The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Russell County - Building Official

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

Adopted code

Russell County - Building Official

The Building Official of Russell County, Virginia, the Building Department at the County Government Center in Lebanon. Its page lists residential, commercial, manufactured-home, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire safety, sign and tank permit applications and enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code.

Roof code checklist: Russell County, VA

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofNot published
Repair permit thresholdPublished2021-virginia-construction-code.pdf2026-09-30
Layer limit / roof-overNot published
Deck & sheathingPublishedR803law.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-30
Drip edgeNot published
Ice & water shieldNot published
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNot published
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedSec. 310.6.1law.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-30
Contractor license / registrationYeslaw.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-30
Sales & use taxPublishedSec. 58.1-603tax.virginia.gov2026-09-30

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
Russell County, Virginia
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
137 Highland Drive, Suite D, Lebanon, VA 24266
Contact
  • url: https://www.russellcountyva.us/152/Building-Official
  • phone: 276-889-8012
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: 18VAC50-22-30 defines "Roofing contracting" (ROC) 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". 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"; this record does not decide whether any reader falls within an exemption. Some older pages give a $10,000 floor for Class C; that figure predates the 2025 amendment.
  • county_level: Russell County adds no contractor licence of its own on the pages read. Its Building Permit Application asks the general contractor for a "State License #" and "Exp. Date", and carries an owner statement: "I am aware that anyone who performs work for me, is required to have a state contractors license and trade certification(if applicable)". Its Owner Written Statement form is headed "Section 54.1-1111 Written Statement" and has the owner affirm "THAT I AM NOT SUBJECT TO LICENSURE AS A CONTRACTOR OR SUBCONTRACTOR", adding that the owner "MAY NOT UNDERTAKE CONSTRUCTION OR RENOVATION WORK REQUIRING A BUILDING OR TRADE PERMIT ON MORE THAN ONE (1) RESIDENTAL DWELLING WITHIN A 24 MONTH PERIOD WITHOUT OBTAINING LICENSURE AS A CONTRACTOR." Its Commercial Building Permit asks for a "VA Contractor License". The County's building forms and pages ask for no county contractor licence, bond or registration; the state licence is the only contractor credential they call for.
Permit process note
Whether an ordinary reroof of a house needs a permit in Russell County is not answered by the County's published material, so ask first. The statewide rule, Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 (2021 edition) 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." Russell County publishes no design wind speed and no statement on reroofs, so the record does not apply the exemption's wind-speed condition to the County. The work must meet the code with or without a permit. Where a permit is taken out, the owner or the contractor files the County's Building Permit Application (issued by the Russell County Building Department, 137 Highland Dr. Suite D, Lebanon, VA 24266) with the County Tax Map ID number and, for each trade, a Trade Permit Application. The FAQ states "Building permits are available online and may be submitted electronically. Payment for permits are remitted to the Russell County Treasurer's Office and may be made by telephone, using either a credit or debit card." A permit is "valid for 6 months after the filing date", and "A 24 hour notice is required for all inspection requests." Hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM; telephone 276-889-8012.
Adopted code
The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC, 13VAC5-63), effective January 18, 2024, applies in Russell 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), 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 own ordinance of April 1, 2013 to compel the repair or removal of unsafe buildings states that it is enacted "in order to properly enforce the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code"; the County's Ordinances & Resolutions page, read in full, lists no ordinance that adopts or amends a building code, and no codified county code was found. The County's Tiny Houses sheet, which carries no date, says "Today, the 2018 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC) includes the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC)" and "The 2021 Virginia Residential Code will be mandatory January 18,2025"; the County has published no other statement of which edition it enforces, and the 2021 edition took effect statewide on January 18, 2024. As read on September 30, 2026, a 2024 edition of the USBC is in rulemaking and has not been adopted.
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"). Russell County publishes no design wind speed and no statement on whether a house reroof needs a permit: its Building Official page and its Building Permit Application list no roofing permit type (the application's "TYPE OF PERMIT NEEDED" choices are "New Construction", "Addition", "Aleration/Remodel" and "Demolition"), and its FAQ says the documents required for a building permit are the Building Permit Application, the County Tax Map ID number, an In-Lieu Plan, a Trade Permit Application for each trade, and Health Department approval where a private septic and well are used. This record therefore does not say whether an ordinary reroof of a house needs a permit in Russell County, because the exemption above turns on a nominal design wind speed the County has not published. A roofer should ask the Building Official at 276-889-8012 before starting and should not assume either answer. The County's Owner Written Statement (Section 54.1-1111) is filled in by an owner who applies for a building or trade permit and is not subject to licensure as a contractor.
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), so the base 2021 IRC roof-sheathing provisions apply unmodified to work under the Virginia Residential Code, and a county may not amend the statewide code (Code of Virginia Section 36-98). Russell County's Ordinances & Resolutions page, read in full, lists no ordinance adopting or amending a building code, and its Building Official page and permit applications state no sheathing or decking rule. 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). Permit line: replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking on a house is outside the statewide exemption (Virginia Construction Code 108.2 item 14.6).
Sales & use tax
5.3% general sales and use tax in Russell County (Virginia Tax, "Sales and Use Tax Rates by Locality" workbook, "Jan 2026 - Present" block, read September 30, 2026: Russell, code 51167, 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); Virginia Tax's rates page lists 5.3% for "Everywhere else" outside its regional areas. Food and personal hygiene items are taxed at 1% in the same block. 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

Salem, VARoof permit Shenandoah County, VARoof permit Smyth County, VARoof permit Spotsylvania County, VARoof permit Stafford County, VARoof permit Roofing in VirginiaState hub

Related guides

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No NOAA hail reports within 10 miles of the center of Russell County, VA in the last 5 years (data through Sep 30, 2026).

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 Russell County, VA. Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.

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Sources

Roofing questions: Russell County, VA

When does a roof repair need a permit in Russell County, 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"). Russell County publishes no design wind speed and no statement on whether a house reroof needs a permit: its Building Official page and its Building Permit Application list no roofing permit type (the application's "TYPE OF PERMIT NEEDED" choices are "New Construction", "Addition", "Aleration/Remodel" and "Demolition"), and its FAQ says the documents required for a building permit are the Building Permit Application, the County Tax Map ID number, an In-Lieu Plan, a Trade Permit Application for each trade, and Health Department approval where a private septic and well are used. This record therefore does not say whether an ordinary reroof of a house needs a permit in Russell County, because the exemption above turns on a nominal design wind speed the County has not published. A roofer should ask the Building Official at 276-889-8012 before starting and should not assume either answer. The County's Owner Written Statement (Section 54.1-1111) is filled in by an owner who applies for a building or trade permit and is not subject to licensure as a contractor.

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

Yes.

What building code does Russell County, VA use?

The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC, 13VAC5-63), effective January 18, 2024, applies in Russell 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), 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 own ordinance of April 1, 2013 to compel the repair or removal of unsafe buildings states that it is enacted "in order to properly enforce the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code"; the County's Ordinances & Resolutions page, read in full, lists no ordinance that adopts or amends a building code, and no codified county code was found. The County's Tiny Houses sheet, which carries no date, says "Today, the 2018 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC) includes the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC)" and "The 2021 Virginia Residential Code will be mandatory January 18,2025"; the County has published no other statement of which edition it enforces, and the 2021 edition took effect statewide on January 18, 2024. As read on September 30, 2026, a 2024 edition of the USBC is in rulemaking and has not been adopted.