The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Washington County - Department of Building & Development Services

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

Adopted code

Washington County - Department of Building & Development Services

The Department of Building & Development Services of Washington County, Virginia, enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, reviewing plans, issuing permits and inspecting work in the county and in the Towns of Damascus and Glade Spring from the Government Center in Abingdon. The County's own page names the Towns of Damascus and Glade Spring, and "portions of the Town of Saltville", as served by the County department.

Roof code checklist: Washington County, VA

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofNot published
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 codePublished§ 36-97law.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-26
Contractor license / registrationYeslaw.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-26
Sales & use taxPublishedSec. 58.1-603tax.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
Washington County, Virginia
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
1 Government Center Place, Suite A, Abingdon, VA 24210
Contact
  • url: https://www.washcova.com/building-development/
  • phone: 276-525-1340
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • state_level: Virginia licenses contractors through the Board for Contractors (DPOR). Code of Virginia Section 54.1-1100, as amended in 2025: "'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." Larger jobs fall in the Class B and Class A tiers. Roofing work is licensed under the Board's classifications and specialties, including the "Roofing contracting" (ROC) specialty of 18VAC50-22-30. Section 54.1-1111 makes anyone applying for a building permit furnish "either (i) 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." Section 54.1-1101 A says the chapter does not apply to "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". Some older pages give a $10,000 floor for Class C; that figure predates the 2025 amendment.
  • county_level: Washington County adds no contractor licence of its own; Chapter 14 (Buildings and Building Regulations) and Chapter 18 (Businesses) of the County Code, read in full, set none. The Department of Building & Development Services asks for the state credential when a permit is issued: among the documents it lists for a building permit is "(6) Virginia Contractor’s license Card or sign County Section 54.1-1111 Affidavit form at time Permit is obtained." Its Residential, Commercial and Trade permit applications ask for the contractor's "State License #". For owners, the County's page describes its affidavit as "To be completed by unlicensed persons desiring to act as their own contractor for the purposes of obtaining a Building Permit. (Note: Consultation with County Building Official is strongly recommended before attempting construction-related work as permitted pursuant to Section 54.1-1111 of the 1950 Code of Virginia)."
Permit process note
No Washington County document says whether an ordinary house reroof needs a permit, so check with the department before starting. The statewide rule, Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 item 14.5, exempts "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 m 2 ) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones." The County publishes no design wind speed and no statement applying that exemption to reroofs, so this record does not say which side of the 100 mph line a house in the county is on. Item 14.6 exempts only "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m 2 ) or less of roof decking" in those groups. Two exceptions let the building official require a permit even where the exemption applies: "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" and "for any items exempted in this section which are located in a special flood hazard area." An owner may always ask for one: "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 work must meet the code with or without a permit. The County's own page says only "Please check with the County Department of Building Inspection prior to any construction within the County (including within the Towns of Damascus, Glade Spring, and portions of the Town of Saltville)." Where a permit is needed, the application goes to the Department of Building & Development Services, 1 Government Center Place, Suite A, Abingdon (276-525-1340) on the County's Residential Permit Application, with a Virginia contractor's licence card or the County's Section 54.1-1111 affidavit. The fee follows the valuation schedule in County Code Appendix A (material and labor counted), plus a 2% state levy, and work started before a required permit pays an added review fee equal to the permit fee.
Adopted code
The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (13VAC5-63), effective January 18, 2024. For detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, Section 310.6.1 of the Virginia Construction Code applies "The provisions of the IRC ... as amended by VCC Section 310.8, also referred to as the Virginia Residential Code (VRC)"; work on existing buildings falls under Part II, the Virginia Existing Building Code, whose reroofing section reads "602.3.2.1 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." The statewide code supersedes local building codes (Code of Virginia Section 36-98: "Such building code shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions and state agencies."). Washington County Code Section 14-1(a) adopts it: "The Uniform Statewide Building Code Act, Code of Virginia, § 36-97 et seq., and regulations adopted pursuant thereto are hereby adopted by reference as if fully set forth herein as part of the Code of the County of Washington, Virginia." Chapter 14 of the County Code (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, adds no technical roofing provision of its own. The County's Building & Development page links its "CODES ADOPTED BY THE COUNTY" button to the International Code Council's listing of Virginia's current adoption and names no edition itself; the County's published permit report for August 2026 shows "2021" in its "USBC Edition" column for nearly every permit listed. The page's permit FAQ cites the permit-application rule as "Sec. 109.1"; in the 2021 Virginia Construction Code that rule is Section 108.1 and the permit exemptions are Section 108.2.
