Permitting Authorities / Lancaster County - Building Department (Development Services)
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Unincorporated Lancaster County, SC?
Adopted codeLancaster County - Building Department (Development Services)
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Lancaster County, SC, issued by Lancaster County - Building Department (Development Services). A reroof is permitted as a building permit without plan review. The County's Roofing Requirements handout lists the submittals: "Required permit application under Remodel category.", "Required Manufacturer's product warranty certification report", "Required Manufacturer's installation instructions for shingles product" and "Identification of damage repair regarding any significant structural members replacement such as roofing or structural sheathing panels, which requires inspection." The County's 2025 permit fee schedule lists "Re-roofing (per Job cost by Ordinance Fee Schedule)" priced on the contractor's price, and the County's Residential Construction page states that for renovation work the "Permit fee will be cost x .0075. Plan review fee is ten (10) percent of permit cost." Apply and request inspections through the Evolve permitting portal. The handout's line on when a permit is needed is "A valid Building permit is required prior to any major repairs or full roof covering replacement/installation of roofing material(s) used.".
Roof code checklist: Unincorporated Lancaster County, SC
| Item | Answer | Code cite | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permit to replace a roof | Yes | lancastercountysc.gov | 2026-09-26 | |
| Repair permit threshold | Published | lancastercountysc.gov | 2026-09-26 | |
| Layer limit / roof-over | Published | R908.3.1.1 | codes.iccsafe.org | 2026-09-26 |
| Deck & sheathing | Published | lancastercountysc.gov | 2026-09-26 | |
| Drip edge | Not published | |||
| Ice & water shield | Not published | |||
| Mid-roof inspection | Yes | lancastercountysc.gov | 2026-09-26 | |
| Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofing | No | library.municode.com | 2026-09-26 | |
| Wind design criteria | Published | R301.2.1 | Lancaster 15.pdf | 2026-09-26 |
| Adopted code | Published | Sec. 7-1 | library.municode.com | 2026-09-26 |
| Contractor license / registration | Yes | scstatehouse.gov | 2026-09-26 | |
| Sales & use tax | Published | ST575.pdf | 2026-09-26 |
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
Lancaster County, South Carolina (unincorporated)
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
101 N Main Street, Lancaster, SC 29720
Contact
- url: https://www.lancastercountysc.gov/200/Building
- phone: 803-285-1969
- email: [email protected]
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 total cost of materials and labor for an undertaking for an individual property owner "exceeds five thousand dollars, the residential specialty contractor shall obtain an executed bond with a surety in an amount approved by the commission" (Section 40-59-220(D)). A residential builder, one who undertakes a residential building project "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 intended for the owner's or the owner's family's 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: Lancaster County's Roofing Requirements handout states: "All Roofing work must be performed by a SCLLR licensed Contractor, with license limits, in one of following categories: SC General Contractor, SC Residential Builder, or Specialty Roofing Contractor." The County's residential permit application asks for the contractor's "SC Contractors License #". An owner acting as his or her own builder signs the County's State License Exemption Request for Homeowners, which must be notarized, and the application form states the owner "agrees to live in the home and not offer it for rent for a period of two years per the South Carolina Homeowner exemption." That exemption form and the County's building FAQ still describe the state threshold as two hundred dollars; the statute as currently published sets it at five hundred dollars (2022 Act No. 186). No County contractor licence or registration of its own appears in the County's building chapter (Chapter 7), which was read in full.
Permit process note
A reroof is permitted as a building permit without plan review. The County's Roofing Requirements handout lists the submittals: "Required permit application under Remodel category.", "Required Manufacturer's product warranty certification report", "Required Manufacturer's installation instructions for shingles product" and "Identification of damage repair regarding any significant structural members replacement such as roofing or structural sheathing panels, which requires inspection." The County's 2025 permit fee schedule lists "Re-roofing (per Job cost by Ordinance Fee Schedule)" priced on the contractor's price, and the County's Residential Construction page states that for renovation work the "Permit fee will be cost x .0075. Plan review fee is ten (10) percent of permit cost." Apply and request inspections through the Evolve permitting portal. The handout's line on when a permit is needed is "A valid Building permit is required prior to any major repairs or full roof covering replacement/installation of roofing material(s) used."
