The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Craven County - Planning & Inspections Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Unincorporated Craven County, NC?

Adopted code

Craven County - Planning & Inspections Department

No, Unincorporated Craven County, NC does not require a permit for like-for-like roof replacement (Craven County - Planning & Inspections Department). The no-permit answer for a reroof in unincorporated Craven County comes from state law: North Carolina exempts work "costing forty thousand dollars ($40,000) or less" in a "single-family residence" unless it involves "The addition, repair, or replacement of load-bearing structures", "The use of materials not permitted by the North Carolina State Building Code" or "The addition of roofing, excluding replacement" (G.S. 160D-1110(c)). The state code adds: "Replacement of up to 15% of the total roof deck shall not be considered structural work" (North Carolina Residential Code R908.3). The County's fee schedule matches that line, charging for a residential roofing permit "$75.00 if structural repairs are needed". A reroof that involves structural work, costs more than $40,000, or is on a duplex, multi-family or commercial building needs a County building permit. The Department's FAQ states the general rule, "NC General Statutes require a permit to be obtained if a building, structure or service system is erected, constructed, enlarged, installed, altered, repaired, moved, removed, converted or demolished", and warns: "If you build without obtaining the necessary permits, you will be asked to stop work and obtain the necessary permits. If you continue, a written stop work order will be issued." The fee schedule lists "Permit Violation – Residential" as "1st offense – Written Warning" and "$250.00 and no inspections/permits until fees are paid" for a second offense. A roofer unsure whether a job falls inside the exemption should call Inspections/Central Permitting at 252-636-4987 before starting. Applications go to the Central Permitting Technician at 2828 Neuse Boulevard, New Bern, or through the Craven County Planning and Inspections Portal. Separately, the County states that "Development in a designated flood hazard area requires the issuance of local flood development permits" and asks owners to "Contact the Building Inspector's office at 252-636-4987 prior to the start of any development"; this record does not decide whether a given reroof is development under that rule.

Roof code checklist: Unincorporated Craven County, NC

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofNoncleg.gov2026-09-26
Repair permit thresholdPublishedncleg.gov2026-09-26
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1ncosfm.gov2026-09-26
Deck & sheathingPublishedlibrary.municode.com2026-09-26
Drip edgeNot published
Ice & water shieldNot published
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNoncosfm.gov2026-09-26
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedncosfm.gov2026-09-26
Contractor license / registrationNot published
Sales & use taxPublishedncdor.gov2026-09-26

