South Carolina · Assistance
South Carolina Roof Assistance Beyond SC Safe Home
Not every roof needs a FORTIFIED grant, and not every damaged roof qualifies for one. Match the problem to the program before you sign anything.
Facts checked October 8, 2026
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Different roof problems, different programs
Someone searching for "roof grants in South Carolina" may be facing very different problems: strengthening a sound roof before hurricane season, replacing a roof that already leaks, repairing storm damage, or making a home safe for an older resident. South Carolina handles each through a different program.
SC Safe Home is a preventive wind-mitigation program. It does not fund existing damage. If your roof already leaks or has failed, one of the programs below is usually the better fit.
| Program | Typical purpose | Who you apply through | Key limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| SC Safe Home | Preventive wind retrofits, including FORTIFIED roofs | The homeowner, through SCDOI | 11 counties; funding rounds; damage and property rules |
| SC Housing — Housing Preservation Initiative | Essential repairs, including roofs | An SC Housing-approved sponsor | Income, occupancy, sponsor funding |
| USDA Section 504 | Health and safety repairs in rural areas | USDA Rural Development | Rural address, income, age for grants |
| City and county rehabilitation | Critical repairs for local residents | The city, county or its administrator | Jurisdiction lines, income limits, waitlists, repayment terms |
| Disaster recovery | Event-specific storm recovery | Local governments or the SC Office of Resilience | A designated disaster and open intake |
SC Housing: Housing Preservation Initiative (HPI)
SC Housing's Housing Preservation Initiative, funded through the South Carolina Housing Trust Fund, helps low- and very-low-income homeowners with essential repairs that affect life, health and safety. Roof repair and replacement are eligible.
You do not apply to a roofer for HPI. You contact an SC Housing-approved sponsor for your county, which checks eligibility, arranges the inspection and hires the contractor. SC Housing says repairs under $15,000 are grants, while larger repairs are forgivable loans tied to the home remaining your primary residence. Sponsors could begin submitting projects on July 1, 2026; that does not mean every sponsor has open intake.
USDA Section 504 home repair loans and grants
The USDA's Single Family Housing Repair Loans & Grants program serves owner-occupants in eligible rural areas:
- Loans up to $40,000 at a fixed 1% for 20 years.
- Grants up to $10,000 for homeowners 62 or older with very low income, used only to remove health and safety hazards — and repaid if the home is sold within three years.
- Loans and grants can be combined up to $50,000.
The home must be in an eligible rural area — most of Charleston, North Charleston and Myrtle Beach will not qualify — and borrowers must be unable to get affordable credit elsewhere. USDA's address map and county income limits decide eligibility, and applications are taken year-round.
Local programs on the South Carolina coast
City of Charleston. The city's homeowner rehabilitation program includes roof replacement for homeowners at or below 80% of area median income with clear title. It is not a simple grant: the homeowner repays half the cost on a 10-year, 3% loan, making payments for the first five years, and the rest is forgiven at the end of the term. A Charleston mailing address does not always mean the home is inside the city.
Horry County. Horry County Community Development runs a housing rehabilitation program for owner-occupied homes in unincorporated Horry County, for households at or below 80% of area median income. Roofs are among the eligible repairs. The county says its waitlist typically runs two to three years from application to construction, and the home must stay your primary residence for ten years.
City of Beaufort. The City of Beaufort Home Repair Program, run with the Beaufort-Jasper Housing Trust, has awarded grants of up to $50,000 for health and safety repairs to owner-occupied homes inside city limits. Its last round has been awarded; the Trust expects the next one in fall 2026 (843-279-2446).
City of Florence. The city's Community Services department takes applications for CDBG Emergency Rehabilitation Assistance for owner-occupied homes (843-665-3175).
After a storm: disaster recovery
If a storm damaged your roof, start with your insurance claim. SC Housing's Disaster Assistance Program provides up to $30,000 per home for disaster repairs for homeowners at or below 80% of area median income, through local governments, in areas without a FEMA declaration. The SC Office of Resilience runs recovery programs for specific disasters. Both depend on the event and on open intake — an old recovery notice is not proof a program is taking applications.
Which path fits?
- Sound roof, want it stronger before the next storm: SC Safe Home and a FORTIFIED Roof designation. Start with our SC Safe Home grant guide.
- Roof already leaking or failing: SC Housing HPI, USDA Section 504 or your city or county rehabilitation program.
- Roof damaged in a storm: your insurance claim first, then disaster-recovery resources.
- No grant, still want FORTIFIED: a FORTIFIED Roof designation does not require a grant. We can place you with an evaluator either way.
Keep reading
Planning a FORTIFIED Roof?
We place you with a licensed, certified and insured FORTIFIED evaluator who documents the roof for IBHS — the record a Resilient Mitigation grant and most insurance credits rely on.