What the County requires
The Building Permits & Inspection Division's FAQ (read 23 October 2026) lists "Re-roof" among typical projects that need a permit, next to "Skylight" and "Siding / Stucco". Its residential exempt list (GI-21) covers small sheds and patio covers, fences up to 7 feet, finish work such as painting and tiling, and window awnings; roofing is not on it, so there is no small-repair carve-out to rely on in writing. Ask the division on 916-875-5296 if you are patching a few shingles.
| Roof job | What the County says |
|---|---|
| Re-roof, no structural changes | Permit required; "Residential re-roof (no structural changes)" issues automatically online on payment |
| Re-roof with structural changes | Not on the online-issue list; apply through the portal for review |
| Skylight | On the permit-required list |
| Solar on the new roof | Separate permit; the County uses SolarAPP+, contractor use only |
The online permit covers the unincorporated County only. In Elk Grove, Citrus Heights, Rancho Cordova or the City of Sacramento, that city issues it.
Who can pull it
A CSLB-licensed roofer. California's roofing classification is C-39 (CSLB Licensing Classifications); check the license on Check a License. 78.9% of the 748 firms on County roofing permits matched an active CSLB license by name, and 22 matched a license that was not active.
You, as an owner-builder. The County will not issue the permit until you sign its AP-16 owner-builder notice, which makes you "the responsible party of record" and warns that you "may be held liable and subject to serious financial risk for any injuries sustained by an unlicensed person" working on your property. Roofing crews fall; that line matters more here than for most trades.
How to apply and get it inspected
- Apply in Accela Citizen Access for a residential re-roof. The County takes applications electronically only.
- Pay; the permit issues automatically for a re-roof with no structural changes.
- Book each inspection before covering the work, online, on 916-875-5296 or by text to 855-280-5383, by 5 p.m. for the next day (Scheduling Inspections). The FAQ asks for "An OSHA approved ladder to access roof or attic".
- Keep the signed job card. For home projects the FAQ calls it your Certificate of Occupancy.
The roof codes on the County's inspection list:
| Code | Inspection |
|---|---|
| 128 | Roof - In Progress |
| 131 | Re-Roof Overlay |
| 132 | Re-Roof Nail/Tear Off |
| 126 | Roof Pre-deck - Class A only |
| 199 | Structural Final |
The tear-off inspection (132) happens with the deck exposed. A roofer who strips and re-sheathes in a day without booking it is skipping the one look the County gets at your deck.
What 5,397 County roofing permits show
| Measure | Sacramento County roofing |
|---|---|
| Permits on homes, October 2023 to September 2026 | 5,397 |
| Firms | 748 |
| Firms with a permit in the last 12 months of the file | 420 |
| Usual filed value | $16,575 |
| Middle half of firms' usual value | $13,900 to $20,000 |
| Finaled (permits a year or more old) | 88.1% |
| Usual days from issue to final | 19 |
| 10th / 90th-percentile firm (10+ permits) | 78.0% / 96.8% |
| Busiest / quietest month | April (index 126) / December (52) |
Roofing is spread thin here: the five busiest firms hold only 14.4% of permits, and 347 firms filed exactly one. Most busy roofers close their permits: even the 10th-percentile firm with 10+ permits finaled 78.0%. Filings peak in April and bottom out in December at an index of 52, about half an average month, which is when roofers have openings and the weather risk is highest.
See every Sacramento County roofer by share finaled →
Related
The CSLB steps are in the Sacramento County contractor license lookup, and older permits on your address in Sacramento County building permit search. Local prices by trade: Sacramento County home improvement costs; national: roof replacement cost. Rules in other places: do I need a permit for roof replacement; the checklist: hiring a roofer. Counts by year: Sacramento County permit statistics.
What this does not tell you
Our file holds permits the County issued for unincorporated areas only. The filed value is what the applicant wrote, not the contract price. The County does not post a re-roof fee on its building pages; the Accela invoice shows it before you pay.
How we know this
Permit rules, the online-issue list, the exempt list and inspection codes are quoted from Sacramento County Building Permits & Inspection Division pages and its GI-21 and AP-16 documents, read 23 October 2026. Counts are Sacramento County permits on homes in unincorporated areas classified as roofing, October 2023 to September 2026; "finaled" uses permits a year or more old, and days are issue to final.
Numbers come from Sacramento County building permits on single-family, duplex and townhouse homes in the unincorporated county (the County's Accela permit layer), data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Sacramento County?
Yes. The County's FAQ lists 'Re-roof' among projects that need a permit, and its residential exempt list (GI-21) does not include roofing. A re-roof with no structural changes is one of the permits the County issues automatically online on payment.
- How long does a roofing permit take in Sacramento County?
The permit itself issues when you pay online, for a re-roof with no structural changes. Closing it is quick too: the usual County roofing permit in our file reached final 19 days after issue, and 88.1% of permits a year or more old were finaled.
- How much does a new roof cost in Sacramento County?
The usual County roofing permit was filed at $16,575, and the middle half of roofers usually file between $13,900 and $20,000. That is the value written on the permit, not a quote.
- Can a homeowner pull a roofing permit in Sacramento County?
Yes, as an owner-builder, after signing the County's AP-16 notice, which makes you the responsible party. If a roofer is doing the work, the roofer should pull it under a CSLB C-39 license.
- What inspections does a re-roof need in Sacramento County?
The County's structural inspection codes include 131 Re-Roof Overlay and 132 Re-Roof Nail/Tear Off, plus 128 Roof - In Progress. Inspectors need an OSHA-approved ladder to reach the roof.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Do I need a permit? 13 common home projects, checked against city rules and permit files
- Do I need a permit to replace my roof? It splits: the rule in 16 cities, and how many get filed
- Do I need a roofing permit in Anaheim? The $375 reroof fee, the one-layer rule and two inspections
- Do I need a roofing permit in Bernalillo County? The re-roof application, the tile rule and two inspections
- Do I need a roofing permit in Sugar Land? Yes: an express permit issued online, and a final half of them never pass
- Do I need a roofing permit in Tyler, TX? The $100 reroof permit, who files it, and why most stay open
For one city
- Frequently Asked Questions — Sacramento County Building Permits & Inspection (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Scheduling Inspections (inspection codes) — Sacramento County (accessed 2026-10-23)
- GI-21 Residential Work Exempt from Permit — Sacramento County (accessed 2026-10-23)
- AP-16 Notice to Property Owner as Owner Builder — Sacramento County (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Accela Citizen Access — Sacramento County (2026-10-23)
- CSLB Licensing Classifications (2026-10-22)
- Check a License — CSLB (2026-10-22)