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Permitting Authorities / Tazewell County - Building Department

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

Adopted code

Tazewell County - Building Department

No, Tazewell County, VA does not require a permit for like-for-like roof replacement (Tazewell County - Building Department). The County's no-permit line is limited to shingles and to single-family houses. Tazewell County's Building Inspections page, under "Work that does NOT require a permit", states: "The building code allows work to be done without obtaining a permit. While a permit is not required, the work must be in compliance with the code. The following information pertains to SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS ONLY; it does not pertain to apartments, condominiums or townhouses (for information on these types of dwellings, please contact our office)." Its examples include "Making ordinary repairs and improvements, including, but not limited to:" and "Repairing drywall, plaster, siding, re-roofing (shingles only)." The page adds: "If you should have questions about whether a permit is required please call the Building Inspection office at 276-385-1215." Among projects that do need a building permit it lists "Repairing, altering, enlarging, or modifying any structural element of the house including:" "Any damaged structural element, such as load bearing stud walls, columns, piers, footings, foundation, floor joists, rafters, beams, or girders." The state rule behind the County's line is Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 (2021 USBC), item 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 m2) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones." Item 14.6: "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m2) 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." 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." "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." Section 108.2 also provides that "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's page does not repeat item 14.5's nominal wind speed condition and states no design wind speed; this record does not decide how that condition applies in the County. Where a permit is needed, County Code Sec. 4-29 provides: "When construction is begun prior to obtaining a building permit, the fees shall be doubled." Applications go to the Building Department at 173 Main Street, Tazewell, in person or by mail (the page also accepts them by email to the permit technician); the page states "Permits are good for a six month period." Work in the Towns of Richlands, Cedar Bluff or Pocahontas also needs "a town zoning permit ... in addition to a county building permit".

Roof code checklist: Tazewell County, VA

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofNotazewellcountyva.org2026-09-26
Repair permit thresholdPublished2021-virginia-construction-code.pdf2026-09-26
Layer limit / roof-overNot published
Deck & sheathingPublishedR803law.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-26
Drip edgeNot published
Ice & water shieldNot published
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNolaw.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-26
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedSec. 310.6.1law.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-26
Contractor license / registrationYeslaw.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-26
Sales & use taxPublishedtax.virginia.gov2026-09-26

