In Ladson, the 2021 IRC is in force and the median home was built in 1990. We replace and repair roofs here and inspect after hail, starting with a free, photographed inspection.
Ladson runs to about 6.9 square miles and roughly 16,140 people. It sits about 19 miles northwest of downtown Charleston. The community dates back to 1905. We cover ZIP code 29456.
No completed roof in Ladson is logged in our job records yet.
Ladson is an unincorporated community along I-26 and U.S. 78 that straddles Berkeley and Charleston counties. Parts of it have been annexed into Summerville and North Charleston, shrinking the community's area since 2000.
Housing from this stretch in Ladson sits on plywood or OSB decking and was largely first roofed with three-tab shingles. Most are on their second covering by now. The things worth checking are the penetrations rather than the field: pipe boots from this era are the single most common leak we trace, because the rubber collar splits long before the shingles wear out. Ridge venting was inconsistent through these years, and OSB that has been damp for a season goes soft in a way plywood does not — you find it with your feet, not from the ground.
By the Census Bureau's estimate there are 6,196 homes in Ladson, with a median year built of 1990. 21 of them (0%) went up before 1940 — one of the five lowest pre-1940 shares of the 28 places on this site — and 2,316 (37%) in 2000 or later. The 1970s were the busiest decade, adding 1,438 of today's homes (23%). (Berkeley County as a whole: 1% before 1940.)
The Residential Rehabilitation Inspection Guide published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development puts the service life of an asphalt shingle roof at about 20 years. That puts 3,880 homes in Ladson, the 63% built before 2000, past at least one full roof life; 411 of them (7%) predate 1970, old enough for two replacements already. The 1,065 homes from the 2000s are where first replacements come up now, while the 1,251 built since 2010 are mostly still on the roof they were built with.
Detached single-family houses make up 67% (4,146); attached houses and townhouses 4% (220). 213 homes (3%) sit in two- to nine-unit buildings and 446 (7%) in buildings of ten units or more, where the roof is usually a landlord's or an association's decision. The count also takes in 1,171 mobile homes, which are a different kind of roof job. Owners live in 77% of the 5,777 occupied homes. On a housing mix like this, the likely work is first replacements on 2000s builder-grade shingles and hail checks on newer roofs that look fine from the driveway.
| Built | Homes | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Before 1940 | 21 | 0% | |
| 1940s | 0 | 0% | |
| 1950s | 129 | 2% | |
| 1960s | 261 | 4% | |
| 1970s | 1,438 | 23% | |
| 1980s | 1,213 | 20% | |
| 1990s | 818 | 13% | |
| 2000s | 1,065 | 17% | |
| 2010s | 853 | 14% | |
| 2020 or later | 398 | 6% |
Census ACS 2020–2024, tables B25034, B25035, B25024 and B25003: 6,196 homes, 5,777 occupied. Survey estimates.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center logged 17 reports of hail 1 inch or larger within 5 miles of Ladson’s center from 2016 through 2025, on 11 different days. 5 of them were 1.75 inches or larger. The largest, 2 inches, came on June 10, 2024, about 0.5 miles east of the center. Counts follow people as much as storms, since every report is a spotter’s or a resident’s.
| Latest reports | Size | From center |
|---|---|---|
| June 10, 2024 | 2 inches | 0.5 mi E |
| June 10, 2024 | 1 inch | 3.7 mi SW |
| June 10, 2024 | 1.75 inches | 3.3 mi SW |
| May 9, 2024 | 1 inch | 5 mi SE |
| March 16, 2022 | 1 inch | 3.9 mi E |
If one of those storms crossed your street and nobody has been on the roof since, a storm inspection photographs what it did.
Yes, on either side of the county line. Most of Ladson is in Berkeley County, whose residential application has its own 'Roofing Only' permit type; the Charleston County side gets its permit from Charleston County Building Inspection Services, whose code lists roofing among the work that needs a permit.
Ladson enforces the 2021 IRC. Berkeley County's residential application and Charleston County's building pages both list the 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina's changes.
The published number is 843-719-4292. The building official on record is Hank Jackson, Chief Building Official (Berkeley County). The department page is here.
The design wind speed a roof in Ladson is built to depends on where the house stands: across greater Charleston the published ultimate design wind speeds run 133–150 mph. The building department can confirm the figure, and the code guide explains what it governs.
Ladson borders Summerville, North Charleston, Goose Creek and Sangaree. Our pages for them:
Also in Berkeley County:
| City | Re-roof permit | Code | Median built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ladson | Yes | 2021 IRC | 1990 |
| Summerville | Yes | 2021 IRC | 2001 |
| North Charleston | Yes | 2021 IRC | 1996 |
| Goose Creek | Yes | 2021 IRC | 2002 |
| Sangaree | Yes | 2021 IRC | 1986 |
| Unincorporated Berkeley County | Yes | 2021 IRC | — |
| Bonneau | Not published | Not published | 1984 |
All 10 Berkeley County cities side by side →
Yes, on either side of the county line. Most of Ladson is in Berkeley County, whose residential application has its own 'Roofing Only' permit type; the Charleston County side gets its permit from Charleston County Building Inspection Services, whose code lists roofing among the work that needs a permit.
Ladson enforces the 2021 IRC. Berkeley County's residential application and Charleston County's building pages both list the 2021 International Residential Code with South Carolina's changes.
Median year built 1990, by the Census Bureau's 2020–2024 estimates. Of 6,196 homes, 3,880 were built before 2000 and 21 before 1940, so most roofs in Ladson are not the first one the house has had.
17 reports of 1-inch-plus hail fell within 5 miles of Ladson between 2016 and 2025, the biggest 2 inches on June 10, 2024 (NOAA Storm Prediction Center).
The building official on record is Hank Jackson, Chief Building Official. The department's own number is on this page, beside its name.
Not yet: no completed roof in Ladson is in our job records, so this page shows no job count.
Researched 2026-10-24; housing, Census ACS 2020–2024; hail, NOAA SPC. Sources: berkeleycountysc.gov · berkeleycountysc.gov · berkeleycountysc.gov · www.charlestoncounty.gov · www.charlestoncounty.gov · www2.census.gov · tigerweb.geo.census.gov · llr.sc.gov · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · www2.census.gov · data.census.gov · www.spc.noaa.gov. Rules and staff change; check with the jurisdiction.
