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Roofing in Herndon, VA: is your roof inside the Historic District or not?
A Herndon roof sits on one of two review paths, and the Town's own papers draw the line. Inside the Historic District Overlay, replacing a roof starts with a Certificate of Appropriateness, which the Town's reference guide rates as a staff decision, before any building permit. Outside it, the Re-Roof sheet from Building Inspections is the Town's published path. This page reads those documents, the state code behind them and the Town's Census housing counts.
- Staff level: how the Town rates replacement roofing in the district
- 49%: historic roof structure or sheathing removed before the standard changes
- 27.3% of Herndon homes are in buildings of 5 or more units
Which side of the line is your roof?
The Town of Herndon has its own Building Inspections office and a Historic District Overlay with three areas, per the 2020 Guidelines: the downtown district and nearby streets, Van Vleck's addition, and Chestnut Grove Cemetery. The Town's FAQ says its maps show which properties are inside, and that each structure is considered contributing or noncontributing. Find your address, then follow one list.
Inside the Historic District Overlay
- A Certificate of Appropriateness comes first: the Re-Roof sheet says to get zoning approval before the building permit application.
- The Reference Guide rates replacement roofing a staff-approved certificate on every elevation.
- The application needs a letter, photos, material specifications and product sheets.
- Contributing and noncontributing buildings get different roof guidance.
Outside it, elsewhere in the Town
- No certificate step. The Re-Roof sheet is the path: permit application, Re-Roof Form, contractor license or owner's affidavit.
- The sheet gives the review time as approximately 4 weeks, by email.
- State exemptions exist for some re-roofing, yet the Town publishes a Re-Roof sheet, so ask which applies.
- An older building of five or more units may need an asbestos statement.
Email historicdistrict@herndon-va.gov. The Process Guide describes an Exemption Review, voluntary but highly encouraged, in which staff verify in writing that a project needs no certificate, within 3 business days of a complete submission.
Inside the district: three review levels
The Town's Property Modifications Reference Guide (updated August 15, 2024) sorts projects into three levels: board approval at a public hearing, staff approval, or exempt. Its roof rows, by how the roof is seen:
| Roof element | Faces a street (front, side or rear) | Side, not street-facing | Rear, not street-facing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Replacement roofing | Staff | Staff | Staff |
| Dormers | Board | Board | Board |
| Roof structure changes | Board | Board | Board |
| Skylights | Board | Staff | Exempt |
| Chimneys | Board | Staff | Staff |
| Vents and fans | Staff | Staff | Exempt |
| Solar panels | Staff | Staff | Exempt |
| Roof-mounted HVAC | Staff | Staff | Staff |
| Replacing eave or cornice decorative materials | Staff | Staff | Staff |
| Altering eave or cornice decorative components | Board | Board | Board |
Source: Town of Herndon, Historic District Property Modifications Reference Guide (archived copy of April 21, 2026). The guide says it is not a complete list.
One note cuts the other way: it says an improvement not visible from any street is exempt, yet the table rates replacement roofing staff level on a rear elevation. The guide does not reconcile the two, so ask staff in writing.
What the Town Code adds
- Section 78-60.3 says deteriorated features are to be "repaired, rather than replaced, wherever reasonably possible," and replacement material should match in composition, design, color and texture to the greatest extent practicable.
- When more than 49 percent of the structural components or sheathing of the original or historic roofs are removed, the work can be treated as new construction or demolition. That is a decking question as much as a shingle question.
- Staff approve only improvements on a list the zoning administrator keeps, common and recurring with a minor impact. The zoning administrator can also forward an application to the board.
- A staff decision can be appealed to the board within 30 days under the code. The 2020 Process Guide says 14 days, so ask staff.
- Review times differ by paper: the Re-Roof sheet says approximately 4 weeks, while the 2020 Process Guide gives 7 business days for a staff certificate and typically around 30 days for a board one. The papers do not say how these fit together, so ask staff.
What the 2020 Guidelines ask of a roof
Contributing buildings
Repair rather than replace where possible, patching to match. A replacement should offer the same general appearance as the existing roof: composition, shape, size, color, profile, pattern and texture. New standing seam metal should match pan width, seam height and crimp pattern; new slate, color, size, shape and pattern. Snow guards, copper flashing and ridge vents are reinstalled or matched. Alternative materials face the tests in the FAQ below.
Noncontributing buildings
Roofs are replaced in kind or with a compatible alternative. Colors should complement the building and reflect traditional roof colors in the district for that material. Pitch and eaves should not change. Alternatives are treated as generally appropriate here, with the focus on durability and appearance, and the applicant must show the material is appropriate.
