Do You Need a Permit to Replace a Roof? 30 Cities Compared

Short answer: it depends on the city more than on the roof. Of the 30 largest U.S. cities we cover, 16 let a homeowner tear off the shingles and put the same kind back without a permit, and 14 require a permit for every reroof, including a like-for-like one. The permit cities are not the expensive ones: San Antonio charges $28.75, Albuquerque $70, Philadelphia $76.50 and Pittsburgh $141.50, while San Francisco's reroofing permit starts at $514 because a street-space permit is bundled in. What the two groups share is the trigger that ends any exemption: replaced sheathing. In ten cities a single sheet of new decking turns a permit-free job into a permit, and most of the rest cap it at a percentage or a square footage. We read each city's building-code exemption list, its reroofing page or bulletin, its fee schedule and its roofing standards and recorded the permit line, the sheathing and layer rules, the fee and the climate rules that ride along.

16cities: a like-for-like reroof on a house needs no permit

14cities require a permit for every reroof

$31–$514+the range of those cities' fees for an ordinary shingle roof

10cities where replacing any sheathing or decking brings a permit in

Every row links to the city page that quotes the rule, so you can read the source language yourself. The table sorts by any column.

All 30 cities

City	Tear-off and reshingle	Where the permit line sits	Sheathing, layers and material changes	City's own fee for a full reroof	Rule the city cites, and notes
Albuquerque, NM	Permit for every reroof	All re-roofs require a permit and inspection under the 2024 Uniform Administrative Code; only repairs under $1,000 in valuation (patching a leak, a few shingles) are exempt.	A re-roof with truss or rafter repairs loses the same-day express permit and needs plans and review. A flat-to-pitched conversion is a valuation-based building permit (about $373 for 1,500 sq ft). Asphalt shingles need a 2:12 slope.	$70 flat for a house ($30 administrative + $40 inspection, Table 112-G); apartments and other occupancies $100 to $480 by valuation	UAC 109.2.1; UAC Table 112-G; Building Safety permits page; Express Permitting System list One inspection after installation, which a certified inspector may do from drone photos. A homeowner's permit is not available when the roofing is subcontracted; leased homes need a licensed contractor's permit.
Baltimore, MD	No permit, like-for-like	No permit to replace roof shingles (item 17) or roof tarring (item 18); the city's own amendments name nothing else.	New rafters, joists, sheathing or a reframed roof is an exterior alteration needing a permit. Membrane, modified bitumen, metal and slate conversions are not named in the exemption, so the page says ask DHCD.	$0; an $8,000 rafter and sheathing repair about $109, a $15,000 reframing $183 ($10 per $1,000 with a $50 minimum + $25 application + 5% tax)	Building, Fire and Related Codes 105.2 items 17 and 18; §109.6.1(c); DHCD exempt-work handout In a CHAP historic district some minor work that would not otherwise need a permit does (CHAP fees usually $15 to $50). Roofing done for hire needs an MHIC license. The cool-roof rule applies to new buildings, not reroofs.
Charlotte, NC	No permit, like-for-like ⚠	No Mecklenburg County building permit for a roofing replacement that costs $40,000 or less, uses the same type of materials and involves no structural work.	Replacing sheathing, rafters or trusses is permit work at any cost. A change of material and a layover are open questions the County answers through RTAC.	$0; about $255.55 for an $18,000 job with structural repair, $584.68 for a $45,000 roof (LUESA valuation table + $3 technology + $10 recovery fund)	G.S. 160D-1110; Mecklenburg County Residential Construction Handbook (NC Residential Code R101.2.2); LUESA Fee Ordinance The County's handout requires the same type of materials while the statute exempts roofing replacement generally; the page sends material changes to RTAC. No NC general contractor license is needed for contracts under $40,000.
