The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Beaufort County - Building Codes Department (Building Inspections)

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

Adopted code

Beaufort County - Building Codes Department (Building Inspections)

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Beaufort County, SC, issued by Beaufort County - Building Codes Department (Building Inspections). The Department publishes no statement on reroofing either way. Its page describes its mission as to "Issue building permits for new construction, substantial improvements and additions" and to enforce the building codes, fire code, electrical code and floodplain regulations; neither that page, its permit requirements page, its building permit application (which offers "Alteration" and "Repair" as the nature of work) nor the County's fee schedule names roofing. The County Code brings in the permit section of the adopted codes (Sections 74-64 and 74-66), and the Department has published no exemption for roof covering replacement. Starting permit work before the permit is issued doubles the permit fee under Section 74-96(c)(2). Apply through the County's Citizen Self Service portal or at the Building Codes office. 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. Confirm with the Department (843-255-2065) that the property is in its jurisdiction.

Roof code checklist: Unincorporated Beaufort County, SC

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYeslibrary.municode.com2026-09-26
Repair permit thresholdPublishedlibrary.municode.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 inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNolibrary.municode.com2026-09-26
Wind design criteriaPublishedR301.2.1Beaufort 15(Mays).pdf2026-09-26
Adopted codePublishedSec. 74-64library.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
Beaufort County, South Carolina (unincorporated)
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
100 Ribaut Road, Administrative Building, 2nd Floor, Room 225, Beaufort, SC 29901
Contact
  • url: https://www.beaufortcountysc.gov/building-codes/index.html
  • phone: 843-255-2065
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), and "all residential specialty contractors must be registered, by the commission" (Section 40-59-220(A)). Section 40-59-220 also requires a residential specialty contractor to obtain a bond where the cost of an undertaking for an individual property owner exceeds five thousand dollars. A residential builder, one who undertakes the "construction, repair, improvement, or reimprovement of a residential building" where the cost of the undertaking exceeds five thousand dollars, must be licensed. 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: Beaufort County's building permit application asks for the contractor's "State License No", "License Class" and "Beaufort County Business License", and states that "All subcontractors are required to be properly licensed or registered in accordance with state law." The Department's residential requirements ask for the "Contractor's name, address, telephone number, state license and Beaufort County Business license number" and a "List of subcontractors with their state and Beaufort County Business license number." The County business licence is a general business licence, not a roofing credential. The County licenses electrical contractors under its own code (Chapter 74, Article V); its building chapter, read in full, sets no County licence or registration for roofers. An owner building under the state exemption signs the County's Unlicensed Residential Builder's Disclosure Statement, which is filed with the County Register of Deeds.
Permit process note
The Department publishes no statement on reroofing either way. Its page describes its mission as to "Issue building permits for new construction, substantial improvements and additions" and to enforce the building codes, fire code, electrical code and floodplain regulations; neither that page, its permit requirements page, its building permit application (which offers "Alteration" and "Repair" as the nature of work) nor the County's fee schedule names roofing. The County Code brings in the permit section of the adopted codes (Sections 74-64 and 74-66), and the Department has published no exemption for roof covering replacement. Starting permit work before the permit is issued doubles the permit fee under Section 74-96(c)(2). Apply through the County's Citizen Self Service portal or at the Building Codes office. 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. Confirm with the Department (843-255-2065) that the property is in its jurisdiction.
Inspection requirements
Request an inspection by email to [email protected] or by calling (843) 255-2078, giving the permit number, address, inspection desired, contact information and any access code; requests must be made "prior to 3:30PM the day prior to the desired inspection." The permit card must be posted in a conspicuous location before work starts, and the 911 address must be posted on site before any inspection. The Department's list of required inspections is "a general list" framed around new construction, and it states that "Based on the scope of work, the Building Official, Plans Examiner or Field Inspector may require additional inspections."
Adopted code
Beaufort County Code Section 74-64, Adoption of building codes (most recently amended by Ord. No. 2022/51, 12-12-22), adopts the listed codes "as the regulations governing the construction of buildings and other structures in the county with effective dates established by the South Carolina Building Code Council", including the "2021 International Residential Code, with South Carolina modifications, including Chapter 1" and the "2021 International Existing Building Code". Section 74-66 provides that "The administrative provisions contained in Chapter 1 of the International Building Code shall apply to all construction in the county." The Department's own page lists the "2021 South Carolina Residential Code" among the "Building Codes We Enforce". 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 building code adoption page lists no approved local roofing modification for Beaufort 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 74, read in full) contains no roofing provision of its own.
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Neither Beaufort County's building chapter (Chapter 74, including Section 74-64 adopting 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
Beaufort County publishes no roofing threshold of its own. Its building chapter, read in full, names no roof work either way and sets no dollar, area or percentage line: Section 74-64 adopts the 2021 International Residential Code "including Chapter 1", and Section 74-66 applies "The administrative provisions contained in Chapter 1 of the International Building Code" to "all construction in the county", so the permit and exemption sections of the adopted codes apply; they are not restated here. The County's permit fee schedule (Section 74-97) starts at a valuation of "$ 1.00—2,000.00", priced at $42.00, and has no separate roofing line. Under Section 74-96(c)(2), where work for which a permit is required "is started or proceeded with prior to obtaining the permit, the fees specified in this division shall be doubled".
Wind design criteria
130 or 140 mph, depending on where the job is in the County. The South Carolina modification to IRC Section R301.2.1 requires buildings to be "constructed in accordance with the previously published maps by the South Carolina Building Codes Council", and states that "Asphalt shingles shall be designed for wind speeds in accordance with Section R905.2.4." The Council's wind and seismic map for Beaufort County, whose note says it is based upon the "2015 South Carolina Residential Code and a report to the South Carolina Building Codes Council by Dr. Timothy Mays dated 6/30/2016", draws one wind boundary through the County, with "130 MPH" on its landward (western) side and "140 MPH" on its seaward (eastern) side; the boundary runs close to the Port Royal Island and Hilton Head Island shorelines, so read the map for the address. The Council's map page says the county maps were approved "for the 2021 code cycle based on the 2015 International Residential Code" and are "intended to be the primary source for defining the appropriate boundaries for wind and seismic design in South Carolina for single- and two-family dwellings". The County publishes no climatic and geographic design criteria table of its own.
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 Beaufort County's building chapter (Chapter 74, read in full) adds no reroofing rule of its own, so the base rule applies unmodified.
Deck & sheathing requirements
Beaufort County applies the 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications. Neither the County's building chapter (Chapter 74, 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
6% in unincorporated Beaufort County and in the Beaufort County portions of the municipalities the South Carolina Department of Revenue lists there: the 6% state sales tax with "No Local Tax Imposed" on the Beaufort County rows of SCDOR form ST-575, South Carolina Sales Tax Rate by Municipality (Rev. 2/5/26), and Beaufort at 6% on SCDOR's county map "South Carolina Local Tax Designation by County Effective May 1, 2026" (ST-500, Rev. 3/9/2026). The Department of Revenue notes that ST-575 does not include "Local taxes directly collected by the counties or municipalities". The Yemassee row in Hampton County carries a 1% local option tax (7%), so a job in the Hampton County part of Yemassee is not at the Beaufort County rate. 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 by such builder, contractor, or landowner", and its list of building materials names "roofing materials". Repair and replacement work are treated alike.

