Replacing a roof in Camden often means working on an older house. Census Bureau estimates put the median year built for Camden homes at 1975, compared with 1993 for Kershaw County as a whole. About 55% of the city's homes were built before 1980, and roughly 1 in 10 was built in 1939 or earlier. Under the shingles there may be a second layer underneath, tired flashing at the chimney, decking that has soaked up years of slow leaks, and an attic that was never vented well.
This page walks through what a Camden re-roof usually involves, using one of our own Camden jobs as the example. It then covers permits, the historic list and cost. It is part of our Camden roofing page.
Why Camden roofs need a closer look
Camden is a city of about 8,300 people with roughly 4,100 homes, according to the Census Bureau's 2020-2024 American Community Survey. About three in four are single detached houses. Homes built in the 1950s and 1960s together make up close to 30% of the city, and only about 3 in 10 were built in 2000 or later. These are rounded estimates for a small city, but the pattern is clear.
An older house has usually had more than one roof, and the decking, framing, chimney and attic underneath are often original. A good estimate plans for that instead of pricing shingles only.
What a Camden roof replacement usually involves
Tear-off, including any second layer
The state building code settles the layering question. South Carolina adopted the 2021 International Residential Code, with its own amendments, effective January 1, 2023, and section R908.3 defines a roof replacement as taking the old coverings off "down to the roof deck." Laying a new layer over the old one, called a recover, is ruled out on a roof that already carries two layers or more, on one that is water-soaked or deteriorated, and over slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile. On older Camden houses, finding an earlier layer under the current shingles is common, which is one more reason to plan on a full tear-off.
On older Camden houses, an earlier roofer may already have laid shingles over shingles. That second layer hides the deck, adds weight and holds water between the layers. We plan for a full tear-off on these houses, because it is the only way to see what the new roof will sit on.
Decking
Asphalt shingles have to be fastened to a solidly sheathed deck (R905.2.1). Depending on its age, a Camden house may have board decking or early plywood. Boards or panels that are rotted, split, delaminated or badly gapped have to be replaced. Nobody can see the deck before tear-off, so your contract should say how decking repair is priced and how you will be told about it before the work is done.
Chimney crickets and flashing
A chimney cricket is a small peaked frame built on the uphill side of a chimney so water splits around it instead of pooling against the brick. Crickets, step flashing and counterflashing are where many older Camden roofs fail first. When a cricket is replaced, the new one should be framed, sheathed and flashed as part of the roof. It should not be built on top of an old one.
Brick and mortar repair is masonry work. If the chimney itself is cracked or loose, ask whether your roofer handles it or whether you need a mason before the new roof goes on.
Ventilation
Older attics often have little or no intake at the soffits and a few small gable vents. A re-roof is the cheapest time to fix that, because the deck is open. Intake and exhaust have to be balanced, and the roof ventilation guide explains how.
Low-pitched ranches and low-slope sections
Many mid-century Camden ranches have long, shallow roofs, and porches or back additions can be nearly flat. Under R905.2.2, asphalt shingles may only go on slopes of 2 in 12 or steeper, and slopes between 2 in 12 and 4 in 12 need a double layer of underlayment. Anything flatter than 2 in 12 needs a low-slope roofing system. Ask your contractor to mark these areas on the estimate. Our page on roofs on Camden’s 1950s–1970s homes goes into more detail.
Walkthrough: our Camden roof replacement
Our Camden roof replacement shows how much can hide under an older roof. The house is a white brick ranch with a low-pitched, wide roofline, shaded by mature hardwoods. Here is what the job looked like from start to finish:
- Before: leaves and pine straw were packed into the valleys and along the gutter line, holding moisture against the shingles. Moss and other growth had taken hold on the worn shingles.
- Inspection: we chalked "ROT" and "LEAK" right on the roof over soft decking and an active leak path.
- Inside: water staining was spreading across the bathroom ceiling around the exhaust fan, so the leak had already reached the living space.
- Tear-off at the chimney: we found two previously installed crickets that had already failed, a second layer of old shingles and deteriorated flashing underneath.
- The chimney base: the sheathing and framing along the flashing line had gone soft and dark from water getting past the old counterflashing.
- Repair: the rotted decking and damaged framing members were cut out so the structure could be repaired, not covered over.
- New deck: plywood and OSB sheathing went down across the repaired slopes and was tied in around the chimney.
- Finish: new charcoal architectural shingles, laid up to the ridge with a finished hip line.
None of the hidden problems in steps 4 to 6 could be seen from the yard. That is why the contract on an older Camden house should say how decking and framing repairs are found, approved and priced. For the repair side of the same problems, see roof repair in Camden.
Permits and licensing in Camden
The City of Camden requires a building permit for any repair or enlargement of a house inside city limits, and permits are usually issued to a state-licensed contractor. Every contractor and subcontractor working in the city also needs a City of Camden business license, renewed each year. Fees, the online portal and inspections are covered in our Kershaw County and Camden roof permit guide. If your house is in Lugoff or elsewhere outside city limits, Kershaw County issues the permit instead; see our Lugoff roofing page.
If your house is on Camden's historic list
The City of Camden Historic Landmarks Commission reviews changes to properties on the city's locally designated list. The city's design guidelines accept low-profile composition shingles, so asphalt is not ruled out, but slate and tile must be replaced with matching material and a switch to metal has its own conditions. The ordinance allows repair in kind to be approved by the Building Official, but no published rule says a full same-material re-roof counts, so call the city at 803-432-2421 before you sign. Our page on re-roofing a historic home in Camden covers who needs a Certificate of Appropriateness and how to prepare one.
Cost, estimates and financing
We keep our price ranges in one place, the roof replacement cost guide, so they stay consistent. On a Camden house, the line items most likely to move your number are tearing off extra layers, decking and framing repair, chimney crickets and flashing, ventilation and any low-slope sections. The roofing estimates guide shows how to compare written estimates line by line. If you are weighing how to pay, see paying for a new roof and our financing options.
How long will it take?
How many days your job takes comes down to the size and steepness of the roof, what the tear-off uncovers in the decking and framing, and the forecast. Ask for the schedule in writing, including what happens if rain moves it. The roof replacement day guide explains how to get the house and yard ready.
Before you sign: a Camden checklist
- Confirm the contractor is registered with SC LLR using the LLR lookup.
- Confirm they hold a current City of Camden business license. City licenses run May 1 to April 30.
- Ask who will pull the permit and get the answer in writing.
- If the house is on the city's historic list, ask the city whether your job needs historic review before anything is ordered.
- Look for tear-off to the deck, how decking and framing repair is priced, the chimney cricket and flashing method, the ventilation plan and cleanup.
- Check the warranty terms by name, for both materials and workmanship.
- If insurance is involved, do not sign anything that assigns your claim or offers to cover your deductible.
Get a Camden roof replacement estimate
Want a written scope for your Camden roof? We inspect it, photograph what we find, and write up the layers, decking, chimney work and ventilation it needs. Request an estimate or call (803) 734-3700, or read about our roof replacement services.