The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Spartanburg County - Building Codes Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Unincorporated Spartanburg County, SC?

Adopted code

Spartanburg County - Building Codes Department

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Spartanburg County, SC, issued by Spartanburg County - Building Codes Department. The Building Codes Department publishes no statement on reroofing either way: its residential permitting page says residential projects "may have multiple permits including but not limited to: Building, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, Sprinkler, and Alarm System", and neither the page nor the fee schedule names roofing. The County Code does not list permit work itself; Section 10-81 provides that "the administrative procedures in the adopted codes shall apply to the extent that they are not in conflict with the comprehensive code enforcement procedures", which brings in the permit section of the adopted International Residential Code, and the Department has published no exemption for roof covering replacement. Apply through the County's Citizen Self Service portal; its Building (Residential) permit type lists work classes such as "Alteration, Remodel, Repair" and has no roofing work class of its own. State law requires the permit office to see evidence of the contractor's Residential Builders Commission registration or licence, or of an exemption, before it issues the permit. Confirm with the Department (864-596-2727) that the property is in its jurisdiction; property inside the City of Spartanburg is permitted by the City.

Roof code checklist: Unincorporated Spartanburg County, SC

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYeslibrary.municode.com2026-09-26
Repair permit thresholdPublishedlibrary.municode.com2026-09-26
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-09-26
Deck & sheathingPublishedR803library.municode.com2026-09-26
Drip edgeNot published
Ice & water shieldNot published
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNolibrary.municode.com2026-09-26
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedSec. 10-81library.municode.com2026-09-26
Contractor license / registrationYesscstatehouse.gov2026-09-26
Sales & use taxPublishedST575.pdf2026-09-26