Chicago, IL	No permit, like-for-like	No permit to repair, recover or replace a pitched roof (2:12 or steeper) on a residential building up to 4 stories or its garage; flat and low-slope roofs need an express reroofing permit.	Any structural repair (rafters, decking) is a plan-based permit with a $900 minimum. A recover over one existing layer is allowed; over two or more layers needs calculations by an Illinois-licensed architect or engineer.	$0 for a pitched roof; $450 for a flat-roof replacement, $175 for a repair or recover (each per area up to 5,000 sq ft)	DOB list of work not requiring a permit (Roofing Work); Table 14A-12-1204.2; Express Permit Program eligibility Patching up to 25% of any roof without cutting the structure is exempt on every building. The roofing must be done under an Illinois roofing contractor license.
Cincinnati, OH	No permit, like-for-like	No permit at a 1–3 family home to repair or replace roof coverings as long as no more than two coverings remain in place and the structure is not overloaded; 4-plus-unit and commercial roofs need a permit.	Replacing sheathing, rafters or trusses is structural repair needing a permit (the Repairs Without Plans application covers same-size, same-place members). A third layer is not allowed.	$0; a $2,000 sheathing repair about $172, a $6,000 rafter and decking repair about $312 ($106 to $232 + $49 processing + about 11% surcharges)	Cincinnati Building Code 1101-17.1(17)(b); Do I Need a Permit page; FY2027 B&I fee schedule Historic districts and Urban Design Overlay Districts need a Certificate of Appropriateness ($151 + surcharges) first. Any roofer working in the city must hold a $131.25 city contractor registration.
Dallas, TX	Permit for every reroof	A Residential Roofing Permit is required for any reroof over two roofing squares (200 sq ft of roofing material); patches up to two squares are exempt.	Size, not cause, sets the line. A roof with no cavity insulation must be insulated above or below the sheathing when the sheathing is exposed (energy code).	$321 flat ($181 base + $125 inspection + $15 technology fee); $339.10 in planned development, SUP and deed-restricted areas	Chapter 52 Sec. 301.2.1 item 7; Chapter 52 Table B-II; fee schedule effective 2025-07-01 Conservation districts need a CD work review form and historic overlays a Certificate of Appropriateness first. A homesteading owner may act as contractor after a no-paid-help affidavit.
Fort Worth, TX	No permit, like-for-like	No permit for a replacement roof on a 1–2 family home or its accessory structures when only the material above the decking is replaced; the first sheet of decking replaced brings in a permit.	Any decking, lathing or sheathing replacement requires the Residential Remodel Reroof Permit; rafters and ridge boards need a building permit; new decking may not be laid over an existing layer.	$0; $168.95 when decking is replaced ($119 one-trade fee + $33.08 application + $16.87 technology), the same for a 20- or 40-square roof	Fort Worth Administrative Code 105.2; Development Services roofing FAQ; Fee Ordinance 26-28781 Crickets and drip edges are required on every reroof, permit or not; no ice-barrier underlayment is required. Replacing decking without a permit costs an investigation fee equal to the permit fee.
Houston, TX	Permit for every reroof	A permit is required for any re-roof or roofing overlay on a residence (Re-Roof Worksheet CE-1109 or Overlay Form CE-1104, 10-business-day plan review, required inspection); roof covering repairs of 100 sq ft or less are exempt.	Replacing decking, rafters or purlins is a repair permit with a spec list, or a remodel permit for reframing. An overlay is permitted work with its own form.	About $147: the $91.06 minimum permit fee + 25% plan review + $33.56 admin	HPC Residential Roofing Permit page (HPWCODE 1140); Residential Permitting 101 exemptions; 2026 Building Code Enforcement fee schedule The 2026 schedule has no re-roof line, so the page applies the structural minimum. Houston licenses no general contractors, so a homeowner may pull the permit.
Indianapolis, IN	No permit, like-for-like ⚠	No permit for a like-for-like reroof done by a listed contractor or by the owner-occupant since Jan 1, 2026, and the old contractor notification form was repealed, so nothing is filed.	A permit returns if any rafter or more than 128 ft of decking is replaced, the covering gets heavier (shingle to tile or slate), the roof configuration changes, or heat-applied roofing is used. A landlord doing the work personally, or an unlisted handyman, needs the permit.	$0; a structural permit $290 (miscellaneous residential) or $390 (remodel or repair), as DBNS assigns the subtype	Sec. 536-201(b)(2) as amended by G.O. 38, 2025; DBNS fee schedule 2026-01-05 The DBNS Homeowner's Guide (last updated 2021) still says re-roofing requires a Structural Renovation Permit; the ordinance text controls. IHPC historic districts need a certificate of appropriateness.
