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Permitting Authorities / Henry County - Building Inspection Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Henry County, VA?

Adopted code

Henry County - Building Inspection Department

No, Henry County, VA does not require a permit for like-for-like roof replacement (Henry County - Building Inspection Department). No permit for an ordinary reroof of a house in Henry County, on the County's own statement and the statewide rule, with limits a roofer must check first. The Building Inspection Department's online permit portal lists "Residential reroofing" among "projects not requiring a permit", while "Re-Roofing Commercial or Industrial" needs a permit application. The statewide rule behind it, Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 item 14.5, exempts "Replacement of an unlimited amount of roof covering or siding in Group R-3, R-4 or R-5 provided the building or structure is not in an area where the nominal design wind speed is greater than 100 miles per hour (44.7 meters per second) and replacement of 100 square feet (9.29 m 2 ) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones." Item 14.6 exempts only "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m 2 ) or less of roof decking" in those groups, so a larger decking replacement needs a permit. Two exceptions let the building official require a permit: "for the installation of replacement siding, roofing and windows in buildings within a historic district designated by a locality pursuant to Section 15.2-2306 of the Code of Virginia" and "for any items exempted in this section which are located in a special flood hazard area." An owner may always ask for one: "when an owner or an owner's agent requests that a permit be issued for any of the following, then a permit shall be issued and any related inspections shall be required." The County has published no design wind speed stated as a nominal figure, so the no-permit answer here rests on the Department's own statement rather than on a wind-speed figure. The work must meet the code with or without a permit. Where a permit is needed, apply through the County's online Building Inspection Portal; the Building Inspection office is at 276-634-4615. The County Code makes any violation of the Building Code subject "to a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). Each day a violation continues shall be a separate violation." (Sec. 6-204). The City of Martinsville is a separate independent city and is not covered by this record.

