Permitting Authorities / City of Richmond - Bureau of Permits and Inspections
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Richmond, VA?
Adopted code
City of Richmond - Bureau of Permits and Inspections
No, Richmond, VA does not require a permit for like-for-like roof replacement (City of Richmond - Bureau of Permits and Inspections). No building permit for replacing the roof covering on a house, on the City's own statement and the statewide rule, except in a City Old and Historic District, where the City says a permit is required. The Department of Planning and Development Review lists "Replacement of roof covering or siding or 256 square feet of roof decking" among "Ordinary repairs that include the following unless in a City Old & Historic District:" that "do not require a building permit", and says "Installation of replacement siding, roofing and windows in buildings within a City Old & Historic District are NOT exempted and require a building permit be obtained." Check the City's Old and Historic Districts map before starting; there a certificate of appropriateness from the Commission of Architectural Review is also required for exterior alterations visible from the public right of way before a building permit issues. The statewide rule behind the City's list, 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, so larger deck replacement is permit work. 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." The work must meet the code with or without a permit. Where a permit is needed, apply through the City's Online Permit Portal; the building permit application has a "RE-ROOF ONLY" section for roof type and number of squares. The City's fee schedule prices a one- and two-family building permit at "$63.00" for work valued "$0 – $2,000" and "$63.00*" over $2,000, where "* Add $6.07 per thousand or fraction thereof for residential construction", and "a 2.0% state surcharge is added to the final calculated fee." Under City Code Sec. 5-9 anyone who starts work without a required permit pays the fee for the entire amount of work when the permit is later obtained, and the City's fee schedule charges $400.00 per permit for investigating a stop work order. Dumpsters, lifts, ladders or materials placed on a City sidewalk, street or alley need a separate Work-in-Streets Permit from the Department of Public Works. Questions go to the Permits and Inspections help desk, 804-646-4169.
Roof code checklist: Richmond, 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
City of Richmond, Virginia
Address
900 E. Broad St., Room 108, Richmond, VA 23219
Contact
- url: https://www.rva.gov/planning-development-review/permits-and-inspections
- phone: 804-646-4169
- email: [email protected]
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 ceiling for Class C; that figure predates the 2025 amendment.
- city_level: Richmond adds no contractor licence of its own, but City Code Sec. 5-63 makes the state licence a condition of every City permit: "All contractors shall, in order to obtain permits in the City, provide the Commissioner of Buildings with proof of licensure by the State Board for 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 $25,000.00 in any calendar year." The Bureau's residential plan review guide says "Confirmation of a valid State Contractors License with the appropriate DPOR (Department of Professional and Occupational Regulations) classification is needed before a submission can invoiced and routed to the plan examiners." The building permit application asks for the contractor's licence type, class and state licence number and says "A COPY OF YOUR STATE CONTRACTOR’S LICENSE AND BUSINESS LICENSE SHALL BE ON FILE BEFORE A PERMIT WILL BE ISSUED." A business licence is a local tax registration, not a trade credential. An owner who applies without a contractor files the City's "Building Permit – Owner Statement", which reprints Section 54.1-1111 and the Section 54.1-1101 A exemptions and asks the owner to choose one and submit proof. The City's homeowner guide tells owners to "hire only licensed contractors by checking the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) at 804-367-8511 or www.dpor.virginia.gov".
Permit process note
No building permit for replacing the roof covering on a house, on the City's own statement and the statewide rule, except in a City Old and Historic District, where the City says a permit is required. The Department of Planning and Development Review lists "Replacement of roof covering or siding or 256 square feet of roof decking" among "Ordinary repairs that include the following unless in a City Old & Historic District:" that "do not require a building permit", and says "Installation of replacement siding, roofing and windows in buildings within a City Old & Historic District are NOT exempted and require a building permit be obtained." Check the City's Old and Historic Districts map before starting; there a certificate of appropriateness from the Commission of Architectural Review is also required for exterior alterations visible from the public right of way before a building permit issues. The statewide rule behind the City's list, 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, so larger deck replacement is permit work. 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." The work must meet the code with or without a permit. Where a permit is needed, apply through the City's Online Permit Portal; the building permit application has a "RE-ROOF ONLY" section for roof type and number of squares. The City's fee schedule prices a one- and two-family building permit at "$63.00" for work valued "$0 – $2,000" and "$63.00*" over $2,000, where "* Add $6.07 per thousand or fraction thereof for residential construction", and "a 2.0% state surcharge is added to the final calculated fee." Under City Code Sec. 5-9 anyone who starts work without a required permit pays the fee for the entire amount of work when the permit is later obtained, and the City's fee schedule charges $400.00 per permit for investigating a stop work order. Dumpsters, lifts, ladders or materials placed on a City sidewalk, street or alley need a separate Work-in-Streets Permit from the Department of Public Works. Questions go to the Permits and Inspections help desk, 804-646-4169.
