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Permitting Authorities / Smyth County - Building & Zoning Department

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

Adopted code

Smyth County - Building & Zoning Department

The Building and Zoning Department of Smyth County, Virginia issues building permits and conducts inspections under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, and administers the County's zoning and subdivision ordinances, from the Smyth County Office Building at 121 Bagley Circle in Marion.

Roof code checklist: Smyth County, VA

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofNot published
Repair permit thresholdPublishedsmythcounty.gov2026-09-30
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) roofingNolaw.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-30
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedSec. 310.6.1library.municode.com2026-09-30
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
Smyth County, Virginia
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
121 Bagley Circle, Suite 120, Marion, VA 24354
Contact
  • url: https://www.smythcounty.gov/departments/building___zoning/index.php
  • phone: 276-706-8317
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: Smyth County Code Chapter 14 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, sets no contractor licence, bond or registration of its own; its permit prerequisites (Section 14-66) are plans, health-department, zoning, highway, flood and asbestos items, not a contractor credential. The County's fees page lists "Contractor Listing: $5.00" among its miscellaneous fees without describing it. The Building & Zoning Permit application, where the County may ask for a state licence number, could not be opened, so what the permit desk asks a contractor to show is not described here.
Permit process note
Whether an ordinary reroof of a one- or two-family home needs a permit in Smyth County turns on a state wind-speed test that the County's opened pages do not answer, so check with the Building & Zoning Department before you start. 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." The County has published nothing that applies the exemption to reroofs. Its Code adopts the state code and repeats the state exemptions by reference (Sections 14-29, 14-64, 14-65), its Building & Zoning page prints no design wind speed, and its permit application and "2021 Building Code Updates" PDF could not be opened. The work must meet the code with or without a permit. To buy a building permit the department asks for the items on its page, among them building plans (the page says "Check with the building inspector to see if the state code requires your project to have a set of plans designed by an architect or engineer"), a zoning permit, and, if the project is in the floodplain, a flood elevation certificate; "Smyth County Building Inspection will explain these state requirements to you. Just ask!" The office is on the first floor of the Smyth County Office Building at 121 Bagley Circle, Suite 120, Marion, open Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., the Certified Permit Technician at 276-706-8317. On inspections the page says "Our goal is to respond to inspection requests within two business days. Therefore, you will need to call our office at least two days before the date you would like to schedule your inspection." A state levy of 2.00% is added to building permit fees (fees page), and starting before a required permit costs twice the fee (County Code Section 14-68(c)).
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."). Smyth County Code Section 14-29 provides: "There is hereby adopted by reference in the county the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, as currently in effect and as amended in the future". The County's Building & Zoning page, read on 2026-09-30, says the Building Inspection Office enforces the "Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and all codes referenced within" and lists the 2021 Virginia Construction Code, the 2021 Virginia Residential Code and the 2021 Virginia Rehabilitation Code (the page's name for the state's existing-building code), among others. Chapter 14 of the County Code (Buildings and Building Regulations, codified through the Ordinance of December 11, 2025), 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, 13VAC5-63-210) or in the 2021 Virginia Construction Code text that its existing-building reroofing rules point to. Smyth County Code Chapter 14 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, adopts the state code by reference and adds no roofing provision, and the Building & Zoning Department's page names 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"). Smyth County's own words track the state rule. County Code Section 14-64 says "Before any activities which are regulated by the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code are undertaken, the applicant shall secure a permit from the building official," and Section 14-65 says "Activities which are exempt from the building permit requirements as listed in the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code in effect at the time a project is undertaken shall be exempt from any local building permit." Section 14-67, in listing the building permits that do not need a highway entrance permit, names "roof" among them, so the County issues building permits for roof work; the section does not say which roof jobs those are. The Building & Zoning page and the County Code chapter opened say nothing more about reroofs and print no design wind speed, so whether a given house sits under the 100 mile per hour nominal-speed line is not answered here; two County documents linked from the department's pages (a "2021 Building Code Updates" PDF and the "Building and Zoning Permit" application) could not be opened and are not described. Replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking is permit work under item 14.6. Starting work without a permit costs double: under County Code Section 14-68(c), "Permit fees for a project which is started without a permit and constructed past a required inspection will be computed at twice the rates established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors."
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 Smyth County Code Chapter 14 (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). Permit line: replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking on a house is outside the statewide permit exemption (Virginia Construction Code 108.2 item 14.6).
Sales & use tax
5.3% general sales and use tax in Smyth County (Virginia Tax, "Sales Tax Rates by Locality" workbook, "January 1, 2026 - Present" sheet: Smyth, code 51173, 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 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

Spotsylvania County, VARoof permit Stafford County, VARoof permit Suffolk, VARoof permit Tazewell County, VARoof permit Unincorporated Carroll 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 the center of Smyth County, VA

Reports, last 24 months
0
Largest, last 24 months
None
Most recent
None in 24 months
Reports, last 5 years
1
Most recent report, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
May 6, 20221.75 in9 mi WSW

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

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Sources

Roofing questions: Smyth County, VA

When does a roof repair need a permit in Smyth 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"). Smyth County's own words track the state rule. County Code Section 14-64 says "Before any activities which are regulated by the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code are undertaken, the applicant shall secure a permit from the building official," and Section 14-65 says "Activities which are exempt from the building permit requirements as listed in the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code in effect at the time a project is undertaken shall be exempt from any local building permit." Section 14-67, in listing the building permits that do not need a highway entrance permit, names "roof" among them, so the County issues building permits for roof work; the section does not say which roof jobs those are. The Building & Zoning page and the County Code chapter opened say nothing more about reroofs and print no design wind speed, so whether a given house sits under the 100 mile per hour nominal-speed line is not answered here; two County documents linked from the department's pages (a "2021 Building Code Updates" PDF and the "Building and Zoning Permit" application) could not be opened and are not described. Replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking is permit work under item 14.6. Starting work without a permit costs double: under County Code Section 14-68(c), "Permit fees for a project which is started without a permit and constructed past a required inspection will be computed at twice the rates established by resolution of the Board of Supervisors."

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

Yes.

What building code does Smyth County, 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."). Smyth County Code Section 14-29 provides: "There is hereby adopted by reference in the county the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, as currently in effect and as amended in the future". The County's Building & Zoning page, read on 2026-09-30, says the Building Inspection Office enforces the "Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and all codes referenced within" and lists the 2021 Virginia Construction Code, the 2021 Virginia Residential Code and the 2021 Virginia Rehabilitation Code (the page's name for the state's existing-building code), among others. Chapter 14 of the County Code (Buildings and Building Regulations, codified through the Ordinance of December 11, 2025), read in full, adds no technical roofing provision of its own.