The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / City of Petersburg - Code Compliance Division

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

Adopted code

City of Petersburg - Code Compliance Division

The Code Compliance Division of the City of Petersburg's Department of Neighborhood Services issues construction permits and enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code in the independent City of Petersburg, Virginia. Building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and swimming pool permits are applied for online through the City's iWorQ citizen portal.

Roof code checklist: Petersburg, VA

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofNot published
Repair permit thresholdPublished2021-virginia-construction-code.pdf2026-09-26
Layer limit / roof-overNot published
Deck & sheathingPublishedR8032021-virginia-construction-code.pdf2026-09-26
Drip edgeNot published
Ice & water shieldYespetersburgva.gov2026-09-26
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNo2021-virginia-construction-code.pdf2026-09-26
Wind design criteriaPublishedpetersburgva.gov2026-09-26
Adopted codePublishedSec. 310.6.1petersburgva.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
City of Petersburg, Virginia
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
1340 E. Washington St., Petersburg, VA 23803
Contact
  • url: https://www.petersburgva.gov/369/Permits
  • phone: 804-733-2409
Permit portal
Permit portal
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".
  • city_level: City Code Chapter 22, Article III (Contractor and Bonding Requirements), Sec. 22-102: "Every contractor, builder or subcontractor who desires to make contracts for the erection, construction, alteration, addition or repair of buildings, structures or service equipment located therein on any premises in the city shall register annually with the building code official. Such registration shall be renewed not later than June 30 of each year and shall not be renewable until the contractor has paid all applicable city business license fees for such year." Sec. 22-104: "all contractors shall, in order to obtain permits in the city, provide the building code official with proof of licensure by the state board of contractors and proof of having obtained a business license either in the city or other locality unless the contractor is headquartered in a locality without business licensing provisions; provided, however, that the contractor shall obtain a city business license if the total revenue for work done in the city shall exceed $15,000.00 in any calendar year." Sec. 22-106 adds a bond: "It shall further be the duty of every such person holding a Class "C" or Class "B" contractor's license to give good and sufficient bond in the sum of $5,000.00 to be approved by the city attorney or his designee, conditioned to conform to the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code regulations, the regulations of this section, and other ordinances of the city in reference to buildings. Class "A" contractors are exempt from the requirements of this section." A business licence is a local tax registration, not a trade credential. For homeowners, Sec. 22-101 allows work "on his own residence or a residence of his immediate family, provided the owner does the work himself or with his own employees and the homeowner complies with the requirements of Code of Virginia (1950), §§ 54.1-1100 and 54.1-1101, as amended, and signs an owner/builder affidavit as provided by the city's division of code enforcement when obtaining a permit." The City's online building permit application requires a contractor to be selected and states "Contractors with expired licenses are not eligible to submit this form."
Permit process note
This record does not say whether an ordinary reroof of a house in Petersburg needs a building permit: the City prints its residential wind speed only as an ultimate 115 mph and the Code Compliance Division publishes no current statement applying the statewide exemption to a house reroof, so ask the Division (804-733-2409) before starting. The statewide rule, 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. 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." In the City's seven local historic districts (Olde Towne, Poplar Lawn, Folly Castle, Centre Hill, South Market Street, Courthouse and Battersea) exterior work in public view needs a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Architectural Review Board, with or without a building permit; the Preservation Planner (804-733-2314) may approve some applications administratively. The work must meet the code with or without a permit. Where a permit is needed, it is applied for online through the City's iWorQ portal; the building permit application requires a licensed contractor (or an owner affidavit), a project cost, and answers on "Historic District" and "Chesapeake Preservation". The Code Compliance Division is at 1340 E. Washington St., Petersburg (804-733-2409), Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Beginning work without a required permit costs $50.00 on the City's fee schedule.