Inspection requirements
Photographs of the roof decking before underlayment, the deck with underlayment before shingles, new pipe boots, any ice and water shield, drip edge and flashings, and the completed roof are uploaded to the Evolve portal with the final inspection request, and a final field inspection visit is still made. The County asks that inspection requests be made "no later than 3 pm on the business day prior to the day you need the inspection."
Adopted code
Lancaster County Code Section 7-1, International codes adopted (most recently amended by Ord. No. 1925, 9-9-2024, and Ord. No. 1940, 12-9-2024), adopts the codes promulgated by the International Code Council "in the version most recently adopted by the State of South Carolina's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation", lists among its "2021 Editions" the "International Residential Code, with South Carolina amendments", and provides that "Amendments to these codes shall become effective in the county on the effective date specified by the state." Section 7-2 adopts the 2021 International Existing Building Code as an optional code. The County's Residential Construction page states: "Lancaster County has adopted the 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications." and its Building page states "No local modification is allowed." 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 roofing modification for Lancaster 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 handout puts it the same way: "a drip edge shall be provided at eaves and rake edges of asphalt shingle roofs, only where required by the specific shingle product manufacturer." The County's building chapter (Chapter 7, read in full) contains no roofing provision of its own.
Mid-roof inspection
Required — Lancaster County documents the in-progress stages of a reroof by photographs rather than a separate site visit. Its Roofing Requirements handout, under "Final Inspection Process", states: "Photos are REQUIRED of following: 1.) Roof decking (before underlayment placed), 2.) Roof deck (with underlayment before shingles), 3.) Roof penetrations (new pipe boots), 4.) Ice and water shield if placed, 5.) Drip edge, flashings, outlets, vents or similar, 6.) Completed roof." The photos are uploaded to the Evolve portal with the final inspection request, and "(Final field inspection visit will still be made.)" Take the deck and underlayment photos before each stage is covered; they cannot be taken afterwards. Replacement of significant structural members or structural sheathing panels "requires inspection".
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Neither Lancaster County's building chapter (Chapter 7, including Section 7-1 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
Lancaster County's own Roofing Requirements handout states: "A valid Building permit is required prior to any major repairs or full roof covering replacement/installation of roofing material(s) used." and "Fines can be cited up to $500/day per occurrence for violation of work without permit." A full reroof is permit work. The County's permit ordinance (County Code Section 7-22(d)) does not apply to "ordinary repairs to buildings, structures, manufactured homes, and related appurtenances", listing "replacing siding or trim, repainting, replacing gutters, replacing of lamps, or replacing windows (like for like, where no structural changes are required)". Roofing is not in that list, and the ordinance leaves the line to the building official: "The designated enforcement official for this ordinance shall determine, on a case by case basis, any question as to work constituting an ordinary repair or an improvement requiring a permit, which determination shall be final and binding." Neither the handout nor the ordinance sets a square-footage or dollar figure for a small roof repair, so ask the Building Department before starting a patch job. Work started before a required permit pays a doubled fee (Section 7-25(b)).
Wind design criteria
South Carolina's modification to IRC Section R301.2.1 (Reg. 8-1202) provides: "Buildings and portions thereof shall be constructed in accordance with the previously published maps by the South Carolina Building Codes Council. 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." The Council says its county maps for the 2021 code cycle, based on the 2015 International Residential Code, "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 Council's Lancaster County map shows one wind-speed line, labelled 115 MPH, running across the south of the County by Kershaw, with the note: "Wind speed, shown in miles per hour, applies at all points along the length of its corresponding (blue) line. Interpolation between wind speed lines is determined by the AHJ as permitted by Figure R301.2(4)A of the 2015 International Residential Code." The same map splits the County between Seismic Design Category B in the north and C in the south. The same modification states: "Asphalt shingles shall be designed for wind speeds in accordance with Section R905.2.4." Confirm the design wind speed for a site north of the mapped line with the Building Department.