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
Craven County, North Carolina (unincorporated)
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
2828 Neuse Boulevard, New Bern, NC 28562
Contact
  • url: https://www.cravencountync.gov/339/Inspections
  • phone: 252-636-4987
Permit portal
Permit portal
Roofing permit required
Not required
Registration details
  • state_level: North Carolina has no separate roofing licence. A general contractor licence from the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors reaches a job "where the cost of the undertaking is forty thousand dollars ($40,000) or more" (G.S. 87-1(a)), and the Board's rules include a specialty classification, "S(Roofing)", which "covers the installation, demolition, and repair of roofs and decks on residential, commercial, industrial, and institutional structures" (21 NCAC 12A .0202). G.S. 87-1(b)(2) exempts a person who "constructs or alters a building on land owned by that person" where "the building is intended solely for occupancy by that person and his family" and the person complies with G.S. 87-14. This record does not decide whether a given reroof reaches the $40,000 line or whether a reader is inside the owner exemption.
  • county_level: Craven County's Code of Ordinances, Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations) and Chapter 10 (Businesses), both read in full, set no County contractor licence, registration, bond or examination for roofing work. Chapter 8's Article II licence (1977) reaches those who install "any insulation or other materials or energy utilization equipment designed or intended to meet the state building code requirements for insulation and energy utilization standards" (Sec. 8-20), and does not name roofing. The County's building permit application asks for each contractor's licence number and expiration date.
Permit process note
The no-permit answer for a reroof in unincorporated Craven County comes from state law: North Carolina exempts work "costing forty thousand dollars ($40,000) or less" in a "single-family residence" unless it involves "The addition, repair, or replacement of load-bearing structures", "The use of materials not permitted by the North Carolina State Building Code" or "The addition of roofing, excluding replacement" (G.S. 160D-1110(c)). The state code adds: "Replacement of up to 15% of the total roof deck shall not be considered structural work" (North Carolina Residential Code R908.3). The County's fee schedule matches that line, charging for a residential roofing permit "$75.00 if structural repairs are needed". A reroof that involves structural work, costs more than $40,000, or is on a duplex, multi-family or commercial building needs a County building permit. The Department's FAQ states the general rule, "NC General Statutes require a permit to be obtained if a building, structure or service system is erected, constructed, enlarged, installed, altered, repaired, moved, removed, converted or demolished", and warns: "If you build without obtaining the necessary permits, you will be asked to stop work and obtain the necessary permits. If you continue, a written stop work order will be issued." The fee schedule lists "Permit Violation – Residential" as "1st offense – Written Warning" and "$250.00 and no inspections/permits until fees are paid" for a second offense. A roofer unsure whether a job falls inside the exemption should call Inspections/Central Permitting at 252-636-4987 before starting. Applications go to the Central Permitting Technician at 2828 Neuse Boulevard, New Bern, or through the Craven County Planning and Inspections Portal. Separately, the County states that "Development in a designated flood hazard area requires the issuance of local flood development permits" and asks owners to "Contact the Building Inspector's office at 252-636-4987 prior to the start of any development"; this record does not decide whether a given reroof is development under that rule.
Adopted code
The 2018 North Carolina Residential Code is the edition in force; the 2024 edition has been adopted but has no effective date. The Office of State Fire Marshal states that the 2018 codes "were effective from January 1, 2019 and are currently effective." North Carolina's building code applies statewide. The County's Inspections page states that "Craven County Inspections provides a review of residential and commercial projects and enforces the NC State Building Codes." Craven County's Code of Ordinances, Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, creates the County inspection department (Sec. 8-1) and provides that the department "shall issue the building permit" where "the proposed construction meets the requirements of the state building code" (Sec. 8-2(d)); it makes no technical amendment to the roofing provisions. North Carolina deletes the model-code drip edge requirement: "R905.2.8.5 Drip Edge. Deleted. Not required unless required by the roof covering manufacturer installation instructions."
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Neither North Carolina's amendments to the 2018 North Carolina Residential Code nor Craven County's Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), which makes no technical amendments to the state code, contains a UL 2218 or Class 4 impact-resistance requirement for roof coverings.
Repair permit threshold
North Carolina law: "No permit issued under Article 9 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes is required for any construction, installation, repair, replacement, or alteration costing forty thousand dollars ($40,000) or less and performed in accordance with the current edition of the North Carolina State Building Code in any single-family residence, farm building, or commercial building unless the work involves any of the following: (1) The addition, repair, or replacement of load-bearing structures. ... (4) The use of materials not permitted by the North Carolina State Building Code. (5) The addition of roofing, excluding replacement." (G.S. 160D-1110(c); G.S. 143-138(b5) says the same and provides that "No permit shall be required under the Code or any local variance thereof" for that work.) The North Carolina Residential Code defines the reroof: "R908.3 Roof replacement. Roof replacement shall include the removal of existing layers of roof coverings down to the roof deck and replacement of up to 15% of the total existing roof deck. Replacement of up to 15% of the total roof deck shall not be considered structural work." The exemption is written for a single-family residence; duplexes and multi-family buildings are outside it, and so is work costing more than $40,000. Craven County's own building ordinance (Code of Ordinances, Chapter 8, Buildings and Building Regulations, read in full) sets a general permit rule, "The erection, construction or alteration of any building, structure, or part thereof shall not be commenced until a building permit shall have been issued by the inspection department" (Sec. 8-2(a)), and prints no dollar threshold and no roofing rule of its own. The County's fee schedule, effective July 20, 2026, prices a residential roofing permit only where structural work is involved: "Residential 1 & 2 Family Dwellings – Residential $75.00 if structural repairs are needed". The Department publishes no other statement of its own on whether a reroof needs a permit.
Roof layer limit / recover
North Carolina amends its reroofing section: "R908.3 Roof replacement. Roof replacement shall include the removal of existing layers of roof coverings down to the roof deck and replacement of up to 15% of the total existing roof deck." The limits on recovering over an existing roof are in the North Carolina Residential Code's reroofing section (R908.3.1.1), which this record points to rather than restates. Craven County's Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, adds no reroofing or layer provision of its own.
Deck & sheathing requirements
Craven County's Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, contains no roof deck or sheathing provision of its own, so the North Carolina Residential Code's roof sheathing provisions apply without County amendment. For a reroof, the state code's R908.3 reads: "Roof replacement shall include the removal of existing layers of roof coverings down to the roof deck and replacement of up to 15% of the total existing roof deck. Replacement of up to 15% of the total roof deck shall not be considered structural work."
Sales & use tax
6.75% combined in Craven County (the 4.75% state rate plus 2% local rate; the table marks no transit rate for the county), per the North Carolina Department of Revenue's current sales and use tax rates table, effective July 1, 2026. How it applies depends on whether the job is a replacement or a repair. NCDOR's Services to Real Property Taxability Chart lists "Complete replacement of roofing systems" and "Installation of complete roofing systems" as capital improvements: under a real property contract the roofer "is the consumer of the tangible personal property" it installs and pays tax on those materials when buying them, and "An invoice or other documentation issued to a person by a real property contractor shall not separately state any amount for tax for a real property contract" (G.S. 105-164.4H). The same chart lists "Repair, maintain, or partially replace all types of roofing systems" and "Repair, maintain, install, or replace roofing materials (asphalt, shingle, slate, tile, built-up, metal, single ply)" as "Taxable" repair, maintenance and installation services, charged to the customer at the 6.75% combined rate.