Jacksonville, FL	Permit for every reroof	Re-roofs are alterations that need a permit. A reroof of five squares or less and $2,500 or less gets a no-inspection permit that auto-expires once paid; a patch under 500 sq ft takes a $27.50 repair permit.	Florida's 25% rule (FBC Existing Building 706.1.1) applies, with the FS 553.844(5) exception for roofs built to the 2007 or later code. A Notice of Commencement is recorded above $5,000.	$167.50 for almost every full house reroof ($150 minimum + $17.50 debris fee); $97.50 for a no-inspection reroof; $27.50 for a small repair	BID FAQ; Ordinance Code 320.408(f); Ordinance Code 320.409(10) Florida's 1% + 1.5% surcharges apply on top. The roof would have to exceed 15,000 sq ft before the $10 per 1,000 sq ft rate tops the minimum. Inspections cover dry-in, in-progress and final.
Kansas City, MO	No permit, like-for-like	No permit to replace the roof covering on a 1–2 family home with a light covering such as asphalt shingles; less than 32 sq ft of sheathing may be replaced too.	Replacing 32 sq ft or more of sheathing or decking, or any framing, needs a building permit (no plan review per IB100). Exposed sheathing on a roof with no cavity insulation must be insulated.	$0; with new decking $58 + $4.33 per $1,000 of job value: $101.30 at $12,000, $135.94 at $20,000	KCBRC 18-16(b)(1)k and (t); Sec. 18-20(b)(2); IB100; IB172 Ice barrier underlayment is required by the amended climate table even when no permit is needed. An HOA may not ban shingle types the code allows (amendment R901.2). Starting permit work early triples the fee.
Long Beach, CA	Permit for every reroof ⚠	Only repairs up to 100 sq ft in any 12-month period and roof coatings are exempt; every other reroof, including a like-for-like shingle job, is a building permit, with composition shingle and built-up roofs on the express list (no plans, online for 1–2 family homes).	Shingles over solid sheathing or one existing layer (6 psf or less) stay express. Two or more layers or a water-soaked deck means tear-off first; tile, standing-seam metal, torch-down or more than 10% of the framing need a non-express permit.	About $394 for a 20-square composition roof ($10,000 valuation: $277 permit + $115 processing + state fees); about $716 for clay tile; a 12-square roof about $330	LBMC 18.04.020.B.7 and B.8; IB-058 items B9 and B10; IB-077; IB-014 The state Energy Code's cool-roof rule applies when more than 50% of the roof is replaced. Fees changed Oct 1, 2026 and the pages carry the pre-October figures.
Los Angeles, CA	Permit for every reroof	Every re-roof is an express building permit (no plan check, bought online through PermitLA); only repairs valued at $2,500 or less are exempt.	Re-roofing with Class A or B material under 6 lb per sq ft over existing or new solid sheathing stays express; framing or sheathing work beyond a like-for-like re-deck goes to plan check. Wood shake and wood shingle roofs are prohibited outright.	About $201 for a $5,000 job, $250 at $10,000, $466 at $25,000 (valuation-based, surcharges included)	LAMC 91.106.2 item 1; Express Permits IB P/GI 2026-003 items 4, 5, 23 and 25; LADBS Cool Roof FAQ; IB P/BC 2026-013 Replacing more than 50% of a residential roof requires a CRRC-rated cool roof; Class A covering is required in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone. Homeowners may buy the express permit for a single-family home.
Louisville, KY	No permit, like-for-like	No permit for an in-kind tear-off and re-shingle: Kentucky law treats replacement of roofing that does not alter the structure as ordinary repair, and Metro's fee schedule has no reroof line.	Replacing rafters, trusses or sheathing, or adding a skylight or dormer, is an alteration needing a building permit. A change of covering is not clearly in kind, and the page says ask Construction Review.	$0; structural work $50 + $2.50 per $1,000 with a $75 minimum ($100 on a $20,000 job)	KRS 198B.010(11) and (21); LMCO 150.096 (revised 2/6/2024) The department's own reroofing page could not be retrieved for the article. Kentucky's amendment to R905.2.8.5 requires a drip edge at eaves and gables on shingle roofs.
