The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / City of Roanoke - Permit Center (Planning, Building and Development)

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

Adopted code

City of Roanoke - Permit Center (Planning, Building and Development)

The Permit Center of the City of Roanoke, Virginia, part of the City's Planning, Building and Development department, takes building, trade and zoning permit applications for work inside the City and schedules inspections through the eTRAKiT portal; its Building Safety section, headed by the City's Building Official, reviews plans and inspects the work. The City of Roanoke is an independent city, separate from Roanoke County.

Roof code checklist: Roanoke, 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 shieldNoroanokeva.gov2026-09-26
Mid-roof inspectionNoroanokeva.gov2026-09-26
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNolaw.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-26
Wind design criteriaPublishedroanokeva.gov2026-09-26
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
City of Roanoke, Virginia
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
215 Church Avenue SW, Suite 170 (Noel C. Taylor Municipal Building), Roanoke, VA 24011
Contact
  • url: https://www.roanokeva.gov/1006/Permit-Center
  • phone: 540-853-1090
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". The City's Contractor License Exemptions page quotes that exemption and explains its conditions, including that "The exemption does not extend to any people hired to perform work; any subcontractor must have the proper license class and classification for the work performed", and the City's Contractor License Requirements page prints the current class limits (Class C "$1,000 to $29,999" per contract, "$250,000 or less" a year). Some older pages give a $10,000 floor for Class C; that figure predates the 2025 amendment.
  • city_level: The City of Roanoke adds no contractor licence of its own. Its Contractor License Requirements page says "A Roanoke Business License is required when working in the city. Exception: a Roanoke business license is not necessary when the contractor has a business license in their home office locality and the total amount of work the contractor does in a given year is less than $25,000." A business licence is a local tax registration, not a trade credential. The City's residential permit application asks for the contractor's "DPOR License #", and every permit needs a Contractor/Subcontractor Listing: "The inspector will not inspect the work of contractors or subcontractors who are not properly listed". The page also says "The permit holder responsible for ensuring that subcontractors are properly licensed to perform work on construction projects."
Permit process note
In a City of Roanoke historic district a reroof always needs a building permit: City Code Section 7-8 says "The building official shall require a permit for the installation of replacement siding, roofing and windows, in buildings within a historic district designated by the city council for the City of Roanoke." Exterior work there also needs a Certificate of Appropriateness, and work in a Special Flood Hazard Area needs a Floodplain Elevation Certificate with the application. Elsewhere in the City the statewide rule decides. 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," and item 14.6 exempts only "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m 2 ) or less of roof decking in Group R-3, R-4 or R-5" unless that decking had to be fire-retardant-treated or fire-protected. The building official may 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", and an owner who asks for a permit must be issued 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 City states its residential design wind speed only as an ultimate figure, "Roanoke has 115mph ultimate windspeeds", not as the nominal figure item 14.5 uses, and publishes no statement on whether a house reroof outside a historic district needs a permit, so confirm with the Permit Center (540-853-1090) before starting. Applications go in through the eTRAKiT portal or the Permit Counter Apps, or to the Permit Center at 215 Church Avenue SW, Suite 170. The City issues "Combination Permits when there is building work and at least one other type trade work to be performed"; the general contractor obtains the permit and lists all subcontractors, and an owner doing the work under the state licensing exemption files an Owner/Builder Affidavit. Starting permit work without the permit costs "Two times the calculated permit fees" with "No cap" (fee schedule effective July 1, 2023).
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's own current statements name the 2021 edition: its Remodel/Repair permit page says building permits are reviewed for compliance with "2021 Virginia Statewide Uniform Building Code", and its Local Climatic Design Criteria sheet (updated February 2025) lists the "2021 Virginia Residential Code (VRC)" and "2021 Virginia Existing Building Code". Roanoke City Code Section 7-5, as last amended in 2018, still names "the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (2015 edition)" and then provides that "all future editions and amendments to the sections of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code ... are hereby automatically adopted and incorporated into this Code." The City's older web page for new single- and two-family dwellings still names the "2012 Uniform Statewide Building Code". Chapter 7 of the City Code (Building Regulations), read in full, adds no technical roofing provision of its own; its one roofing section, Section 7-8, concerns permits in historic districts.
