Surfside Beach Roofing: Salt Air, Flood Zones & Material Guide

Surfside Beach was incorporated in 1964 as part of Horry County's Grand Strand. With a population of 4,155 (2020 Census) and a median age of 55.4, it is a small, tight-knit community where golf carts share the road with cars and most residents know their neighbors. But do not let the laid-back atmosphere fool you -- this is one of the most demanding environments for roofing materials on the entire South Carolina coast.

The town spans just 2.0 square miles from the oceanfront to about 2.7 miles inland. That compact footprint means every home in Surfside Beach is within the salt air corrosion zone. Oceanfront properties in neighborhoods like Ocean Pines sit as close as 400 feet from the sand. Even the most inland neighborhoods like Belle Mer and Prestwick are close enough to the ocean that salt-laden air still reaches them, just at lower concentrations than the beachfront homes.

The housing stock tells an important story about roofing needs. Approximately 55% of Surfside Beach homes are single-family detached, 19% are condos or high-rise units, and 18% are duplexes. Most homes were built between 1970 and 1999, with about 22% built after 2000 and roughly 21% dating back to 1940-1969. That means the majority of Surfside Beach roofs are on homes that are 25 to 55 years old -- well past the first roof lifecycle for most materials, and many are on their second or even third roof.

Home values average around $369,000, ranging from the low $200,000s for inland properties to over $1 million for oceanfront homes. This is not a community where homeowners can afford to replace a roof every 15 years because salt air wore it out prematurely. Getting the right materials and installation the first time matters here more than almost anywhere else on the Grand Strand.

The single biggest factor that separates roofing in Surfside Beach from roofing 20 miles inland is salt air. The Atlantic Ocean generates a constant stream of salt-laden moisture that blows across the entire town, and because Surfside Beach is so compact, there is no part of town that escapes it. The concentration is highest within the first few blocks of the oceanfront and diminishes gradually as you move west toward US Business 17, but even the neighborhoods furthest from the beach receive enough salt exposure to affect roofing materials.

Here is what salt air actually does to a roof:

• Standard metal fasteners rust within 5-7 years. The nails, screws, and flashing components that hold your roof together are under constant corrosive attack. Standard galvanized fasteners that would last 20+ years in Columbia or Greenville start showing rust in Surfside Beach within 5 to 7 years. Rusted fasteners lose their holding strength, which means your shingles or panels are more likely to lift during high winds.
• Roofs age 25-30% faster than inland roofs. A shingle rated for 30 years by the manufacturer under standard conditions will typically last 20-23 years in Surfside Beach -- and closer to 15-18 years on oceanfront properties in Ocean Pines or Floral Beach where exposure is most intense.
• Metal flashing corrodes and creates leak points. The flashing around chimneys, vents, skylights, and roof-to-wall transitions is especially vulnerable. When flashing corrodes, it creates gaps that allow water intrusion during wind-driven rain -- the kind of rain that accompanies every tropical system and nor'easter that hits the Grand Strand.
• Algae and mold growth accelerates. The combination of salt moisture and South Carolina humidity creates ideal conditions for algae (the black streaks you see on roofs throughout Surfside Beach) and mold growth, both of which degrade shingle granules and reduce the roof's UV protection.

The practical takeaway is that roofing material selection in Surfside Beach must account for salt air from the start. This means stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanized fasteners rated for coastal environments, algae-resistant shingles with copper granules, and flashing materials that will not corrode in a salt-laden atmosphere. Any contractor who installs a roof in Surfside Beach using standard inland fasteners and materials is setting you up for premature failure.

For more on how salt air affects coastal roofs, see our guide on roof repair in Myrtle Beach and our article on best metal roofing materials for coastal SC.

Surfside Beach participates in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), and all properties east of US Business 17 fall within FEMA-designated flood zones. The two primary flood zone designations in Surfside Beach are VE and AE, and understanding the difference matters for roofing decisions.

Zone VE (Velocity Zone): This is the highest-risk coastal flood zone, covering properties closest to the oceanfront. VE zones are subject to wave action during storm surge events, which means structures must meet the most stringent building requirements. Homes in Ocean Pines, parts of Floral Beach, and oceanfront sections of Surfside Beach fall within VE zones. For roofing, VE zone homes face the most extreme combination of wind, salt, and water exposure.

Zone AE (Special Flood Hazard Area): This covers properties further inland that are still within the 100-year floodplain. Many neighborhoods in Surfside Beach -- including Surfside Plantation, Deer Track, and parts of The Lakes -- fall within AE zones. While wave action is not the primary concern in AE zones, flooding from storm surge and heavy rainfall is. During the October 2015 floods and Hurricane Florence in 2018, AE zone properties throughout Surfside Beach experienced significant flooding that affected not just interiors but also roof structures from the stress of prolonged water exposure and debris impact.

