Manufactured homes are a real part of Lugoff's housing. The 2024 American Community Survey estimates that about 1 in 10 homes in the Lugoff census area is a mobile or manufactured home, and across Kershaw County the share is about 19%, or nearly 1 in 5. The survey's margin of error for Lugoff is wide, so treat the local figure as a rough guide, but the point stands: a lot of roofs here sit on homes built in a factory, not on site.
Those roofs are built differently from a site-built house, and the choices for fixing them are different too. This page covers the options, the county permit and the licensing question. It is part of our Lugoff roofing page, and our mobile and manufactured home roofing guide goes deeper on every point.
How manufactured-home roofs differ
Many older manufactured homes have a one-piece metal roof with little or no wood deck under it, fastened directly to lightweight trusses. Newer homes are more likely to have a pitched roof with a deck and shingles, much like a site-built house. The difference matters because it decides what can go on top, how it is fastened and whether the framing can carry added weight.
Before anyone quotes a roof, find the home's data plate, usually inside a kitchen cabinet, a bedroom closet or near the electrical panel. It shows the manufacturer, the date of manufacture, and the wind zone and roof load zone the home was designed for. Kershaw County, like the rest of the Midlands, is in HUD Wind Zone I.
Four options for a worn roof
Repair
A repair fixes one problem area: resealing a seam, replacing a vent boot or flashing, or refastening loose metal or shingles. It fits when the roof is sound overall and the leak has a clear source. Seams, fasteners and vent flashing are the usual places to look. Trace a leak from inside first, since water runs along the framing before it drips, and do not walk on a metal roof with no deck under it. See mobile home roof leak repair.
Coating
A coating is a liquid layer rolled or sprayed over the existing roof. It suits a roof in good condition, or in fair condition once minor repairs are made. It depends on preparation: cleaning, sealing seams, flashing penetrations and priming rusty steel. A coating will not fix a roof that is rusted through, sagging or leaking in many places. See mobile home roof coating vs replacement.
Metal roof-over
A roof-over usually means underlayment, wood purlins screwed into the trusses, then new metal panels over the old roof. It can extend a home's life. The questions are weight and wind: whether the trusses can carry the new system, and how the eaves, ridge and gable ends are fastened, since those edges take the highest uplift. Added framing may also count as structural work, which brings in the licensing question below. See metal roof over a mobile home.
Full replacement
On homes with a pitched, decked shingle roof, replacement works much like a site-built re-roof: tear-off, deck repair, underlayment, flashing, vents and new shingles. Rotted decking and worn vent boots are just as common here; on our Lugoff roof replacement, a site-built house, a leaking plumbing vent had rotted the decking and softened the rafter beneath it. Our Lugoff roof replacement page covers that process.
Which option fits?
Condition decides more than price. A sound roof with one leak needs a repair. A sound roof that is aging may suit a coating. A roof in poor shape on framing that can carry it may suit a roof-over. A decked shingle roof that is worn out needs replacement. We do not publish prices for these jobs; each depends on the home, its size and its condition.
Permits in Lugoff
Lugoff is unincorporated, so permits come from Kershaw County Planning and Zoning, not Camden or Elgin. The county's specialty permit application, which has a "Roof" box, lists "manufactured home" as one of the building uses alongside single family, accessory and commercial. We could not confirm a published rule on which manufactured-home roof jobs need a permit, so call the county at 803-425-7233 before work starts, and expect a roof-over with new framing to be looked at more closely than a patch. Our Kershaw County roof permits guide covers the application.
Who may do the work
South Carolina licenses manufactured-home installers, repairers and contractors through the Manufactured Housing Board. The statute says a license is needed for anyone who "modifies, alters, or repairs the structural, mechanical, or electrical systems of a manufactured home" (S.C. Code §40-29-20 and §40-29-30). The statute's definition of a repairer carves out people licensed by that board or by the Contractor's Licensing Board.
There is older guidance on roofers in particular. At its 8 August 2006 meeting, the Manufactured Housing Board accepted a staff clarification that "a residential specialty contractor is authorized to perform repairs on manufactured homes," limited to no more than three classifications recognized by the Residential Builders Commission. The same minutes say renovations, repairs and modifications to manufactured homes fall under the local authority where the home is located. That clarification is nearly 20 years old and cites a code edition that has since been replaced, so treat it as background, not as current law.
Ask before work starts
If your job adds framing, repairs trusses or does anything else structural, ask the contractor which license covers it and confirm with the Manufactured Housing Board. Our manufactured home roofing guide lists the board's contact details, and our license check guide shows how to look up a roofer's registration.
Questions to ask any contractor
- Which license covers this job, and what is the number?
- Does the job touch the trusses or add framing? If so, how have you confirmed your license covers it?
- Have you read the data plate, and what wind zone and roof load zone does it show?
- How will the new roof be fastened, and into what?
- How will vents, stacks and other penetrations be flashed?
- Will you check with Kershaw County about a permit, and pull it if one is needed?
- What written warranty covers your work?
If the home is still under the manufacturer's warranty, check whether the manufacturer has to approve the work, since alterations can affect that warranty.
Storm and tree damage
Lightweight roofs and trees are a poor mix. When Helene crossed Kershaw County in September 2024, falling trees damaged structures across the county. If a limb has hit your home, see storm and tree damage to Lugoff roofs for first steps, documentation and your rights when insurance is paying.
Get your manufactured-home roof looked at
Cola City Roofing looks at manufactured-home roofs across Lugoff and Kershaw County and will tell you plainly which option fits and what licensing the job needs. Contact us or call (803) 734-3700.