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 City Code adopts it in Sec. 5-1: "The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, as now or hereafter promulgated by the State Board of Housing and Community Development, along with its associated referenced standards and all future editions and amendments, are hereby adopted and incorporated into this Code by reference and made applicable within the City." Sec. 5-4 makes the Commissioner of Buildings the building official and the Bureau of Permits and Inspections the building department. The Bureau's own pages list the 2021 Virginia Residential Code, 2021 Virginia Construction Code and 2021 Virginia Existing Building Code as the codes for Richmond, and its residential plan review guide says "The 2021 Virginia Residential Code took effect on January 18, 2024." Chapter 5 of the City Code (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full in the 2026 recodification (codified through Ordinance No. 2025-207), adds no technical roofing provision of its own.
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Neither Virginia's 2021 statewide code as published in 13VAC5-63 (the Virginia Construction Code, the state's amendments to the IRC that make up the Virginia Residential Code, and the Virginia Existing Building Code) nor Richmond's City Code Chapter 5, which adopts that statewide code and adds no technical roofing provision, amends the roof-covering provisions to require impact resistance; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in either, and the City's published design requirements list none. A Virginia locality cannot add one, because the statewide code supersedes local building codes (Code of Virginia Section 36-98).
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 Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review applies it in its own words, on its FAQ page (which carries the note "these questions and answers are under review and revision"): "Certain common residential improvements do not require a building permit, including but not limited to, the following:" ... "Ordinary repairs that include the following unless in a City Old & Historic District:" ... "Replacement of roof covering or siding or 256 square feet of roof decking." The same page adds: "Installation of replacement siding, roofing and windows in buildings within a City Old & Historic District are NOT exempted and require a building permit be obtained." So in a City Old and Historic District a reroof is permit work. The Bureau's residential plan review guide reprints Section 108.2 in full, item 14.5 and both Exceptions included, under the heading "Below is a list of building projects that can be completed without a permit. Please note the exception for projects within a historic district." Replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking falls outside item 14.6 and needs a permit. The City's own design requirements state wind speeds by risk category (115 mph for Risk Category II) without saying whether they are nominal design wind speeds, the measure item 14.5 uses; the record does not convert them, and rests the answer on the department's own statement that roof covering replacement needs no permit outside the historic districts. The City's building permit application still carries a "RE-ROOF ONLY" section (roof types and number of squares) for reroof work that is permitted, and its enacted fee schedule (City Code Sec. 5-5) has no roofing line.
Wind design criteria
The Bureau of Permits and Inspections publishes these "Structural Design Requirements specific to Richmond, Virginia": "Frost Depth - 18 inches"; "Basic Design Wind Speed For Risk" "Category I Buildings - 105 mph", "Category II Buildings - 115 mph", "Category III Buildings - 120 mph", "Category IV Buildings - 130 mph"; "Snow Load - 20 psf"; "Seismic Design Category - B". The page does not say whether these are ultimate or nominal design wind speeds, and it publishes no ice-barrier or other roofing row of the design criteria table. Virginia's amendment to the residential code's wind section (R301.2.1) adds elevation-based speeds for "localities in special wind regions, near mountainous terrain, and near gorges".
Deck & sheathing requirements
Richmond cannot amend the statewide code, and its City Code Chapter 5, read in full, adds no roof deck or sheathing provision. Virginia's amendments to the IRC that make up the 2021 Virginia Residential Code (13VAC5-63-210) do not amend the roof sheathing section (R803), so the base 2021 IRC roof sheathing provisions apply unmodified to work under that code; the record points to that section and does not restate it. For reroofing an existing house the Virginia Existing Building Code 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." The one Virginia rule written for decking on a reroof is the permit line in Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 item 14.6: only "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m 2 ) or less of roof decking" in Group R-3, R-4 or R-5 buildings is exempt from a permit, so replacing more decking than that is permit work in Richmond.
Sales & use tax
6.0% general sales and use tax in the City of Richmond (Virginia Tax, "Sales Tax Rates by Locality" workbook, "January 1, 2026 - Present" sheet: Richmond City, code 51760, General Sales 0.06). That is the 4.3% state tax (Code of Virginia Section 58.1-603), the 1% local option tax (Section 58.1-605) and the 0.70% regional tax of Section 58.1-603.1; Virginia Tax's rates page lists Richmond City in the 6% Central Virginia group. Richmond City and Richmond County are different localities with different rates; use the City row. 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
More roof permit pages in Virginia
Related guides
The Bureau of Permits and Inspections of the City of Richmond Department of Planning and Development Review is the building department for the independent City of Richmond, Virginia. It reviews and issues building and trade permits and inspects work under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, through the City's Online Permit Portal and its City Hall permit center. Richmond is an independent city, separate from Henrico and Chesterfield counties.
Hail reports near Richmond, VA
- Reports, last 24 months
- 2
- Largest, last 24 months
- 1.00 in May 5, 2025
- Most recent
- May 5, 2025 1.00 in
- Reports, last 5 years
- 24
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 Richmond, VA (Census point). Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.
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