Do I need a roofing permit in Wichita? MABCD's Form 62, the per-square-foot fee and 18,740 permits

MABCD is a joint City of Wichita and Sedgwick County office, so the same rules and forms apply in unincorporated Sedgwick County and the small cities it serves; our numbers count the City of Wichita only.

The rule

MABCD's permits page (read 24 October 2026) lists Roofing and Re-roofing as its own permit, with Form 62 and one fee line: "$0.05 per square foot (Min. - $50.00 / Max. - $1,500.00)". New siding uses the same form, with fees "Based on Table B". Its Do I Need a Permit? page lets you repair or replace existing finish work such as paint, carpeting, cabinets and countertops without one; a roof is not on that list.

What it costs

The fee runs on the area under the roof, not the job price. A 1,500-square-foot ranch with a 400-square-foot attached garage is 1,900 square feet, so $95; you reach the $1,500 cap only at 30,000 square feet. The usual roofing permit in our file was declared at $10,183 (middle half $7,016 to $15,000, from 13,601 permits with a value), so the permit is about 1% of a typical job.

Who pulls it

Form 62 asks for the contractor's "KS Roofer Registration Number" and contractor license number, so a hired roofer applies under both. The Do I Need a Permit? page warns that a contractor who asks you to get the permit yourself is "a red flag" and says to call MABCD (316-660-1840) to check the firm's license and insurance. If you own the home but do not live in it, that page says you "MUST use a licensed contractor". Look a firm up under Lookup Contractor License in the MABCD Online LookUp.

How to apply

1. Measure the roofed area: finished main floor, attached garage, covered porch and patio.
2. Your roofer files Form 62 on the MABCD Portal (trade permits "can be obtained online at MABCD Portal or in-person"), with the layers being removed and the roofing valuation.
3. Pay the square-foot fee.
4. After issue, the Do I Need a Permit? page puts the permit holder in charge of "scheduling and passing all inspections". MABCD does not list the roofing inspection stages on these pages; ask when you file.

What 18,740 Wichita roofing permits show

The surge starts in September 2025 (1,111 permits) and peaks in October 2025 (2,512), then stays between 688 and 1,657 a month from November 2025 to September 2026, against 82 to 606 a month from October 2024 to August 2025. The City's file does not say why. The west-side ZIPs 67212 and 67205 and 67203 hold 45% of all roofing permits. With 97.3% of the first year's permits closed, a Wichita roofing permit left open months after the crew leaves is unusual. Monthly counts are on Wichita roofing permits, every category on Wichita permit statistics, and individual rows on Wichita permits.

Before you sign

Check for older permits on the house with the Wichita building permit search. Rules elsewhere: do I need a permit for roof replacement and siding; prices in roof replacement cost.

What this does not tell you

MABCD's file has no issue date, so permits are dated by application, and it names no contractor and records no final inspection date. A closed permit means MABCD closed it, not that a particular inspection passed.