South Carolina / Columbia

Roof Replacement Permit in Columbia, South Carolina

Permit required

Yes, a permit is required

Before tearing off and replacing a roof covering, or installing new shingles over an existing roof, on a one or two family dwelling.

Confirmed on official page Verified City of Columbia Planning and Development Services, Building Inspections Division and Development Center

By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources

Quick answer

Roof replacement is regulated work in Columbia and requires a permit. The city's Roofing Permit Application, still posted on the Planning and Development Services site, has exactly two job description options, 'TEAR OFF SHINGLES AND REROOF' and 'REROOF (SHINGLE INSTALL ONLY)', and carries a staff zoning review block. Roofing is also named in the city's own list of work that must pass a rough in inspection before it is covered. Current residential submittals are made on the Single Family/Duplex/Townhouse Building Permit Application through the Development Center or the Access portal.

Who is pulling this permit?

Apply yourself

Apply on the Columbia permit portal

Hire it out

Before you sign, ask the contractor:

  • Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
  • Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
  • Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?

When a permit is usually needed

Before tearing off and replacing a roof covering, or installing new shingles over an existing roof, on a one or two family dwelling.

What a roof replacement permit costs in Columbia

Line item
roof replacement permitBy formulaResidential building permit under Code of Ordinances Sec. 5-204(a)(2), which covers one and two family building work at $20.00 for total value of $1.00 to $5,000.00 and $4.00 per $1,000.00 or fraction thereof above that, plus the $25.00 residential plan review fee. Roofing is itemized by name in the commercial schedule at Sec. 5-204(a)(1). Starting a reroof before the permit is issued triggers the Sec. 5-204(c) penalty of 100 percent of the usual permit fee.
Fee schedule in forceOfficial scheduleRead . Fees are the jurisdiction’s; we do not mark them up or estimate them.

How to apply in Columbia

A residential reroof permit application is lighter than for structural work: you state whether the scope is a full tear-off (roof replacement) or an overlay (roof recover), describe the covering material and its manufacturer instructions, and note the condition of the existing deck, since those facts determine which code path applies.

What most roof replacement permit applications include:

  • State on the application whether the job is a roof replacement, which strips all existing layers down to the bare deck, or a roof recover, which leaves the old covering in place under specific conditions, since the two scopes are governed differently (IRC R908.3).
  • A recover is only an option where the new covering follows the roof covering manufacturer's approved instructions or is a self-supporting system, such as standing-seam metal, that does not rely on the existing roof for support (IRC R908.3.1).
  • Full tear-off must be scoped on the application instead of a recover when the existing roof is water soaked or deteriorated, is slate, clay, cement, or asbestos-cement tile, or already carries two or more layers of roof covering (IRC R908.3.1.1).
  • The materials and installation methods described on the application must comply with the reroofing requirements of the roof-assemblies chapter (IRC R908.1).
  • If the scope reuses existing slate, clay, or cement tile, damaged or broken pieces cannot be listed for reinstallation, and any rusted or deteriorated flashings, edgings, outlets, or vents uncovered during tear-off must be scoped for replacement (IRC R908.5).

General submittal guidance from IRC Section R908 Reroofing (text as adopted in the 2020 Residential Code of New York State, based on the 2018 IRC). Source. City of Columbia Planning and Development Services, Building Inspections Division and Development Center sets the exact checklist for Columbia.

Where to apply in Columbia:

City of Columbia Planning and Development Services, Building Inspections Division and Development Center

Inspections and closing out your permit

Most residential reroofs get two to three field inspections keyed to the scope of work: a deck or nailing check when sheathing is exposed or replaced, a final on the completed covering and flashings, and in some high-wind regions a dedicated check of mitigation measures added during tear-off.

  1. Where the covering is fully removed and the sheathing is exposed, replaced, or added, inspectors check the deck and its nailing before any new roofing goes down, since the structural framework must be able to carry the new covering's loads (IRC R908.2).
  2. An overlay is only approved where it meets one of the code's listed recover conditions, such as installation in accordance with the covering manufacturer's approved instructions (IRC R908.3.1).
  3. Flashings disturbed or replaced during the job are checked against the approved manufacturer's installation instructions, and metal flashing that will receive bituminous material must be primed before installation (IRC R908.6).
  4. A final inspection confirms the completed roof covering and its fasteners were installed as required for that material and per manufacturer instructions before the permit is closed (IRC R905).
  5. In some regions with strengthened wind provisions, reroofing an older single-family home also triggers inspection of supplemental deck-nailing and a secondary water barrier added during tear-off, on top of the base reroofing requirements (Florida Building Code, Residential R908.7 Mitigation).
  6. Reinstalled existing slate, clay, or cement tile is checked against reuse limits at inspection, and any rusted, damaged, or deteriorated flashings, edgings, outlets, or vents found during tear-off must be replaced rather than reinstalled (IRC R908.5).

Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the Columbia permit portal or by phone at (803) 545-3420.

Inspection sequence from IRC Section R908 Reroofing and Section R905 Roof Coverings (2021 International Residential Code). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a roof replacement permit in Columbia?
Roof replacement is regulated work in Columbia and requires a permit. The city's Roofing Permit Application, still posted on the Planning and Development Services site, has exactly two job description options, 'TEAR OFF SHINGLES AND REROOF' and 'REROOF (SHINGLE INSTALL ONLY)', and carries a staff zoning review block. Roofing is also named in the city's own list of work that must pass a rough in inspection before it is covered. Current residential submittals are made on the Single Family/Duplex/Townhouse Building Permit Application through the Development Center or the Access portal. Always confirm with the City of Columbia Planning and Development Services, Building Inspections Division and Development Center before starting.
How much does a roof replacement permit cost in Columbia?
Residential building permit under Code of Ordinances Sec. 5-204(a)(2), which covers one and two family building work at $20.00 for total value of $1.00 to $5,000.00 and $4.00 per $1,000.00 or fraction thereof above that, plus the $25.00 residential plan review fee. Roofing is itemized by name in the commercial schedule at Sec. 5-204(a)(1). Starting a reroof before the permit is issued triggers the Sec. 5-204(c) penalty of 100 percent of the usual permit fee. See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
Where do you apply for a roof replacement permit in Columbia?
You can apply through the Columbia permit portal or contact the City of Columbia Planning and Development Services, Building Inspections Division and Development Center directly. The links are listed on this page.
Can a homeowner pull a roof replacement permit themselves in Columbia?
Under South Carolina law (S.C. Code Ann. 40-59-260(A), (B), (C), (E), (F); 40-59-265; 40-59-280; 40-59-20(6), (7); 40-59-30(A)): South Carolina licenses residential builders and residential specialty contractors under S.C. Code Title 40 Chapter 59, and 40-59-260 exempts the owner of record who builds for himself. The exemption applies only if the owner does the work himself, with his own employees, or with licensed contractors or registered entities, if the structure is intended for the owner's sole occupancy or occupancy by the owner's family and is not intended for sale or rent, and if the general public does not have access to it. The owner must personally appear and sign the building permit application, and the local permitting agency must hand over a disclosure statement whose statutory text reads in part: You must supervise the construction yourself. You may build or improve a one-family or two-family residence. The building must be for your own use and occupancy. It may not be built for sale or rent. The sale restriction is two years and is a presumption rather than a flat bar: 40-59-260(B) makes proof of sale or rent, or of offering for sale or rent, within two years after completion or issuance of a certificate of occupancy prima facie evidence that the project was undertaken for sale or rent, which forfeits the exemption and exposes the owner to the chapter's penalties. South Carolina then adds a step no other state in this wave has: 40-59-260(E) requires the owner to promptly record a notice with the register of deeds, indexed under the owner's name in the grantor index, stating that the building was constructed by the owner as an unlicensed builder, and failure to record revokes the statutory exemption. The exemption is from the licensing chapter, not from the permit, and 40-59-280 requires the building official to refuse a permit unless the applicant furnishes evidence of licensure, registration, or exemption. Confirm how Columbia applies this before you apply.

From the Library

What else needs a permit in Columbia

Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.

ProjectPermit needed?ThresholdTypical fee
Deck PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedResidential building permit under Code of Ordinances Sec.
Electrical PermitIt dependsNot specifiedElectrical work at a one or two family dwelling is priced under Code of Ordinances Sec.
Fence PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedUnified Development Ordinance Fee Schedule (Rev.
HVAC PermitIt dependsNot specifiedMechanical work at a one or two family dwelling is priced under Code of Ordinances Sec.
Patio PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedResidential building permit under Code of Ordinances Sec.
Plumbing PermitIt dependsNot specifiedPlumbing work at a one or two family dwelling is priced under Code of Ordinances Sec.
Pool PermitIt dependspools that are in ground or permanent above groundResidential building permit under Code of Ordinances Sec.
Shed PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedA detached accessory structure of 200 sq ft or less is a zoning permit: Unified...
Solar PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedBoth a building permit and an electrical permit are priced under Code of Ordinances Sec.

Roof Replacement Permit in other South Carolina localities

Everything above, sourced

planninganddevelopment.columbiasc.gov: development inspectionsread
planninganddevelopment.columbiasc.gov: residential projectsread

Code references

National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not Columbia documents; the office above sets the local rules.

Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with City of Columbia Planning and Development Services, Building Inspections Division and Development Center. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.

Last checked: Report an error on this page

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