The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / City of Manassas - Community Development, Planning & Development

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

Adopted code

City of Manassas - Community Development, Planning & Development

The City of Manassas Department of Community Development (Planning & Development) enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code in the City and issues building, trade and occupancy permits through its permit counter at City Hall and its online Permit Self Service portal. Manassas is an independent city and is not part of Prince William County; Manassas Park is a separate city.

Roof code checklist: Manassas, VA

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofNot published
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. 310.8law.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-26
Contractor license / registrationYeslaw.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-26
Sales & use taxPublishedtax.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
City of Manassas, Virginia
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
9027 Center Street, 2nd Floor, Manassas, VA 20110
Contact
  • url: https://www.manassasva.gov/community_development/development_applications_forms___fees.php
  • phone: 703-257-8278
Permit portal
Permit portal
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • state_level: Virginia licenses contractors through the Board for Contractors (DPOR). Va. Code 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 require a Class B or Class A licence. Roofing is covered by the Board's Roofing Contractor (ROC) specialty or by the Home Improvement, Residential Building or Commercial Building classifications (18VAC50-22-30). Va. Code 54.1-1101 A 7 exempts "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"; the record does not decide whether a given reader is inside that exemption. Where a permit is issued, Va. Code 54.1-1111 requires the applicant to show the state licence or file a written statement that the applicant is not subject to licensure.
  • city_level: The City of Manassas sets no contractor licence of its own for roofing. Its Building Permit Application (revised 6/24/2024) asks for the "State Contractor License Number", licence expiration date and classification, and the "City Business License Number", with the note "City Business License Number is required if office is located in City OR if work inside the City exceeds $25,000 in a calendar year or per permit/job". The City business licence is the general business, professional and occupational licence under City Code Chapter 30, Article II, not a trade credential; City Code Section 30-104(a) states that "the issuance of a license and payment of a license tax under this article shall not, in itself, permit the contractor or builder and developer to engage in such trade, work or service." An owner doing his or her own work signs the City's Owner Affidavit, affirming "that I am not subject to licensure as a contractor of subcontractor" and that "If the work is performed by any other person or firm employed by me, that person or firm must comply with state and local contractor licensing laws."
Permit process note
Historic districts first: the City's "Items That Do Not Require A Permit" page states "Note: Properties located in the Historical Overlay District will require approval from the Architectural Review Board (ARB) prior to approval of any building and/or zoning permit requiring exterior modifications. Permits may be required for improvements otherwise exempt from building permit requirements; such as the installation of replacement siding, roofing and windows." The City has three historic overlay districts (the Manassas Local Historic District, the Liberia Mansion Historic District and the Mayfield Fort Historic District), and its Building Permit Application asks "Is this building located in a Historic Overlay District?" with the ARB case number. Everywhere in the City the state rule is Virginia Construction Code 108.2: "Notwithstanding the requirements of Section 108.1, application for a permit and any related inspections shall not be required for the following ... In addition, 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." Item 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 m2) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones." Item 14.6: "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m2) 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." 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." "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 City's own list of items that "do not require a building permit" repeats the roof-covering item in older wording, conditioned on a "design (3-second gust) wind speed" of not more than 100 miles per hour, and gives 100 square feet as the decking limit; the City publishes no design wind speed of its own and says its design load criteria are "the same as the neighboring jurisdictions of Fairfax and Price William Counties." No City page states in its own words whether a whole-roof replacement outside the historic districts needs a permit, and this record does not decide it. The City's Building Permit page lists work that needs a permit (construction or demolition, and installations or alterations involving walls, "Any structural component", fire or smoke rated assemblies, means of egress, fire protection systems or USBC-regulated equipment) and does not name roofing. Call Planning & Development at 703-257-8278 before tear-off to confirm, and in a historic overlay district contact the Planning & Development Office before starting any project. Where a permit is needed, apply through the City's Permit Self Service portal or at City Hall, 9027 Center Street; the application asks for the contractor's State Contractor License Number and, where it applies, the City Business License Number, and an owner doing the work files the City's Owner Affidavit.
Adopted code
The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC, 13VAC5-63) applies statewide, and for detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses its residential part is the 2021 Virginia Residential Code (the 2021 International Residential Code as amended by Virginia Construction Code Section 310.8); the 2021 USBC took effect January 18, 2024. Work on an existing house also falls under the 2021 Virginia Existing Building Code (Part II of the USBC). A city cannot amend it: Va. Code 36-98 provides that the USBC "shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions and state agencies." Manassas City Code Section 26-1(a) (Ord. No. O-2021-01, February 22, 2021): "The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (the "building code"), as adopted and amended from time to time by the Virginia Board of Housing and Community Development, is hereby adopted by the city and incorporated herein as if set out in its entirety." Chapter 26 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, contains no technical roofing provision. The City's Development Applications, Forms and Fees page states: "The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, Statewide Fire Prevention Code, Industrialized Building Safety Regulations, and the Amusement Device Regulations has become effective on January 18, 2024." and that applicants could choose between the 2018 and 2021 codes for one year, "Note that any plans submitted after January 17, 2025 will need to reflect the recent code changes." The City's Building Plan Review page still reads "Applicable code is the 2018/2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC)."
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Neither Virginia's amendments to the residential code (13VAC5-63, Virginia Construction Code Section 310.8) nor Manassas City Code Chapter 26 (Buildings and Building Regulations) imposes an impact-rating requirement on roof coverings; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in the code in force in Manassas, and under Va. Code 36-98 the City cannot add one. The City publishes no design-criteria table of its own.
Repair permit threshold
Virginia Construction Code 108.2 sets the permit line statewide, and the City cannot change it. Item 14.5 exempts from a permit "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 m2) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones." Item 14.6 exempts "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m2) 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." 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." "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." An owner may still 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." Replacement of more than 256 square feet of roof decking is outside item 14.6. The City's own "Items That Do Not Require A Permit" page lists, under "The following items do not require a building permit", the older wording of the same items: "Replacement of an unlimited amount of roof covering or siding in Groups R-3, R-4 or R-5 provided the building or structure is not in an area where the design (3-second gust) wind speed is greater than 100 miles per hour (160 km/hr) and replacement of 100 square feet (9.29 m2) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones." and "Replacement of 100 square feet (9.29 m2) or less of roof decking in Groups 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 City publishes no design wind speed of its own; its Building Plan Review page says "Local design load criteria for the City of Manassas is the same as the neighboring jurisdictions of Fairfax and Price William Counties." So whether a whole-roof replacement on a house in the City meets the wind condition is not settled by the City's published documents, and this record does not decide it. The fee schedule printed on the City's Building Permit Application has no roofing line; the application offers "Alteration/Repair" as a general type of improvement.
Deck & sheathing requirements
Virginia's amendments to the residential code (Virginia Construction Code Section 310.8) touch roofing only at the special-wind-region rule in Section R301.2.1 and the deletion of Section R905.2.8.5; none reaches roof sheathing. Manassas City Code Chapter 26 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, contains no sheathing provision, and under Va. Code 36-98 the City cannot add one. The roof-sheathing provisions of the Virginia Residential Code (Section R803) therefore apply without state or city change.
Sales & use tax
6% general sales and use tax in the City of Manassas: Virginia Tax's locality rate workbook (title "Sales Tax Rates by Locality"), sheet "Jan 2026 - Present" ("From January 1, 2026 to Present"), row Manassas, code 51683, General Sales 0.06 (Manassas Park, a separate city, is code 51685). Most localities in the same sheet show 5.3%; the City's 6% carries the additional regional state tax levied in Northern Virginia. A roofer pays this tax on materials rather than charging it to the homeowner: under 23VAC10-210-410, "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", and "A contractor, whether the contractor be a prime contractor or subcontractor, does not pass the sales or use tax on to anyone else as a tax." The regulation draws no distinction between repair and replacement contracts.

