The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / York County - Division of Building Safety

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

Adopted code

York County - Division of Building Safety

No, York County, VA does not require a permit for like-for-like roof replacement (York County - Division of Building Safety). No permit for an ordinary reroof of a house, on the Division of Building Safety's own statement, the County's code and the statewide rule, with limits a roofer must check first. The Division says the building code excludes "ordinary repairs (such as replacing cabinetry, kitchen appliances (except gas equipment), electrical switches, electric water heaters, reroofing, etc.)" while "any work that is structural in nature requires a permit." 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." County Code Section 7.1-10(c)(3) repeats the roof covering exemption on the same wind-speed condition, and the County's climatic table gives "100 mph (3 second wind gust)" for the county. Item 14.6 exempts only "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m 2 ) or less of roof decking" in those groups, and the County requires a permit for repairing "any structural component", rafters included. Two exceptions let the building official require a permit: "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." Where a permit is needed, the Division's building permit application is used and inspections are requested through the County's online portal; the office is at 100 County Drive, Suite B, Yorktown (757-890-3522). For storm damage, the Division says "If you are doing any emergency repairs or equipment replacement, please obtain a permit the next working day following the emergency.".

Roof code checklist: York County, VA

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofNoyorkcounty.gov2026-09-26
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 inspectionNolibrary.municode.com2026-09-26
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNolaw.lis.virginia.gov2026-09-26
Wind design criteriaPublishedR301.2.1library.municode.com2026-09-26
Adopted codePublishedSec. 310.6.1yorkcounty.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
York County, Virginia
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
100 County Drive, Suite B, Yorktown, VA 23692
Contact
  • url: https://www.yorkcounty.gov/213/Building-Safety
  • phone: 757-890-3522
  • email: [email protected]
Roofing permit required
Not required
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". York County's building permit application prints its own summary ("Virginia law requires that all persons performing building, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, gas work, and well drilling be licensed by the Board of Professional and Occupational Registration if the work performed is $1,000.00 or more in value.") and a Contractor Licensing Exemption Statement for homeowners who claim an exemption. Some older pages give a $10,000 floor for Class C; that figure predates the 2025 amendment.
  • county_level: York County adds no roofing licence of its own. County Code Section 7.1-9(a) requires that "Prior to the issuance of the permit, the applicant shall furnish evidence either of a license issued in accordance with Chapter 11 of Title 54.1 of the Code of Virginia or acceptable evidence that the applicant is exempt". The County's certified-master rules in Section 7.1-8 and Article V reach electrical, plumbing and building-related mechanical work, not roofing. The building permit application says "All contractors are required to provide proof of Virginia and local licensing at the time of permit application. Local licensing from other Virginia localities are honored for projects valued to $25,000.00." and "Projects that are valued at $25,000.00 or more require a County of York business license." The Division's Building Safety page adds "No permits will be issued after March 1st without an updated (2026) business license." A business licence is a local tax registration, not a trade credential. The Division's Homeowner Information page points homeowners to DPOR to "verify your contractor's licensing" and warns that an owner who pulls a permit for a hired contractor is "essentially taking responsibility for all work they perform on your behalf, including responsibility for violations of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code."
Permit process note
No permit for an ordinary reroof of a house, on the Division of Building Safety's own statement, the County's code and the statewide rule, with limits a roofer must check first. The Division says the building code excludes "ordinary repairs (such as replacing cabinetry, kitchen appliances (except gas equipment), electrical switches, electric water heaters, reroofing, etc.)" while "any work that is structural in nature requires a permit." 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." County Code Section 7.1-10(c)(3) repeats the roof covering exemption on the same wind-speed condition, and the County's climatic table gives "100 mph (3 second wind gust)" for the county. Item 14.6 exempts only "Replacement of 256 square feet (23.78 m 2 ) or less of roof decking" in those groups, and the County requires a permit for repairing "any structural component", rafters included. Two exceptions let the building official require a permit: "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." Where a permit is needed, the Division's building permit application is used and inspections are requested through the County's online portal; the office is at 100 County Drive, Suite B, Yorktown (757-890-3522). For storm damage, the Division says "If you are doing any emergency repairs or equipment replacement, please obtain a permit the next working day following the emergency."