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 Lancaster County's building chapter (Chapter 7, read in full) adds no reroofing rule of its own, so the base rule applies unmodified. The County's Roofing Requirements handout also points to Section R908.5: "Any existing flashings, edgings, outlets, vents or similar devices that are part of the roof assembly shall be replaced where rusted, damaged or deteriorated per Section R908.5."
Deck & sheathing requirements
Lancaster County's Roofing Requirements handout states: "Any new roof sheathing/decking shall comply with provisions of Section R803.1 for lumber sheathing and Sec. R803.2 for wood structural panels." Neither the South Carolina modifications to the 2021 International Residential Code nor the County's building chapter (Chapter 7, read in full) amends those sections, so the base 2021 IRC roof sheathing provisions apply unmodified. Replacement of structural sheathing panels must be identified on the permit and "requires inspection", and a photo of the roof decking before underlayment is placed is required with the final inspection request.
Sales & use tax
8% in unincorporated Lancaster County and in the Lancaster County towns the South Carolina Department of Revenue lists (Heath Springs, Kershaw, Lancaster and Van Wyck): 6% state sales tax plus the 1% Lancaster County Capital Projects tax and the 1% Local Option tax (code 1029 for the unincorporated county), per SCDOR form ST-575, South Carolina Sales Tax Rate by Municipality (Rev. 2/5/26). 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 Laurens County, SCRoof permit
Unincorporated Lexington County, SCRoof permit
Unincorporated Marion County, SCRoof permit
Unincorporated Marlboro County, SCRoof permit
Unincorporated Newberry County, SCRoof permit
Roofing in South CarolinaState hub
Related guides
The Lancaster County Building Department, part of Development Services, issues residential and commercial building permits, reviews plans and makes field inspections, with permits and inspection requests handled through the County's Evolve online permitting portal. Under the County Code the building staff also serve as the enforcement staff for the towns of Heath Springs, Kershaw and Van Wyck, and the County's permit ordinance does not apply inside a municipality that has adopted and is enforcing its own building permit ordinance.
Hail reports near the center of Lancaster County, SC
- Reports, last 24 months
- 0
- Largest, last 24 months
- None
- Most recent
- None in 24 months
- Reports, last 5 years
- 15
| Date | Hail size | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 18, 2024 | 1.00 in | 4 mi WNW |
| May 10, 2024 | 1.50 in | 9 mi SSE |
| May 10, 2024 | 1.00 in | 5 mi W |
| May 10, 2024 | 1.00 in | 5 mi W |
| Apr 20, 2024 | 2.00 in | 5 mi NNW |
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 Lancaster County, SC. Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.
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Sources
- lancastercountysc.gov verified 2026-09-26
- lancastercountysc.gov verified 2026-09-26
- scstatehouse.gov verified 2026-09-26
- llr.sc.gov verified 2026-09-26
- lancastercountysc.gov verified 2026-09-26
- lancastercountysc.gov verified 2026-09-26
- lancastercountysc.gov verified 2026-09-26
- lancastercountysc.gov verified 2026-09-26
- library.municode.com verified 2026-09-26
- scstatehouse.gov verified 2026-09-26
- llr.sc.gov verified 2026-09-26
- llr.sc.gov verified 2026-09-26
- llr.sc.gov verified 2026-09-26
- library.municode.com verified 2026-09-26
- library.municode.com verified 2026-09-26
- dor.sc.gov verified 2026-09-26
- scstatehouse.gov verified 2026-09-26
- llr.sc.gov verified 2026-09-26
- llr.sc.gov verified 2026-09-26
- codes.iccsafe.org verified 2026-09-26