Permitting Authorities / City of Virginia Beach - Permits & Inspections Division
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Virginia Beach, VA?
Adopted code
City of Virginia Beach - Permits & Inspections Division
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Virginia Beach, VA, issued by City of Virginia Beach - Permits & Inspections Division. Virginia's statewide building code reads: "108.2 Exemptions from application for permit. Notwithstanding the requirements of Section 108.1, application for a permit and any related inspections shall not be required for the following; however, this section shall not be construed to exempt such activities from other applicable requirements of this code. In addition, 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. ... 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 m2) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones. 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 of 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 § 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 that are located in a special flood hazard area." (Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2, 13VAC5-63-80.) The City of Virginia Beach asks for a permit for every residential reroof, and state text reads differently. The City's Residential Building Permits page states "A building permit is required to build or alter a residential structure." and lists "Roofing or siding replacements" among the alterations requiring permits; Permits & Inspections publishes an "Application for Roofing and Siding Permit" (rev. Jul-2025) and a roofing and siding fee schedule, "$50.00 plus $5.00 per $1000 of construction value or fraction thereof". City Code Sec. 8-31(a) provides: "It shall be unlawful for any person to construct, enlarge, alter, repair or demolish any building or structure as defined in the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code without first obtaining a building permit therefor and paying the permit fees set forth in this section." The City's own Table R301.2(1), Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria, prints a wind speed of 120 mph without saying whether it is a nominal or an ultimate design wind speed; if it is a nominal speed, the item 14.5 exemption does not reach houses in Virginia Beach at all. This record does not convert one kind of speed into the other. Virginia law provides that the Uniform Statewide Building Code "shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions and state agencies" (Code of Virginia 36-98). This record does not decide whether the City's demand or the state exemption prevails. In practice, the City's Permits & Inspections Division is the office that issues permits and inspects in Virginia Beach, and it lists roofing replacement as permit work: apply before the job starts, or ask the Division in writing ([email protected], 757-385-4211) whether a particular reroof needs a permit. Permits are applied for online through the City's Accela portal (Permits & Inspections online permitting service) or at Permits & Inspections, Building 3, Municipal Center, 2403 Courthouse Drive, Virginia Beach, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For alterations "such as siding, roofing, etc." the Residential Building Permits page asks for "the total contract value (if a building contractor is obtaining the permit(; or the approximate cost of materials (if the homeowner is obtaining the permit)", plus "an asbestos exemption form filled out completely with property owner's name and address, and signature of contractor's representative (if contractor doing work) or property owner's signature (if owner doing work)." The roofing and siding application asks for the contractor's State Registration # and a scope box: "Roof to be a nail-over with only one layer of roofing existing", "Existing roofing to be removed and replaced with new materials", or "Fire retardant treated plywood addressed in attached dwelling units". Fees: "$50.00 plus $5.00 per $1000 of construction value or fraction thereof"; "A 2% State Levy will be assessed on the permit fees listed above."; "A $10.00 Technology Fee is assessed on all permits." Where someone other than the owner or a licensed contractor applies for the owner, the City requires a notarized Affidavit of Permit Authorization and "strongly suggests that the contractor be the party to secure the necessary permit(s)". City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(14) adds "an administrative fee of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00)" to the fee due when work requiring a permit "is commenced before a permit is secured and fee paid for same".
Roof code checklist: Virginia Beach, VA
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
City of Virginia Beach, Virginia
Address
2403 Courthouse Drive, Building 3, Municipal Center, Virginia Beach, VA 23456
Contact
- url: https://planning.virginiabeach.gov/divisions-offices/permits-inspections
- phone: 757-385-4211
- email: [email protected]
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
- state_level: Virginia licenses contractors through the Board for Contractors. Code of Virginia 54.1-1100, as amended by 2025 Acts ch. 127, reads: "'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." Class B and Class A licences cover larger contracts. The Board's rules define the Roofing contracting (ROC) specialty 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" and state that "The CBC and RBC classifications and the HIC and CIC specialties also provide for this function." (18VAC50-22-30). Code of Virginia 54.1-1101 A 7 says the contractor chapter does not apply to "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 a given owner falls within it. Under Code of Virginia 54.1-1111 A, a permit applicant must 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 "file a written statement that he is not subject to licensure or certification as a contractor or subcontractor pursuant to this chapter" before a permit issues. Pages giving a $10,000 floor for a Class C licence predate the 2025 amendment.
