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Do I need a permit to replace my roof? It splits: the rule in 16 cities, and how many get filed

It depends on the city more than for any other job on this list. Of the 16 building departments whose roofing rules we read, 9 want a permit for any reroof, and 7 exempt a like-for-like reroof as long as the decking or sheathing mostly stays. Where it is required, it is routine: Colorado Springs filed 23,508 roofing permits in three years and Orlando 9,818.

By Contractor Records · data through October 17, 2026

Cities that permit every reroof, with their counts

Rules from each city's own page, read 22 October 2026. Counts are roofing permits in the city's file over three years to September 2026 (Cape Coral's starts January 2025); "usual days" is the typical time from issue to final.

City The rule Roofing permits Usual days to final
Colorado Springs, CO (Pikes Peak Regional) Roofing is on the list of projects needing a permit; exempt only: "Repairs to roofing and/or siding when the repair constitutes less than 100 square feet" 23,508 41
Orlando, FL Replacing or repairing a house roof needs a permit, with a mandatory dry-in inspection 9,818 27
Saint Paul, MN Not named; a building permit is needed to "repair" a house, and minor alterations over $500 in labour and materials unless normal maintenance 8,566 106
Sacramento County, CA "Residential re-roof (no structural changes)" is issued over the counter 5,397 19
Cape Coral, FL "Re-Roof" is on the city's map of common permits, with a residential guideline 2,018 39
Anaheim, CA "Re-roofs" need a permit (2014 handout) 1,970 16
Citrus Heights, CA "RE-ROOF": permit yes 1,850 21
Elk Grove, CA Not on the exempt list 572 15

Denver is the ninth: "New roofs" and "Roof repair/replacement" are on its quick-permit list, with a separate roof permit once a repair passes 10% of the roof or two squares.

Cities that exempt a like-for-like reroof

City No permit when… Permit when… Roofing permits
Seattle, WA "A permit is not required for re-roof work at one- and two-family homes and townhouses" The work changes the building envelope beyond adding or replacing insulation 633
Bellevue, WA The sheathing is not touched "roofing projects that include modifying or replacing the sheathing" 333
Austin, TX "Asphalt shingles that replace existing asphalt shingles"; decking up to 128 sq ft Wildland-Urban Interface areas when half or more of the roof is replaced not split out
Arlington County, VA New covering, decking replaced under 256 sq ft More than 256 sq ft of decking, or fire-retardant lumber was required originally (e.g. townhouses) not split out
Cary, NC "roof coverings with the same materials" (not stated) not split out
Naperville, IL Asphalt shingles "as long as the existing roof sheathing remains in place" "Replacing roof or wall sheathing" not split out
San Diego, CA "Simple re-roofing without structural changes is exempt" Structure or diaphragm altered; historic districts not split out

Seattle's 633 roofing permits against Colorado Springs' 23,508 are partly the exemption at work (the two also differ in size). The deciding question in the exempt cities is the decking: you will not know whether it is rotten until the old roof is off, so agree in the contract who pulls a permit if it is.

What happens if you skip it

  • Orlando: re-roofs without the dry-in inspection "may fail final inspection and require partial or full removal of the roof covering".
  • Colorado Springs area: a stop work order, and a "Certificate of Alleged Non-compliance" filed against the property with the county Clerk and Recorder.
  • Seattle: fines of "up to $500 per day" for building without a required permit.

What seller disclosure forms ask about unpermitted work is in our permit vs no permit guide.

Who pulls it

The roofing contractor. Naperville requires roofing contractors to be licensed and warns homeowners about contractors who want the permit in the owner's name. Florida owners who pull their own must file an Owner/Builder Declaration, which Orlando requires you to sign in person. Our hiring a roofer guide covers the licence and permit-record checks.

How long it takes

The usual roofing permit closed in 15 days in Elk Grove, 16 in Anaheim and 19 in Sacramento County, against 106 in Saint Paul. Finish rates spread widely: 98.4% of Cape Coral's roofing permits a year or more old reached a final, against 68.7% in Saint Paul, where 1,301 firms filed. If yours has no final, it is still open on your address (what to do).

Check it in five minutes

  1. Find your city's exempt list and look for "reroof" or "roof covering"; note any decking threshold.
  2. Ask the roofer what happens, and who pulls the permit, if decking needs replacing. Prices for permitted jobs are in roof replacement cost.
  3. After the job, check the permit and final on the city portal (how).

See every Colorado Springs roofer by permits filed →

What this does not tell you

We read 16 departments' rules; the Anaheim handout is from 2014, and HOAs and historic districts add their own reviews. In the exempt cities our counts include only the reroofs that needed a permit, so they understate how many roofs were replaced.