Roof code checklist: Henry County, VA

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofNohenrycountyva.portal.iworq.net2026-09-26
Repair permit thresholdPublished2021-virginia-construction-code.pdf2026-09-26
Layer limit / roof-overNot published
Deck & sheathingPublishedR803law.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-26
Drip edgeNot published
Ice & water shieldNot published
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNolaw.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-26
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedSec. 310.6.1law.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-26
Contractor license / registrationYeslaw.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-26
Sales & use taxPublishedSec. 58.1-603tax.virginia.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
Henry County, Virginia
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
3300 Kings Mountain Road, Martinsville, VA 24112
Contact
  • url: https://www.henrycountyva.gov/200/Building-Inspection
  • phone: 276-634-4615
Permit portal
Permit portal
Roofing permit required
Not required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • state_level: Virginia licenses contractors through the Board for Contractors (DPOR). Code of Virginia Section 54.1-1100, as amended in 2025: "'Class C contractors' perform or manage construction, removal, repair, or improvements when (i) the total value referred to in a single contract or project is over $1,000 but less than $30,000, or (ii) the total value of all such construction, removal, repair, or improvements undertaken by such person within any 12-month period is less than $250,000." Larger jobs fall in the Class B and Class A tiers. Roofing work is licensed under the Board's classifications and specialties, including the "Roofing contracting" (ROC) specialty of 18VAC50-22-30. Section 54.1-1111 makes anyone applying for a building permit furnish "either (i) satisfactory proof to such official or authority that he is duly licensed or certified under the terms of this chapter to carry out or superintend the same, or (ii) file a written statement that he is not subject to licensure or certification as a contractor or subcontractor pursuant to this chapter." Section 54.1-1101 A says the chapter does not apply to "7. Any person who performs or supervises the construction, removal, repair, or improvement of no more than one primary residence owned by him and for his own use during any 24-month period". Some older pages give a $10,000 floor for Class C; that figure predates the 2025 amendment.
  • county_level: Henry County adds no contractor licence of its own. It levies a business licence tax on contractors under Chapter 8, Article III of the County Code ("For contractors and persons constructing for their own account for sale: 2.5 cents per $100.00 of gross receipts", with a $30 licence fee below $100,000 of gross receipts), and a contractor licensed where its principal office is located needs a Henry County licence once "the amount of business done in this County exceeds the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00)" (Sec. 8-309). A business licence is a local tax registration, not a trade credential. The Department's fee schedule asks sign-permit applicants for "A copy of your contractors license w/State of VA" and approval from the Commissioner of Revenue about a Henry County business licence.
Permit process note
No permit for an ordinary reroof of a house in Henry County, on the County's own statement and the statewide rule, with limits a roofer must check first. The Building Inspection Department's online permit portal lists "Residential reroofing" among "projects not requiring a permit", while "Re-Roofing Commercial or Industrial" needs a permit application. The statewide rule behind it, Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 item 14.5, exempts "Replacement of an unlimited amount of roof covering or siding in Group R-3, R-4 or R-5 provided the building or structure is not in an area where the nominal design wind speed is greater than 100 miles per hour (44.7 meters per second) and replacement of 100 square feet (9.29 m 2 ) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones." Item 14.6 exempts only "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m 2 ) or less of roof decking" in those groups, so a larger decking replacement needs a permit. Two exceptions let the building official require a permit: "for the installation of replacement siding, roofing and windows in buildings within a historic district designated by a locality pursuant to Section 15.2-2306 of the Code of Virginia" and "for any items exempted in this section which are located in a special flood hazard area." An owner may always ask for one: "when an owner or an owner's agent requests that a permit be issued for any of the following, then a permit shall be issued and any related inspections shall be required." The County has published no design wind speed stated as a nominal figure, so the no-permit answer here rests on the Department's own statement rather than on a wind-speed figure. The work must meet the code with or without a permit. Where a permit is needed, apply through the County's online Building Inspection Portal; the Building Inspection office is at 276-634-4615. The County Code makes any violation of the Building Code subject "to a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). Each day a violation continues shall be a separate violation." (Sec. 6-204). The City of Martinsville is a separate independent city and is not covered by this record.
Adopted code
The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (13VAC5-63), effective January 18, 2024. For detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, Section 310.6.1 of the Virginia Construction Code applies "The provisions of the IRC ... as amended by VCC Section 310.8, also referred to as the Virginia Residential Code (VRC)"; work on existing buildings falls under Part II, the Virginia Existing Building Code, whose reroofing section reads "602.3.2.1 Reroofing. Materials and methods of application used for recovering or replacing an existing roof covering shall comply with Chapter 15 of the VCC, except as modified by Section 302.1 and this section." The statewide code supersedes local building codes (Code of Virginia Section 36-98: "Such building code shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions and state agencies."). Henry County's own code takes it up without a fixed edition: "There is adopted and continued the Uniform Statewide Building Code, known as the Building Code, and such code provisions and regulations as adopted and promulgated from time to time by the Board of Housing and Community Development." (County Code Sec. 6-200). The Building Inspection page posts a "Table R301.2 2021 Va Building Residential Code", while the County's online permit portal still links the 2018 Virginia Construction Code for its list of work exempt from permits; the 2021 edition is the one in force. Chapter 6 of the County Code (Building and Buildings), read in full, adds no technical roofing provision of its own.