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."). York County Code Section 7.1-3 adopts it by reference: "There is hereby adopted by reference in the county that certain code known as the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC) and all Virginia Administrative Amendments-Accumulative Supplements thereto in being as of August 15, 1974 or subsequently issued, and the whole thereof". The Division's own pages say "The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC) became effective January 18, 2024. All permits issued after January 18, 2025 will be subject to the 2021 VUSBC. Permits that were issued prior to the effective date of the 2021 codes will be inspected under the VUSBC in effect at the time that the permits were issued." Chapter 7.1 of the County Code (Building Regulations, as amended through Ordinance No. 25-9(R) of May 6, 2025), read in full, adds no technical roofing provision of its own; its only change to the residential code is to fill in the County's entries in the climatic design table (Section 7.1-3(e)).
Mid-roof inspection
Not required — York County names no roofing inspection. County Code Section 7.1-11 lists the inspections the building code official prescribes (footing trenches; beams, floor joists, vents and anchor bolts; "Structural framing and fastenings, prior to covering with concealing materials"; electrical, mechanical and plumbing work before concealment; insulation; and a final), and the Division's schedule of building permit inspections (Footing, Slab, Foundation, Framing, Exterior Moisture, Insulation, Final Building) has no roofing, underlayment or roof sheathing stage. The Section 7.1-11 list reads "include but are not limited to", and it also lets the building code official waive inspection "Where the construction cost is less than $2,500". An ordinary reroof of a house needs no permit and so no inspection; if an owner asks for a permit, the statewide rule says "any related inspections shall be required".
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. York County Code Chapter 7.1 (Building Regulations), including its amended climatic design table, and the Division of Building Safety's permit pages add 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." York County's own code carries the same roof exemption: Section 7.1-10(c) exempts from the County's building permit requirement "Replacement of roof coverings in Group R3, R-4 and R-5 structures, provided the building or structure is not in an area where the nominal design wind speed is greater than 100 miles per hour and replacement of 100 square feet or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones." The County's amended climatic table (Section 7.1-3(e)) gives "Wind Speed 100 mph (3 second wind gust)" for the county and does not say whether that figure is the nominal speed the exemption uses. The Division of Building Safety applies the exemption in its own words: "It states any work that is structural in nature requires a permit. It does exclude cosmetic changes (such as painting, installing vinyl siding, replacing carpet, etc.) and ordinary repairs (such as replacing cabinetry, kitchen appliances (except gas equipment), electrical switches, electric water heaters, reroofing, etc.). For additional information, call the Building Safety office at 757-890-3522." The County still requires a permit for "Repairing, altering or modifying any structural component including stud walls, columns, piers, footings, foundations, floor and ceiling joists, rafters, beams or girders", so replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking, or any rafter, is permit work. The County's general permit clause (Section 7.1-8: "Permits, inspections and fees shall be required for all work as established by the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code.") names no roof work, and its fee schedule has no roofing line; repairs that do need a permit are priced under "Building Alteration, Renovation & Repair" by value ($90 up to $1,000, $120 to $5,000, $140 plus $55 per further $5,000, plus a $5 technology fee). An older ordinary-repairs list on the Division's FAQ page still gives "Replacement of 100 square foot or less of roof decking"; the 2021 code figure is 256 square feet.
Wind design criteria
York County Code Section 7.1-3(e) fills in the County's entries in Table R301.2(1) of the Virginia Residential Code: "Roof snow load, pounds per square feet 20"; "Seismic condition by zone A"; "Wind Speed 100 mph (3 second wind gust)"; "Subject to damage from: Weathering Yes, Moderate"; "Frost line depth Yes, 16 inches"; "Termite Yes, Moderate to Heavy"; "Decay Yes, Moderate to Severe"; "Winter Design Temp Yes, 20". The section's history note cites Ordinances 04-18(R) (2004), 12-5(R) (2012) and 25-9(R) (May 6, 2025). The table states the wind speed as a 3-second gust and does not say whether it is an ultimate or a nominal (allowable-stress) design speed, and it fills in no topographic-effects, special wind region, windborne debris or ice barrier entry. Virginia's amendment to the residential code's wind section (R301.2.1) adds a rule for special wind regions, mountainous terrain and gorges. Confirm the design wind speed with the Division of Building Safety (757-890-3522) before relying on it for a wind-rated installation.
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 York County Code Chapter 7.1 (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 needs a permit (Virginia Construction Code 108.2 item 14.6), and the County requires a permit for repairs to rafters and other structural components.
Sales & use tax
7.0% general sales and use tax in York County (Virginia Tax, "Sales Tax Rates by Locality" workbook, "January 1, 2026 - Present" sheet: York, code 51199, General Sales 0.07). Virginia Tax's rates page lists James City County, Williamsburg and York County as the 7% localities. That is the 4.3% state tax (Code of Virginia Section 58.1-603), the 1% local option tax (Section 58.1-605), the 0.70% additional state tax of Section 58.1-603.1, and the 1% Historic Triangle tax of Section 58.1-603.2 ("'Historic Triangle' means all of the City of Williamsburg and the Counties of James City and York."), which applies to both sales and use tax. Food and personal hygiene items are taxed at 1%. 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.

