-1518. Property inside the City of Aiken or the City of North Augusta is permitted by that city, not by the County.
Adopted code
Aiken County Code Section 5-121, Code enforcement, provides that "Pursuant to South Carolina Code of Laws Section 6-9-10, Aiken County shall enforce" the building codes, including the "International Residential Code for One- and Two- Family Dwellings", "as adopted by the State of South Carolina including all amendments thereto now in being or hereafter to be promulgated". The County's permit portal lists roof permits under the "2021 South Carolina Residential Code", and its Fee Schedule (July 1, 2025) values new structures by the "2021 South Carolina Building Code". At the state level, S.C. Code Section 6-9-10(A) requires every county to enforce the building codes the Building Codes Council adopts and provides that "The municipality or county shall enforce only the national building and safety codes provided in this chapter." The 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications (S.C. Code of Regulations 8-1200 et seq.) is the mandatory state residential code for permits applied for before January 1, 2027, the date the Building Codes Council set for local jurisdictions to implement the 2024 edition with South Carolina modifications (State Register Vol. 50, Issue 5, May 22, 2026). The Council's list of approved local modifications carries no roofing modification for Aiken County. The one South Carolina change to the roofing chapter replaces the drip-edge section: "A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and rake edges of asphalt shingle roofs where required by the manufacturer." (Reg. 8-1228, IRC Section R905.2.8.5.) The County's building chapter (Chapter 5, read in full) contains no roofing provision of its own.
Mid-roof inspection
Not required — Aiken County Code Section 5-98 lists the required inspections, "as ordered by the building official": footings, foundations, roughing-in "before any framing, electrical, gas heating, air conditioning, plumbing or other work is covered or concealed", and final, "upon completion of all work". None is a mid-roof or underlayment inspection, and the County's building chapter, read in full, sets no roof inspection of its own. A final inspection is required on a permitted reroof.
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Neither Aiken County's building chapter (Chapter 5, including Section 5-121 enforcing the state codes) nor the South Carolina modifications to the 2021 International Residential Code amends the roofing chapter's impact provisions, and the Building Codes Council lists no approved roofing modification for the County; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in the County's adopted code or its amendments.
Repair permit threshold
Aiken County sets no dollar, area or percentage line for roof work. Its permit portal lists "Roof (2021 South Carolina Residential Code) or (South Carolina Building Code)" among "the activities requiring a building or related permits", with the Aiken County Building Permit Application as its submittal form, and states that "The complete list of exempt activities and structures is available at Aiken County Code Section 5-76(b)". That list names no roof work. Section 5-76(b)(6) adds: "Nothing contained herein shall require any property owner, company or corporation to obtain a permit for doing his or her own maintenance, repair or change out work, unless otherwise required by this chapter or by state law or regulation." That clause does not define "maintenance, repair or change out work" and sets no size limit; this record does not decide whether it reaches a small roof repair, so ask the Department before skipping a permit on a repair. Permit fees for "renovations, repairs" are based "on the actual value or contract price, rounded to the next thousand dollars", including material and labor: $20 for the first $1,000 plus $6 for each additional thousand to $50,000 (Fee Schedule, July 1, 2025, Ord. 25-06-15), plus a plans review fee of 50% of the building permit fee. The same schedule lists a building permit penalty of 200% of the building permit fee, with a cap of $200.
Wind design criteria
South Carolina's modification to IRC Section R301.2.1 (Reg. 8-1202) provides that "Buildings and portions thereof shall be constructed in accordance with the previously published maps by the South Carolina Building Codes Council", and that "Asphalt shingles shall be designed for wind speeds in accordance with Section R905.2.4." The Council's approved wind and seismic map for Aiken County, which the Council approved "for the 2021 code cycle based on the 2015 International Residential Code", shows a single 115 mph wind-speed line across the County. Its note reads: "Wind speed, shown in miles per hour, applies at all points along the length of its corresponding (blue) line. Interpolation between wind speed lines is determined by the AHJ as permitted by Figure R301.2(4)A of the 2015 International Residential Code." Confirm the design wind speed for the job's location with the Department.
Roof layer limit / recover
Two layers maximum. The 2021 International Residential Code, Section R908.3.1.1 Roof recover not allowed, bars a roof recover "Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering", as well as where the existing roof or covering is water soaked or deteriorated to the point it is not an adequate base, or is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile. The South Carolina modifications to the 2021 IRC do not change the reroofing section, and Aiken County's building chapter (Chapter 5, read in full) adds no reroofing rule of its own, so the base rule applies unmodified.
Deck & sheathing requirements
Aiken County applies the 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications. Neither the County's building chapter (Chapter 5, read in full) nor the South Carolina modifications amend the roof sheathing provisions (Section R803), so the base IRC provisions on roof sheathing apply unmodified.
Sales & use tax
8% in unincorporated Aiken County and in every town the South Carolina Department of Revenue lists in Aiken County: 6% state sales tax plus the Aiken County Capital Projects tax (code 1002) and Education Capital Improvement tax (code 5021), per SCDOR form ST-575, South Carolina Sales Tax Rate by Municipality (Rev. 2/5/26). South Carolina taxes the roofer, not the homeowner's contract: Reg. 117-314.2 provides that building materials "when purchased by builders, contractors, or landowners for use in adding to, repairing or altering real property are subject to either the sales or use tax at the time of purchase", and its list of building materials names "roofing materials". Repair and replacement work are treated alike.

