The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Anderson County - Building and Codes Department

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

Adopted code

Anderson County - Building and Codes Department

No, Unincorporated Anderson County, SC does not require a permit for like-for-like roof replacement (Anderson County - Building and Codes Department). Anderson County Code Sec. 8-116: "Regardless of cost, no building permit shall be required for re-roofing or repair to the roofing of any existing home." In unincorporated Anderson County, re-roofing or roof repair on an existing home needs no county building permit, whatever its cost. This applies to homes only: a commercial re-roof is permitted work, listed in the Department's own guide as "Re-Roof of a Commercial Business. (Building)" on the Commercial Building Permitting tab of the County's OpenGov portal. Inside a municipality the County's permit article does not apply unless the town or city has requested and authorized it, so check with the town first. Permits that are required are applied for online through the OpenGov portal; the Department takes permit requests at [email protected] and 864-260-4158.

Roof code checklist: Unincorporated Anderson County, SC

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofNolibrary.municode.com2026-09-26
Repair permit thresholdPublishedlibrary.municode.com2026-09-26
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1library.municode.com2026-09-26
Deck & sheathingPublishedR803library.municode.com2026-09-26
Drip edgeNot published
Ice & water shieldNot published
Mid-roof inspectionNolibrary.municode.com2026-09-26
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNo2021-Code-Modifications.pdf2026-09-26
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedSec. 6-9-10library.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
Anderson County, South Carolina (unincorporated)
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
401 East River Street, Anderson, SC 29624
Contact
  • url: https://www.andersoncountysc.org/work-live/for-businesses/building-codes/
  • phone: 864-260-4158
  • email: [email protected]
Permit portal
Permit portal
Roofing permit required
Not required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • state_level: South Carolina registers roofers as a residential specialty contractor classification of the Residential Builders Commission, defined as "the installation, alteration and repair of materials common to the residential building industry that form a watertight, weather resistant surface for roofs and decks". 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), and "all residential specialty contractors must be registered, by the commission" (Section 40-59-220(A)). "When the cost of an undertaking performed by a residential specialty contractor for an individual property owner exceeds five thousand dollars, the residential specialty contractor must obtain an executed bond with a surety in an amount approved by the commission" (Section 40-59-220(D)). Section 40-59-260(A) 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 or registered contractors, the structure is for the owner's or family's sole occupancy and not for sale or rent, and the public has no access; Section 40-59-270 states that the chapter "does not apply to a person licensed under Chapter 11" for that work. Where a permit is required, Section 40-59-280 directs the permit office to "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 40-59-220 states the registration requirement without reference to a building permit.
  • county_level: Anderson County sets no roofing credential of its own. Its Owner/Builder Subcontractor Listing form, completed before a permit is issued, restates the state rule: "State law requires you to hire a licensed person as your residential builder or specialty contractor. It is your responsibility to make sure that people employed by you have licenses required by state law."
Permit process note
Anderson County Code Sec. 8-116: "Regardless of cost, no building permit shall be required for re-roofing or repair to the roofing of any existing home." In unincorporated Anderson County, re-roofing or roof repair on an existing home needs no county building permit, whatever its cost. This applies to homes only: a commercial re-roof is permitted work, listed in the Department's own guide as "Re-Roof of a Commercial Business. (Building)" on the Commercial Building Permitting tab of the County's OpenGov portal. Inside a municipality the County's permit article does not apply unless the town or city has requested and authorized it, so check with the town first. Permits that are required are applied for online through the OpenGov portal; the Department takes permit requests at [email protected] and 864-260-4158.
Adopted code
Anderson County Code Sec. 8-79(a) provides that "The county shall enforce the mandatory technical codes adopted by the state building codes council," and Sec. 8-79(c) that new codes adopted by the Council "shall be immediately adopted as part of the county code, but shall be implemented and enforced one-year from the date of adoption by the state building code council." The Building and Codes Department's list of Adopted Codes and Ordinances (revised March 18, 2024) states: "Beginning January 1st 2023, Anderson County will be enforcing the adopted codes and ordinances as listed below," naming the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) with SC Modifications, the 2021 International Building Code with SC Modifications, the 2021 International Existing Building Code and the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code, among others. Under S.C. Code Section 6-9-10(A), counties "shall enforce only the national building and safety codes provided in this chapter." The 2021 IRC with South Carolina modifications (S.C. Code Regs. 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). South Carolina's 2021 IRC modifications change one roofing provision: Reg. 8-1228 replaces R905.2.8.5 to read "A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and rake edges of asphalt shingle roofs where required by the manufacturer." The County's own Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, contains no technical roofing provision, and the Building Codes Council's list of approved local modifications carries none for Anderson County.