More roof permit pages in South Carolina

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

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

Beaufort County Building Inspections, the County's Building Codes Department, issues building permits, makes the inspections and enforces the building, fire and electrical codes and the floodplain regulations for work under the County's jurisdiction. The County's technical-codes article applies to the unincorporated areas of the County and to any municipality that makes an agreement with County Council to be regulated by it; the County does not name those municipalities in its code, so confirm with the Department that a property inside a town is permitted here before applying.

Hail reports near the center of Beaufort County, SC

Reports, last 24 months
3
Largest, last 24 months
0.88 in May 25, 2025
Most recent
May 25, 2025 0.88 in
Reports, last 5 years
6
5 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
May 25, 20250.88 in7 mi NNW
May 25, 20250.75 in7 mi NNE
May 8, 20250.75 in7 mi WNW
May 19, 20241.50 in6 mi NNE
May 19, 20241.00 in8 mi N

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

Working an insurance claim in Unincorporated Beaufort 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 Beaufort County, SC

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

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Beaufort County, SC. Beaufort County publishes no roofing threshold of its own. Its building chapter, read in full, names no roof work either way and sets no dollar, area or percentage line: Section 74-64 adopts the 2021 International Residential Code "including Chapter 1", and Section 74-66 applies "The administrative provisions contained in Chapter 1 of the International Building Code" to "all construction in the county", so the permit and exemption sections of the adopted codes apply; they are not restated here. The County's permit fee schedule (Section 74-97) starts at a valuation of "$ 1.00—2,000.00", priced at $42.00, and has no separate roofing line. Under Section 74-96(c)(2), where work for which a permit is required "is started or proceeded with prior to obtaining the permit, the fees specified in this division shall be doubled".

Can you roof over an existing roof in Unincorporated Beaufort 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 Beaufort County's building chapter (Chapter 74, 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 Beaufort County, SC?

Yes.

What building code does Unincorporated Beaufort County, SC use?

Beaufort County Code Section 74-64, Adoption of building codes (most recently amended by Ord. No. 2022/51, 12-12-22), adopts the listed codes "as the regulations governing the construction of buildings and other structures in the county with effective dates established by the South Carolina Building Code Council", including the "2021 International Residential Code, with South Carolina modifications, including Chapter 1" and the "2021 International Existing Building Code". Section 74-66 provides that "The administrative provisions contained in Chapter 1 of the International Building Code shall apply to all construction in the county." The Department's own page lists the "2021 South Carolina Residential Code" among the "Building Codes We Enforce". 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 building code adoption page lists no approved local roofing modification for Beaufort 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 74, read in full) contains no roofing provision of its own.