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) or its existing-building reroofing rules. Washington County's Chapter 14 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, adopts that code by reference and adds none, and the County's Building & Development page and permit applications carry none; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in the code the County enforces. Insurers may still offer discounts for impact-rated shingles; that is not a code requirement.
Repair permit threshold
Statewide permit exemption, Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 (2021 edition): "application for a permit and any related inspections shall not be required for the following ... 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 m 2 ) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones. 14.6. Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m 2 ) 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." The same section's two 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." and "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." The owner keeps the right to 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." The exemption does not relax the code itself ("this section shall not be construed to exempt such activities from other applicable requirements of this code"). Washington County has published nothing that applies this exemption to a house reroof or that names reroofing as permit work, and it publishes no design wind speed for the county, so no County document says whether a house here sits in an area where the nominal design wind speed is greater than 100 miles per hour, the condition item 14.5 turns on. The County's own permit rule, on its Building & Development page, is general: "The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code Sec. 109.1 states written application for permit shall be made to the County Building Official before any of the following actions may be commenced: constructing, enlarging, altering or changing the use of a structure. Please check with the County Department of Building Inspection prior to any construction within the County (including within the Towns of Damascus, Glade Spring, and portions of the Town of Saltville)." Ask the department (276-525-1340) before relying on the exemption. Replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking on a house is outside item 14.6. The County's enacted fee schedule (County Code Appendix A) prices building permits by project valuation and has no roofing fee line; the Residential Permit Application has no roofing box and its county-use block records whether the parcel is in an "FH DISTRICT" (flood hazard). Starting work that needed a permit costs extra: for "Work started prior to obtaining required permits" Appendix A charges a "Review fee in amount equal to fee stated in Valuation-Fee Schedule, above, which shall be paid in addition to building permit, trade permit, or other permit fees as set out herein."
Deck & sheathing requirements
No county-specific rule. Virginia's amendments to the International Residential Code (Virginia Construction Code Section 310.8, 13VAC5-63-210) do not amend the roof sheathing section (R803), and Washington County's Chapter 14 (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, adds no sheathing or decking provision, so the base 2021 IRC roof-sheathing provisions apply unmodified to work under the Virginia Residential Code. For reroofing an existing house, the Virginia Existing Building Code sends materials and methods to Chapter 15 of the Virginia Construction Code (602.3.2.1) and adds "602.3.2.2 Structural and construction loads. Structural roof components shall be capable of supporting the roof covering system and the material and equipment loads that will be encountered during installation of the systems." Permit line: replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking on a house is outside the statewide permit exemption (Virginia Construction Code 108.2 item 14.6).
Sales & use tax
5.3% general sales and use tax in Washington County (Virginia Tax, "Sales Tax Rates by Locality" workbook, "January 1, 2026 - Present" sheet: Washington, code 51191, General Sales 0.053). That is the 4.3% state tax (Code of Virginia Section 58.1-603) and the 1% local option tax (Section 58.1-605); Washington County is in none of the regional add-on areas, and Virginia Tax's rates page puts it in the 5.3% "Everywhere else" group. The independent City of Bristol is a separate locality (code 51520) with the same 5.3% general rate. Food and personal hygiene items are taxed at 1% statewide. Virginia treats the roofing contractor as the consumer of the materials: "Unless otherwise noted, 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 on shingles and other materials when buying them and "does not pass the sales or use tax on to anyone else as a tax"; "If a supplier of a contractor doing work in Virginia does not collect the Virginia tax from the contractor, the contractor will be liable for the use tax on the contractor's purchases from the supplier." Repair and full replacement are treated alike.

