Answers · Hiring a roofer
Do I need a permit to replace my roof?
The short answer
In most jurisdictions in the United States and Canada a full roof replacement requires a permit, and the requirements are set locally rather than nationally. The permit brings an inspection, and the inspection is the only independent check that the work met code.
What the permit buys you
- An independent inspection of work that will be invisible within a day — underlayment, ice and water membrane placement, deck condition, flashing.
- A record at the building department, which a buyer's inspector and a title search can find.
- A basis for enforcement if the work is defective.
What skipping it costs
Unpermitted work surfaces at sale, and the buyer's side then asks for it to be permitted retroactively, corrected, or discounted. It can also complicate an insurance claim on the same component later. The permit fee is a small fraction of a roof and the contractor usually pulls it as a matter of routine — a contractor who suggests skipping it is proposing that you carry the consequence, because the permit is issued against your property, not against them.
Also asked
- Does a repair need a permit?
- Usually not below a threshold of area or value, and the threshold is local. Your building department will answer it in one phone call, and that call is worth making before rather than after.
General information about roofs and about hiring, not advice about your building. Roofing contractor licensing, permits, insurance practice and deductible rules are set state by state and province by province across the United States and Canada, so your own authority is the current answer.