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Virginia's statewide building code (13VAC5-63), which a county may not amend, carries no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement for roof coverings in its Virginia amendments to the International Residential Code (Virginia Construction Code Section 310.8) or its existing-building reroofing rules. Henry County's Chapter 6 (Building and Buildings), its building fee schedule and its online permit portal add none; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in the code the County enforces. Insurers may still offer discounts for impact-rated shingles; that is not a code requirement.
Repair permit threshold
Statewide permit exemption, Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 (2021 edition): "application for a permit and any related inspections shall not be required for the following ... 14. Ordinary repairs that include the following: ... 14.5. Replacement of an unlimited amount of roof covering or siding in Group R-3, R-4 or R-5 provided the building or structure is not in an area where the nominal design wind speed is greater than 100 miles per hour (44.7 meters per second) and replacement of 100 square feet (9.29 m 2 ) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones. 14.6. Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m 2 ) or less of roof decking in Group R-3, R-4 or R-5 unless the decking to be replaced was required at the time or original construction to be fire-retardant-treated or protected in some other way to form a fire-rated wall termination." The same section's two Exceptions: "1. Application for a permit may be required by the building official for the installation of replacement siding, roofing and windows in buildings within a historic district designated by a locality pursuant to Section 15.2-2306 of the Code of Virginia." and "2. Application for a permit may be required by the building official for any items exempted in this section which are located in a special flood hazard area." The owner keeps the right to a permit: "when an owner or an owner's agent requests that a permit be issued for any of the following, then a permit shall be issued and any related inspections shall be required." The exemption does not relax the code itself ("this section shall not be construed to exempt such activities from other applicable requirements of this code"). Henry County applies it in its own words. The Building Inspection Department's online permit portal says "Not all work requires a building permit. Some projects not requiring a permit are:" and lists "Residential reroofing" and "Residential exterior siding"; the same portal lists "Re-Roofing Commercial or Industrial" among the projects that need a permit application, and "If you are going to build, demolish, renovate or repair a structure, you may need this application." The County Code's fee section says "Finish work: No fee or permit shall be required for ordinary repairs as defined in the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code." (Sec. 6-202 G). The County's fee schedule (effective 12/13/22) has no roofing line; repairs that are permitted are charged at "3 cents per square foot of floor area included in the portion of the building undergoing alteration, renovation or repair", with a $25 minimum. The portal's building permit application offers a catch-all project type, "ROTH - RESIDENTIAL - OTHER - (POOLS, REROOF ETC)", beside "COTH - COMMERCIAL - REROOF, TENT, TOWERS, ETC"; it is a category for permits that are applied for, and the same portal lists residential reroofing among projects not requiring a permit. The portal's own list of exempt work points to the 2018 Virginia Construction Code, whose item 14.5 reads the same as the 2021 text quoted above. Replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking on a house is permit work under item 14.6.
Deck & sheathing requirements
No county-specific rule. Virginia's amendments to the International Residential Code (Virginia Construction Code Section 310.8, 13VAC5-63-210) do not amend the roof sheathing section (R803), and Henry County's Chapter 6 (Building and Buildings), read in full, adds no sheathing or decking provision, so the base 2021 IRC roof-sheathing provisions apply unmodified to work under the Virginia Residential Code. For reroofing an existing house, the Virginia Existing Building Code sends materials and methods to Chapter 15 of the Virginia Construction Code (602.3.2.1) and adds "602.3.2.2 Structural and construction loads. Structural roof components shall be capable of supporting the roof covering system and the material and equipment loads that will be encountered during installation of the systems." Permit line: replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking on a house needs a permit (Virginia Construction Code 108.2 item 14.6).
Sales & use tax
6.3% general sales and use tax in Henry County (Virginia Tax, "Sales Tax Rates by Locality" workbook, "January 1, 2026 - Present" sheet: Henry, code 51089, General Sales 0.063). That is the 4.3% state tax (Code of Virginia Section 58.1-603), the 1% local option tax (Section 58.1-605) and the County's 1% school construction tax under Section 58.1-605.1; Virginia Tax's rates page lists Henry County in its 6.3% group. The County Code levies it: "a school construction retail sales tax at the rate of one percent to provide revenue for capital projects for the construction and renovation of schools in the County, is hereby levied" and sets its term: "Said school construction sales tax will commence on April 1, 2021 and expire on July 28, 2040." (Sec. 8-900); a matching 1% school construction use tax runs on the same dates (Sec. 8-902). Food and personal hygiene items are taxed at 1%. The City of Martinsville is a separate locality in the same workbook (code 51690) at 5.3%. Virginia treats the roofing contractor as the consumer of the materials: "Unless otherwise noted, the law treats every contractor as the user or consumer of all tangible personal property furnished to the contractor or by the contractor in connection with real property construction, reconstruction, installation, repair, and similar contracts" (23VAC10-210-410). So the roofer pays the tax on shingles and other materials when buying them and "does not pass the sales or use tax on to anyone else as a tax"; "If a supplier of a contractor doing work in Virginia does not collect the Virginia tax from the contractor, the contractor will be liable for the use tax on the contractor's purchases from the supplier." Repair and full replacement are treated alike.