More roof permit pages in Virginia

Waynesboro, VARoof permit Winchester, VARoof permit Wise County, VARoof permit York County, VARoof permit Accomack County, VARoof permit Roofing in VirginiaState hub

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

Hail reports near the center of Washington County, VA

Reports, last 24 months
1
Largest, last 24 months
1.00 in Mar 21, 2026
Most recent
Mar 21, 2026 1.00 in
Reports, last 5 years
1
Most recent report, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
Mar 21, 20261.00 in2 mi WNW

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

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Sources

Roofing questions: Washington County, VA

When does a roof repair need a permit in Washington County, VA?

Statewide permit exemption, Virginia Construction Code Section 108.2 (2021 edition): "application for a permit and any related inspections shall not be required for the following ... 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 m 2 ) or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones. 14.6. Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m 2 ) 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." The same section's two 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." and "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." The owner keeps the right to 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." The exemption does not relax the code itself ("this section shall not be construed to exempt such activities from other applicable requirements of this code"). Washington County has published nothing that applies this exemption to a house reroof or that names reroofing as permit work, and it publishes no design wind speed for the county, so no County document says whether a house here sits in an area where the nominal design wind speed is greater than 100 miles per hour, the condition item 14.5 turns on. The County's own permit rule, on its Building & Development page, is general: "The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code Sec. 109.1 states written application for permit shall be made to the County Building Official before any of the following actions may be commenced: constructing, enlarging, altering or changing the use of a structure. Please check with the County Department of Building Inspection prior to any construction within the County (including within the Towns of Damascus, Glade Spring, and portions of the Town of Saltville)." Ask the department (276-525-1340) before relying on the exemption. Replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking on a house is outside item 14.6. The County's enacted fee schedule (County Code Appendix A) prices building permits by project valuation and has no roofing fee line; the Residential Permit Application has no roofing box and its county-use block records whether the parcel is in an "FH DISTRICT" (flood hazard). Starting work that needed a permit costs extra: for "Work started prior to obtaining required permits" Appendix A charges a "Review fee in amount equal to fee stated in Valuation-Fee Schedule, above, which shall be paid in addition to building permit, trade permit, or other permit fees as set out herein."

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

Yes.

What building code does Washington County, VA use?

The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (13VAC5-63), effective January 18, 2024. For detached one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses, Section 310.6.1 of the Virginia Construction Code applies "The provisions of the IRC ... as amended by VCC Section 310.8, also referred to as the Virginia Residential Code (VRC)"; work on existing buildings falls under Part II, the Virginia Existing Building Code, whose reroofing section reads "602.3.2.1 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." The statewide code supersedes local building codes (Code of Virginia Section 36-98: "Such building code shall supersede the building codes and regulations of the counties, municipalities and other political subdivisions and state agencies."). Washington County Code Section 14-1(a) adopts it: "The Uniform Statewide Building Code Act, Code of Virginia, § 36-97 et seq., and regulations adopted pursuant thereto are hereby adopted by reference as if fully set forth herein as part of the Code of the County of Washington, Virginia." Chapter 14 of the County Code (Buildings and Building Regulations), read in full, adds no technical roofing provision of its own. The County's Building & Development page links its "CODES ADOPTED BY THE COUNTY" button to the International Code Council's listing of Virginia's current adoption and names no edition itself; the County's published permit report for August 2026 shows "2021" in its "USBC Edition" column for nearly every permit listed. The page's permit FAQ cites the permit-application rule as "Sec. 109.1"; in the 2021 Virginia Construction Code that rule is Section 108.1 and the permit exemptions are Section 108.2.