Miami, FL	Permit for every reroof	City Code 10-5 requires a permit to repair or replace any part of a structure; only ordinary minor repairs (a few tiles, under 25% of the roof) go without one, with the Building Official's approval.	Replacing sheathing or trusses is structural work, never a minor repair. Re-cover is allowed only where the HVHZ sections permit; tearing off a covering on a wood deck requires re-nailing the deck and a secondary water barrier.	About $155 for a $20,000 shingle reroof ($110 minimum + $40 application + state surcharges); about $275 for a $45,000 tile roof	City Code 10-5 and 10-18; FBC Existing Building 706.1.1; FS 553.844(5); FBC Building 1512–1525; County Code 8-40 The 25% rule: repairing or replacing more than 25% of a roof section in 12 months brings the whole section to current code unless the roof was built to the 2007 or a later FBC. The SAVE pilot halves city fees for reinforced roofs until Feb 12, 2027.
Milwaukee, WI	No permit, like-for-like	No permit on a 1–2 family home to repair, recover or replace any quantity of roof covering, or to replace roof decking, as long as the framing is untouched.	Decking replacement sits inside the exemption. Rafters, trusses, ridge or collar ties, or a new roof system that raises the dead load 5% or more, need full plan submittal and a building permit.	$0; structural work 1.6% of cost ($150 minimum) + plan review ($125 minimum) + 1.6% + $20: about $299 for an $8,000 rafter repair, $599 at $20,000	MCO 200-24-1.5-f-5 and f-6; DNS re-roofing form The $250 plan exam and $200 permit fees printed on the DNS form are for buildings outside the 1–2 family exemption. Historic, conservation and BID review areas need separate approvals; an asbestos roof needs an asbestos project permit.
Minneapolis, MN	Permit for every reroof	A building permit is required for all re-roofing at 1–2 family homes except repairs using less than one bundle of shingles (33 1/3 sq ft of roof area).	An overlay is allowed over one sound existing layer only, never over wood shake, slate, clay or cement tile. Rafter or truss repair takes an additional permit and a framing inspection.	$231.80 for an $8,000 reroof, $485 at $20,000 ($104.20 for the first $2,000 + $20.60 per $1,000 + state surcharge; no plan review fee)	Construction Code Services roofing handout; Minn. R. 1300.0120; building permit fee schedule An ice barrier must run to 24 in inside the exterior wall line. No underlayment inspection, only a final. Pre-approved contractors use the express permit tool; starting early can double the fee.
New York, NY	No permit, like-for-like	No DOB filing for new shingles, membrane, coverings, cant strip or insulation above the deck, at any size; replacing any part of the deck or sheathing is an alteration filed by a PE or RA.	Any deck or sheathing replacement ends the exemption. Replacing the entire deck or roof assembly triggers a sustainable roofing zone (4 kW of solar, a green roof, or both) on 100% of the roof under Local Laws 92 and 94.	$0; a deck replacement files at $130 minimum, about $182 on a $25,000 job	1 RCNY 101-14 Table 2 IV.1–2; Admin Code Table 28-112.2; Local Laws 92 and 94 of 2019 A recover where neither deck nor insulation is exposed does not trigger the Energy Code (NYCECC C503.1 exception 5); work that disturbs materials in a pre-1987 building needs an asbestos determination first.
Philadelphia, PA	Permit for every reroof	Roof covering replacement is an EZ permit (a building permit with no plans); only repairs related to regular maintenance, such as patching a leak or a few shingles, are exempt.	Replacing more than 10% of the sheathing, adding a skylight or penetration, or raising the gravity load 5% takes the job out of EZ into a full permit with plans. All layers come off when the roof is water-damaged, wood shake, slate, tile or already has two coverings.	$76.50 at a 1–2 family home ($69 flat + $3 city + $4.50 state); $363.50 for a 1,000 sq ft roof with heavy sheathing replacement as an alteration	L&I EZ Re-Roofing standard PB_012 (revised July 2026); L&I fee summary PG_012; L&I building permit page Insulation changes must meet the 2021 IECC at R-49, and the cool-roof ordinance updated in 2026 uses CRRC reflectance and emittance values. A licensed contractor signs a roof certification at final inspection; a contractor with current license, insurance and taxes can be issued the permit immediately.
Phoenix, AZ	No permit, like-for-like	No permit for roof covering replacement or recover with the same type of material (re-shingle, re-tile, same membrane), with no more than two layers of asphalt shingles.	Changing material (wood or asphalt shingles to tile), extending the roofline, or replacing rafters, trusses or sheathing needs a building permit; shingle-to-tile is priced as a structural upgrade from $9,200 of valuation with plan review.	$0; a material change without structural work about $231; shingle-to-tile about $606 with plan review	2024 Phoenix Building Construction Code 105.2 Building item 16; Permit Guide TRT 00823; 2026 Development Fee Schedule Table A Tile must be loaded on the roof before the framing inspection is signed off. Re-roofing without a required permit costs an investigation fee of at least $250 plus double the fee.