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Accomack County, VARoof permit Alexandria, VARoof permit Amherst County, VARoof permit Arlington County, VARoof permit Botetourt County, VARoof permit Roofing in VirginiaState hub

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The Division of Building Safety of York County, Virginia, enforces the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code in the county, reviews residential and commercial building plans, issues building permits and conducts inspections from its office at 100 County Drive in Yorktown.

Hail reports near the center of York County, VA

Reports, last 24 months
1
Largest, last 24 months
1.00 in Aug 10, 2026
Most recent
Aug 10, 2026 1.00 in
Reports, last 5 years
3
3 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
Aug 10, 20261.00 in6 mi SSW
Oct 17, 20221.00 in8 mi WSW
Oct 17, 20221.00 in6 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 York County, VA. Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.

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Sources

Roofing questions: York County, VA

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

No, York County, VA does not require a permit to replace a roof. 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." York County's own code carries the same roof exemption: Section 7.1-10(c) exempts from the County's building permit requirement "Replacement of roof coverings in Group R3, R-4 and R-5 structures, provided the building or structure is not in an area where the nominal design wind speed is greater than 100 miles per hour and replacement of 100 square feet or less of roof covering in all groups and all wind zones." The County's amended climatic table (Section 7.1-3(e)) gives "Wind Speed 100 mph (3 second wind gust)" for the county and does not say whether that figure is the nominal speed the exemption uses. The Division of Building Safety applies the exemption in its own words: "It states any work that is structural in nature requires a permit. It does exclude cosmetic changes (such as painting, installing vinyl siding, replacing carpet, etc.) and ordinary repairs (such as replacing cabinetry, kitchen appliances (except gas equipment), electrical switches, electric water heaters, reroofing, etc.). For additional information, call the Building Safety office at 757-890-3522." The County still requires a permit for "Repairing, altering or modifying any structural component including stud walls, columns, piers, footings, foundations, floor and ceiling joists, rafters, beams or girders", so replacing more than 256 square feet of roof decking, or any rafter, is permit work. The County's general permit clause (Section 7.1-8: "Permits, inspections and fees shall be required for all work as established by the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code.") names no roof work, and its fee schedule has no roofing line; repairs that do need a permit are priced under "Building Alteration, Renovation & Repair" by value ($90 up to $1,000, $120 to $5,000, $140 plus $55 per further $5,000, plus a $5 technology fee). An older ordinary-repairs list on the Division's FAQ page still gives "Replacement of 100 square foot or less of roof decking"; the 2021 code figure is 256 square feet.

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

Yes.

What building code does York 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."). York County Code Section 7.1-3 adopts it by reference: "There is hereby adopted by reference in the county that certain code known as the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC) and all Virginia Administrative Amendments-Accumulative Supplements thereto in being as of August 15, 1974 or subsequently issued, and the whole thereof". The Division's own pages say "The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (VUSBC) became effective January 18, 2024. All permits issued after January 18, 2025 will be subject to the 2021 VUSBC. Permits that were issued prior to the effective date of the 2021 codes will be inspected under the VUSBC in effect at the time that the permits were issued." Chapter 7.1 of the County Code (Building Regulations, as amended through Ordinance No. 25-9(R) of May 6, 2025), read in full, adds no technical roofing provision of its own; its only change to the residential code is to fill in the County's entries in the climatic design table (Section 7.1-3(e)).

Is a mid-roof inspection required in York County, VA?

No. York County names no roofing inspection. County Code Section 7.1-11 lists the inspections the building code official prescribes (footing trenches; beams, floor joists, vents and anchor bolts; "Structural framing and fastenings, prior to covering with concealing materials"; electrical, mechanical and plumbing work before concealment; insulation; and a final), and the Division's schedule of building permit inspections (Footing, Slab, Foundation, Framing, Exterior Moisture, Insulation, Final Building) has no roofing, underlayment or roof sheathing stage. The Section 7.1-11 list reads "include but are not limited to", and it also lets the building code official waive inspection "Where the construction cost is less than $2,500". An ordinary reroof of a house needs no permit and so no inspection; if an owner asks for a permit, the statewide rule says "any related inspections shall be required".