The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Sumter City-County Building Department

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

Adopted code

Sumter City-County Building Department

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Sumter County, SC, issued by Sumter City-County Building Department. A roofing permit is needed for repairs to or replacement of a roof, in the Department's own words. Use the Roof Permit Application (tick the County box for unincorporated property) or the Department's online Permitting and Licensing Portal. The application asks for the contractor's state licence number and business licence number, the valuation of work including materials and labor, a copy of the signed contract, whether the existing shingles or membrane are being removed, and how debris will be disposed of. The Department notes that residential specialty licensed roofing contractors are limited to $5,000 of roofing work, including labor and materials, unless a bond has been filed with the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. Inspections are requested only by phone at 803-774-1634, only by the contractor of record, and a request made before 3 PM is scheduled for the following workday.

Roof code checklist: Unincorporated Sumter County, SC

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYessumtersc.gov2026-09-26
Repair permit thresholdPublishedsumtersc.gov2026-09-26
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. 8-114sumtersc.gov2026-09-26
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
Sumter County, South Carolina (unincorporated)
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
12 W. Liberty Street, Sumter, SC 29150
Contact
  • url: https://www.sumtersc.gov/building
  • phone: 803-774-1600
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: Sumter County Code Section 8-21 (Ord. No. 98-350, 1998) makes it "the duty of every contractor or builder who shall make contracts for the erection or construction or repair of a building for which a permit is required in the county" to "secure a license as provided hereinafter, and to register for that purpose with the Building Official", with an annual licensing fee set by County Council, and provides that "A state license required by the state is needed before a county license will be issued." The Department's Building Permits page states: "In addition to a State License, Contractor's are required to have a Sumter City and/or County Business License." Its Roof Permit Application asks for both the contractor's licence number and business licence number. On the Department's FAQ: "Specialty Licensed Roofing Contractors are limited to no more than $5,000 of roofing work, including labor and materials, unless a Bond has been filed with the South Carolina Labor, Licensing and Regulation Division." A homeowner working on their own primary residence must record an Owner/Builder Affidavit (Disclosure Statement) with the Sumter County Register of Deeds before a permit is issued, and the Department states that the owner must live in the home for at least two years.
Permit process note
A roofing permit is needed for repairs to or replacement of a roof, in the Department's own words. Use the Roof Permit Application (tick the County box for unincorporated property) or the Department's online Permitting and Licensing Portal. The application asks for the contractor's state licence number and business licence number, the valuation of work including materials and labor, a copy of the signed contract, whether the existing shingles or membrane are being removed, and how debris will be disposed of. The Department notes that residential specialty licensed roofing contractors are limited to $5,000 of roofing work, including labor and materials, unless a bond has been filed with the South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. Inspections are requested only by phone at 803-774-1634, only by the contractor of record, and a request made before 3 PM is scheduled for the following workday.
Adopted code
The Department's Building Codes page lists as its current residential code the "2021 International Residential Code (ICC)", with the note "All above Codes are with the approved South Carolina modifications", and its codes update notice states that effective January 1, 2023 the state adopted the 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications. Sumter County Code Section 8-114 provides: "The International Residential Code, as adopted by the state building codes council, is adopted and enforced throughout the county." The County's codified Section 8-19 still names the International Building Code, 2006 edition, and the International Residential Code, 2003 edition (Ord. No. 04-552, 2004); that older text is disclosed here and has not been read. 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 Sumter 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 8, read in full) contains no roofing provision of its own.
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Neither Sumter County's building chapter (Chapter 8, including Section 8-114 adopting the state residential code) 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
No size or dollar threshold: the Department answers "Is a permit required to repair or replace a roof?" with "A roofing permit is needed for repairs to or replacement of a roof." Its Building Permits page lists "Roofing - Installing new Shingles or other roofing materials" among work that requires a Building Permit and Inspections, and roofing is not on its list of work that does not require a permit. The Department publishes a dedicated Roof Permit Application, which asks for the valuation of work (materials and labor) and a copy of the signed contract. Sumter County Code Section 8-24(a) requires anyone who engages "in the business of construction, alteration or repair in any building or structure in the county" to "obtain a permit from the Sumter City-County Building Department as required." Section 8-24(b) excepts work done by an owner on the owner's own property, but says the term "shall not be construed to include any contractor, subcontractor, or builder employed by the owner"; the Department's own page tells a homeowner doing their own work to record an Owner/Builder Affidavit and to "obtain a Building Permit for any work that requires a Building Permit before starting the work."
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 Sumter County's building chapter (Chapter 8, read in full) adds no reroofing rule of its own, so the base rule applies unmodified. The Department's Roof Permit Application (updated 2-24-2015) asks whether the existing shingles or membrane are being removed and prints the same two-application limit from the 2012 edition's Section R907.3, which agrees with the rule above.
Deck & sheathing requirements
Sumter County applies the 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications. Neither the County's building chapter (Chapter 8, 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
8% in unincorporated Sumter County: 6% state sales tax plus the Sumter County Capital Projects and Local Option taxes (reporting code 1043 for each), per SCDOR form ST-575, South Carolina Sales Tax Rate by Municipality (Rev. 2/5/26), which lists the same 8% total for the City of Sumter and the Towns of Mayesville and Pinewood; SCDOR form ST-500 (Rev. 3/9/2026, effective May 1, 2026) also shows Sumter County at 8%. 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 Union County, SCRoof permit Unincorporated Williamsburg County, SCRoof permit Unincorporated York County, SCRoof permit West Columbia, SCRoof permit Anderson, SCRoof permit Roofing in South CarolinaState hub