Pittsburgh, PA	Permit for every reroof	A permit is required to repair or alter a building and the city's exempt-work list has no reroofing item; removing and replacing a roof covering is an EZ permit (no plans, issued within one business day). Ordinary repairs such as a few shingles are exempt.	EZ covers damaged sheathing discovered during the job up to 10% of the roof area. More sheathing, rafters, trusses, joists, a slope change, skylights or a roof deck need a standard Building and Development Application (15 to 30 business days).	$141.50 for most reroofs ($130 minimum base fee + $11.50 fixed fees); $224.50 on a $35,000 job, $274.50 if the $50 zoning review fee is applied	PLI EZ Permits (residential roofing); PLI permitting page; PLI 2026 Fee Schedule PLI's permitting page puts attached 1–2 family houses in the commercial category ($605 minimum base fee); historic districts are not EZ-eligible. Roof inspections can be virtual.
Portland, OR	No permit, like-for-like	No permit to reroof with a roofing material of similar weight, including replacing some or all of the sheathing; a permit is needed in a Wildfire Zone, on a townhouse, or for solar roof coverings.	Sheathing replacement sits inside the exemption. Rafters, trusses or a changed pitch need a valuation-based building permit with 65% plan review; a heavier covering (shingle to tile) is outside the similar-weight test.	$0; a permitted $18,000 reroof about $880 with plan review ($592 without)	PP&D list of outside projects that do not need a building permit; PP&D building permit fee table PP&D publishes no weight table for the similar-weight test; the page says describe the old and new materials to Residential Inspections before starting. Fire-resistant roofing is required in a fire hazard area.
Sacramento, CA	Permit for every reroof	Re-roofing is on the Building Division's permit-required list; a flat-fee Re-Roof minor permit (no plans) covers removal and replacement or an overlay of the waterproof assembly, including sheathing replacement where needed.	Sheathing and incidental dry-rot repair sit inside the permit; reframing or structural upgrades need a remodel permit with plans. A material change (tile to composition) adds Planning form CDD-0223 at $132.	About $221 for a $10,000 owner-built reroof, $272 for a $25,000 contractor job ($175 flat + 10% technology + valuation fees); about $404 with a material change	Building Division permit list; Table B.1 (in effect since 2025-07-19); CDD-0304 cool roof sheet; CDD-0223 Replacing more than 50% of the roof surface requires a cool roof product (aged reflectance 0.20 or SRI 16 on steep roofs) unless an exception such as R-38 ceiling insulation applies. Homeowners can pull the permit online.
San Antonio, TX	Permit for every reroof	Every reroof needs a Re-roof permit: the exempt-work list has no reroofing item and DSD's FAQ says any time you replace or install a roof you need one. Patching a leak is an ordinary repair with no application.	Maximum two layers of roofing. A change of pitch goes to full plan review and a change to tile needs an engineer's assessment report. The city publishes no square-footage line between repair and replacement.	$28.75 flat; $31.05 online with the two 4% surcharges, $42.55 on a paper application	City Code 10-6(e) and 10-6(g); DSD Home Remodeling FAQ; Re-Roof Permit Application; FY 2027 Development Fee Schedule Starting before the permit doubles the fee. Vents or flues extended above the new roofline need trade permits from licensed contractors.
San Diego, CA	No permit, like-for-like	No permit to renew the roof covering on any building when the roof structure and diaphragm are not altered; on houses, duplexes and townhouses damaged sheathing may be replaced in kind up to 25% of the roof surface.	Replacing skip sheathing with plywood, any framing, or a covering over 6 lb per sq ft over shingles or shakes needs a permit with framing calculations. Two existing layers must come off; wood shakes and shingles are banned as new roofing.	$0; a re-sheathing permit about $1,367 (hourly plan check + $264.25 inspection + $737 General Plan fee); roof structure replacement about $2,956 per 2,000 sq ft	SDMC 129.0203(a)(16); IB 123 (revised Sept 2026); IB 501 Table 501C All replacement roofing must be Class A, and replacing more than 25% of the roof in 12 months makes the whole roof Class A. Designated historic sites always need a permit; in-kind reroofs on 45-year-old homes skip historical review.