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
Spartanburg County, South Carolina (unincorporated)
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
366 N Church St, Main Level, Suite 500, Spartanburg, SC 29303
Contact
  • url: https://www.spartanburgcounty.gov/173/Building-Codes
  • phone: 864-596-2727
Permit portal
Permit portal
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • state_level: Roofing is a named Residential Specialty Contractor classification of the South Carolina Residential Builders Commission: "Roofers: the installation, alteration and repair of materials common to the residential building industry that form a watertight, weather resistant surface for roofs and decks, including all accessories, flashing, valleys, gravel stops and roof insulation panels above the roof deck." A residential specialty contractor is one who contracts to do "construction work, repairs, improvement, or reimprovement which requires special skills and involves the use of specialized construction trades or craft, when the undertakings exceed five hundred dollars" (S.C. Code Section 40-59-20(7)), and "all residential specialty contractors must be registered, by the commission" (Section 40-59-220(A)). When the cost of an undertaking for an individual property owner "exceeds five thousand dollars, the residential specialty contractor must obtain an executed bond" (Section 40-59-220(D)). A residential builder, one who constructs or superintends the "construction, repair, improvement, or reimprovement of a residential building" when "the cost of the undertaking exceeds five thousand dollars", must be licensed (Sections 40-59-20(6) and 40-59-220(A)). The permit office "shall refuse to issue a permit for an undertaking which requires licensure or registration under this chapter unless the applicant has furnished evidence that he is either licensed or registered in accordance with this chapter or exempt from the requirements of this chapter" (Section 40-59-280). Section 40-59-260 states that the chapter "does not apply to an owner of residential property who improves the property" where the owner "does the work himself, with his own employees, or with licensed contractors or registered entities or individuals" and the structure is for the owner's or family's own occupancy and not for sale or rent, and Section 40-59-270 states that the chapter "does not apply to a person licensed under Chapter 11" for that work.
  • county_level: Spartanburg County's owner-builder Disclosure Statement (Rev. 8/22/2024) tells an owner applying under the state exemption: "You have applied for a permit under an exemption to that law. The exemption allows you as the owner of your property, to act as your own builder even though you do not have a license." The statement must be recorded in the Register of Deeds Office of Spartanburg County, and names a two-year occupancy period by the owner or a relative. The County's building chapter (Chapter 10, read in full) sets no contractor licence or registration of its own.
Permit process note
The Building Codes Department publishes no statement on reroofing either way: its residential permitting page says residential projects "may have multiple permits including but not limited to: Building, Electrical, Plumbing, Mechanical, Sprinkler, and Alarm System", and neither the page nor the fee schedule names roofing. The County Code does not list permit work itself; Section 10-81 provides that "the administrative procedures in the adopted codes shall apply to the extent that they are not in conflict with the comprehensive code enforcement procedures", which brings in the permit section of the adopted International Residential Code, and the Department has published no exemption for roof covering replacement. Apply through the County's Citizen Self Service portal; its Building (Residential) permit type lists work classes such as "Alteration, Remodel, Repair" and has no roofing work class of its own. State law requires the permit office to see evidence of the contractor's Residential Builders Commission registration or licence, or of an exemption, before it issues the permit. Confirm with the Department (864-596-2727) that the property is in its jurisdiction; property inside the City of Spartanburg is permitted by the City.
Adopted code
Spartanburg County Code Section 10-81, Codes adopted (Ord. No. O-23-13, 5-15-23; the published codification is current through Ord. No. O-23-38, adopted November 20, 2023), adopts "Effective on the implementation date for local jurisdiction as established by the South Carolina Building Codes Council, the latest edition" of the International Residential Code and the other listed codes "adopted by the South Carolina Building Code Council", "together with any special provisions approved by the South Carolina Building Code Council". The County's Current Codes page lists the "2021 International One/Two Family Dwelling Code (Residential Only)" among "the following codes are now used for construction within Spartanburg County". At the state level, S.C. Code Section 6-9-10(A) requires every county to enforce the building codes the Building Codes Council adopts and provides that "The municipality or county shall enforce only the national building and safety codes provided in this chapter." The 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications (S.C. Code of Regulations 8-1200 et seq.) is the mandatory state residential code for permits applied for before January 1, 2027, the date the Building Codes Council set for local jurisdictions to implement the 2024 edition with South Carolina modifications (State Register Vol. 50, Issue 5, May 22, 2026). The Council's list of approved local modifications carries no roofing modification for Spartanburg County. The one South Carolina change to the roofing chapter replaces the drip-edge section: "A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and rake edges of asphalt shingle roofs where required by the manufacturer." (Reg. 8-1228, IRC Section R905.2.8.5.) The County's building chapter (Chapter 10, read in full) contains no roofing provision of its own.
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Neither Spartanburg County's building chapter (Chapter 10, including Section 10-81 adopting the state codes) nor the South Carolina modifications to the 2021 International Residential Code amends the roofing chapter's impact provisions, and the Building Codes Council lists no approved roofing modification for the County; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in the County's adopted code or its amendments.
Repair permit threshold
Spartanburg County publishes no roofing threshold of its own. Its building chapter, read in full, names no roof work either way and sets no dollar, area or percentage line; instead Section 10-81 applies "the administrative procedures in the adopted codes" to the extent they do not conflict with the County's enforcement procedures, so the permit and exemption sections of the adopted International Residential Code (Section R105) apply; they are not restated here. The County's Residential Fee Schedule (effective July 1, 2017) prices a residential building permit at "$4.75 per Thousand" of construction cost with a "$32.00 Minimum", and has no separate roofing line.
Roof layer limit / recover
Two layers maximum. The 2021 International Residential Code, Section R908.3.1.1 Roof recover not allowed, bars a roof recover "Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering", as well as where the existing roof or covering is water soaked or deteriorated to the point it is not an adequate base, or is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile. The South Carolina modifications to the 2021 IRC do not change the reroofing section, and Spartanburg County's building chapter (Chapter 10, read in full) adds no reroofing rule of its own, so the base rule applies unmodified.
Deck & sheathing requirements
Spartanburg County applies the 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications. Neither the County's building chapter (Chapter 10, read in full) nor the South Carolina modifications amend the roof sheathing provisions (Section R803), so the base IRC provisions on roof sheathing apply unmodified.
Sales & use tax
7% in unincorporated Spartanburg County and in every town the South Carolina Department of Revenue lists in Spartanburg County: 6% state sales tax plus the 1% Spartanburg County Capital Projects tax (code 1042), per SCDOR form ST-575, South Carolina Sales Tax Rate by Municipality (Rev. 2/5/26). South Carolina taxes the roofer, not the homeowner's contract: Reg. 117-314.2 provides that building materials "when purchased by builders, contractors, or landowners for use in adding to, repairing or altering real property are subject to either the sales or use tax at the time of purchase", and its list of building materials names "roofing materials". Repair and replacement work are treated alike.

