The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / City of Charleston - Building Inspections Division

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Charleston, SC?

Adopted code

City of Charleston - Building Inspections Division

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Charleston, SC, issued by City of Charleston - Building Inspections Division. A residential reroof in the City of Charleston is permitted as "Roofing - Single Family/Duplex Dwelling" - "Alteration/Repair". Apply online through the City's Customer Self Service portal (the Permit Center lists "Roofing: Commercial and Residential" among permits available for online submittal) or at the Permit Center, 2 George Street, where "Roof (Residential & Commercial)" is on the menu of express permits that "have the possibility of receiving over-the-counter in-person approval" between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., "however approval is never a guarantee". The City's guidance asks for the City of Charleston Residential Alterations/Additions Application, the "Type of roof covering", Type H asphalt shingles "unless otherwise specified", and "Manufacturer's specifications required for metal or elastomeric materials". Properties within the Board of Architectural Review's designated purview or district also need BAR review. The one required field inspection is the residential building final. 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. Starting without a permit costs double: "Where work for which a permit is required by this code is started or proceeded prior to obtaining said permit, the fees herein specified shall be doubled". Check that the address is inside the city limits first; the City spans parts of Charleston County and Berkeley County, and property outside the limits is permitted by another jurisdiction.

Roof code checklist: Charleston, SC

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYescharleston-sc.gov2026-09-26
Repair permit thresholdPublishedR105.2charleston-sc.gov2026-09-26
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-09-26
Deck & sheathingPublishedR803library.municode.com2026-09-26
Drip edgeNot published
Ice & water shieldNocharleston-sc.gov2026-09-26
Mid-roof inspectionNocharleston-sc.gov2026-09-26
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNolibrary.municode.com2026-09-26
Wind design criteriaPublishedR301.2.1charleston-sc.gov2026-09-26
Adopted codePublishedSec. 7-26library.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
City of Charleston, South Carolina
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
2 George Street, Ground Floor, Charleston, SC 29401
Contact
  • url: https://www.charleston-sc.gov/856/Permit-Center
  • phone: 843-577-5550
  • email: [email protected]
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)). 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)). 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.
  • city_level: City Code Section 7-11 provides: "No person shall engage in the business of construction, reconstruction, alteration, and repairs in or to any building or structure in the city, on or after January 1, 1991, unless he shall have first secured a license as required by South Carolina and provided proof of such licensure to the city. Nothing herein shall preclude an owner of residential property from improving the property pursuant to applicable state law." The City's former roofing contractor licence and decal section (Section 7-196) was repealed by Ord. No. 2022-162 (Nov. 8, 2022), so the City sets no roofing credential of its own. The City's residential roofing permit guidance (August 2022) lists "Contractor License, South Carolina - Required by South Carolina Code of Laws" and a City of Charleston business license, "Not required for homeowners"; a business license is a tax registration, not a trade credential. A homeowner may apply for the roofing permit, and the same guidance says the owner is "Required to file with County Register of Deeds if work value exceeds $5,000".
Permit process note
A residential reroof in the City of Charleston is permitted as "Roofing - Single Family/Duplex Dwelling" - "Alteration/Repair". Apply online through the City's Customer Self Service portal (the Permit Center lists "Roofing: Commercial and Residential" among permits available for online submittal) or at the Permit Center, 2 George Street, where "Roof (Residential & Commercial)" is on the menu of express permits that "have the possibility of receiving over-the-counter in-person approval" between 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., "however approval is never a guarantee". The City's guidance asks for the City of Charleston Residential Alterations/Additions Application, the "Type of roof covering", Type H asphalt shingles "unless otherwise specified", and "Manufacturer's specifications required for metal or elastomeric materials". Properties within the Board of Architectural Review's designated purview or district also need BAR review. The one required field inspection is the residential building final. 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. Starting without a permit costs double: "Where work for which a permit is required by this code is started or proceeded prior to obtaining said permit, the fees herein specified shall be doubled". Check that the address is inside the city limits first; the City spans parts of Charleston County and Berkeley County, and property outside the limits is permitted by another jurisdiction.
Adopted code