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The Sumter City-County Building Department is the joint building department of the City of Sumter and Sumter County. From one office in the Liberty Center in downtown Sumter it processes building permits, including roof permits, and makes the inspections. For Sumter County it serves the unincorporated area; its permit applications also list the City of Sumter and the Towns of Mayesville and Pinewood as jurisdictions it permits.

Hail reports near the center of Sumter County, SC

Reports, last 24 months
0
Largest, last 24 months
None
Most recent
None in 24 months
Reports, last 5 years
5
5 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
Jun 6, 20230.50 inunder 1 mi
Jun 6, 20230.25 in1 mi WNW
Apr 30, 20230.25 in7 mi NNW
Mar 26, 20230.75 in9 mi WSW
Apr 6, 20220.25 in7 mi S

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

Working an insurance claim in Unincorporated Sumter 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 Sumter County, SC

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

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Sumter County, SC. No size or dollar threshold: the Department answers "Is a permit required to repair or replace a roof?" with "A roofing permit is needed for repairs to or replacement of a roof." Its Building Permits page lists "Roofing - Installing new Shingles or other roofing materials" among work that requires a Building Permit and Inspections, and roofing is not on its list of work that does not require a permit. The Department publishes a dedicated Roof Permit Application, which asks for the valuation of work (materials and labor) and a copy of the signed contract. Sumter County Code Section 8-24(a) requires anyone who engages "in the business of construction, alteration or repair in any building or structure in the county" to "obtain a permit from the Sumter City-County Building Department as required." Section 8-24(b) excepts work done by an owner on the owner's own property, but says the term "shall not be construed to include any contractor, subcontractor, or builder employed by the owner"; the Department's own page tells a homeowner doing their own work to record an Owner/Builder Affidavit and to "obtain a Building Permit for any work that requires a Building Permit before starting the work."

Can you roof over an existing roof in Unincorporated Sumter 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 Sumter County's building chapter (Chapter 8, read in full) adds no reroofing rule of its own, so the base rule applies unmodified. The Department's Roof Permit Application (updated 2-24-2015) asks whether the existing shingles or membrane are being removed and prints the same two-application limit from the 2012 edition's Section R907.3, which agrees with the rule above.

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

Yes.

What building code does Unincorporated Sumter County, SC use?

The Department's Building Codes page lists as its current residential code the "2021 International Residential Code (ICC)", with the note "All above Codes are with the approved South Carolina modifications", and its codes update notice states that effective January 1, 2023 the state adopted the 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina modifications. Sumter County Code Section 8-114 provides: "The International Residential Code, as adopted by the state building codes council, is adopted and enforced throughout the county." The County's codified Section 8-19 still names the International Building Code, 2006 edition, and the International Residential Code, 2003 edition (Ord. No. 04-552, 2004); that older text is disclosed here and has not been read. 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 Sumter 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 8, read in full) contains no roofing provision of its own.