What's Required in Dallas
- A permit is required for reroofing larger than two roofing squares (200 square feet).
- File a Residential Roofing Permit in DallasNow before work starts.
- Roofing contractors must be registered with the City of Dallas to obtain permits.
- A homesteading owner may pull a roofing permit after signing the homeowner affidavit.
- Uninsulated roof cavities exposed during the reroof must be insulated above or below the sheathing.
- A third-party energy code provider may be required and should be added at application.
- Conservation district roofs need a work review form, and historic overlay roofs need a Certificate of Appropriateness first.
- Each failed inspection adds a $75 reinspection fee.
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Dallas?
Yes. Chapter 52 Section 301.2.1 of the Dallas City Code exempts reroofing only when the work does not exceed the equivalent of two roofing squares, and the code defines a roofing square as 100 square feet of roofing material. So a patch of up to 200 square feet of shingles needs no permit; a full tear-off and replacement on any house does. The DallasNow terminology guide puts it the same way: roofing permits are required for most reroofing projects except minor repairs that do not affect the roof’s structure or weatherproofing. You file a Residential Roofing Permit in DallasNow, the city’s permit portal.
How much does a roof permit cost in Dallas?
Texas Local Government Code 214.907 bars cities from charging residential permit fees based on job value, so the price of your roof does not change the fee. Chapter 52 prices alterations and repairs of single-family and duplex homes with Table B-II: $181 per dwelling unit. The fee schedule effective July 1, 2025 adds a $125 inspection fee per trade and a $15 technology fee per document submitted. For a typical single-family reroof:
- Base permit fee: $181.
- Inspection fee, one trade: $125.
- Technology fee: $15.
- Total: $321. In a planned development, specific-use-permit or deed-restricted area, the 10 percent surcharge on the permit fee brings it to $339.10.
Extra costs come from failed inspections ($75 each) and from adding a third-party energy code provider after you apply ($30 record change fee).
Does a Dallas reroof trigger the energy code?
It can. The city’s residential remodel energy code form lists roof replacement, meaning removing the covering, repairing damaged substrate and installing a new roof, as an item that may require a certified third-party energy code provider. It also says roofs without insulation in the cavity, where the sheathing or insulation is exposed during reroofing, must be insulated above or below the sheathing.
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Patching up to two roofing squares (200 sq ft) | No permit | Chapter 52 Sec. 301.2.1, item 7 |
| Full tear-off and new shingles | Residential Roofing Permit | $181 base + $125 inspection + $15 technology |
| Reroof over more than two squares after storm damage | Residential Roofing Permit | Size, not cause, sets the line |
| Exposed, uninsulated roof cavity during reroof | Energy code compliance | Insulate above or below the sheathing |
| Reroof in a conservation district | CD work review form first | Required for exterior work, including roofs |
| Reroof in a historic overlay district | Certificate of Appropriateness | Issued by the Landmark Commission first |
| Homeowner reroofing their own homestead | Homeowner permit | Affidavit: no paid help on any part of the work |
Who can pull a roof permit in Dallas?
Roofing contractors must be registered with the city to obtain permits, and the terminology guide says a general contractor creates the roofing application. The exception is the homeowner permit: an owner who lives in the house as a homestead can act as the contractor for roofing, after signing an affidavit that nobody else is paid to do any part of the work.
How to Get a Roof Replacement Permit in Dallas
Measure the roof area
Work up to two roofing squares (200 square feet) needs no permit; a full replacement needs a Residential Roofing Permit.
Check district approvals
In a conservation or historic overlay district, get the work review form or Certificate of Appropriateness before applying.
Apply in DallasNow
Your registered roofer, or you as a homestead owner, files the Residential Roofing Permit and pays the $15 technology fee.
Pay the permit fee
Pay the $181 base fee and the $125 inspection fee when DallasNow invoices them; the permit issues after payment.
Schedule the final inspection
Book the inspection in DallasNow when the roof is done; energy code sign-off is needed where it applies.