San Francisco, CA	Permit for every reroof	A permit is required before installing, repairing or removing roofing material; the only exemption is reroofing that touches no sheathing and stays within 25% of the roof in any 12-month period.	Any sheathing, decking or framing work turns the flat reroofing permit into an over-the-counter building permit priced on valuation (about $1,056 on a $15,000 job).	$514 and up for a house or duplex per DBI's online page (the $320 Table 1A-G fee plus the bundled Public Works street space permit); $714 and up for other buildings	SF Building Code 106A.2 item 13; DBI Table 1A-G effective 2026-07-12; DBI online reroofing permit page Online, only a licensed C-39 roofing contractor registered with the City can apply; an owner files at the Permit Center. Landmark buildings need a Planning Approval Letter; non-historic residential permits can issue immediately.
San Jose, CA	Permit for every reroof	A Re-Roof permit (online, no plans) is required once a replacement, repair or overlay reaches 25% of the roof in any 12-month period; under 25% is exempt.	Replacing rafters, trusses or sheathing is a Roof Structural Replacement permit with plan review. Whether a second layer is allowed is a 2025 California Residential Code question the inspector checks.	$236 residential reroof permit (two inspections included); about $447 with the FY2026-27 $211 processing line when filed at the counter	SJMC 24.02.120.A.13; SJPermits online permits; Schedule of Fees and Charges effective 2026-07-01 The exemption is measured per 12 months, so doing the roof in slices does not avoid it. Reroofing without a permit is charged double the plan review and inspection cost.
Seattle, WA	No permit, like-for-like	No permit for a roof recover or a replacement at a house, duplex or townhouse if the building envelope is unchanged (insulation may be added or replaced); commercial and multifamily re-roofs need a $146 online permit.	Replacement of sheathing of any size, or any structural change, needs a value-based construction permit; skylights, dormers or a raised roofline mean an addition or alteration permit with plan review.	$0 for a house; about $885 for an $18,000 job that needs new sheathing (STFI permit); about $178 for a commercial re-roof	SRC R105.2 items 11 and 12; SDCI Re-Roof Permit page; 2026 Fee Subtitle Table D-2 item 27 Exposed sheathing or an uninsulated cavity must be brought to the current Energy Code (R503.1.1) even without a permit; an environmentally critical area lot does not change the exemption.
St. Louis, MO	No permit, like-for-like	No permit to recover or replace the roof covering with the same type of covering, to a maximum of two layers, with 25% or less of the sheathing replaced.	More than 25% of the sheathing, a change of roofing type (shingle to metal or tile), or any rafter or truss work needs a building permit. A third layer is not allowed.	$0; $125 for a $10,000 job replacing most of the sheathing, $205 for an $18,000 switch to standing-seam metal ($25 application + $10 per $1,000 over $3,000)	Ord. 70795 Sec. 105.2 item 3; Building Division permit criteria page; Building Division fee table In a City Historic District or on a Landmark the Cultural Resources Office often requires a permit even when the Building Code does not. The city lists no roofing contractor license.
Tucson, AZ	No permit, like-for-like	No permit to replace roofing with a similar material (shingle for shingle, tile for tile) regardless of value, unless the building is historic; written into the city's 2024 building code amendments.	Replacing sheathing, decking, joists or trusses, or adding a skylight, light tube or vent, needs a Residential Addition/Alteration permit. A different material falls outside the exemption.	$0; a $3,000 sheathing repair about $187, a $15,000 structural job about $600 (valuation + 50% plan review + 1% filing fee)	Tucson 2024 building code amendments (reroof exemption); PDSD Residential Permits page; FY27 fee schedule Pima County outside the city limits requires a reroof permit. Historic Preservation Zones need design review before roofing goes on; owner-occupants may do the work under A.R.S. 32-1121.A.5.