How flood zones affect roofing decisions:

• Insurance requirements. Homes in VE and AE flood zones are required to carry flood insurance if they have a federally backed mortgage. The condition of your roof directly affects your insurance premiums and claims -- a roof in poor condition may lead to denied wind damage claims if the insurer attributes damage to pre-existing deterioration rather than the storm event.
• Building code compliance. Roof replacements in flood zones must comply with current building codes, which may be more stringent than the codes in effect when the home was originally built. This means a roof replacement is not just about new shingles -- it may require upgraded deck attachment, enhanced fastener schedules, and improved flashing systems.
• Material durability requirements. Flood zone homes experience repeated cycles of extreme moisture exposure followed by intense sun and heat. Roofing materials must be selected for this cycle, not just for standard weather conditions.

FEMA actually published a case study on Surfside Beach for strengthening municipal buildings to withstand coastal hazards -- a recognition that this town faces above-average exposure to flooding, wind, and storm surge. If the federal government considers Surfside Beach a noteworthy case for building resilience, homeowners should take the same approach with their roofs.

For more on navigating insurance after storm damage, see our complete storm damage roof repair guide and our roof insurance claim guide for Myrtle Beach.

Surfside Beach falls within a wind-borne debris region under the South Carolina building code, and the roofing requirements here are significantly more demanding than what you will find even 30 miles inland. Understanding these codes matters because any roof replacement must comply with current standards -- not the standards that were in place when your home was built in the 1970s, 1980s, or 1990s.

Here are the key building code requirements for roofing in Surfside Beach:

• Design wind speed: 130+ mph. All roofing systems in Surfside Beach must be designed and installed to withstand wind speeds of 130 mph or greater. This is not the speed at which damage begins -- it is the speed the roof must survive without failure. This requirement drives every aspect of roof installation, from material selection to fastener type to deck attachment.
• Shingle standard: ASTM D-3161 modified for 110+ mph. Shingles installed in Surfside Beach must meet ASTM D-3161, which tests wind resistance, and must be rated for 110+ mph wind performance. Not all shingles meet this standard. Three-tab shingles that are common inland often do not qualify -- architectural (dimensional) shingles rated for high wind are the minimum requirement.
• Nail spacing: 6 inches on center. This is one of the most important differences between coastal and inland roofing. Inland roofing typically uses 12-inch nail spacing. Surfside Beach requires 6-inch nail spacing on the enhanced roof deck attachment -- twice as many fasteners per square foot of roof deck. This doubles the roof's resistance to uplift forces during hurricanes.
• Impact-resistant glazing required. Because Surfside Beach is in a wind-borne debris region, impact-resistant glazing is required. While this applies primarily to windows and skylights, it affects roofing because any skylight or roof-mounted glazing must meet impact resistance standards.
• 100% ICC-certified building staff. Surfside Beach's planning and building staff are 100% ICC (International Code Council) certified. This means inspections are thorough and code compliance is enforced. A roof installation that cuts corners on fastener schedules or deck attachment will not pass inspection.

These codes exist for a good reason. When Hurricane Charley hit Surfside Beach in 2004 with 90 mph wind gusts, roofs that were properly fastened and installed to code survived with minimal damage. Roofs that were installed with inland standards -- or that had deteriorated fasteners from years of salt air exposure -- suffered significantly more damage. The pattern repeated during Hurricanes Matthew, Irma, Florence, and Michael.

For more on hurricane-resistant roofing, see our hurricane roof damage guide and our emergency roof repair service page.

Surfside Beach has over 20 distinct neighborhoods, and the roofing challenges vary significantly depending on where your home sits relative to the ocean, when it was built, and what type of construction it is. Here is what I see in the neighborhoods where we work most frequently:

Ocean Pines I & II

Location: Oceanfront, east side of Surfside Beach. Exposure: Maximum salt air and wind. Some homes sit within 400 feet of the sand. Key challenges: These homes face the most intense salt air corrosion in all of Surfside Beach. Fasteners degrade fastest here, flashing corrodes quickest, and shingle granule loss from salt and wind is most pronounced. Ocean Pines homes fall within FEMA Zone VE, meaning they face both wind and wave action during storm surge events. Roof materials must be the highest-rated coastal products available -- this is not the neighborhood for budget shingles. We recommend stainless steel fasteners, high-wind-rated architectural shingles with algae resistance, and marine-grade flashing for every Ocean Pines roof.

Floral Beach

Location: Near oceanfront, just south of Ocean Pines. Exposure: Very high salt air and wind. Key challenges: Similar exposure to Ocean Pines with many homes just blocks from the beach. Floral Beach has a mix of older beach cottages from the 1960s-1970s and newer construction. The older homes often have roof structures that were not built to current wind codes, which means a roof replacement here is often an opportunity to upgrade the entire roof system -- deck attachment, fasteners, underlayment, and shingles -- to current standards. This is especially important because these homes will not pass inspection with the old standards during a permitted re-roof.