For metal and slate, the Guidelines say a full replacement proposed before the roof's useful life ends should come with a letter from an experienced roofing company explaining why, and that worn flashings, leaking gutters and poor attic ventilation should be ruled out first. Get those findings in writing before filing.
Outside the district: the Re-Roof sheet
Building Inspections posts a three-page packet: a checklist with a review process, a building permit application and a Re-Roof Information page, read in a browser on October 18, 2026. Its steps, in order:
- If the property is in the Town's historic preservation district, get zoning approval first, from Community Development.
- Email the checklist documents to buildinginspections@herndon-va.gov. The sheet gives the review time as approximately 4 weeks.
- Wait for the approval email, then pay.
- After payment and confirmation, the permit and approved plans arrive by email.
- Begin work.
- Book inspections one business day ahead by email, with the permit number, contractor, inspection type, address, morning or afternoon, a phone number for the person on site and the virtual method, FaceTime or Google.
The Re-Roof Information page asks for the property type, what covers the roof now, how many layers there are, the proposed covering and the condition of the old one: removed, overlaid, flashing replaced, or only portions repaired. A written scope should settle those facts first. Building Inspections lists (703) 435-6850.
State rules that travel with the roof
- Permit exemptions. Virginia's building code (13VAC5-63-80) lists as ordinary repairs replacing 100 square feet or less of roof covering in all building groups, and any amount in groups R-3, R-4 and R-5 where the nominal design wind speed is 100 mph or less. Replacing 256 square feet or less of roof decking in those groups is also listed, unless it had to be fire-retardant-treated or protected as a fire-rated wall termination. Two exceptions let the building official still ask for a permit: roofing in a locally designated historic district, and any exempt item in a special flood hazard area.
- Contractor proof. The code requires proof of contractor licensure or a written statement that the person is not subject to it; the Town's checklist asks for a State Contractors License or an owner's affidavit.
- Asbestos. Code of Virginia 36-99.7 bars a permit to renovate a building first permitted before January 1, 1985 until the owner certifies an asbestos inspection. For roofing-only work, a statement that the materials are assumed to contain asbestos and will be handled by a licensed asbestos contractor can satisfy it. Single-family dwellings and housing of four or fewer units are outside it, unless the work is for commercial or public development. The Re-Roof packet reproduces the notice.
Ask the Town's building official whether an exemption fits your roof.
The documents, side by side
Each paper says something different about a roof, and each is silent somewhere. Older papers call the review body the Heritage Preservation Review Board; the Code and Guidelines say Historic District Review Board.
| Document | Version checked | What it says about roofs | Where it is silent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town Code, section 78-60.3 | Municode, September 4, 2026 | Certificate before altering; matching materials; the 49 percent test; appeals | Names no roofing material |
| Historic District Overlay Guidelines | 2020; archived copy of October 28, 2025 | Roof guidance by building class; alternative-material tests; annual roof inspection, plus a roofer's check every five years | No asphalt shingle section: only a mention as a typical modern replacement and a photo caption |
| Property Modifications Reference Guide | Updated August 15, 2024 | Review level for each roof element, by elevation | Does not reconcile the not-visible note with rear roofs |
| Process Guide | Dated December 10, 2020 | Three review paths and their review times | Its 14-day appeal window differs from the code |
| Re-Roof packet | Read October 18, 2026 | Checklist, six steps, about 4 weeks, layer and covering questions | Sets no roofing standard |
| 1991 National Register nomination | Virginia Department of Historic Resources | Hipped, gable, gambrel, mansard and pyramidal roofs; a downtown of mostly flat-roofed brick buildings | A 1991 survey with no rule; its summary box lists asphalt shingles |
Herndon's homes in numbers
The Census counts homes, not roofs, and cannot say which sit in the district. It does show what kinds of buildings the Town's rules apply to: 8,076 homes (American Community Survey 2024 five-year estimates, margin of error 363).
| Building type | Homes | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Detached house | 3,532 | 43.7% |
| Attached (townhouse type) | 2,196 | 27.2% |
| 2 to 4 units | 146 | 1.8% |
| 5 to 9 units | 352 | 4.4% |
| 10 to 19 units | 994 | 12.3% |
| 20 or more units | 856 | 10.6% |
Source: Census Bureau, ACS 2024 five-year estimates, table B25024, Town of Herndon.
Before 1950
255 homes, 3.2%. The district's period of significance runs from 1855 to 1940. The margin on the 1939-or-earlier group alone is 77.