The status describes a tear-off and reshingle with the same type of material on a one- or two-family house, as the city page reads the city's documents on the date it was last verified. "Permit for every reroof" cities still exempt small repairs, and the line column says how small. The sheathing column records what brings a permit into an exempt city, or takes a permit city out of its no-plans track. The fee is the city's own figure for an ordinary shingle roof, or $0 where no permit is required, with the city's example for a structural job after the semicolon. Download the table as CSV.

What the comparison shows

Sixteen cities exempt the like-for-like reroof, and each draws the line differently

Baltimore, Charlotte, Chicago, Cincinnati, Fort Worth, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Louisville, Milwaukee, New York, Phoenix, Portland, San Diego, Seattle, St. Louis, Tucson need no permit for a tear-off and reshingle on a house. The test is not the same twice. Five cities ask whether the material is the same: Phoenix (same type, two layers of shingles at most), Tucson (similar material, regardless of value), St. Louis (same type, two layers, 25% of the sheathing), Charlotte (same materials, under $40,000) and Louisville (in kind). Portland asks whether the new material weighs about the same. New York and Fort Worth draw the line at the deck: anything above it is free, the first sheet of it is not. San Diego, Seattle, Milwaukee, Kansas City and Cincinnati ask whether the structure is touched. Chicago asks about the pitch: a 2:12 or steeper roof on a house is exempt, a flat one is a $450 permit. Indianapolis asks who holds the hammer: a listed contractor or the owner-occupant is exempt, a landlord or an unlisted handyman is not. Baltimore names two jobs, shingles and tarring, and nothing else.

Fourteen cities permit every reroof, mostly cheaply and without plans

Albuquerque, Dallas, Houston, Jacksonville, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Sacramento, San Antonio, San Francisco, San Jose require a permit even for a like-for-like job. Most of them have built a no-plans track for it: Los Angeles's express permit, Philadelphia's and Pittsburgh's EZ permits, Long Beach's express list, Sacramento's minor permit, San Jose's and Jacksonville's online permits, Albuquerque's same-day express permit and Houston's worksheet. The fees for an ordinary shingle roof run from $31.05 in San Antonio, $70 in Albuquerque, $76.50 in Philadelphia and $141.50 in Pittsburgh through about $147 in Houston, $155 in Miami, $167.50 in Jacksonville, $201 in Los Angeles, $221 in Sacramento, $232 in Minneapolis and $236 in San Jose to $321 in Dallas, about $394 in Long Beach and $514 and up in San Francisco. Each still exempts something small: a repair up to $2,500 in Los Angeles, $1,000 in Albuquerque, 100 sq ft in Houston and Long Beach, two roofing squares in Dallas, one bundle of shingles in Minneapolis, under 25% of the roof in a year in San Jose and San Francisco, and ordinary maintenance repairs in Miami, San Antonio, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Jacksonville permits even the small jobs but waives the inspection under five squares and $2,500.

Sheathing is the trigger almost everywhere

Replacing any amount of sheathing or decking brings a permit in ten cities: New York, Seattle ("replacement of sheathing of any size"), Fort Worth ("if any decking is replaced"), Tucson, Louisville, Charlotte, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Phoenix and Chicago, where it is a plan-based permit with a $900 minimum. Five cities allow a little: Kansas City less than 32 sq ft, Indianapolis up to 128 ft of decking, Pittsburgh 10% of the roof inside its EZ permit, San Diego and St. Louis 25% of the roof. Two put sheathing inside the exemption altogether (Portland and Milwaukee), two inside the routine permit (Sacramento's minor permit and Houston's worksheet), and in San Francisco any sheathing work converts the flat reroofing fee into a valuation-based building permit. The practical rule the pages repeat: if the roofer finds rotten decking after tear-off, stop and ask before covering it.

Two layers is the ceiling, and a heavier roof is a different job

Nine cities state a layer limit on the pages we read: two layers in Phoenix, San Antonio, St. Louis, Cincinnati, San Diego (two existing layers must come off) and Philadelphia and Long Beach (two or more coverings means tear-off); a recover over one existing layer only in Chicago, Minneapolis and Long Beach's express track. A change of material is treated as a new question in nine cities: shingle to tile is a structural upgrade with plan review in Phoenix and an engineer's report in San Antonio, any covering over 6 lb per sq ft needs framing calculations in San Diego, a heavier covering voids the exemption in Portland, Indianapolis and St. Louis, and Tucson, Louisville and Charlotte send a material change to the department before materials are ordered. Sacramento charges a $132 Planning form for a material change on top of its $175 permit. Los Angeles and San Diego prohibit wood shakes and shingles as new roofing outright.

The climate rules ride along whether or not a permit does

Every page says the same thing: exemption from the permit is not exemption from the code. California's Energy Code requires a cool roof when more than 50% of the roof is replaced (Los Angeles, Sacramento and Long Beach spell out the reflectance values), and Philadelphia's 2026 cool-roof ordinance uses the same CRRC ratings. New York goes further: replacing the entire deck triggers a solar or green roof on 100% of it. Florida's 25% rule (Miami and Jacksonville) brings a whole roof section to current code once more than a quarter is replaced in a year, unless the roof dates from the 2007 code or later; Miami adds the High Velocity Hurricane Zone product approvals and deck re-nailing. Minneapolis and Kansas City require an ice barrier; Fort Worth says it never does but requires crickets and drip edges on every reroof; Louisville requires drip edge by state amendment. Portland's Wildfire Zones and Los Angeles's Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones require Class A covering, and San Diego requires Class A on every replacement roof.