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Craven County's Planning & Inspections Department issues building and trade permits and performs inspections in unincorporated Craven County, taking applications through its Central Permitting office at 2828 Neuse Boulevard in New Bern and through the Craven County Planning and Inspections Portal.

Hail reports near the center of Craven County, NC

Reports, last 24 months
3
Largest, last 24 months
1.75 in Jul 8, 2026
Most recent
Jul 8, 2026 1.75 in
Reports, last 5 years
6
5 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
Jul 8, 20261.75 in6 mi NE
Jul 8, 20261.75 in6 mi ENE
May 15, 20251.25 in7 mi SE
May 16, 20221.00 in7 mi N
May 16, 20221.00 in9 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 Craven County, NC. Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.

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Sources

Roofing questions: Unincorporated Craven County, NC

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Unincorporated Craven County, NC?

No, Unincorporated Craven County, NC does not require a permit to replace a roof. North Carolina law: "No permit issued under Article 9 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes is required for any construction, installation, repair, replacement, or alteration costing forty thousand dollars ($40,000) or less and performed in accordance with the current edition of the North Carolina State Building Code in any single-family residence, farm building, or commercial building unless the work involves any of the following: (1) The addition, repair, or replacement of load-bearing structures. ... (4) The use of materials not permitted by the North Carolina State Building Code. (5) The addition of roofing, excluding replacement." (G.S. 160D-1110(c); G.S. 143-138(b5) says the same and provides that "No permit shall be required under the Code or any local variance thereof" for that work.) The North Carolina Residential Code defines the reroof: "R908.3 Roof replacement. Roof replacement shall include the removal of existing layers of roof coverings down to the roof deck and replacement of up to 15% of the total existing roof deck. Replacement of up to 15% of the total roof deck shall not be considered structural work." The exemption is written for a single-family residence; duplexes and multi-family buildings are outside it, and so is work costing more than $40,000. Craven County's own building ordinance (Code of Ordinances, Chapter 8, Buildings and Building Regulations, read in full) sets a general permit rule, "The erection, construction or alteration of any building, structure, or part thereof shall not be commenced until a building permit shall have been issued by the inspection department" (Sec. 8-2(a)), and prints no dollar threshold and no roofing rule of its own. The County's fee schedule, effective July 20, 2026, prices a residential roofing permit only where structural work is involved: "Residential 1 & 2 Family Dwellings – Residential $75.00 if structural repairs are needed". The Department publishes no other statement of its own on whether a reroof needs a permit.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Unincorporated Craven County, NC?

North Carolina amends its reroofing section: "R908.3 Roof replacement. Roof replacement shall include the removal of existing layers of roof coverings down to the roof deck and replacement of up to 15% of the total existing roof deck." The limits on recovering over an existing roof are in the North Carolina Residential Code's reroofing section (R908.3.1.1), which this record points to rather than restates. Craven County's Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, adds no reroofing or layer provision of its own.

What building code does Unincorporated Craven County, NC use?

The 2018 North Carolina Residential Code is the edition in force; the 2024 edition has been adopted but has no effective date. The Office of State Fire Marshal states that the 2018 codes "were effective from January 1, 2019 and are currently effective." North Carolina's building code applies statewide. The County's Inspections page states that "Craven County Inspections provides a review of residential and commercial projects and enforces the NC State Building Codes." Craven County's Code of Ordinances, Chapter 8 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, creates the County inspection department (Sec. 8-1) and provides that the department "shall issue the building permit" where "the proposed construction meets the requirements of the state building code" (Sec. 8-2(d)); it makes no technical amendment to the roofing provisions. North Carolina deletes the model-code drip edge requirement: "R905.2.8.5 Drip Edge. Deleted. Not required unless required by the roof covering manufacturer installation instructions."