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 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 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."). The City of Petersburg's Code Compliance FAQ answers "What building code has been adopted by Petersburg?" with "Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code 2021 Edition (Effective Jan. 18, 2025) adopts the 2021 International Code Council's volume of codes.", and the City's Local Design Criteria sheet names the "2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code" with the 2021 International Residential Code and 2021 International Existing Building Code, noting "The 2021 editions were effective from January 18, 2025". The Virginia Administrative Code gives the 2021 code's effective date as January 18, 2024. City Code Sec. 22-31 adopts the statewide code "along with its associated referenced standards" as "the Building Code of the City of Petersburg" and provides that "all future additions and amendments to the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code shall be automatically adopted into City Code." Chapter 22 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full as codified through Resolution No. 2025-097 (November 18, 2025), adds no roofing provision of its own.
Ice & water shield
Required — The City of Petersburg Local Design Criteria, the City's own list of climatic design parameters for residential one- and two-family construction, answers "Ice Shield Required?" with "Yes" (ground snow load 20 psf; winter design temperature 17 degrees F; air freezing index 1500). About ice & water barrier
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Virginia's statewide building code (13VAC5-63), which a city 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. The City of Petersburg's Chapter 22 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, and its Local Design Criteria sheet add none; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in the code the City 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"). The City of Petersburg Code Compliance Division's Permit Requirements page says "Within the City of Petersburg, permits are required for all work except ordinary repairs. The Building Official's Office recommends that before any work is started that you review any permit requirements that may apply to the description of work contained in the documents below." and links a residential permit guide from 2015 that predates the 2021 code, reprints the older edition of Section 108.2 and does not print the City's name; this record does not rest a permit answer on it. The City's Local Design Criteria give the residential design wind speed only as an ultimate figure ("Wind Speed MPH 115 V3S"; "Ultimate Wind Speed (Vult) ... Risk Category II and Residential: 115 MPH (51 m/s)"), not a nominal one, and the Division publishes no current statement in its own words applying the exemption to a house reroof, so this record does not say whether an ordinary reroof of a house in Petersburg needs a building permit; ask the Division before starting. Replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking on a house is outside item 14.6, and in a historic district or a special flood hazard area the building official may require a permit for a reroof. In Petersburg's historic areas a Certificate of Appropriateness is needed whether or not a building permit is: the Zoning Ordinance (Article 35, Section 6) says "No work, such as, but not limited to, painting which does not require a building permit, but would substantially alter the exterior appearance of any building or structure within a historic area, shall be commenced, unless and until the applicant shall have secured a certificate of appropriateness from the architectural review board." and that the requirements "shall not apply when the work proposed would not be subject to public view from a street or other public place." Article 35, Section 3 says the historic areas map is amended "in accordance Section 15.1-486, of the Code of Virginia"; this record does not decide how that designation reads against Exception 1's reference to Section 15.2-2306. The City's permit fee schedule has no roofing line: the one- and two-family building permit fee is ".63 (5/8) % of estimated cost + $25.00 base fee", plus a 2% state surcharge, and "Beginning work without a permit" costs $50.00.
Wind design criteria
The City of Petersburg's Building Code Compliance Division publishes its own "City of Petersburg Local Design Criteria". For residential one- and two-family construction it gives "Wind Speed MPH 115 V3S", and under "Miscellaneous Data" it lists "Ultimate Wind Speed (Vult)" as "Risk Category I: 105 MPH (47 m/s)", "Risk Category II and Residential: 115 MPH (51 m/s)" and "Risk Category III: 120 MPH (54 m/s)"; the commercial column also gives "Wind Speed MPH 115 V3S". So the City's residential figure is stated as an ultimate design wind speed of 115 mph; the sheet gives no nominal figure. The same residential list gives a ground snow load of 20 psf, seismic design category B, weathering "Moderate - Sever", an 18-inch frost depth, moderate termite exposure and "Ice Shield Required? Yes", and the miscellaneous data give a winter design temperature of 17 degrees F, an air freezing index of 1500 and a mean annual temperature of 59.4 degrees F. Commercial ground snow load is "Per ASCE 7-22". Questions go to the Building Official, 1340 E. Washington St., Petersburg.
Deck & sheathing requirements
No city-specific sheathing rule. Virginia's amendments to the International Residential Code (Virginia Construction Code Section 310.8) do not amend the roof sheathing section (R803), and the City of Petersburg's Chapter 22 (Buildings and Building Regulations), 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
5.3% general sales and use tax in the City of Petersburg (Virginia Tax, "Sales Tax Rates by Locality" workbook, "January 1, 2026 - Present" sheet: Petersburg, code 51730, 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); Petersburg is in none of the regional add-on areas, and Virginia Tax's rates page lists 5.3% for "Everywhere else". 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. Local rate changes take effect only on the first day of a calendar quarter.