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
Tazewell County, Virginia
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
173 Main Street, Tazewell, VA 24651
Contact
  • url: https://tazewellcountyva.org/departments/buildinginspections/
  • phone: 276-385-1215
Roofing permit required
Not required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • state_level: Virginia licenses contractors through the Board for Contractors. Va. Code 54.1-1100, as amended by 2025 Acts ch. 127: "'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." Classes A and B cover larger contracts. Roofing is licensed under the Roofing Contracting (ROC) specialty, defined in 18VAC50-22-30 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", which also says "The CBC and RBC classifications and the HIC and CIC specialties also provide for this function." Va. Code 54.1-1101 A lists who the chapter does not apply to, including "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. Va. Code 54.1-1111 A requires a permit applicant to furnish "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."
  • county_level: Tazewell County's Building Inspections page states, under how to get a permit: "All contractors shall provide a valid Virginia contractor’s license number at the time of application." and "All subcontractors shall provide a valid Virginia contractor’s license number at the time of application." It also states: "If the homeowner is going to perform the work described on the building permit, then the homeowner is required to complete an affidavit and be responsible for all work performed." The County's Written Statement form (amended 7-1-2022) has the owner affirm "THAT I AM NOT SUBJECT TO LICENSURE AS A CONTRACTOR OR SUBCONTRACTOR" and "THAT I 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." The County's Miscellaneous Building Application and New Construction Application ask for the contractor's license number. Tazewell County Code Chapter 4 (Buildings) and Chapter 10 (Licenses, Permits and Business Regulations) set no contractor licence, bond or registration of the County's own; the County's requirement is the state licence.
Permit process note
The County's no-permit line is limited to shingles and to single-family houses. Tazewell County's Building Inspections page, under "Work that does NOT require a permit", states: "The building code allows work to be done without obtaining a permit. While a permit is not required, the work must be in compliance with the code. The following information pertains to SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS ONLY; it does not pertain to apartments, condominiums or townhouses (for information on these types of dwellings, please contact our office)." Its examples include "Making ordinary repairs and improvements, including, but not limited to:" and "Repairing drywall, plaster, siding, re-roofing (shingles only)." The page adds: "If you should have questions about whether a permit is required please call the Building Inspection office at 276-385-1215." Among projects that do need a building permit it lists "Repairing, altering, enlarging, or modifying any structural element of the house including:" "Any damaged structural element, such as load bearing stud walls, columns, piers, footings, foundation, floor joists, rafters, beams, or girders." The state rule behind the County's line is Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 (2021 USBC), item 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 m2) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones." Item 14.6: "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m2) 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." 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." "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." Section 108.2 also provides that "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's page does not repeat item 14.5's nominal wind speed condition and states no design wind speed; this record does not decide how that condition applies in the County. Where a permit is needed, County Code Sec. 4-29 provides: "When construction is begun prior to obtaining a building permit, the fees shall be doubled." Applications go to the Building Department at 173 Main Street, Tazewell, in person or by mail (the page also accepts them by email to the permit technician); the page states "Permits are good for a six month period." Work in the Towns of Richlands, Cedar Bluff or Pocahontas also needs "a town zoning permit ... in addition to a county building permit".
Adopted code
The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC, 13VAC5-63), effective January 18, 2024, applies in Tazewell 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). Va. Code 36-98 provides that the USBC "shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions and state agencies". The County's Building Inspections page states: "As of January 18, 2024, Tazewell County enforces the 2021 Edition of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and its provisions, as adopted, from the International Code Council, Inc., for the purpose of establishing minimum regulations to govern the construction and maintenance of buildings and structures." Tazewell County Code Chapter 4, Article II (codified through Ordinance No. 17-173, enacted March 3, 2026) still names "the 2012 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, Parts I and II, effective July 14, 2014, and as thereafter amended from time to time", and adopts Appendix F (Radon Control Methods) of the 2015 USBC; it contains no technical roofing provisions of its own. As read on September 26, 2026, a 2024 edition of the USBC is in rulemaking and has not been adopted.
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). Tazewell County Code Chapter 4 (Buildings) and the County's Building Inspections page and permit applications add none; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in the state code or in the County's code. Insurers may still offer discounts for impact-rated shingles; that is not a code requirement.
Repair permit threshold
Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 (2021 USBC), item 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 m2) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones." Item 14.6: "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m2) 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." 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." "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." An owner may still ask for 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." Tazewell County's Building Inspections page lists "re-roofing (shingles only)" among ordinary repairs that need no permit, for "SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS ONLY; it does not pertain to apartments, condominiums or townhouses", and requires a building permit for "Repairing, altering, enlarging, or modifying any structural element of the house", naming "rafters" among damaged structural elements. The County's page does not mention roof decking or state a design wind speed. So a reroof in a material other than shingles, a townhouse reroof, replacing more than 256 square feet of decking, or rafter repair should be cleared with the Building Department at 276-385-1215 first. Where a permit is needed, County Code Sec. 4-29 sets "The minimum permit fee shall be twenty dollars ($20.00)", applies the minimum fee to "Any work valued under five thousand dollars ($5,000.00)", values work other than new construction on "the owner's valuation, the engineer's valuation or the building official's valuation", and provides "When construction is begun prior to obtaining a building permit, the fees shall be doubled." The County's code and permit applications have no roofing fee line or roofing permit category.
Deck & sheathing requirements
Tazewell County enforces the 2021 Virginia Residential Code and has no building code of its own. Virginia's residential amendments (Virginia Construction Code Section 310.8) make no change to the roof sheathing provisions of the IRC (Section R803), so those provisions apply as the model code states them; Tazewell County Code Chapter 4 adds nothing on roof decking, and the County's Building Inspections page does not mention it. For permits, see the 256 square foot decking line under the repair permit threshold.
Sales & use tax
5.3% general sales and use tax in Tazewell County, per Virginia Tax's locality rate workbook ("Sales Tax Rates by Locality"), "January 1, 2026 - Present" block (Tazewell, code 51185, General Sales 0.053): the 4.3% state rate (Va. Code 58.1-603) plus the 1% local option rate (Va. Code 58.1-605). Under 23VAC10-210-410, "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" and a contractor "does not pass the sales or use tax on to anyone else as a tax". A roofer pays the tax on materials when buying them, whether the job is a repair or a replacement; the rate above is the roofer's cost basis on materials, not a tax charged to the homeowner.