How we know this

Rules are quoted from the pages under Sources, read 22 October 2026. Permit counts, usual days to final, firm counts and finished shares come from each city's permit file over the three years ending September 2026 (Cape Coral: January 2025 to September 2026). "Usual days" is the median from issue to final inspection; "reached a final" counts permits a year or more old.

Numbers come from Pikes Peak Regional Building Department permits inside Colorado Springs city limits; City of Orlando building permits for one- and two-family homes; City of Saint Paul building and trade permits (the City's old approved-permits file up to June 2025, and the City's PAULIE permit system since September 2025), with the contractor named on each permit; Sacramento County building permits on single-family, duplex and townhouse homes in the unincorporated county (the County's Accela permit layer); City of Cape Coral building permits (the city's open permit table starts January 2025); City of Anaheim Accela building permits on single-family homes and ADUs; City of Citrus Heights building permits on homes (the city's issued-permits layer); City of Seattle (SDCI) building, trade and electrical permits on single-family and duplex homes (the city's open-data exports); City of Elk Grove TRAKiT building permits on single-family, duplex, mobile-home and ADU homes; City of Bellevue permits on single-family homes and condo units, data through October 17, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.

Questions

  • Do I need a permit to replace shingles with the same shingles?

    It depends on the city. Austin exempts 'Asphalt shingles that replace existing asphalt shingles', Cary exempts 'roof coverings with the same materials', and Naperville allows an asphalt shingle roof 'as long as the existing roof sheathing remains in place'. Sacramento County, Citrus Heights, Orlando and Anaheim list every reroof as permit work.

  • What if the roofer has to replace the decking or sheathing?

    That usually brings a permit in cities that otherwise exempt reroofs. Bellevue requires one for 'roofing projects that include modifying or replacing the sheathing'; Arlington County when more than 256 square feet of decking is replaced; Austin when more than 128 square feet of decking is. Ask the roofer before the tear-off what happens if the deck is rotten.

  • Do I need a permit to repair part of my roof?

    Small repairs are often exempt. Pikes Peak Regional (Colorado Springs) exempts roofing repairs under 100 square feet, and Denver requires a separate roof permit once a repair is more than 10% of the roof or two squares. Orlando's roof permit page covers 'replace or repair' with no size threshold.

  • How long does a roofing permit take?

    Days for the permit; the final follows the job. The usual roofing permit closed in 16 days in Anaheim, 19 in Sacramento County and 27 in Orlando. Orlando says it will contact you within three business days of applying.

  • What happens if a roof is replaced without the required inspection?

    Orlando says re-roofs without the dry-in inspection may fail final inspection and require partial or full removal of the roof covering. In the Colorado Springs area, Pikes Peak Regional issues a stop work order and files a Certificate of Alleged Non-compliance against the property.

Build your own list

Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.

Colorado Springs roofingOrlando roofingSaint Paul roofingSacramento County (unincorporated) roofingCape Coral roofingAnaheim roofingCitrus Heights, CA roofingSeattle roofing

Related guides

For one city

All guides →

Sources
  1. Re-roof permit — Seattle SDCI (accessed 2026-10-22)
  2. Work requiring permits — City of Bellevue, WA (accessed 2026-10-22)
  3. Frequently Asked Questions — Sacramento County Building Permits and Inspection (accessed 2026-10-22)
  4. Projects Requiring a Building Permit (CHB0600, rev. 08/23) — City of Citrus Heights, CA (accessed 2026-10-22)
  5. Permit Not Required — Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (accessed 2026-10-22)
  6. Homeowner Permits — Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (accessed 2026-10-22)
  7. Apply for a Residential Roof Permit — City of Orlando (accessed 2026-10-22)
  8. Do I need a building permit? — City of Elk Grove, CA (accessed 2026-10-22)
  9. When is a Building Permit Required (form B804, Sept 2014) — City of Anaheim, CA (accessed 2026-10-22)
  10. Map of Common Permits — City of Cape Coral, FL (accessed 2026-10-22)
  11. When is a permit required? — City of Saint Paul DSI (accessed 2026-10-22)
  12. Work Exempt from Building Permits — City of Austin Development Services (accessed 2026-10-22)
  13. Residential permits — Arlington County, VA (accessed 2026-10-22)
  14. Residential Permits FAQ — Town of Cary, NC (accessed 2026-10-22)
  15. Guide to Building Permits (rev. 10/31/2022) — City of Naperville, IL (accessed 2026-10-22)
  16. When is a Permit Required? — City of San Diego Development Services (accessed 2026-10-22)
  17. Quick Permits — City and County of Denver CPD (accessed 2026-10-22)