Permitting Authorities / Prince George County - Building Inspections Division
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Prince George County, VA?
Adopted code
Prince George County - Building Inspections Division
No, Prince George County, VA does not require a permit for like-for-like roof replacement (Prince George County - Building Inspections Division). No permit for an ordinary shingle reroof of a house, on the County's own statement and the statewide rule, with a sheathing limit a roofer must check first. The County's Building Inspections Division says "Building permits are only required for re-roofing of commercial buildings. However, if more than 100 square feet of roof sheathing is replaced on a residence, a building permit is required." 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 "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m 2 ) or less of roof decking" in those groups; the County's own sheathing line is lower (more than 100 square feet needs a permit), and this record does not decide which line prevails. 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." None of the County's Building Inspections pages, checklists or forms states a design wind speed, so the no-permit answer here rests on the County'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, the owner, a licensed contractor or an agent of either files a paper Building Permit Application with the Division at 6602 Courts Drive, Prince George ("Building Permit Applications can NOT be submitted online."); questions go to (804) 722-8659. Work done without a required permit is charged a code investigation fee of 100% of the permit fee.
Roof code checklist: Prince George County, VA
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
Prince George County, Virginia
Address
6602 Courts Drive, First Floor, Prince George, VA 23875
Contact
- url: https://www.princegeorgecountyva.gov/community_development/building_inspections/index.php
- phone: 804-722-8659
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: Prince George County adds no contractor licence of its own. Its Building Permit Application asks for the contractor's "DPOR LICENSE #", carries an office-use "BUSINESS LICENSE VERIFIED" box, and has a separate section for an owner "DOING OWN WORK AND ARE NOT SUBJECT TO LICENSURE AS A CONTRACTOR OR SUBCONTRACTOR", whose signature acknowledges compliance with Section 54.1-1111 of the Code of Virginia. County Code Sec. 10-4 requires each permit holder to "advise the commissioner of the revenue as to the name and address of all contractors or subcontractors working under such building permit". A County business licence is a local tax registration, not a trade credential.
Permit process note
No permit for an ordinary shingle reroof of a house, on the County's own statement and the statewide rule, with a sheathing limit a roofer must check first. The County's Building Inspections Division says "Building permits are only required for re-roofing of commercial buildings. However, if more than 100 square feet of roof sheathing is replaced on a residence, a building permit is required." 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 "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m 2 ) or less of roof decking" in those groups; the County's own sheathing line is lower (more than 100 square feet needs a permit), and this record does not decide which line prevails. 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." None of the County's Building Inspections pages, checklists or forms states a design wind speed, so the no-permit answer here rests on the County'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, the owner, a licensed contractor or an agent of either files a paper Building Permit Application with the Division at 6602 Courts Drive, Prince George ("Building Permit Applications can NOT be submitted online."); questions go to (804) 722-8659. Work done without a required permit is charged a code investigation fee of 100% of the permit fee.
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."). The County's notice of March 20, 2024 states "Prince George County is currently enforcing the 2021 code edition of the Virginia Library of Building Codes." and "The effective date of the 2021 Uniform Statewide Building Code, 2021 Statewide Fire Prevention Code, 2021 Industrialized Building Safety Regulations and the 2021 Amusement Device Regulations is January 18, 2024." The County Code's own adoption clause still names an older edition: "Parts I, and II and III of the 2009 edition of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC), as now or hereafter amended, are hereby adopted." (Sec. 10-1(a)). A County commercial plan checklist revised February 2024 also still says "The current code edition is the 2018 IBC (VUSBC)." Chapter 10 of the County Code (Buildings and Building Regulations), 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. Prince George County's Chapter 10 (Buildings and Building Regulations) and its Building Inspections pages and forms 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"). Prince George County's Building Inspections Division answers the question in its own words, in its FAQ "Do I need a building permit to re-roof a residence?": "Building permits are only required for re-roofing of commercial buildings. However, if more than 100 square feet of roof sheathing is replaced on a residence, a building permit is required." The County's sheathing line (more than 100 square feet) is lower than the statewide decking line in item 14.6 (256 square feet or less exempt). The statewide code "shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions and state agencies" (Code of Virginia Section 36-98); this record does not decide which line prevails. In practice, the County's own page asks for a permit once more than 100 square feet of roof sheathing is replaced on a house, so a roofer replacing between 101 and 256 square feet of sheathing should call the Division at (804) 722-8659 before starting. The County's fee ordinance lists a "Reroofing permit" (1% of estimated cost) only among "Other commercial permits"; residential repair work is priced as "Renovations and repairs" at a $100.00 base fee plus 1% of estimated cost. Work done without a required permit is charged a code investigation fee of "100% of permit fee" (County Code Sec. 10-2).
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 Prince George County's Chapter 10 (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: the County says "if more than 100 square feet of roof sheathing is replaced on a residence, a building permit is required"; the statewide exemption covers "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m 2 ) or less of roof decking" on a house (Virginia Construction Code 108.2 item 14.6).
Sales & use tax
5.3% general sales and use tax in Prince George County (Virginia Tax, "Sales Tax Rates by Locality" workbook, "January 1, 2026 - Present" sheet: Prince George, code 51149, 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); Prince George County is in none of the regional or local add-on groups, 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.
More roof permit pages in Virginia
Related guides
The Building Inspections Division of Prince George County, Virginia, part of the County's Department of Community Development and Code Compliance, issues building permits and conducts inspections for new construction, alterations, repairs, removal and demolition in the county under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. Applications are taken at its Courts Drive office; building permit applications cannot be submitted online.
Hail reports near the center of Prince George County, VA
- Reports, last 24 months
- 3
- Largest, last 24 months
- 1.75 in Jun 23, 2026
- Most recent
- Jul 28, 2026 1.00 in
- Reports, last 5 years
- 5
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 Prince George County, VA. Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.
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