More roof permit pages in Virginia

Unincorporated Carroll County, VARoof permit Unincorporated Montgomery County, VARoof permit Unincorporated Prince William County, VARoof permit Virginia Beach, VARoof permit Warren County, VARoof permit Roofing in VirginiaState hub

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The building department of Tazewell County, Virginia, at 173 Main Street in the Town of Tazewell. It issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, gas and demolition permits and conducts inspections under the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code. Its page states that it "issues permits for work performed in Tazewell County, the Towns of Richlands, Pocahontas, and Cedar Bluff"; permits for work in the Town of Bluefield are obtained through the Bluefield town office, and permits for work in the Town of Tazewell through the Tazewell town office.

Hail reports near the center of Tazewell County, VA

Reports, last 24 months
0
Largest, last 24 months
None
Most recent
None in 24 months
Reports, last 5 years
3
3 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
Sep 24, 20241.25 in2 mi N
Apr 16, 20240.75 in3 mi ESE
May 16, 20230.88 in5 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 Tazewell County, VA. Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.

Working an insurance claim in Tazewell County, VA? 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: Tazewell County, VA

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

No, Tazewell County, VA does not require a permit to replace a roof. Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 (2021 USBC), item 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 m2) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones." Item 14.6: "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m2) 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." 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." "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." An owner may still ask for 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." Tazewell County's Building Inspections page lists "re-roofing (shingles only)" among ordinary repairs that need no permit, for "SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS ONLY; it does not pertain to apartments, condominiums or townhouses", and requires a building permit for "Repairing, altering, enlarging, or modifying any structural element of the house", naming "rafters" among damaged structural elements. The County's page does not mention roof decking or state a design wind speed. So a reroof in a material other than shingles, a townhouse reroof, replacing more than 256 square feet of decking, or rafter repair should be cleared with the Building Department at 276-385-1215 first. Where a permit is needed, County Code Sec. 4-29 sets "The minimum permit fee shall be twenty dollars ($20.00)", applies the minimum fee to "Any work valued under five thousand dollars ($5,000.00)", values work other than new construction on "the owner's valuation, the engineer's valuation or the building official's valuation", and provides "When construction is begun prior to obtaining a building permit, the fees shall be doubled." The County's code and permit applications have no roofing fee line or roofing permit category.

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

Yes.

What building code does Tazewell County, VA use?

The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC, 13VAC5-63), effective January 18, 2024, applies in Tazewell 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). Va. Code 36-98 provides that the USBC "shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions and state agencies". The County's Building Inspections page states: "As of January 18, 2024, Tazewell County enforces the 2021 Edition of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and its provisions, as adopted, from the International Code Council, Inc., for the purpose of establishing minimum regulations to govern the construction and maintenance of buildings and structures." Tazewell County Code Chapter 4, Article II (codified through Ordinance No. 17-173, enacted March 3, 2026) still names "the 2012 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, Parts I and II, effective July 14, 2014, and as thereafter amended from time to time", and adopts Appendix F (Radon Control Methods) of the 2015 USBC; it contains no technical roofing provisions of its own. As read on September 26, 2026, a 2024 edition of the USBC is in rulemaking and has not been adopted.