Attached homes
Shared walls raise the fire-rated plywood question. See roof replacement.
Roofers in Sterling, VA
Sterling is unincorporated Loudoun County, so there is no town hall, and five separate census places, from Cascades to Sugarland Run, carry Sterling mailing addresses. The county's permit pages never spell out a re-roof rule, so the Loudoun permit office is the one place to ask.
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Who issues the permit
If Sterling has no town hall, which Loudoun office answers a roof question?
Loudoun's Permitting page says the Department of Building and Development issues building permits and grading permits for the entire county, and zoning permits for properties outside the incorporated towns. Sterling is in no town, so there is no town step.
The page adds that applicants are responsible for contacting their homeowner association or property owner association for additional requirements.
What we do here
Which roof work fits a Sterling townhouse, a detached house or a garden-style building?
Detached houses
Leaks at flashings, chimneys and valleys are a roof repair question first, a replacement question second.
Choosing a covering
Compare options on materials.
Permits
What does state code say about shingles and plywood when Loudoun's pages say nothing?
Confirm your scope with the county before work is scheduled.
| What you plan | What state code says | Who to ask |
|---|---|---|
| Replace the roof covering on a detached or attached house | Listed as exempt, unlimited amount, in a house where the nominal design wind speed is not over 100 mph | Loudoun Building and Development, 703-777-0220 |
| Replace 256 sq ft or less of roof plywood | Listed as exempt | Loudoun Building and Development, 703-777-0220 |
| Replace plywood on a townhouse roof that was built with fire-retardant-treated decking | The exemption does not apply | Loudoun Building and Development, 703-777-0220 |
The state code (13VAC5-63-80, item 14.5) exempts replacement of an unlimited amount of roof covering in Group R-3, R-4 or R-5 buildings, provided the nominal design wind speed is not above 100 miles per hour. Loudoun posts 115 mph for residential, a different figure, so ask the office about your wind zone.
Item 14.6 exempts replacing 256 square feet or less of roof decking, unless that decking was required at original construction to be fire-retardant-treated or protected as a fire-rated wall termination. That exception is the one that matters on an attached home.
Loudoun also publishes monthly Building Permits Issued reports. The spring 2026 reports list a handful of Sterling-address re-roof permits, several of them where plywood was replaced on attached homes. A permit on file does not prove one was required.
The permit counter is in the Loudoun County Government Center, 1 Harrison Street SE, Leesburg, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The address trap
Is a Cascades, Countryside or Lowes Island address also a Sterling address?
Cascades, Countryside, Lowes Island, Sugarland Run and Dulles Town Center are each their own census-designated place, yet their homes use Sterling mailing addresses in ZIP codes 20164, 20165 and 20166. Loudoun permits all of them the same way; the label changes which association you answer to, not which office you call.
Potomac Falls is a community and school name, not a census place of its own.
Associations and historic review
Does the Sugarland Run Architectural Review Committee need to see a new roof first?
Yes, according to the association's own page. It says that before exterior changes such as painting, roof replacement, deck construction or fencing, homeowners must submit an Architectural Improvement Application. Forms are at the SRHOA office, 200 Greenfield Court.
The committee meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7:00 PM, and its contact is ARC@srhoa.com. For Cascades, Countryside, Lowes Island and the Sterling Park sections, we do not print a rule, so read your own documents or ask your association.
Loudoun's local historic districts are Aldie, Beaverdam Creek Historic Roads, Bluemont, Goose Creek, Oatlands, Taylorstown and Waterford. Sterling is not on that list.
Housing stock
How many Sterling homes share a wall, and how old is the typical one?
Census numbers describe homes, not roofs. These are 2024 five-year estimates for the Sterling census place.
Half detached, a third attached
Of 10,102 housing units, 5,073 are detached (50.2 percent) and 3,177 are townhouse-type (31.4 percent).
A 1982 median
The median year built is 1982. Roof age is not part of the Census data.
Mostly owners
Owners occupy 7,041 of 9,813 occupied homes, a computed 71.8 percent.
Weather and loads
What did the 2004 tornado near the Sterling forecast office, and a 30 psf snow load, change?
The National Weather Service's September 2004 table says an F2 tornado in eastern Loudoun County passed within a half mile of the Forecast Office in Sterling and near Dulles Airport, and that over 1,900 northern Virginia homes suffered damage, according to press reports. It names no street or roof count.
Loudoun's code page lists a ground snow load of 30 PSF and a frost depth of 24 inches.
At Dulles Airport, the nearest official gauge, the 1991 to 2020 normal season total is 21.0 inches.
Process
How does a Sterling job go from a stain on the ceiling to a written scope?
Which kind of home
Detached, attached or larger, and any association.
Phone talk
A free 15-minute call about the roof and where water shows.
Roof look
Flashings, valleys, vents and the surface.
Written scope
What comes off, expected plywood, and what to confirm with Loudoun.
The work
Done to the written scope, site cleaned up.
Reviews
Where can a Loudoun neighbor read the Google reviews?
5.0 on Google from 60 reviews.
FAQ
Questions Sterling owners ask about roofs and Loudoun County
Is there a town office I must visit before a roof job at a Sterling address?
No. Loudoun says its Building and Development department issues building permits for the whole county and zoning permits outside the incorporated towns, and Sterling is not a town.
Does Loudoun's website say a re-roof needs a permit?
Its permit pages list renovations and alterations among typical residential projects but name no roof rule. State code lists house roof-covering replacement as exempt; call 703-777-0220.
Why would a Sterling townhouse re-roof differ from a detached house?
State code exempts up to 256 square feet of decking replacement except where the decking was originally required to be fire-retardant-treated. About 31 percent of Sterling units are townhouse-type.
Do I file an application with the Sugarland Run association before replacing a roof?
Its Architectural Review Committee page says homeowners must submit an Architectural Improvement Application before roof replacement.
Did the 2004 tornado damage roofs near Sterling?
The weather service table places an F2 tornado within half a mile of its Sterling office. It gives no roof count.
Do airport noise rules apply to a new roof near Dulles?
Loudoun's Airport Impact Overlay page lists acoustical treatment for new residential construction and new additions. It does not mention re-roofing.
Nearby
Which neighbors share Loudoun's permit office?
Ashburn and Leesburg are in Loudoun. Herndon and Chantilly answer to other offices. See all of our service areas or read about King's Roofing.
Official pages used (checked October 10, 2026):
- Loudoun County: Permitting
- Loudoun County: Residential and Commercial Construction Permits
- Loudoun County: Historic District Guidelines
- Loudoun County: Airport Impact Overlay District
- Sugarland Run HOA: Architectural Review Committee
- Loudoun County: Building Codes
- Virginia building code 13VAC5-63-80
- National Weather Service: September 2004 table
Roof material guides for Sterling: EPDM roofs in Sterling, metal roofs in Sterling, PVC roofs in Sterling, TPO roofs in Sterling.
Talk through the next step
Tell us the building type and what is under the shingles
A short phone call about your roof, whether the house is detached or attached and how much plywood you expect to replace is enough to sort out which Loudoun question comes first.
Book a free 15-minute phone consultation
(703) 712-1506
9220 Topaz St, Fairfax, VA 22031
Mon to Fri 7 AM to 8:30 PM, Sat 7 AM to 8 PM, closed Sunday