Mid-roof inspection
Not required — No mid-roof, underlayment or dry-in inspection applies to a re-roof of an existing home in unincorporated Anderson County, because no building permit is required for that work in the first place: County Code Sec. 8-116 provides that "Regardless of cost, no building permit shall be required for re-roofing or repair to the roofing of any existing home." With no permit there is no inspection to schedule. For permitted residential construction, the Department's Residential Checklist lists its inspection sequence as footing, plumbing under-slab, rough-in, electrical panel and final; roofing is looked at within the rough-in inspection, which requires "roof flashing and shingles completed", not at a separate mid-roof stage. A commercial re-roof is permitted work and follows the Department's commercial inspection process.
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — No impact-rated roof covering is required. South Carolina's 2021 IRC modifications (S.C. Code Regs. 8-1200 et seq.) contain no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement, the Building Codes Council lists no approved local modification for Anderson County, and Anderson County's Chapter 8, Buildings and Building Regulations, read in full, adopts the state codes without any roofing amendment; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in the County's adopted code or its ordinances.
Repair permit threshold
No county building permit at any size for a roof on an existing home. Anderson County Code of Ordinances Sec. 8-116 (Exceptions) reads: "Regardless of cost, no building permit shall be required for re-roofing or repair to the roofing of any existing home." The exemption sets no dollar, area or percentage limit and covers full re-roofing as well as roof repair; the condition it states is that the roof is on an existing home. The same section also provides that "This article shall not apply to any property located within the corporate limits of any municipality unless so requested and duly authorized by the governing authority of the municipality," so it speaks for the unincorporated county; a job inside a town or city is governed by that municipality's own permit rules. The exemption does not reach commercial work: the Department's permitting guide "What permits do I need" lists "Re-Roof of a Commercial Business. (Building)" among the single permits taken on the Commercial Building Permitting tab. Sec. 8-116 does not say whether replacing roof decking, rafters or other framing falls within "re-roofing or repair to the roofing"; ask the Department before a job that goes into the roof structure. The County's permit fee schedule (effective July 1, 2026) prices residential building permits by construction cost and carries no separate roofing line. No permit does not mean no code: the work is still subject to the adopted South Carolina residential code, which the County enforces under Sec. 8-79.
Roof layer limit / recover
Anderson County enforces the 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications. South Carolina's 2021 IRC modifications do not amend Section R908 (Reroofing), and the County's Chapter 8, Buildings and Building Regulations, read in full, amends nothing in it, so the base 2021 IRC rule applies: Section R908.3.1.1, "Roof recover not allowed," bars a recover "Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering," as well as where the existing roof or roof covering is water soaked or deteriorated to the point that it is not adequate as a base for additional roofing, and where the existing roof covering is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile. One existing layer may be recovered once; a roof that already has two layers must be torn off. No county permit is required for a residential re-roof (Sec. 8-116), but the code rule still applies to the work.
Deck & sheathing requirements
Anderson County enforces the 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications. Neither South Carolina's 2021 IRC modifications (S.C. Code Regs. 8-1200 et seq.) nor the County's Chapter 8, Buildings and Building Regulations, read in full, amends the IRC's roof sheathing provisions, so the base 2021 IRC provisions on roof sheathing (Section R803) apply unmodified.
Sales & use tax
7% combined in unincorporated Anderson County: the 6% South Carolina state sales and use tax (S.C. Code Sections 12-36-910 and 12-36-1110) plus Anderson County's 1% Education Capital Improvement tax. The South Carolina Department of Revenue's ST-575, South Carolina Sales Tax Rate by Municipality (Rev. 2/5/26), lists "Unincorporated Anderson ECI (5040)" at a total tax rate of 7%; the Anderson County towns on that table carry the same 7%. The roofer, not the homeowner, pays this tax on materials at purchase: S.C. Code Regs. 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 by such builder, contractor, or landowner," and its list of building materials names "roofing materials". Repair and full replacement are treated alike.

More roof permit pages in South Carolina

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

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The building permit and inspection office for unincorporated Anderson County, South Carolina. The Building and Codes Department issues building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and mobile home permits through the County's OpenGov permitting portal and enforces the codes adopted by the South Carolina Building Codes Council.