Ice & water shield
Not required — The City's own Local Climatic Design Criteria sheet (updated February 2025), in its "Residential 1 & 2 Family Dwelling Construction Design Parameters" table, answers "No" under "ICE BARRIER UNDERLAYMENT REQUIRED" on the Roanoke City row, and gives the same answer for Roanoke County, Vinton and Salem. Virginia's amendments to the International Residential Code (Virginia Construction Code Section 310.8) contain no ice barrier amendment. About ice & water barrier
Mid-roof inspection
Not required — The City publishes no roofing inspection. Its Residential IVR Codes sheet, which gives the "FULL LIST OF INSPECTIONS, DESCRIPTION OF INSPECTIONS AND THEIR IVR CODE FOR RESIDENTIAL PERMITS ONLY", runs from footings and framing to "R FINAL BUILDING" and names no roofing, underlayment or roof sheathing stage. The City says "a list of required inspections are listed on the permit document", so a roof job that is under permit gets the inspections printed on its own permit.
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. Chapter 7 of the Roanoke City Code (Building Regulations), the City's Local Climatic Design Criteria sheet and its residential permit guidance 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 Roanoke has taken up the first Exception in its own code. City Code Section 7-8, "Permit requirement in historic district" (Ord. No. 38060, 2008), reads: "The building official shall require a permit for the installation of replacement siding, roofing and windows, in buildings within a historic district designated by the city council for the City of Roanoke." So a reroof of a building in a City historic district needs a building permit whatever its size, and the City's Remodel/Repair page also asks for a "Certificate of Appropriateness, if located in a historic district and work conducted on the exterior" and a "Floodplain Elevation Certificate, if in Special Flood Hazard Area." Outside those areas, whether a full house reroof falls inside item 14.5 turns on the nominal design wind speed. The City publishes its residential design wind speed as 115 mph and calls it ultimate ("Roanoke has 115mph ultimate windspeeds", Plan Review Checklist for New Homes and Additions, updated May 2026); it publishes no nominal figure and no statement applying item 14.5 to reroofs, and this record does not convert the ultimate figure. Replacing 100 square feet or less of roof covering is exempt in every wind zone; replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking is outside item 14.6. The City's fee schedule (effective July 1, 2023) has no roofing line; construction permits cost "$50" up to $1,000 of value and "$50 + $6.57 for each additional $1,000 + $2% state levy" above it, and "Work without a permit" costs "Two times the calculated permit fees" with "No cap".
Wind design criteria
The City's Local Climatic Design Criteria sheet for "Roanoke City, Roanoke County, The Town of Vinton, & Salem" (updated February 2025) gives, on the Roanoke City row of its residential one- and two-family table: ground snow load 30 psf; wind design speed 115 mph ("115 Note 1"); seismic design category B; weathering "Severe"; frost line depth 18 inches; termite "Moderate to heavy"; winter design temperature 16 degrees F; ice barrier underlayment required "No". Note 1 reads "Based on ASCE 7-16 (Residential) and ASCE 7-22, go to https://ascehazardtool.org/ then enter address". The City's Plan Review Checklist for New Homes and Additions (2021 VRC, updated May 2026) says "Roanoke has 115mph ultimate windspeeds". The 115 mph figure is therefore an ULTIMATE design wind speed; the City states no nominal (allowable-stress) figure, and the two are different bases, so do not compare 115 mph directly with the 100 mph nominal-speed line in the statewide reroof permit exemption. Roanoke County, Vinton and Salem have their own row on the same sheet (frost depth 24 inches).
Deck & sheathing requirements
No City-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 Chapter 7 of the Roanoke City Code (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 Roanoke (Virginia Tax, "Sales Tax Rates by Locality" workbook, "January 1, 2026 - Present" sheet: Roanoke City, code 51770, 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); Roanoke is in none of the regional add-on areas, and Virginia Tax's rates page puts it in the 5.3% "Everywhere else" group. Roanoke County, a separate jurisdiction, has its own row (code 51161) at the same 5.3%. Food and personal hygiene items are taxed at 1% statewide, and the City levies a plastic bag tax of $0.05 per bag. 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 Roanoke, VirginiaCity hub