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Hail reports near Manassas, VA

Reports, last 24 months
3
Largest, last 24 months
1.00 in May 27, 2026
Most recent
May 27, 2026 1.00 in
Reports, last 5 years
6
5 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
May 27, 20261.00 in8 mi WNW
Apr 1, 20261.00 in5 mi ENE
Apr 1, 20261.00 in3 mi NNE
Jun 16, 20231.25 in6 mi NNE
Jun 16, 20231.00 in6 mi ENE

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

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Sources

Roofing questions: Manassas, VA

When does a roof repair need a permit in Manassas, VA?

Virginia Construction Code 108.2 sets the permit line statewide, and the City cannot change it. Item 14.5 exempts from a permit "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 m2) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones." Item 14.6 exempts "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m2) 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." 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." "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." An owner may still 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." Replacement of more than 256 square feet of roof decking is outside item 14.6. The City's own "Items That Do Not Require A Permit" page lists, under "The following items do not require a building permit", the older wording of the same items: "Replacement of an unlimited amount of roof covering or siding in Groups R-3, R-4 or R-5 provided the building or structure is not in an area where the design (3-second gust) wind speed is greater than 100 miles per hour (160 km/hr) and replacement of 100 square feet (9.29 m2) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones." and "Replacement of 100 square feet (9.29 m2) or less of roof decking in Groups 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 City publishes no design wind speed of its own; its Building Plan Review page says "Local design load criteria for the City of Manassas is the same as the neighboring jurisdictions of Fairfax and Price William Counties." So whether a whole-roof replacement on a house in the City meets the wind condition is not settled by the City's published documents, and this record does not decide it. The fee schedule printed on the City's Building Permit Application has no roofing line; the application offers "Alteration/Repair" as a general type of improvement.

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

Yes.

What building code does Manassas, VA use?

The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC, 13VAC5-63) applies statewide, and for detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses its residential part is the 2021 Virginia Residential Code (the 2021 International Residential Code as amended by Virginia Construction Code Section 310.8); the 2021 USBC took effect January 18, 2024. Work on an existing house also falls under the 2021 Virginia Existing Building Code (Part II of the USBC). A city cannot amend it: Va. Code 36-98 provides that the USBC "shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions and state agencies." Manassas City Code Section 26-1(a) (Ord. No. O-2021-01, February 22, 2021): "The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (the "building code"), as adopted and amended from time to time by the Virginia Board of Housing and Community Development, is hereby adopted by the city and incorporated herein as if set out in its entirety." Chapter 26 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, contains no technical roofing provision. The City's Development Applications, Forms and Fees page states: "The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, Statewide Fire Prevention Code, Industrialized Building Safety Regulations, and the Amusement Device Regulations has become effective on January 18, 2024." and that applicants could choose between the 2018 and 2021 codes for one year, "Note that any plans submitted after January 17, 2025 will need to reflect the recent code changes." The City's Building Plan Review page still reads "Applicable code is the 2018/2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC)."