The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Montgomery County - Building Inspections Office

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

Adopted code

Montgomery County - Building Inspections Office

The building department of Montgomery County, Virginia, at the County Government Center in Christiansburg. The Building Inspections Office enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, reviews plans, issues building permits and inspects construction; its page says its building inspectors "inspect all construction in the unincorporated areas of Montgomery County." The incorporated towns inside the county and the independent City of Radford are not part of the unincorporated county.

Roof code checklist: Unincorporated Montgomery County, 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 criteriaPublishedstructural-design-criteria.pdf2026-09-26
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
Montgomery County, Virginia (unincorporated)
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
755 Roanoke Street, Suite 1D, Christiansburg, VA 24073
Contact
  • url: https://www.montgomerycountyva.gov/1/departments-services/building-permits-inspections
  • phone: 540-382-5750
Permit portal
Permit portal
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • state_level: Virginia licenses contractors through the Board for Contractors. Va. Code 54.1-1100, as amended by 2025 Acts ch. 127: "'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." Classes A and B cover larger contracts. Roofing is licensed under the Roofing Contracting (ROC) specialty, defined in 18VAC50-22-30 as "the service that provides for the installation, repair, removal, or improvement of materials common to the industry that form a watertight, weather resistant surface for roofs and decks", which also says "The CBC and RBC classifications and the HIC and CIC specialties also provide for this function." Older pages giving a higher Class C floor predate the 2025 amendment. Va. Code 54.1-1101 A lists who the chapter does not apply to, including "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"; this record does not decide whether any reader falls within an exemption. Va. Code 54.1-1111 A requires a permit applicant to furnish "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."
  • county_level: Montgomery County sets no roofing licence, bond or contractor registration of its own. Chapter 8, Article II (Buildings) of the Montgomery County Code adopts the statewide building code, establishes the building official and a board of building code appeals, and authorises a permit fee schedule; its only trade credential is the state certificate required of electrical contractors and electricians (Sec. 8-42). The County's handout for building a home in the unincorporated areas says the person responsible for the permit "must be a licensed contractor, the property owner or the property owner’s agent", citing section 54.1-1111 of the Code of Virginia.
Permit process note
The statewide rule the County enforces is Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 (2021 USBC), 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." Section 108.2 carries 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." A house in a locally designated historic district or a special flood hazard area may therefore be asked for a permit. Section 108.2 also provides that "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." Montgomery County publishes its wind speed only as "Basic Wind Speed: 110 mph 3 second gust" on its Structural Design Criteria sheet, without saying whether that is a nominal or an ultimate design wind speed, and this record does not convert the figure. The Building Inspections Office has published no statement on whether a residential reroof needs a permit: no roofing line in its fee schedule, no roofing permit type in its online portal (its General Building Permit is described as "Use this permit for all Accessory Structures, Additions, Alterations, Decks, Demolition, Pools, Repairs, and Retaining Walls."), and no reroof guidance on its pages. Call the office at 540-382-5750 before starting. Where a permit is needed, apply through the County's OpenGov permit portal, launched January 5, 2026, or at the Building Inspections Office, 755 Roanoke Street, Suite 1D, Christiansburg. The office's page says its building inspectors "inspect all construction in the unincorporated areas of Montgomery County."
Adopted code
The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC, 13VAC5-63), effective January 18, 2024, applies in Montgomery County. For detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, Virginia Construction Code Section 310.6.1 applies "The provisions of the IRC for detached one-family and two-family dwellings and townhouses as amended by VCC Section 310.8, also referred to as the Virginia Residential Code (VRC)"; work on existing buildings falls under the Virginia Existing Building Code (USBC Part II). 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". Montgomery County Code Sec. 8-18 provides "There is hereby adopted by reference the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, as now or hereafter amended", naming no edition. The County's Building Code page says "Montgomery County, along with all other localities in the state, use the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC)". The Building Inspections Office's own Statement of Energy Code Compliance (revised February 2025), filed with a residential application, cites "the 2021 Virginia Energy Conservation Code (VECC)" and "the 2021 Virginia Residential Code (VRC)". The first page of the same packet, the new construction checklist (updated May 2023), still refers to the "Virginia Residential Code 2018 Edition"; it predates the 2021 code's effective date and is not a County adoption of that edition. As read on September 26, 2026, a 2024 edition of the USBC is in rulemaking and has not been adopted.
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Neither the 2021 Virginia Residential Code amendments (Virginia Construction Code Section 310.8, 13VAC5-63) nor Montgomery County's own building provisions (County Code Chapter 8, Article II, Buildings, which adopts the statewide code and provides for the building official, appeals board and permit fees, and the Building Inspections Office's Structural Design Criteria sheet) contain a UL 2218 or Class 4 impact rating requirement for roof coverings; no such requirement appears in the state code or in the County's code.
Repair permit threshold
Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 (2021 USBC), 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." An owner may still ask for 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." Whether a full house reroof in Montgomery County falls inside item 14.5 turns on the nominal design wind speed. The County's "Structural Design Criteria Specific to Montgomery County" sheet gives "Basic Wind Speed: 110 mph 3 second gust" without saying whether that is a nominal or an ultimate figure, which are different bases, and the Building Inspections Office has published no statement applying item 14.5 to reroofs, so this record does not decide whether an ordinary reroof in the County needs a permit; ask the Building Inspections Office (540-382-5750) before starting. Replacing 100 square feet or less of roof covering is exempt in every wind zone; replacing more than 256 square feet of decking is not within item 14.6. The County's fee schedule has no roofing line; it prices residential "New construction, industrialized buildings (modular homes), additions, alterations, renovations, and repairs" at "$0.22 per sq. ft. Minimum $45 fee", plus the 2% Virginia State Levy and a 2% technology fee (minimum $10). Violating the building code is punishable under County Code Sec. 8-17 "by a fine of not more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00)" for a first offense.
Wind design criteria
Montgomery County's sheet "Structural Design Criteria Specific to Montgomery County", linked from the Building Inspections Office's Building Guidelines and Resources page, lists: Ground Snow Load 30 psf ("Roof design criteria for Snow Load, same as ground 30 psf"); Shrink swell soils moderate; Seismic Design Category B; "Basic Wind Speed: 110 mph 3 second gust"; Frost Depth 24 inches minimum. The sheet carries no date and names no code edition, and it does not say whether its wind figure is a nominal or an ultimate design wind speed, which are different bases, so do not compare it directly with the 100 mph nominal-speed line in the statewide reroof permit exemption. It gives no exposure category, special wind region, windborne debris or ice barrier entry; check those with the Building Inspections Office (540-382-5750) before relying on the sheet for fastening.
Deck & sheathing requirements
Montgomery County enforces the 2021 Virginia Residential Code and has no building code of its own. Virginia's residential amendments (Virginia Construction Code Section 310.8) make no change to the roof sheathing provisions of the IRC (Section R803), so those provisions apply as the model code states them; Montgomery County Code Chapter 8, Article II adds nothing on roof decking. For permits, the statewide exemption covers "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m2) or less of roof decking" on a house unless that decking had to be fire-retardant-treated or otherwise protected at the time of original construction.
Sales & use tax
5.3% general sales and use tax in Montgomery County (Virginia Tax, "Sales Tax Rates by Locality" workbook, "January 1, 2026 - Present" sheet: Montgomery, code 51121, General Sales 0.053). That is the 4.3% state tax (Code of Virginia Section 58.1-603) and the 1% local option tax (Section 58.1-605); Montgomery County is in none of the regional add-on areas. The independent City of Radford is a separate locality (code 51750) and is listed in the same workbook at the same 5.3% general rate. Food and personal hygiene items are taxed at 1% statewide. 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