City Code Section 7-26 adopts "The latest edition of the South Carolina Residential Code and Building Code, as adopted by the state and published by the International Code Council, Inc." so that "all building construction, reconstruction, alteration and repairs" conform to it, and Section 7-27 (last amended by Ord. No. 2024-026, Feb. 27, 2024) makes only fill-in insertions: the City's name and its Building Inspections Division in the scope and department sections and in Table R301.2, the flood-map dates for Charleston County and Berkeley County, and "12 inches" in plumbing Section P2603.5.1. The same 2024 ordinance repealed the City's former local sections on reroofing of existing structures and on adoption of the residential code. The Building Inspections Division's current codes list names the "2021 South Carolina Residential Code". At the state level, S.C. Code Section 6-9-10(A) requires every municipality 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 the City of Charleston. 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 City's own building chapter (Chapter 7, read in full) carries one roofing rule of its own, for the fire district (the business and industrial districts on the zoning map): "Roof covering in the district shall conform to the requirements of Class A or B roof covering as defined in Section 1505 of the International Building Code" (Section 7-1.1, 7.1.2.4). That is a fire classification, not an impact or wind rating.
Ice & water shield
Not required — The City of Charleston's own Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria table for the 2021 South Carolina Building Codes prints "No" in its ice barrier underlayment required column, with a mean annual temperature of 66.1 degrees F and an air freezing index under 1500. About ice & water barrier
Mid-roof inspection
Not required — The City's residential roofing permit guidance for "Roofing Replacement & Repair" (August 2022) lists one field inspection under "Required/Optional Field Inspections": "Residential Building Final [R]". It also says a Certificate of Construction Completion is "Not Required, only if requested by applicant". The City's general residential inspection checklist (March 2021) includes a "Sheathing Inspection" among building inspections that "may, or may not, be required depending on the project scope of work", so ask the Division before closing up where roof sheathing is replaced.
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Neither the City of Charleston's building chapter (Chapter 7, including Sections 7-26 and 7-27 adopting and amending 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 City; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in the City's adopted code or its amendments. The City's one local roofing rule, for the fire district, sets a Class A or B fire classification, which is not an impact rating.
Repair permit threshold
The City of Charleston publishes no size, area or dollar threshold below which roof work needs no permit. Its residential permit guidance treats "Roofing Replacement & Repair" as one permit type, "Roofing - Single Family/Duplex Dwelling" - "Alteration/Repair", "Commonly submitted as a 'Re-roofing' permit", and the City's Applications and Guidelines page lists "Roof Repair/Replacement" with its own application for residential work. The City's adopting ordinance (Sections 7-26 and 7-27) makes no change to the permit-exemption section of the residential code (Section R105.2), which is not restated here. Fees follow the Building and Trade Permit Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2019): a $40.00 application fee on every permit and, for residential alterations and repairs, "Application Fee Only" where the construction cost is "$1000 or less", then $15.00 for the first $1,000 plus $5.00 for each additional thousand up to $50,000. The fee schedule adds that for that lowest band the application fee "may not be required" and refers to a Section 109.2(c) amendment in Chapter 7; the current Section 7-27 contains no such amendment.
Wind design criteria
150 mph. The City of Charleston's Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria table for the 2021 South Carolina Building Codes prints a wind design speed of "150 mph", with "No" for topographic effects and "No" for special wind region; the table does not state whether that figure is an ultimate or a nominal design speed. City Code Section 7-27 amends the residential code's Table R301.2 to insert "Building Inspections Division" as the office that fills it in, and the South Carolina modification to Section R301.2.1 provides that "The local building official may delineate the wind design category within their jurisdiction provided that it does not surpass those provided on the Applied Technology Council (ATC) website." For asphalt shingles, the City's residential roofing permit guidance states "Type H required unless otherwise specified"; the H is a wind-resistance class of shingle, not a fire or impact rating.
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 the City of Charleston's building chapter (Chapter 7, read in full) adds no reroofing rule of its own; its former local section on reroofing of existing structures was repealed by Ord. No. 2024-026. The base rule applies unmodified. The 2024 edition the Council has adopted, with an implementation date of January 1, 2027, carries the same condition among the Exceptions to Section R908.4, and its South Carolina modifications do not change it.
Deck & sheathing requirements
The City of Charleston applies the 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications. Neither the City's building chapter (Chapter 7, read in full, including the Section 7-27 amendments) 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
9% everywhere in the City of Charleston, in both its Charleston County and Berkeley County parts: 6% state sales tax plus local taxes of 3% (Education Capital Improvement, Transportation Tax and Local Option; Charleston County codes 5101, 1010 and 2130, Berkeley County codes 5081, 1008 and 2129), per the South Carolina Department of Revenue's form ST-575, South Carolina Sales Tax Rate by Municipality (Rev. 2/5/26). South Carolina taxes the roofer's materials, not the homeowner's contract: 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 replacement work are treated alike.