More roof permit pages in South Carolina

Unincorporated Sumter County, SCRoof permit Unincorporated Union County, SCRoof permit Unincorporated Williamsburg County, SCRoof permit Unincorporated York County, SCRoof permit West Columbia, SCRoof permit Roofing in South CarolinaState hub

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Denver-Metro Roofing Permits Filing a Hail Insurance Claim Colorado Hail Season Prep Hiring a Contractor

The Spartanburg County Building Codes Department issues residential and commercial building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits and makes the inspections for work under the County's jurisdiction, through the County's Citizen Self Service online portal. The County Code applies its building chapter county-wide except where a municipality covers those programs by its own ordinance; the City of Spartanburg runs its own building permit office for property inside its city limits, and the Town of Lyman sends its permitting to a private provider, so neither is served by this office. Other towns in the County should be confirmed with the Department before applying.

Hail reports near the center of Spartanburg County, SC

Reports, last 24 months
2
Largest, last 24 months
1.00 in Jun 25, 2025
Most recent
Jun 25, 2025 1.00 in
Reports, last 5 years
7
5 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
Jun 25, 20251.00 in7 mi N
Apr 11, 20250.75 in7 mi ENE
May 26, 20240.88 in6 mi SW
May 24, 20241.00 in5 mi SSW
Apr 19, 20241.25 in6 mi ESE

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

Working an insurance claim in Unincorporated Spartanburg County, SC? Everything on this page (drip edge, ice & water shield, inspections, Class 4 rules) formatted as a claim-ready evidence pack: verbatim ordinance quotes, code section cites, verification dates, and official source links, ready to attach to a supplement. See a real sample pack (PDF, 4 pages, free).

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Sources

Roofing questions: Unincorporated Spartanburg County, SC

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Unincorporated Spartanburg County, SC?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Spartanburg County, SC. Spartanburg County publishes no roofing threshold of its own. Its building chapter, read in full, names no roof work either way and sets no dollar, area or percentage line; instead Section 10-81 applies "the administrative procedures in the adopted codes" to the extent they do not conflict with the County's enforcement procedures, so the permit and exemption sections of the adopted International Residential Code (Section R105) apply; they are not restated here. The County's Residential Fee Schedule (effective July 1, 2017) prices a residential building permit at "$4.75 per Thousand" of construction cost with a "$32.00 Minimum", and has no separate roofing line.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Unincorporated Spartanburg County, SC?

Two layers maximum. The 2021 International Residential Code, Section R908.3.1.1 Roof recover not allowed, bars a roof recover "Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering", as well as where the existing roof or covering is water soaked or deteriorated to the point it is not an adequate base, or is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile. The South Carolina modifications to the 2021 IRC do not change the reroofing section, and Spartanburg County's building chapter (Chapter 10, read in full) adds no reroofing rule of its own, so the base rule applies unmodified.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Unincorporated Spartanburg County, SC?

Yes.

What building code does Unincorporated Spartanburg County, SC use?

Spartanburg County Code Section 10-81, Codes adopted (Ord. No. O-23-13, 5-15-23; the published codification is current through Ord. No. O-23-38, adopted November 20, 2023), adopts "Effective on the implementation date for local jurisdiction as established by the South Carolina Building Codes Council, the latest edition" of the International Residential Code and the other listed codes "adopted by the South Carolina Building Code Council", "together with any special provisions approved by the South Carolina Building Code Council". The County's Current Codes page lists the "2021 International One/Two Family Dwelling Code (Residential Only)" among "the following codes are now used for construction within Spartanburg County". At the state level, S.C. Code Section 6-9-10(A) requires every county to enforce the building codes the Building Codes Council adopts and provides that "The municipality or county shall enforce only the national building and safety codes provided in this chapter." The 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications (S.C. Code of Regulations 8-1200 et seq.) is the mandatory state residential code for permits applied for before January 1, 2027, the date the Building Codes Council set for local jurisdictions to implement the 2024 edition with South Carolina modifications (State Register Vol. 50, Issue 5, May 22, 2026). The Council's list of approved local modifications carries no roofing modification for Spartanburg County. The one South Carolina change to the roofing chapter replaces the drip-edge section: "A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and rake edges of asphalt shingle roofs where required by the manufacturer." (Reg. 8-1228, IRC Section R905.2.8.5.) The County's building chapter (Chapter 10, read in full) contains no roofing provision of its own.