More roof permit pages in Virginia

Rockbridge County, VARoof permit Rockingham County, VARoof permit Russell County, VARoof permit Salem, VARoof permit Shenandoah 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 Roanoke, VA

Reports, last 24 months
5
Largest, last 24 months
1.00 in Jun 11, 2026
Most recent
Jun 11, 2026 1.00 in
Reports, last 5 years
10
5 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
Jun 11, 20261.00 in9 mi E
Apr 1, 20261.00 in6 mi E
Jul 18, 20251.00 in9 mi E
Jul 18, 20250.88 in6 mi E
May 8, 20251.00 in8 mi E

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

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Sources

Roofing questions: Roanoke, VA

When does a roof repair need a permit in Roanoke, 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 Roanoke has taken up the first Exception in its own code. City Code Section 7-8, "Permit requirement in historic district" (Ord. No. 38060, 2008), reads: "The building official shall require a permit for the installation of replacement siding, roofing and windows, in buildings within a historic district designated by the city council for the City of Roanoke." So a reroof of a building in a City historic district needs a building permit whatever its size, and the City's Remodel/Repair page also asks for a "Certificate of Appropriateness, if located in a historic district and work conducted on the exterior" and a "Floodplain Elevation Certificate, if in Special Flood Hazard Area." Outside those areas, whether a full house reroof falls inside item 14.5 turns on the nominal design wind speed. The City publishes its residential design wind speed as 115 mph and calls it ultimate ("Roanoke has 115mph ultimate windspeeds", Plan Review Checklist for New Homes and Additions, updated May 2026); it publishes no nominal figure and no statement applying item 14.5 to reroofs, and this record does not convert the ultimate figure. Replacing 100 square feet or less of roof covering is exempt in every wind zone; replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking is outside item 14.6. The City's fee schedule (effective July 1, 2023) has no roofing line; construction permits cost "$50" up to $1,000 of value and "$50 + $6.57 for each additional $1,000 + $2% state levy" above it, and "Work without a permit" costs "Two times the calculated permit fees" with "No cap".

Is ice & water shield required in Roanoke, VA?

No. The City's own Local Climatic Design Criteria sheet (updated February 2025), in its "Residential 1 & 2 Family Dwelling Construction Design Parameters" table, answers "No" under "ICE BARRIER UNDERLAYMENT REQUIRED" on the Roanoke City row, and gives the same answer for Roanoke County, Vinton and Salem. Virginia's amendments to the International Residential Code (Virginia Construction Code Section 310.8) contain no ice barrier amendment.

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

Yes.

What building code does Roanoke, 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 ... 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's own current statements name the 2021 edition: its Remodel/Repair permit page says building permits are reviewed for compliance with "2021 Virginia Statewide Uniform Building Code", and its Local Climatic Design Criteria sheet (updated February 2025) lists the "2021 Virginia Residential Code (VRC)" and "2021 Virginia Existing Building Code". Roanoke City Code Section 7-5, as last amended in 2018, still names "the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (2015 edition)" and then provides that "all future editions and amendments to the sections of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code ... are hereby automatically adopted and incorporated into this Code." The City's older web page for new single- and two-family dwellings still names the "2012 Uniform Statewide Building Code". Chapter 7 of the City Code (Building Regulations), read in full, adds no technical roofing provision of its own; its one roofing section, Section 7-8, concerns permits in historic districts.

Is a mid-roof inspection required in Roanoke, VA?

No. The City publishes no roofing inspection. Its Residential IVR Codes sheet, which gives the "FULL LIST OF INSPECTIONS, DESCRIPTION OF INSPECTIONS AND THEIR IVR CODE FOR RESIDENTIAL PERMITS ONLY", runs from footings and framing to "R FINAL BUILDING" and names no roofing, underlayment or roof sheathing stage. The City says "a list of required inspections are listed on the permit document", so a roof job that is under permit gets the inspections printed on its own permit.