- city_level: The City's roofing and siding permit application asks for the contractor's "State Registration #", and its Residential Building Permits page asks a contractor applying for an alteration permit for "the building contractor's Class A, B or C state contractor's registration number". Permits & Inspections keeps a list of each contractor's authorized permit signers through its Contractor Update Form, which asks for the "Contractor State Registration Number" and "Class Code (A, B, or C)" and says: "Please email a copy of this form, a copy of VA State Registration, and business license/s to [email protected]." The City sets no contractor licence, bond or examination of its own. The same form notes that "a Virginia Beach Business License will be required for out of city contractors with gross receipts of $25,000 or greater"; that is a general business licence, not a contractor credential. The City's Affidavit of Permit Authorization tells owners that "when a contractor applies for a permit, the City will verify that the contractor is licensed as required by state and local laws."
Permit process note
Virginia's statewide building code reads: "108.2 Exemptions from application for permit. Notwithstanding the requirements of Section 108.1, application for a permit and any related inspections shall not be required for the following; however, this section shall not be construed to exempt such activities from other applicable requirements of this code. In addition, 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. ... 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 m2) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones. 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 of 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 § 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 that are located in a special flood hazard area." (Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2, 13VAC5-63-80.) The City of Virginia Beach asks for a permit for every residential reroof, and state text reads differently. The City's Residential Building Permits page states "A building permit is required to build or alter a residential structure." and lists "Roofing or siding replacements" among the alterations requiring permits; Permits & Inspections publishes an "Application for Roofing and Siding Permit" (rev. Jul-2025) and a roofing and siding fee schedule, "$50.00 plus $5.00 per $1000 of construction value or fraction thereof". City Code Sec. 8-31(a) provides: "It shall be unlawful for any person to construct, enlarge, alter, repair or demolish any building or structure as defined in the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code without first obtaining a building permit therefor and paying the permit fees set forth in this section." The City's own Table R301.2(1), Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria, prints a wind speed of 120 mph without saying whether it is a nominal or an ultimate design wind speed; if it is a nominal speed, the item 14.5 exemption does not reach houses in Virginia Beach at all. This record does not convert one kind of speed into the other. Virginia law provides that the Uniform Statewide Building Code "shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions and state agencies" (Code of Virginia 36-98). This record does not decide whether the City's demand or the state exemption prevails. In practice, the City's Permits & Inspections Division is the office that issues permits and inspects in Virginia Beach, and it lists roofing replacement as permit work: apply before the job starts, or ask the Division in writing (
[email protected], 757-385-4211) whether a particular reroof needs a permit. Permits are applied for online through the City's Accela portal (Permits & Inspections online permitting service) or at Permits & Inspections, Building 3, Municipal Center, 2403 Courthouse Drive, Virginia Beach, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For alterations "such as siding, roofing, etc." the Residential Building Permits page asks for "the total contract value (if a building contractor is obtaining the permit(; or the approximate cost of materials (if the homeowner is obtaining the permit)", plus "an asbestos exemption form filled out completely with property owner's name and address, and signature of contractor's representative (if contractor doing work) or property owner's signature (if owner doing work)." The roofing and siding application asks for the contractor's State Registration # and a scope box: "Roof to be a nail-over with only one layer of roofing existing", "Existing roofing to be removed and replaced with new materials", or "Fire retardant treated plywood addressed in attached dwelling units". Fees: "$50.00 plus $5.00 per $1000 of construction value or fraction thereof"; "A 2% State Levy will be assessed on the permit fees listed above."; "A $10.00 Technology Fee is assessed on all permits." Where someone other than the owner or a licensed contractor applies for the owner, the City requires a notarized Affidavit of Permit Authorization and "strongly suggests that the contractor be the party to secure the necessary permit(s)". City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(14) adds "an administrative fee of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00)" to the fee due when work requiring a permit "is commenced before a permit is secured and fee paid for same".