Local roofing hub

Roofing in Charleston, South CarolinaCity hub

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Columbia, SCRoof permit Conway, SCRoof permit Easley, SCRoof permit Florence, SCRoof permit Fort Mill, 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

The City of Charleston Building Inspections Division, working with the City's Permit Center at 2 George Street, reviews and issues building and trade permits and makes the building inspections for property inside the city limits of Charleston, South Carolina, which reach into both Charleston County and Berkeley County. Permits are applied for through the City's Customer Self Service portal or at the Permit Center.

Hail reports near Charleston, SC

Reports, last 24 months
1
Largest, last 24 months
1.00 in Apr 30, 2026
Most recent
Apr 30, 2026 1.00 in
Reports, last 5 years
18
5 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
Apr 30, 20261.00 in9 mi NE
Jul 14, 20241.00 in4 mi NNW
Jun 6, 20230.88 in9 mi NNW
May 17, 20231.00 in4 mi SE
May 9, 20231.00 in7 mi E

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 Charleston, SC (Census point). Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.

Working an insurance claim in Charleston, 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: Charleston, SC

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Charleston, SC?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Charleston, SC. The City of Charleston publishes no size, area or dollar threshold below which roof work needs no permit. Its residential permit guidance treats "Roofing Replacement & Repair" as one permit type, "Roofing - Single Family/Duplex Dwelling" - "Alteration/Repair", "Commonly submitted as a 'Re-roofing' permit", and the City's Applications and Guidelines page lists "Roof Repair/Replacement" with its own application for residential work. The City's adopting ordinance (Sections 7-26 and 7-27) makes no change to the permit-exemption section of the residential code (Section R105.2), which is not restated here. Fees follow the Building and Trade Permit Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2019): a $40.00 application fee on every permit and, for residential alterations and repairs, "Application Fee Only" where the construction cost is "$1000 or less", then $15.00 for the first $1,000 plus $5.00 for each additional thousand up to $50,000. The fee schedule adds that for that lowest band the application fee "may not be required" and refers to a Section 109.2(c) amendment in Chapter 7; the current Section 7-27 contains no such amendment.

Is ice & water shield required in Charleston, SC?

No. The City of Charleston's own Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria table for the 2021 South Carolina Building Codes prints "No" in its ice barrier underlayment required column, with a mean annual temperature of 66.1 degrees F and an air freezing index under 1500.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Charleston, 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 the City of Charleston's building chapter (Chapter 7, read in full) adds no reroofing rule of its own; its former local section on reroofing of existing structures was repealed by Ord. No. 2024-026. The base rule applies unmodified. The 2024 edition the Council has adopted, with an implementation date of January 1, 2027, carries the same condition among the Exceptions to Section R908.4, and its South Carolina modifications do not change it.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Charleston, SC?

Yes.

What building code does Charleston, SC use?

City Code Section 7-26 adopts "The latest edition of the South Carolina Residential Code and Building Code, as adopted by the state and published by the International Code Council, Inc." so that "all building construction, reconstruction, alteration and repairs" conform to it, and Section 7-27 (last amended by Ord. No. 2024-026, Feb. 27, 2024) makes only fill-in insertions: the City's name and its Building Inspections Division in the scope and department sections and in Table R301.2, the flood-map dates for Charleston County and Berkeley County, and "12 inches" in plumbing Section P2603.5.1. The same 2024 ordinance repealed the City's former local sections on reroofing of existing structures and on adoption of the residential code. The Building Inspections Division's current codes list names the "2021 South Carolina Residential Code". At the state level, S.C. Code Section 6-9-10(A) requires every municipality 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 the City of Charleston. 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 City's own building chapter (Chapter 7, read in full) carries one roofing rule of its own, for the fire district (the business and industrial districts on the zoning map): "Roof covering in the district shall conform to the requirements of Class A or B roof covering as defined in Section 1505 of the International Building Code" (Section 7-1.1, 7.1.2.4). That is a fire classification, not an impact or wind rating.

Is a mid-roof inspection required in Charleston, SC?

No. The City's residential roofing permit guidance for "Roofing Replacement & Repair" (August 2022) lists one field inspection under "Required/Optional Field Inspections": "Residential Building Final [R]". It also says a Certificate of Construction Completion is "Not Required, only if requested by applicant". The City's general residential inspection checklist (March 2021) includes a "Sheathing Inspection" among building inspections that "may, or may not, be required depending on the project scope of work", so ask the Division before closing up where roof sheathing is replaced.