Unincorporated Prince William County, VARoof permit Virginia Beach, VARoof permit Warren County, VARoof permit Washington County, VARoof permit Waynesboro, VARoof permit Roofing in VirginiaState hub

Related guides

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

Hail reports near the center of Montgomery County, VA

Reports, last 24 months
4
Largest, last 24 months
1.00 in May 16, 2025
Most recent
May 16, 2025 1.00 in
Reports, last 5 years
9
5 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
May 16, 20251.00 in6 mi WSW
May 16, 20250.75 in2 mi WSW
May 13, 20250.88 in4 mi E
May 13, 20250.75 in3 mi SSE
Sep 9, 20230.88 in4 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 Montgomery County, VA. Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.

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Sources

Roofing questions: Unincorporated Montgomery County, VA

When does a roof repair need a permit in Unincorporated Montgomery County, VA?

Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 (2021 USBC), 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." An owner may still ask for 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." Whether a full house reroof in Montgomery County falls inside item 14.5 turns on the nominal design wind speed. The County's "Structural Design Criteria Specific to Montgomery County" sheet gives "Basic Wind Speed: 110 mph 3 second gust" without saying whether that is a nominal or an ultimate figure, which are different bases, and the Building Inspections Office has published no statement applying item 14.5 to reroofs, so this record does not decide whether an ordinary reroof in the County needs a permit; ask the Building Inspections Office (540-382-5750) before starting. Replacing 100 square feet or less of roof covering is exempt in every wind zone; replacing more than 256 square feet of decking is not within item 14.6. The County's fee schedule has no roofing line; it prices residential "New construction, industrialized buildings (modular homes), additions, alterations, renovations, and repairs" at "$0.22 per sq. ft. Minimum $45 fee", plus the 2% Virginia State Levy and a 2% technology fee (minimum $10). Violating the building code is punishable under County Code Sec. 8-17 "by a fine of not more than two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500.00)" for a first offense.

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

Yes.

What building code does Unincorporated Montgomery County, VA use?

The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC, 13VAC5-63), effective January 18, 2024, applies in Montgomery County. For detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, Virginia Construction Code Section 310.6.1 applies "The provisions of the IRC for detached one-family and two-family dwellings and townhouses as amended by VCC Section 310.8, also referred to as the Virginia Residential Code (VRC)"; work on existing buildings falls under the Virginia Existing Building Code (USBC Part II). 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". Montgomery County Code Sec. 8-18 provides "There is hereby adopted by reference the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, as now or hereafter amended", naming no edition. The County's Building Code page says "Montgomery County, along with all other localities in the state, use the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC)". The Building Inspections Office's own Statement of Energy Code Compliance (revised February 2025), filed with a residential application, cites "the 2021 Virginia Energy Conservation Code (VECC)" and "the 2021 Virginia Residential Code (VRC)". The first page of the same packet, the new construction checklist (updated May 2023), still refers to the "Virginia Residential Code 2018 Edition"; it predates the 2021 code's effective date and is not a County adoption of that edition. As read on September 26, 2026, a 2024 edition of the USBC is in rulemaking and has not been adopted.