More roof permit pages in Virginia

Hopewell, VARoof permit Isle of Wight County, VARoof permit James City County, VARoof permit King George County, VARoof permit Loudoun County, VARoof permit Roofing in VirginiaState hub

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

The Henry County Building Inspection Department enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code in Henry County, Virginia, and issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits through its online Building Inspection Portal.

Hail reports near the center of Henry County, VA

Reports, last 24 months
3
Largest, last 24 months
1.75 in May 8, 2025
Most recent
Jul 18, 2025 1.00 in
Reports, last 5 years
9
5 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
Jul 18, 20251.00 in10 mi E
May 16, 20251.00 in5 mi NNW
May 8, 20251.75 in10 mi N
Apr 6, 20232.00 in1 mi ENE
Apr 6, 20231.75 in4 mi SSW

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

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Sources

Roofing questions: Henry County, VA

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Henry County, VA?

No, Henry County, VA does not require a permit to replace a roof. Statewide permit exemption, Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 (2021 edition): "application for a permit and any related inspections shall not be required for the following ... 14. Ordinary repairs that include the following: ... 14.5. Replacement of an unlimited amount of roof covering or siding in Group R-3, R-4 or R-5 provided the building or structure is not in an area where the nominal design wind speed is greater than 100 miles per hour (44.7 meters per second) and replacement of 100 square feet (9.29 m 2 ) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones. 14.6. Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m 2 ) or less of roof decking in Group R-3, R-4 or R-5 unless the decking to be replaced was required at the time or original construction to be fire-retardant-treated or protected in some other way to form a fire-rated wall termination." The same section's two Exceptions: "1. Application for a permit may be required by the building official for the installation of replacement siding, roofing and windows in buildings within a historic district designated by a locality pursuant to Section 15.2-2306 of the Code of Virginia." and "2. Application for a permit may be required by the building official for any items exempted in this section which are located in a special flood hazard area." The owner keeps the right to a permit: "when an owner or an owner's agent requests that a permit be issued for any of the following, then a permit shall be issued and any related inspections shall be required." The exemption does not relax the code itself ("this section shall not be construed to exempt such activities from other applicable requirements of this code"). Henry County applies it in its own words. The Building Inspection Department's online permit portal says "Not all work requires a building permit. Some projects not requiring a permit are:" and lists "Residential reroofing" and "Residential exterior siding"; the same portal lists "Re-Roofing Commercial or Industrial" among the projects that need a permit application, and "If you are going to build, demolish, renovate or repair a structure, you may need this application." The County Code's fee section says "Finish work: No fee or permit shall be required for ordinary repairs as defined in the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code." (Sec. 6-202 G). The County's fee schedule (effective 12/13/22) has no roofing line; repairs that are permitted are charged at "3 cents per square foot of floor area included in the portion of the building undergoing alteration, renovation or repair", with a $25 minimum. The portal's building permit application offers a catch-all project type, "ROTH - RESIDENTIAL - OTHER - (POOLS, REROOF ETC)", beside "COTH - COMMERCIAL - REROOF, TENT, TOWERS, ETC"; it is a category for permits that are applied for, and the same portal lists residential reroofing among projects not requiring a permit. The portal's own list of exempt work points to the 2018 Virginia Construction Code, whose item 14.5 reads the same as the 2021 text quoted above. Replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking on a house is permit work under item 14.6.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Henry County, VA?

Yes.

What building code does Henry County, VA use?

The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (13VAC5-63), effective January 18, 2024. For detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, Section 310.6.1 of the Virginia Construction Code applies "The provisions of the IRC ... as amended by VCC Section 310.8, also referred to as the Virginia Residential Code (VRC)"; work on existing buildings falls under Part II, the Virginia Existing Building Code, whose reroofing section reads "602.3.2.1 Reroofing. Materials and methods of application used for recovering or replacing an existing roof covering shall comply with Chapter 15 of the VCC, except as modified by Section 302.1 and this section." The statewide code supersedes local building codes (Code of Virginia Section 36-98: "Such building code shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions and state agencies."). Henry County's own code takes it up without a fixed edition: "There is adopted and continued the Uniform Statewide Building Code, known as the Building Code, and such code provisions and regulations as adopted and promulgated from time to time by the Board of Housing and Community Development." (County Code Sec. 6-200). The Building Inspection page posts a "Table R301.2 2021 Va Building Residential Code", while the County's online permit portal still links the 2018 Virginia Construction Code for its list of work exempt from permits; the 2021 edition is the one in force. Chapter 6 of the County Code (Building and Buildings), read in full, adds no technical roofing provision of its own.