Roofing in Newport News, Virginia

Required

City Code Sec. 13-23(a) reads: "The Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and supplements thereto, including any future amendments thereto, are hereby adopted by reference; and the same are incorporated herein as fully as if set out at length." The edition in force is the 2021 Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (13VAC5-63), effective January 18, 2024; the City's Code Data page lists the "2021 Virginia Construction Code (Part I of the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code – effective January 18, 2024)" and, among its references, the 2021 Virginia Residential Code and the 2021 Virginia Existing Building Code. 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, 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). City Code Chapter 13, Building Regulations, read in full as codified through Ordinance No. 8195-26 (enacted August 11, 2026), carries the adoption clause, one amendment filling in Table R301.2(1) climatic entries (Sec. 13-24(a)), permit fees, inspections, contractor registration and property-maintenance provisions, and no technical roofing provision. The City's Design Criteria page links the 2018 Virginia Residential Code; the Code Data page names the 2021 edition as current.

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.) Whether the item 14.5 exemption reaches an ordinary house in Newport News turns on the nominal design wind speed there, and the City's own documents give two different wind figures without calling either one nominal. The Codes Compliance Design Criteria page prints "Wind speed 118" (no unit or basis given), for buildings constructed under the Virginia Residential Code. City Code Sec. 13-24(a), which fills in the column headings of Table R301.2(1), prints "100 3 sec." and "80 cont." under "WIND SPEED (mph)" (Ord. No. 5365-99; Ord. No. 5975-03). This record does not convert one kind of wind speed into another and does not say which figure the Department applies to the exemption. Two locations carry more. Newport News has two historic districts in its Zoning Ordinance, the Hilton Village Historic District and the North End/Huntington Heights Historic District; in each, "No building permit, sign permit, or other city permit shall be issued nor shall any individual undertake any of the activities listed below until the architectural review board or the designated administrator shall have certified that such activity is in conformance", and the list includes "Additions and/or alterations: This shall include any exterior modifications to existing structures." (City Code Secs. 45-3137 and 45-3150). The City's Floodplain Development Regulations reach the FEMA Special Flood Hazard Area, where Exception 2 above lets the building official require a permit. The Department of Codes Compliance publishes no statement on whether a residential reroof needs a permit: its permit applications, fee schedule, minimum-inspections sheet and residential checklist do not mention reroofing, and City Code Chapter 13, read in full, names no roof work. Ask Codes Compliance before the job starts (757-933-2311, [email protected]). An owner may still ask for a permit for any exempt item under the preamble quoted above. The City's permit fee schedule states: "ANY WORK BEING PERFORMED PRIOR TO OBTAINING THE APPROPRIATE PERMIT (BUILDING, ELECTRICAL, MECHANICAL OR PLUMBING) WILL BE SUBJECT TO A "DOUBLE FEE" CHARGE." Where a permit is sought, the City's Building Permit Application (Department of Codes Compliance, 2400 Washington Avenue 3rd floor) asks for the "Contractor State License #" and class (A, B or C) and a "Proposed Value of Work", with "Alterations/Repairs" among its types of work; applications can also be made through the City's Citizen Self Service portal. Building permit fees are set by City Code Sec. 13-26: "For the alteration or repair of any building or structure ... For use groups R3, R4 and R5 the fee shall be determined by multiplying the value of the construction by a factor of forty-four hundredths (0.44) of one percent (.0044)", with a minimum building permit fee of "fifty-five dollars ($55.00)" in the codified text; the City's printed fee schedule (effective July 1, 2009) shows a minimum of $56.10 including a 2.0% state surcharge. The residential checklist asks for a "Contractor Registration form if not already registered with the City of Newport News" and a "Contractor Exemption Affidavit: Required only if no licensed contractor is responsible for work." The City's asbestos certification form, which the City describes as required before a building permit for demolition or renovation of certain buildings is issued, includes the option "The building is not used as a school and work consists only of the removal or replacement of roofing, flooring and/or siding assumed to contain friable asbestos. The installation, removal or encapsulation will be accomplished by a licensed asbestos contractor."

Per the Department of Codes Compliance Minimum Inspections sheet (updated 2-2026), building-permit inspections run from zoning and footing through "FINAL – upon completion of all work for which permit is obtained including all electrical, mechanical and plumbing work and before use or occupancy of any kind", with "ADDITIONAL INSPECTIONS MAY BE REQUIRED WHERE CONDITIONS WARRANT" and "FINAL INSPECTIONS ARE REQUIRED FOR ALL PERMITS UNLESS OTHERWISE APPROVED IN WRITING". Inspections are scheduled by calling 757-933-2311, through the permitting portal, or by the City's online Building Inspection request form; the Trades Inspection Requests page says a request "will be scheduled within 2 working days". The sheet adds: "IF WORK IS FOUND TO BE INCOMPLETE AFTER AN INSPECTION HAS BEEN REQUESTED AND SCHEDULED, A REINSPECTION FEE OF $50.00 MAY BE REQUIRED PRIOR TO ADDITIONAL INSPECTIONS." City Code Sec. 13-47 says reasonable access to an attic "shall be taken to mean the placement of a ladder to access hatches, unless a permanent means for such access has been installed."