Inspection requirements
Per the City's Residential Building Permits page, roofing work takes a Final inspection ("Siding / EIFS / Roofing / Fences: Final"), with the caution that the list "is a generic list and may not be applicable to, or inclusive of, all situations." Inspections are scheduled through the City's online permitting service, up to five working days ahead, and "must be scheduled PRIOR to 8 a.m. for the day desired". "It is the permit holder's responsibility to supply a ladder or other means if access to the attic or roof is required to make the inspection." City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(16) sets "a minimum of seventy-five dollars ($75.00) additional fee charged for each reinspection."
Adopted code
City Code Sec. 8-26 adopts "The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, as amended, including all future amendments thereto and editions thereof, and all model building codes and portions of other model codes or standards which are, or may hereinafter be, referenced, adopted or incorporated therein". The edition in force is the 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (13VAC5-63), effective January 18, 2024. For detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, its 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, whose Section 602.3.2.1 reads: "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." Virginia law provides that the Uniform Statewide Building Code "shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions and state agencies" (Code of Virginia 36-98), so a Virginia locality enforces the state code and does not write its own technical amendments. The City's Permits & Inspections Division states that it "administers the Uniform Statewide Building Code and the associated laws and ordinances of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the City of Virginia Beach", and the City's Residential Building Permits page links the 2021 Virginia Construction Code, Chapter 1. City Code Chapter 8, Buildings and Building Regulations, read in full (Articles I through IX, codified through Ordinance No. 3856, adopted May 19, 2026), carries the adoption clause, permit fees, inspection provisions, the Board of Building Code Appeals and the Virginia Beach Historical Register, and no technical roofing provision.
Ice & water shield
Not required — The City's Table R301.2(1), Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria, prints "NR" in its "Ice Shield Underlayment" column; the table does not spell out the abbreviation. Virginia's amendments to the IRC in the 2021 Virginia Residential Code (VCC Section 310.8) contain no ice-barrier provision, and City Code Chapter 8 contains none. Manufacturer instructions may still call for it.
About ice & water barrierMid-roof inspection
Not required — The City's Residential Building Permits page, in its table "When Residential Building Inspections are Required", lists a single inspection, Final, for "Siding / EIFS / Roofing / Fences", and cautions that "this is a generic list and may not be applicable to, or inclusive of, all situations." It adds: "It is the permit holder's responsibility to supply a ladder or other means if access to the attic or roof is required to make the inspection."
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Neither City Code Chapter 8 (which adopts the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code by reference) nor Virginia's amendments to the IRC in the 2021 Virginia Residential Code (VCC Section 310.8) amend the roof-covering impact provisions, and the City's Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria table and roofing permit documents carry none; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in the City's adopted code or its amendments.
Repair permit threshold
Virginia's statewide building code reads: "108.2 Exemptions from application for permit. Notwithstanding the requirements of Section 108.1, application for a permit and any related inspections shall not be required for the following; however, this section shall not be construed to exempt such activities from other applicable requirements of this code. In addition, 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. ... 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 m2) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones. 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 of 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 § 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 that are located in a special flood hazard area." (Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2, 13VAC5-63-80.) The City of Virginia Beach asks for a permit for every residential reroof, and state text reads differently. The City's Residential Building Permits page states "A building permit is required to build or alter a residential structure." and lists "Roofing or siding replacements" among the alterations requiring permits; Permits & Inspections publishes an "Application for Roofing and Siding Permit" (rev. Jul-2025) and a roofing and siding fee schedule, "$50.00 plus $5.00 per $1000 of construction value or fraction thereof". City Code Sec. 8-31(a) provides: "It shall be unlawful for any person to construct, enlarge, alter, repair or demolish any building or structure as defined in the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code without first obtaining a building permit therefor and paying the permit fees set forth in this section." The City's own Table R301.2(1), Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria, prints a wind speed of 120 mph without saying whether it is a nominal or an ultimate design wind speed; if it is a nominal speed, the item 14.5 exemption does not reach houses in Virginia Beach at all. This record does not convert one kind of speed into the other. Virginia law provides that the Uniform Statewide Building Code "shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions and state agencies" (Code of Virginia 36-98). This record does not decide whether the City's demand or the state exemption prevails. In practice, the City's Permits & Inspections Division is the office that issues permits and inspects in Virginia Beach, and it lists roofing replacement as permit work: apply before the job starts, or ask the Division in writing (
[email protected], 757-385-4211) whether a particular reroof needs a permit. Replacing 100 square feet or less of roof covering is exempt under item 14.5 "in all groups and all wind zones", and an owner may still ask for a permit for any exempt item under the preamble quoted above. City Code Sec. 8-31(c)(14) adds "an administrative fee of two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00)" to the fee due when work requiring a permit "is commenced before a permit is secured and fee paid for same".