More roof permit pages in South Carolina

Unincorporated Anderson County, SCRoof permit Unincorporated Beaufort County, SCRoof permit Unincorporated Charleston County, SCRoof permit Unincorporated Cherokee County, SCRoof permit Unincorporated Chesterfield County, SCRoof permit Roofing in South CarolinaState hub

Related guides

Denver-Metro Roofing Permits Filing a Hail Insurance Claim Colorado Hail Season Prep Hiring a Contractor

The Aiken County Planning and Development Department issues residential and commercial building permits and makes the building inspections for work under the County's jurisdiction, through its Development Services Online Portal. The Department states that it "is responsible for issuing building permits for all new construction and renovations in Aiken County, excluding the city limits of Aiken and North Augusta"; property inside those two cities is permitted by the city. The County's building chapter applies to an incorporated town only "upon mutual agreement" of the town and County Council, so confirm with the Department before applying for work inside any town.

Hail reports near the center of Aiken County, SC

Reports, last 24 months
1
Largest, last 24 months
1.00 in Jul 9, 2025
Most recent
Jul 9, 2025 1.00 in
Reports, last 5 years
6
5 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
Jul 9, 20251.00 in2 mi WNW
May 9, 20230.25 in5 mi W
Mar 26, 20231.00 in9 mi NNE
Apr 26, 20220.25 in5 mi WSW
Apr 26, 20220.25 in9 mi NNE

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database and daily storm reports (reports since the start of the current year are preliminary), within 10 miles of the center of Aiken County, SC. Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.

Working an insurance claim in Unincorporated Aiken County, SC? Everything on this page (drip edge, ice & water shield, inspections, Class 4 rules) formatted as a claim-ready evidence pack: verbatim ordinance quotes, code section cites, verification dates, and official source links, ready to attach to a supplement. See a real sample pack (PDF, 4 pages, free).

Buy this jurisdiction's pack: $12 Delivered by email within minutes.

Questions about the Unincorporated Aiken County, SC pack?

Not ready to buy, or need a different jurisdiction? Tell us and we’ll reply directly.

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Sources

Roofing questions: Unincorporated Aiken County, SC

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Unincorporated Aiken County, SC?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Aiken County, SC. Aiken County sets no dollar, area or percentage line for roof work. Its permit portal lists "Roof (2021 South Carolina Residential Code) or (South Carolina Building Code)" among "the activities requiring a building or related permits", with the Aiken County Building Permit Application as its submittal form, and states that "The complete list of exempt activities and structures is available at Aiken County Code Section 5-76(b)". That list names no roof work. Section 5-76(b)(6) adds: "Nothing contained herein shall require any property owner, company or corporation to obtain a permit for doing his or her own maintenance, repair or change out work, unless otherwise required by this chapter or by state law or regulation." That clause does not define "maintenance, repair or change out work" and sets no size limit; this record does not decide whether it reaches a small roof repair, so ask the Department before skipping a permit on a repair. Permit fees for "renovations, repairs" are based "on the actual value or contract price, rounded to the next thousand dollars", including material and labor: $20 for the first $1,000 plus $6 for each additional thousand to $50,000 (Fee Schedule, July 1, 2025, Ord. 25-06-15), plus a plans review fee of 50% of the building permit fee. The same schedule lists a building permit penalty of 200% of the building permit fee, with a cap of $200.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Unincorporated Aiken County, SC?

Two layers maximum. The 2021 International Residential Code, Section R908.3.1.1 Roof recover not allowed, bars a roof recover "Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering", as well as where the existing roof or covering is water soaked or deteriorated to the point it is not an adequate base, or is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile. The South Carolina modifications to the 2021 IRC do not change the reroofing section, and Aiken County's building chapter (Chapter 5, read in full) adds no reroofing rule of its own, so the base rule applies unmodified.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Unincorporated Aiken County, SC?

Yes.

What building code does Unincorporated Aiken County, SC use?

Aiken County Code Section 5-121, Code enforcement, provides that "Pursuant to South Carolina Code of Laws Section 6-9-10, Aiken County shall enforce" the building codes, including the "International Residential Code for One- and Two- Family Dwellings", "as adopted by the State of South Carolina including all amendments thereto now in being or hereafter to be promulgated". The County's permit portal lists roof permits under the "2021 South Carolina Residential Code", and its Fee Schedule (July 1, 2025) values new structures by the "2021 South Carolina Building Code". At the state level, S.C. Code Section 6-9-10(A) requires every county to enforce the building codes the Building Codes Council adopts and provides that "The municipality or county shall enforce only the national building and safety codes provided in this chapter." The 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications (S.C. Code of Regulations 8-1200 et seq.) is the mandatory state residential code for permits applied for before January 1, 2027, the date the Building Codes Council set for local jurisdictions to implement the 2024 edition with South Carolina modifications (State Register Vol. 50, Issue 5, May 22, 2026). The Council's list of approved local modifications carries no roofing modification for Aiken County. The one South Carolina change to the roofing chapter replaces the drip-edge section: "A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and rake edges of asphalt shingle roofs where required by the manufacturer." (Reg. 8-1228, IRC Section R905.2.8.5.) The County's building chapter (Chapter 5, read in full) contains no roofing provision of its own.

Is a mid-roof inspection required in Unincorporated Aiken County, SC?

No. Aiken County Code Section 5-98 lists the required inspections, "as ordered by the building official": footings, foundations, roughing-in "before any framing, electrical, gas heating, air conditioning, plumbing or other work is covered or concealed", and final, "upon completion of all work". None is a mid-roof or underlayment inspection, and the County's building chapter, read in full, sets no roof inspection of its own. A final inspection is required on a permitted reroof.