Hail reports near the center of Anderson County, SC

Reports, last 24 months
4
Largest, last 24 months
1.75 in Nov 8, 2025
Most recent
Nov 8, 2025 1.75 in
Reports, last 5 years
9
5 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
Nov 8, 20251.75 in4 mi WSW
Nov 8, 20251.75 in5 mi SE
May 17, 20250.88 in6 mi NE
May 15, 20250.88 in1 mi SW
Jun 15, 20231.00 in8 mi NE

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 Anderson County, SC. Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.

Working an insurance claim in Unincorporated Anderson 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).

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Sources

Roofing questions: Unincorporated Anderson County, SC

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

No, Unincorporated Anderson County, SC does not require a permit to replace a roof. No county building permit at any size for a roof on an existing home. Anderson County Code of Ordinances Sec. 8-116 (Exceptions) reads: "Regardless of cost, no building permit shall be required for re-roofing or repair to the roofing of any existing home." The exemption sets no dollar, area or percentage limit and covers full re-roofing as well as roof repair; the condition it states is that the roof is on an existing home. The same section also provides that "This article shall not apply to any property located within the corporate limits of any municipality unless so requested and duly authorized by the governing authority of the municipality," so it speaks for the unincorporated county; a job inside a town or city is governed by that municipality's own permit rules. The exemption does not reach commercial work: the Department's permitting guide "What permits do I need" lists "Re-Roof of a Commercial Business. (Building)" among the single permits taken on the Commercial Building Permitting tab. Sec. 8-116 does not say whether replacing roof decking, rafters or other framing falls within "re-roofing or repair to the roofing"; ask the Department before a job that goes into the roof structure. The County's permit fee schedule (effective July 1, 2026) prices residential building permits by construction cost and carries no separate roofing line. No permit does not mean no code: the work is still subject to the adopted South Carolina residential code, which the County enforces under Sec. 8-79.

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

Anderson County enforces the 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications. South Carolina's 2021 IRC modifications do not amend Section R908 (Reroofing), and the County's Chapter 8, Buildings and Building Regulations, read in full, amends nothing in it, so the base 2021 IRC rule applies: Section R908.3.1.1, "Roof recover not allowed," bars a recover "Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering," as well as where the existing roof or roof covering is water soaked or deteriorated to the point that it is not adequate as a base for additional roofing, and where the existing roof covering is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile. One existing layer may be recovered once; a roof that already has two layers must be torn off. No county permit is required for a residential re-roof (Sec. 8-116), but the code rule still applies to the work.

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

Yes.

What building code does Unincorporated Anderson County, SC use?

Anderson County Code Sec. 8-79(a) provides that "The county shall enforce the mandatory technical codes adopted by the state building codes council," and Sec. 8-79(c) that new codes adopted by the Council "shall be immediately adopted as part of the county code, but shall be implemented and enforced one-year from the date of adoption by the state building code council." The Building and Codes Department's list of Adopted Codes and Ordinances (revised March 18, 2024) states: "Beginning January 1st 2023, Anderson County will be enforcing the adopted codes and ordinances as listed below," naming the 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) with SC Modifications, the 2021 International Building Code with SC Modifications, the 2021 International Existing Building Code and the 2021 International Property Maintenance Code, among others. Under S.C. Code Section 6-9-10(A), counties "shall enforce only the national building and safety codes provided in this chapter." The 2021 IRC with South Carolina modifications (S.C. Code Regs. 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). South Carolina's 2021 IRC modifications change one roofing provision: Reg. 8-1228 replaces R905.2.8.5 to read "A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and rake edges of asphalt shingle roofs where required by the manufacturer." The County's own Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, contains no technical roofing provision, and the Building Codes Council's list of approved local modifications carries none for Anderson County.

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

No. No mid-roof, underlayment or dry-in inspection applies to a re-roof of an existing home in unincorporated Anderson County, because no building permit is required for that work in the first place: County Code Sec. 8-116 provides that "Regardless of cost, no building permit shall be required for re-roofing or repair to the roofing of any existing home." With no permit there is no inspection to schedule. For permitted residential construction, the Department's Residential Checklist lists its inspection sequence as footing, plumbing under-slab, rough-in, electrical panel and final; roofing is looked at within the rough-in inspection, which requires "roof flashing and shingles completed", not at a separate mid-roof stage. A commercial re-roof is permitted work and follows the Department's commercial inspection process.