Surfside Plantation

Location: West of Ocean Boulevard, between the oceanfront and the heart of town. Exposure: High salt air, FEMA Zone AE. Key challenges: Surfside Plantation is one of the larger established neighborhoods with homes predominantly built in the 1980s and 1990s. That puts most roofs at 25-45 years old -- meaning nearly every home here is either past due for replacement or should be inspected annually. The neighborhood's position slightly inland from the oceanfront means salt exposure is high but not as extreme as Ocean Pines. However, many homes here were built when building codes were less stringent, and the original roof installations may not meet current wind code requirements.

Oceanside Village

Location: Southeast Surfside Beach, near the ocean. Exposure: Very high salt air and wind. Key challenges: Oceanside Village is a vacation and residential community with a mix of single-family homes and rental properties. The rental/vacation use pattern creates an additional roofing challenge: roofs on rental properties often receive less routine maintenance because the owner is not there daily to notice early signs of deterioration. We frequently inspect Oceanside Village homes where the owner lives out of state and has not had the roof checked in years, only to find significant salt damage, loose flashing, or deteriorated sealant around penetrations. If you own a rental property here, annual professional roof inspections are essential.

Deer Track / Deerfield & Golf Colony at Deerfield

Location: Central Surfside Beach, near Deer Creek golf area. Exposure: Moderate to high salt air. Key challenges: These neighborhoods sit in the middle of Surfside Beach's compact footprint, which means they still receive significant salt air but at lower concentrations than the oceanfront communities. Homes here were mostly built in the 1980s and 1990s, with roof ages in the 25-40 year range. Many homeowners in Deer Track and Deerfield have already replaced their original roof once, and the question now is whether that replacement roof -- installed 15-20 years ago -- is approaching the end of its coastal-adjusted lifespan. Golf Colony at Deerfield includes townhome-style properties where roofing decisions may involve an HOA or shared structure considerations.

Prestwick

Location: West side of Surfside Beach, gated golf and tennis community. Exposure: Moderate salt air (furthest from oceanfront). Key challenges: Prestwick is one of the more established and desirable communities in Surfside Beach, with homes near the TPC Myrtle Beach golf course. As a gated community, Prestwick typically has architectural standards that govern acceptable roofing materials, colors, and styles. Homeowners need to verify community guidelines before starting a roof replacement. The good news is that Prestwick's position on the west side of Surfside Beach means salt exposure is the lowest in town -- but "lowest in Surfside Beach" is still higher than most inland areas. Coastal-rated materials are still necessary here.

Long Bay Estates & The Palms

Location: South-central Surfside Beach, near Long Bay Club. Exposure: Moderate salt air. Key challenges: These neighborhoods include a mix of home sizes and ages. Long Bay Estates has some of the larger single-family lots in Surfside Beach, with correspondingly larger roof areas that increase both the cost and complexity of replacement projects. The Palms includes newer construction with homes built in the 2000s, meaning roofs are 15-25 years old and approaching their first major inspection window in a coastal environment.

Belle Mer, Caropines, The Gates & Harbor Lights

Location: Western and inland portions of Surfside Beach, near US Business 17. Exposure: Moderate salt air (furthest from ocean, approximately 2.0-2.7 miles). Key challenges: These neighborhoods represent the most inland areas of Surfside Beach. Belle Mer sits approximately 2.7 miles from the ocean, making it the furthest neighborhood from the coastline. Homeowners here sometimes assume they are far enough inland to use standard materials, but 2.7 miles is still well within the salt air corrosion zone. We still recommend corrosion-resistant fasteners and coastal-rated materials for every home in these neighborhoods. The primary advantage of the inland position is that roofs here tend to last slightly longer than oceanfront roofs -- but they still age faster than truly inland locations like Conway or Aynor.

South Bay Lakes & The Lakes

Location: Central to western Surfside Beach. Exposure: Moderate salt air, with additional moisture from nearby retention ponds and lakes. Key challenges: Homes near the lakes and retention ponds in these neighborhoods face a double moisture challenge: salt air from the ocean and elevated humidity from the water features. This combination accelerates algae growth on roofs and can contribute to faster deterioration of underlayment and decking materials. Proper attic ventilation is especially critical in these neighborhoods to prevent moisture buildup from both exterior and interior sources.

The age of Surfside Beach's housing stock is one of the most significant factors driving roofing needs in this community. Here is the reality: the majority of homes in Surfside Beach were built between 1970 and 1999. That means most roofs in this town are on homes that are 27 to 56 years old. Even the "newer" homes built after 2000 are now 25 years old -- approaching the expected lifespan of their original shingles even under ideal conditions, and well past that lifespan under Surfside Beach's coastal conditions.