Local roofing hub

Roofing in Petersburg, VirginiaCity hub

More roof permit pages in Virginia

Pittsylvania County, VARoof permit Portsmouth, VARoof permit Powhatan County, VARoof permit Prince George County, VARoof permit Pulaski County, 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 Petersburg, VA

Reports, last 24 months
2
Largest, last 24 months
1.75 in Jun 23, 2026
Most recent
Jun 23, 2026 1.75 in
Reports, last 5 years
7
5 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
Jun 23, 20261.75 in8 mi NE
Jun 23, 20261.00 in6 mi NE
Jun 16, 20231.25 in9 mi W
Jun 8, 20231.25 in4 mi E
Jun 8, 20231.00 in6 mi WNW

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

Working an insurance claim in Petersburg, VA? Everything on this page (drip edge, ice & water shield, inspections, Class 4 rules) formatted as a claim-ready evidence pack: verbatim ordinance quotes, code section cites, verification dates, and official source links, ready to attach to a supplement. See a real sample pack (PDF, 4 pages, free).

Code items like ice & water shield are what adjusters ask you to document.

Buy this jurisdiction's pack: $12 Delivered by email within minutes.

Questions about the Petersburg, VA pack?

Not ready to buy, or need a different jurisdiction? Tell us and we’ll reply directly.

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Sources

Roofing questions: Petersburg, VA

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

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"). The City of Petersburg Code Compliance Division's Permit Requirements page says "Within the City of Petersburg, permits are required for all work except ordinary repairs. The Building Official's Office recommends that before any work is started that you review any permit requirements that may apply to the description of work contained in the documents below." and links a residential permit guide from 2015 that predates the 2021 code, reprints the older edition of Section 108.2 and does not print the City's name; this record does not rest a permit answer on it. The City's Local Design Criteria give the residential design wind speed only as an ultimate figure ("Wind Speed MPH 115 V3S"; "Ultimate Wind Speed (Vult) ... Risk Category II and Residential: 115 MPH (51 m/s)"), not a nominal one, and the Division publishes no current statement in its own words applying the exemption to a house reroof, so this record does not say whether an ordinary reroof of a house in Petersburg needs a building permit; ask the Division before starting. Replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking on a house is outside item 14.6, and in a historic district or a special flood hazard area the building official may require a permit for a reroof. In Petersburg's historic areas a Certificate of Appropriateness is needed whether or not a building permit is: the Zoning Ordinance (Article 35, Section 6) says "No work, such as, but not limited to, painting which does not require a building permit, but would substantially alter the exterior appearance of any building or structure within a historic area, shall be commenced, unless and until the applicant shall have secured a certificate of appropriateness from the architectural review board." and that the requirements "shall not apply when the work proposed would not be subject to public view from a street or other public place." Article 35, Section 3 says the historic areas map is amended "in accordance Section 15.1-486, of the Code of Virginia"; this record does not decide how that designation reads against Exception 1's reference to Section 15.2-2306. The City's permit fee schedule has no roofing line: the one- and two-family building permit fee is ".63 (5/8) % of estimated cost + $25.00 base fee", plus a 2% state surcharge, and "Beginning work without a permit" costs $50.00.

Is ice & water shield required in Petersburg, VA?

Yes. The City of Petersburg Local Design Criteria, the City's own list of climatic design parameters for residential one- and two-family construction, answers "Ice Shield Required?" with "Yes" (ground snow load 20 psf; winter design temperature 17 degrees F; air freezing index 1500).

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

Yes.

What building code does Petersburg, 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 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 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."). The City of Petersburg's Code Compliance FAQ answers "What building code has been adopted by Petersburg?" with "Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code 2021 Edition (Effective Jan. 18, 2025) adopts the 2021 International Code Council's volume of codes.", and the City's Local Design Criteria sheet names the "2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code" with the 2021 International Residential Code and 2021 International Existing Building Code, noting "The 2021 editions were effective from January 18, 2025". The Virginia Administrative Code gives the 2021 code's effective date as January 18, 2024. City Code Sec. 22-31 adopts the statewide code "along with its associated referenced standards" as "the Building Code of the City of Petersburg" and provides that "all future additions and amendments to the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code shall be automatically adopted into City Code." Chapter 22 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full as codified through Resolution No. 2025-097 (November 18, 2025), adds no roofing provision of its own.