Where the city's own documents disagree

Indianapolis's Homeowner's Guide, last updated in 2021, still says re-roofing requires a Structural Renovation Permit; the ordinance amended on January 1, 2026 exempts it, and the page follows the ordinance. Charlotte's County handout exempts replacement with the same type of materials while the state statute exempts roofing replacement generally, so a shingle-to-metal job has no settled answer. Baltimore's exemption names shingles and tarring and is silent on rubber, modified bitumen, metal and slate. Louisville's own reroofing page could not be retrieved, so its row rests on the state definition of ordinary repair. Houston's 2026 fee schedule has no re-roof line, so its fee is the structural minimum. Long Beach's fees changed on October 1, 2026 before the new schedule was posted. Each city page states the gap and names whom to ask; the table flags those rows rather than resolving them.

Method

The 30 cities are the ones whose BuildPermitGuide pages have been rewritten from primary sources as of October 2026: the city's adopted building or residential code exemption list, its reroofing permit page, bulletin or standard, its fee schedule and the roofing provisions of its code, each fetched and quoted on the city's roof replacement page. The status in the table is the city page's own reading of those documents for a tear-off and reshingle with the same type of material on a one- or two-family house; multifamily and commercial roofs are noted separately where the city treats them differently. Fees are the city's own schedule lines or worked examples. Nothing in this table is estimated from another city's rules or from a model code alone, and where a city's documents disagree the row carries a flag instead of a resolution. Each city page carries the date its sources were last verified, and the change log records when a cited document changes.

Use this data. The table and CSV are published under CC BY 4.0. Cite it as:

BuildPermitGuide, “Do You Need a Permit to Replace a Roof? 30 Cities Compared” (2026), https://buildpermitguide.com/research/roof-replacement-permit-rules/

Questions, corrections or a city you want added: contact us.

Frequently asked questions

In 16 of the 30 largest cities we cover, not for a like-for-like tear-off and reshingle on a house: New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Seattle, Portland, San Diego, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Baltimore, Fort Worth, Milwaukee, Louisville, Tucson, Kansas City, St. Louis and Cincinnati. The other 14 require a permit for every reroof, usually a no-plans express or online permit.

Among the 14 cities that require one, an ordinary shingle roof costs $31.05 in San Antonio, $70 in Albuquerque, $76.50 in Philadelphia, $141.50 in Pittsburgh, about $147 in Houston, $155 in Miami, $167.50 in Jacksonville, $201 in Los Angeles, $221 in Sacramento, $232 in Minneapolis, $236 in San Jose, $321 in Dallas, about $394 in Long Beach and $514 and up in San Francisco.

In ten cities, any amount does: New York, Seattle, Fort Worth, Tucson, Louisville, Charlotte, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Phoenix and Chicago. Kansas City allows under 32 sq ft, Indianapolis up to 128 ft of decking, Pittsburgh 10% of the roof under its EZ permit, and San Diego and St. Louis 25%. Portland and Milwaukee include sheathing in the exemption; Sacramento and Houston include it in the routine permit.

Most cities that address it cap a roof at two layers (Phoenix, San Antonio, St. Louis, Cincinnati) or require a tear-off once two coverings already exist (San Diego, Philadelphia, Long Beach). Chicago and Minneapolis allow a recover over one existing layer only. Whether a second layer is allowed is a building-code and manufacturer question even where no permit is needed.

Usually, even in cities that exempt a like-for-like reroof. A heavier covering is a structural upgrade with plan review in Phoenix, needs an engineer's report in San Antonio and framing calculations in San Diego above 6 lb per sq ft, and voids the exemption in Portland, Indianapolis and St. Louis. Tucson, Louisville and Charlotte tell homeowners to ask the department first.

In California, yes when more than 50% of the roof is replaced: Los Angeles, Sacramento and Long Beach each state the aged reflectance values. Philadelphia's cool-roof ordinance applies the same CRRC ratings. New York requires a solar or green roof when the whole deck is replaced. Baltimore's cool-roof rule applies to new buildings, not reroofs.

The city pages behind this table

Each page quotes the code section, exempt-work list and fee schedule it relies on and records the date they were last verified.