The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Greenwood County - Greenwood City/County Building Department

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

Adopted code

Greenwood County - Greenwood City/County Building Department

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Greenwood County, SC, issued by Greenwood County - Greenwood City/County Building Department. The Department publishes no statement on reroofing either way; its Permits page says "For work in Greenwood County, a business license is not required, but a permit is required." Treat a reroof as permit work and confirm with the Building Department (864-942-8424) before starting. Applications, payments and inspection requests go through the shared CitizenServe portal; the Department says "You will be given a permit number and the fee amount required" and issues the permit once payment is confirmed. The Schedule of Fees warns: "Where work for which a permit is required by this Code is started or proceeded prior to obtaining a permit, the fees shall be doubled". A re-inspection fee of $50.00 applies when work is not ready. 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. Property inside a town that issues its own permits is permitted there.

Roof code checklist: Unincorporated Greenwood 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 criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedSec. 6-1-1library.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
Greenwood County, South Carolina (unincorporated)
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
1025 Deadfall Road East, Greenwood, SC 29649
Contact
  • url: https://www.cityofgreenwoodsc.com/departments/building_inspection/index.php
  • phone: 864-942-8424
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: The Greenwood City/County Building Department checks the state credential at the permit counter. Its Permits page says a building permit application is accepted only with the "State licensing number for the contractor and all subcontractors as required by state law", and that "For work in Greenwood County, a business license is not required, but a permit is required." (A City of Greenwood business license is required only for work inside the City limits.) The Application for Greenwood City/County Building Permit asks for the contractor's "State Lic#". The County's own journeyman-master certification (County Code Section 6-1-4) covers only "electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and/or gas services"; the County Code sets no contractor licence or registration of its own for roofing.
Permit process note
The Department publishes no statement on reroofing either way; its Permits page says "For work in Greenwood County, a business license is not required, but a permit is required." Treat a reroof as permit work and confirm with the Building Department (864-942-8424) before starting. Applications, payments and inspection requests go through the shared CitizenServe portal; the Department says "You will be given a permit number and the fee amount required" and issues the permit once payment is confirmed. The Schedule of Fees warns: "Where work for which a permit is required by this Code is started or proceeded prior to obtaining a permit, the fees shall be doubled". A re-inspection fee of $50.00 applies when work is not ready. 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. Property inside a town that issues its own permits is permitted there.
Adopted code
Greenwood County Code Section 6-1-1 adopts, "for those areas of the county outside of the incorporated municipalities in the county", the "International Residential Code, latest edition" along with the International Building, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Fire Codes, "latest edition", and provides that "The city and county building official shall be the administrative or enforcement official for the technical codes listed in this section." The section names no edition year and still describes the adopted codes as "published by the Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc." The published County Code is codified through Ordinance No. 2016-08, enacted July 5, 2016. The Greenwood City/County Building and Codes Department's Residential Checklist for home builders within Greenwood County says it "reflects the 2021 edition of the International Residential 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 modification for Greenwood 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 Regulations chapter, read in full (Sections 6-1-1 through 6-1-5), contains no roofing provision of its own.
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Neither Greenwood County's Building Regulations chapter (County Code Chapter 6-1, adopting the International Residential Code) 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 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
Greenwood County publishes no roofing threshold of its own. Its Building Regulations chapter (County Code Chapter 6-1) adopts the International Residential Code for the unincorporated county and requires permit fees "On all buildings, structures or alterations requiring a building, mechanical, plumbing, swimming pool, or electrical permit" (Section 6-1-2(a)); it amends none of the Residential Code's permit or exemption sections and names no roof work either way. The Department's Permits page says "For work in Greenwood County, a business license is not required, but a permit is required." The Department's Schedule of Fees has no roofing line: for alterations and repairs "The value shall be determined by the total estimated value of the work covered by the permit provided by the applicant at the time of application", with a fee of "$30.00" for "$1,000 or less" and, from $1,001 to $50,000, "$30 for first $1,000" "plus $5 for each additional thousand or fraction".
Roof layer limit / recover
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 Greenwood County's Building Regulations chapter (County Code Chapter 6-1, read in full) adds no reroofing rule of its own, so the base rule applies unmodified at the state layer. That codification is current only through Ord. 2016-08, so any later County amendment is unread, and this record declares no local layer classification.
Deck & sheathing requirements
Greenwood County applies the 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications. Neither the County's Building Regulations chapter (County Code Chapter 6-1, 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
7% in unincorporated Greenwood County: 6% state sales tax plus the 1% Greenwood County capital projects tax (CP, code 1024), per SCDOR form ST-575, South Carolina Sales Tax Rate by Municipality (Rev. 2/5/26). The same form lists the same 7% total for the City of Greenwood, Hodges, Ninety Six, Troy and the Greenwood County part of Ware Shoals. 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 Horry County, SCRoof permit Unincorporated Jasper County, SCRoof permit Unincorporated Lancaster County, SCRoof permit Unincorporated Laurens County, SCRoof permit Unincorporated Lexington 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