1950 to 1989
5,213 homes, 64.5%, including 2,517 built in the 1970s and 2,016 in the 1980s.
1990 or later
2,608 homes, 32.3%. Homes from 2010 onward are 6.0% of the total.
Owners occupy 4,841 of 7,796 occupied homes (62.1%) and renters 2,955 (37.9%). The Guidelines say newer residential development inside the district is primarily infill, so an address in the district is not proof the building is old.
Two links to the rules above. The 2,202 homes in buildings of five or more units (27.3%) fall outside the asbestos statute's four-unit exemption, and 3,452 homes (42.7%) predate 1980. The Census gives no permit dates, so it cannot count the 1985 cutoff.
What to have ready before you call
- The address, and whether the Town's district map includes it, with contributing or noncontributing noted.
- Photos of every roof plane visible from a street; the Town's submission rules ask for labeled, high-resolution color photos.
- What covers the roof now, how many layers there are and where water shows.
- The building type: house, townhouse or a building of five or more units, and who signs for the roof.
- The year the building was first permitted, if you know it.
- Any soft decking you can see from the attic, since the 49 percent test counts structure and sheathing.
A written scope should name the layers to be removed, the decking to be replaced, the flashings and accessories to be reinstalled, and the covering with its color and profile. Roofers of Arlington installs, repairs and replaces roofs, including flat roof systems and metal roofing. Book a phone consultation to talk through a Herndon roof at (571) 397-6072, or read about roof repair, roof replacement and our other services.
Material guides and nearby pages
Herndon's Town rules differ from Arlington County's, laid out in the Arlington roofing guide. More places are on the service areas page.
Sources and dates opened
The Town's website blocks automated downloads, so Town papers are archived copies unless marked. All other sources were opened October 18, 2026.
- Town of Herndon Code, section 78-60.3, Historic District Overlay (version of September 4, 2026)
- Town of Herndon: Historic Preservation (archived July 12, 2026) and Historic District FAQs (archived April 20, 2026)
- Historic District Overlay Guidelines, 2020 (archived October 28, 2025)
- Property Modifications Reference Guide and Process Guide (archived April 21, 2026)
- Historic District Property Modification form (archived November 6, 2025)
- Town of Herndon: Re-Roof packet (read directly October 18, 2026)
- Town of Herndon: Building Inspections (archived July 12, 2026)
- 13VAC5-63-80, Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code and Code of Virginia 36-99.7
- Herndon Historic District National Register nomination, 1991, Virginia Department of Historic Resources
- Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 five-year estimates, tables B25003, B25024, B25034 and B25035, Town of Herndon
Questions people ask
Who approves a roof replacement in the Herndon Historic District, staff or the board?
The Town's Reference Guide rates replacement roofing a staff-approved Certificate of Appropriateness on front, side and rear elevations. Dormers and roof structure changes go to the Historic District Review Board, as do street-facing skylights and chimneys. The guide is not a complete list, so confirm with Community Development at 703-787-7380.
What does the Town's Re-Roof sheet ask an applicant to send?
A completed building permit application, the Re-Roof Form, a State Contractors License or an owner's affidavit, and proof of zoning approval if the property is in the historic preservation district. The sheet gives the Town's review time as approximately 4 weeks.
When does a roof job in the Herndon district count as new construction?
The Town Code says that when more than 49 percent of the structural components or sheathing of the original or historic roofs are removed, as the zoning administrator determines, the new construction or demolition provisions apply. Ask the zoning administrator how your scope would be counted.
Can a different roofing material be used on a contributing building?
The 2020 Guidelines say not to replace character-defining materials with alternatives unless the original is no longer readily available, skilled craftsmen are not available, the material is inherently flawed, or code-required alterations remove it. Front and visible side elevations should look the same as the original.
Does Virginia's building code let me skip a permit for a Herndon re-roof?
The state code lists replacing any amount of roof covering in building groups R-3, R-4 and R-5 as exempt where the nominal design wind speed is 100 mph or less. It also lets the building official require a permit in a locally designated historic district. The Town publishes its own Re-Roof sheet, so ask Building Inspections which applies.
Does an older apartment or condo building need an asbestos statement for a roof permit?
Section 36-99.7 of the Code of Virginia covers buildings first permitted before January 1, 1985, and for roofing-only projects allows a statement that the materials are assumed to contain asbestos. It does not apply to single-family homes or housing of four or fewer units.
Talk through your roof with Roofers of Arlington
Share the address, what you are seeing on the roof and the decision you need to make. We will tell you what to expect before anything is scheduled.