Roofing in Charlottesville, Virginia

Required

The 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (13VAC5-63), effective January 18, 2024 (the Virginia Administrative Code history note reads "Volume 40, Issue 9, eff. 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 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 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."). Charlottesville City Code Section 5-26(a) incorporates by reference "the Uniform Statewide Building Code ('USBC') adopted and promulgated on April 15, 1997 by the Virginia Board of Housing and Community Development pursuant to the provisions of § 36-98 of the Code of Virginia (1950), and amendments thereof and regulations promulgated pursuant thereto, as adopted and promulgated by such board from time to time", and Section 5-26(b) makes the City's department of neighborhood development services responsible for administering and enforcing it and for "issuance of permits". The City's Building Inspections page states "Effective January 18, 2025, all new permits submitted will be under the current 2021 Virginia Statewide Building Code cycle"; the State's regulation gives January 18, 2024 as the effective date. Chapter 5 of the City Code (Building Regulations; Property Maintenance), read in full (Articles I through VI, Sections 5-1 through 5-210), adds no technical roofing provision of its own.

The City does not publish an answer on whether an ordinary reroof of a house in Charlottesville needs a building permit, so check the statewide limits below before you start. 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." 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: "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 City's Building Inspections page, its Building Permit Application, its mandatory-inspection sheet and its Building Regulations chapter (Chapter 5 of the City Code) do not say whether a reroof needs a permit, and the design-criteria sheet on its Building Inspections page gives one wind-speed figure without saying whether it is nominal or ultimate, so the wind-speed test in item 14.5 is not applied here; ask the Building Inspections Division whether your address falls inside the exemption. The work must meet the code with or without a permit. Where a permit is taken out, the City takes applications and fee payments through its City Public Permit Portal (permits.charlottesville.gov/portal); the Building Permit Application (revision date August 10, 2023) asks for the property owner, the licensed contractor and the "State DPOR License #", and a homeowner acting as their own contractor completes an Owner Affirmation on page 3. The City's Building Inspections page says that as of January 26, 2026 the division is on the first floor of City Hall, 605 E Main Street, and that "Appointments for in-office services are always encouraged." Its mandatory-inspection sheet charges "A REINSPECTION FEE OF $100.00" when an inspection is requested and found "NOT READY". The City's historic-districts page says that within its design control districts "design review is required for exterior alterations", approved by a Certificate of Appropriateness, so ask whether a reroof in one of those districts needs that approval as well.