Greenwood County and the City of Greenwood share one building department, the Greenwood City/County Building Department, which takes permit applications, reviews plans and makes inspections for both. The County's Permits page offers the building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits for unincorporated Greenwood County through the shared CitizenServe portal, and the County Code names the city and county building official as the enforcement official for the County's adopted technical codes. Property inside a town that runs its own building department is permitted by that town; confirm with the Department before applying.

Hail reports near the center of Greenwood County, SC

Reports, last 24 months
1
Largest, last 24 months
1.00 in Apr 23, 2025
Most recent
Apr 23, 2025 1.00 in
Reports, last 5 years
2
2 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
Apr 23, 20251.00 in2 mi NW
Sep 7, 20231.25 in8 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 Greenwood County, SC. Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.

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Sources

Roofing questions: Unincorporated Greenwood County, SC

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

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Greenwood County, SC. Greenwood County publishes no roofing threshold of its own. Its Building Regulations chapter (County Code Chapter 6-1) adopts the International Residential Code for the unincorporated county and requires permit fees "On all buildings, structures or alterations requiring a building, mechanical, plumbing, swimming pool, or electrical permit" (Section 6-1-2(a)); it amends none of the Residential Code's permit or exemption sections and names no roof work either way. The Department's Permits page says "For work in Greenwood County, a business license is not required, but a permit is required." The Department's Schedule of Fees has no roofing line: for alterations and repairs "The value shall be determined by the total estimated value of the work covered by the permit provided by the applicant at the time of application", with a fee of "$30.00" for "$1,000 or less" and, from $1,001 to $50,000, "$30 for first $1,000" "plus $5 for each additional thousand or fraction".

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

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 Greenwood County's Building Regulations chapter (County Code Chapter 6-1, read in full) adds no reroofing rule of its own, so the base rule applies unmodified at the state layer. That codification is current only through Ord. 2016-08, so any later County amendment is unread, and this record declares no local layer classification.

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

Yes.

What building code does Unincorporated Greenwood County, SC use?

Greenwood County Code Section 6-1-1 adopts, "for those areas of the county outside of the incorporated municipalities in the county", the "International Residential Code, latest edition" along with the International Building, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Mechanical and Fire Codes, "latest edition", and provides that "The city and county building official shall be the administrative or enforcement official for the technical codes listed in this section." The section names no edition year and still describes the adopted codes as "published by the Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc." The published County Code is codified through Ordinance No. 2016-08, enacted July 5, 2016. The Greenwood City/County Building and Codes Department's Residential Checklist for home builders within Greenwood County says it "reflects the 2021 edition of the International Residential 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 modification for Greenwood 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 Regulations chapter, read in full (Sections 6-1-1 through 6-1-5), contains no roofing provision of its own.