The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Sullivan County Department of Planning and Codes

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Unincorporated Sullivan County, TN?

Adopted code

Sullivan County Department of Planning and Codes

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Sullivan County, TN, issued by Sullivan County Department of Planning and Codes. The County's permit application lists [email protected] and 423-323-6440, and its required-inspections page gives the department's address as 3425 Hwy 126, Blountville TN 37617. The application asks for the contractor's "State License #" and whether the property owner is acting as the general contractor. It states: "THIS PERMIT, IF NOT EXERCISED, EXPIRES 180 DAYS FROM ISSUANCE AND/OR BETWEEN INSPECTIONS." For a reroof, the required-inspections page lists a tear-off inspection "before reroofing," and the applicant must call for inspections.

Roof code checklist: Unincorporated Sullivan County, TN

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYessullivancountytn.gov2026-10-03
Repair permit thresholdPublishedsullivancountytn.gov2026-10-03
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1sullivancountytn.gov2026-10-03
Deck & sheathingNot published
Drip edgeNot published
Ice & water shieldNot published
Mid-roof inspectionYes2024-Sullivan-County-Building-Zon...2026-10-03
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNot published
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedsullivancountytn.gov2026-10-03
Contractor license / registrationNot published
Sales & use taxNot published

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
Sullivan County, Tennessee (unincorporated areas)
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
3425 Highway 126, Suite 101, Blountville, TN 37617
Contact
  • url: https://sullivancountytn.gov/planning-and-codes/
  • phone: 423-323-6440
  • email: [email protected]
Roofing permit required
Required
Permit process note
The County's permit application lists [email protected] and 423-323-6440, and its required-inspections page gives the department's address as 3425 Hwy 126, Blountville TN 37617. The application asks for the contractor's "State License #" and whether the property owner is acting as the general contractor. It states: "THIS PERMIT, IF NOT EXERCISED, EXPIRES 180 DAYS FROM ISSUANCE AND/OR BETWEEN INSPECTIONS." For a reroof, the required-inspections page lists a tear-off inspection "before reroofing," and the applicant must call for inspections.
Adopted code
The 2018 International Residential Code. The Planning and Codes page says: "To remain in compliance with the State of Tennessee regulations, the Sullivan County Board of County Commissioners adopted the 2018 International Residential Code and the 2018 Energy Code - effective on April 1, 2018." The County's required-inspections page also cites "table 403.1 of the IRC 2018" for footing size. The adopting resolution itself was not read, so any local amendments are not described here.
Mid-roof inspection
Required — A tear-off inspection is required before the new roof goes on. The County's permit application includes a page headed "Sullivan County's Required Building Inspections," which lists: "Tear Off: Roof tear off inspection required before reroofing and siding tear off required before installing new siding." The same application says: "It is the applicant's and/or homeowner's responsibility to call for all inspections as required," and asks applicants to "allow for 3 business day turn around for all inspections." The one-page permit form the Planning and Codes page links (posted as PermitAugust2024.pdf) carries no inspection list, so a roofer working from that form alone will not see the tear-off inspection on it.
Repair permit threshold
The County names roofs as permit work without a size or cost limit. The Planning and Codes page says: "Building Permits are required in Sullivan County for all types of residential housing including: new homes, single-wide mobile homes, double-wide mobile homes, modular homes, additions, carports, garages, storage buildings, gazebos, pools, decks, and roofs as well as interior remodeling jobs." The County's permit application, read in full (the application page, a plot plan page and the required-inspections page), asks for an "Estimated Cost" and offers a "Replacement" work description, but it prints no dollar, area or percentage figure below which roof work needs no permit. A roofer with a small repair should call the department at 423-323-6440 before starting.
Roof layer limit / recover
The County's own published permit materials state no layer limit. The Planning and Codes page, the County's three-page permit application (including its required-inspections page) and the one-page permit form were read; none states a maximum number of roof layers or a recover rule. The County's resolution adopting the 2018 International Residential Code was not read, so this record does not say whether the County amended the IRC's reroofing provisions (2018 IRC Section R908.3.1.1 is the base-code section on recovering). The application's tear-off inspection applies "before reroofing."

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The building permitting authority for unincorporated Sullivan County, Tennessee. The County's Department of Planning and Codes issues its own permits: its permit application carries a County permit number box and a page headed "Sullivan County's Required Building Inspections." The department's page says the Sullivan County Board of County Commissioners adopted the 2018 International Residential Code, effective April 1, 2018, and lists roofs among the residential work that needs a building permit. For Kingsport, see the Kingsport, TN record.

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Sources

Roofing questions: Unincorporated Sullivan County, TN

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Unincorporated Sullivan County, TN?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Sullivan County, TN. The County names roofs as permit work without a size or cost limit. The Planning and Codes page says: "Building Permits are required in Sullivan County for all types of residential housing including: new homes, single-wide mobile homes, double-wide mobile homes, modular homes, additions, carports, garages, storage buildings, gazebos, pools, decks, and roofs as well as interior remodeling jobs." The County's permit application, read in full (the application page, a plot plan page and the required-inspections page), asks for an "Estimated Cost" and offers a "Replacement" work description, but it prints no dollar, area or percentage figure below which roof work needs no permit. A roofer with a small repair should call the department at 423-323-6440 before starting.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Unincorporated Sullivan County, TN?

The County's own published permit materials state no layer limit. The Planning and Codes page, the County's three-page permit application (including its required-inspections page) and the one-page permit form were read; none states a maximum number of roof layers or a recover rule. The County's resolution adopting the 2018 International Residential Code was not read, so this record does not say whether the County amended the IRC's reroofing provisions (2018 IRC Section R908.3.1.1 is the base-code section on recovering). The application's tear-off inspection applies "before reroofing."

What building code does Unincorporated Sullivan County, TN use?

The 2018 International Residential Code. The Planning and Codes page says: "To remain in compliance with the State of Tennessee regulations, the Sullivan County Board of County Commissioners adopted the 2018 International Residential Code and the 2018 Energy Code - effective on April 1, 2018." The County's required-inspections page also cites "table 403.1 of the IRC 2018" for footing size. The adopting resolution itself was not read, so any local amendments are not described here.

Is a mid-roof inspection required in Unincorporated Sullivan County, TN?

Yes. A tear-off inspection is required before the new roof goes on. The County's permit application includes a page headed "Sullivan County's Required Building Inspections," which lists: "Tear Off: Roof tear off inspection required before reroofing and siding tear off required before installing new siding." The same application says: "It is the applicant's and/or homeowner's responsibility to call for all inspections as required," and asks applicants to "allow for 3 business day turn around for all inspections." The one-page permit form the Planning and Codes page links (posted as PermitAugust2024.pdf) carries no inspection list, so a roofer working from that form alone will not see the tear-off inspection on it.