Wind design criteria
The City's Table R301.2(1), Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria, which the Residential Building Permits page links as "the City of Virginia Beach's climate and geographic design criteria" (new house plans "must be built in accordance with" it), prints: Ground Snow Load 10 lbs/ft2; Wind Speed (mph) 120; Seismic Design Category A; Weathering Moderate; Frost Line Depth 12"; Termite Moderate to Heavy; Decay Moderate to Severe; Winter Design Temp 22 F; Ice Shield Underlayment NR; Flood Hazards Init: 10-3-70, Cur: 01-16-2015; Air Freezing Index 250; Mean Annual Temp 55 F. The table does not say whether the 120 mph figure is a nominal or an ultimate design wind speed, and it has no entries for wind exposure, special wind region or windborne debris region.
Roof layer limit / recover
The City's Application for Roofing and Siding Permit (rev. Jul-2025) offers two roofing scopes, "Roof to be a nail-over with only one layer of roofing existing" and "Existing roofing to be removed and replaced with new materials". That is the City's own form wording, and it describes a recover over a single existing layer only. The recover rule itself is state text: the Virginia Existing Building Code, Section 602.3.2.1.1 "Roof recover permitted", and the roofing chapter of the Virginia Construction Code to which Section 602.3.2.1 refers. This record does not restate that rule. Confirm with Permits & Inspections before planning a recover.
Deck & sheathing requirements
Virginia's amendments to the IRC in the 2021 Virginia Residential Code (VCC Section 310.8) make no change to the IRC's roof sheathing section (R803), and City Code Chapter 8, read in full, contains no roof-sheathing provision, so no Virginia or City text adds to the base sheathing provisions. For permits, state law exempts "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 of original construction to be fire-retardant-treated or protected in some other way to form a fire-rated wall termination" (Virginia Construction Code 108.2, item 14.6); in Virginia Beach the City lists roofing replacements as permit work. The City's roofing and siding permit application includes the scope box "Fire retardant treated plywood addressed in attached dwelling units".
Sales & use tax
6.0% general sales and use tax in the City of Virginia Beach, per Virginia Tax's "Sales and Use Tax Rates by Locality" workbook, "January 1, 2026 - Present" sheet (Virginia Beach, code 51810, General Sales 0.06). That is 4.3% state tax (Code of Virginia 58.1-603) plus 1% local tax (58.1-605) plus 0.7%; the workbook notes that "An additional Regional State Sales and Use Tax of 0.7% for localities in Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads went into effect on July 1, 2013". Virginia treats a roofing contractor as the consumer of its materials: "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 when buying materials and does not charge sales tax on the job. Repair and replacement are treated alike.
Local roofing hub
More roof permit pages in Virginia
Related guides
The Permits & Inspections Division of the City of Virginia Beach Department of Planning & Community Development issues residential and commercial building permits, including roofing and siding permits, and performs building inspections in the City of Virginia Beach, an independent city. The Division administers the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code.
Hail reports near Virginia Beach, VA
- Reports, last 24 months
- 6
- Largest, last 24 months
- 1.50 in May 22, 2025
- Most recent
- Jul 27, 2025 1.00 in
- Reports, last 5 years
- 10
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 Virginia Beach, VA (Census point). Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.
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