Here is what the age distribution means for roofing:

The homes built in the 1940s through 1960s present the most complex roofing situations. These homes were built before modern building codes, before hurricane-rated materials existed, and with construction methods that may not support today's heavier architectural shingles without deck reinforcement. When we inspect these older Surfside Beach homes, we frequently find that the roof deck itself -- the plywood or OSB sheathing underneath the shingles -- has deteriorated from decades of moisture exposure and needs partial or full replacement. This adds significant scope and cost to what homeowners initially expect to be a straightforward shingle replacement.

The 1970-1999 era homes, which make up the majority of Surfside Beach's housing stock, present a different challenge. Most are on their second roof, but that second roof was often installed 15-20 years ago using materials and techniques that, while better than the original, may still not meet today's coastal building codes. A roof replacement on these homes is an opportunity to bring the entire roof system up to current 130+ mph wind code standards.

For more on when to replace your roof, see our article on 5 signs you need a new roof in Myrtle Beach and our guide on whether to replace a roof that is not leaking.

Choosing roofing materials for Surfside Beach is not the same as choosing materials for an inland home. Every material must be evaluated against salt air corrosion, 130+ mph wind requirements, flood zone moisture exposure, and the reality that your roof will age 25-30% faster than manufacturer specifications suggest. Here is how the most common options compare specifically for Surfside Beach conditions:

My recommendation for most Surfside Beach homeowners: High-wind-rated architectural shingles with algae-resistant granules are the best balance of performance, code compliance, and value for the majority of homes in Surfside Beach. For oceanfront properties in Ocean Pines, Floral Beach, and Oceanside Village where salt exposure is most intense, I recommend standing seam metal roofing or stone-coated steel -- the higher upfront cost is offset by a lifespan that is two to three times longer than shingles in that environment.

Critical installation requirements for all materials in Surfside Beach:

• Stainless steel or hot-dipped galvanized fasteners rated for coastal environments -- standard fasteners will rust within 5-7 years
• 6-inch nail spacing on roof deck attachment per Surfside Beach building code (double the inland standard)
• Synthetic underlayment rated for high-temperature coastal conditions
• Marine-grade or stainless flashing at all penetrations, valleys, and transitions
• Proper ridge ventilation rated for high-wind applications to prevent moisture buildup

For a deeper dive into material options, see our articles on best metal roofing materials for coastal SC, metal roofing pros and cons, and how often to replace roof shingles in coastal SC.

Surfside Beach's combination of salt air, flood zones, hurricane-force wind codes, and aging housing stock creates a roofing environment that requires specific local knowledge. Here is why choosing a contractor who understands Surfside Beach specifically -- not just "the Myrtle Beach area" generally -- makes a meaningful difference:

• Code knowledge. Surfside Beach's 130+ mph wind design speed, 6-inch nail spacing requirement, and ASTM D-3161 modified shingle standard are specific building code requirements. A contractor who primarily works inland may not be familiar with these requirements, leading to installations that will not pass Surfside Beach's ICC-certified building inspections.
• Flood zone experience. Understanding FEMA Zone VE versus Zone AE and how each affects roofing material selection, insurance requirements, and code compliance is essential for Surfside Beach work. A contractor who does not understand flood zone implications may install materials that are technically acceptable but not optimized for the specific exposure your home faces.
• Salt air material selection. Knowing which fasteners, flashing materials, and shingle products perform in salt air -- and which do not -- comes from experience working in Surfside Beach, not from reading manufacturer specifications. We have seen which products hold up after 10-15 years of salt exposure and which fail prematurely.
• Storm history knowledge. Understanding how the 2015 floods, Matthew, Irma, Florence, and Michael each affected different Surfside Beach neighborhoods -- and what types of damage each storm caused -- helps us identify pre-existing damage, recommend appropriate repairs, and help homeowners document storm damage for insurance claims.
• Neighborhood-specific awareness. Knowing that Prestwick has architectural guidelines, that Ocean Pines requires the highest-rated coastal materials, that Oceanside Village has rental properties that need regular inspections -- this neighborhood-level knowledge guides recommendations that a non-local contractor cannot provide.

WeatherShield Roofing is a locally owned Myrtle Beach roofing company with a 5.0-star rating from 81 reviews. We have worked on homes in every Surfside Beach neighborhood discussed in this guide, and we understand the specific combination of challenges that make roofing here different from anywhere else on the Grand Strand. We provide free roof inspections with detailed photo documentation so you know exactly what condition your roof is in and what your options are.

For more on why choosing a local roofer matters, see our article on why locally owned roofing companies matter in Myrtle Beach and our honest comparison of roofing companies in Myrtle Beach.