Do You Need a Permit to Replace a Roof in St. Louis County?

In unincorporated St. Louis County and municipalities that contract with the county for code enforcement, yes, you need a building permit for a roof replacement. The permit costs approximately $208 for a typical residential re-roof, based on the fee schedule in Chapter 1100 of the St. Louis County Revised Ordinances. In the City of St. Louis (a separate jurisdiction), a permit is not required for a standard roof replacement using like materials with 25% or less sheathing replacement. Your contractor should pull the permit, not you.

Does St. Louis County Require a Permit for Roof Replacement?

Yes. Nearly all municipalities in St. Louis County require a building permit for a full roof replacement. St. Louis County enforces the 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) and International Building Code (IBC) with local amendments. The permit requirement applies to both tear-off and re-roof projects in unincorporated St. Louis County and in municipalities that contract with the county for building inspection services.

The permit fee for a typical residential roof replacement in St. Louis County is approximately $208, according to PermitCalculator’s 2026 analysis of the Chapter 1100 fee tables. The exact fee depends on the declared construction cost of the project. For reference, the fee schedule starts at $188 for projects valued at $8,000 and reaches $232 for projects valued at $25,000.

Your roofing contractor should handle the permit application, fee payment, and any required inspections. If a contractor suggests skipping the permit to “save you money” or “speed things up,” treat that as a red flag. Unpermitted work can create real problems.

What Happens If You Replace a Roof Without a Permit?

Skipping a permit is not a minor shortcut. Here are the specific consequences St. Louis County homeowners face:

Insurance complications. If your roof sustains damage and you file an insurance claim, your carrier may investigate whether the roof was installed with proper permits and inspections. Unpermitted work can give the insurer grounds to reduce or deny a claim because the installation was never verified to meet building code.

Home sale delays. When you sell your home, the buyer’s inspector, appraiser, or title company may flag unpermitted roof work. This can delay closing, require retroactive permitting (which may involve opening up completed work for inspection), or reduce the sale price. In competitive St. Louis County markets like Creve Coeur, Chesterfield, and Kirkwood, this is a deal risk that buyers and their agents take seriously.

Code violations and fines. St. Louis County code enforcement can issue violations for unpermitted construction work. Fines vary, but the cost and hassle of resolving a violation after the fact far exceed the $208 permit fee.

Warranty issues. Some manufacturer warranties require that the roof be installed in compliance with local building codes, which includes obtaining the required permit. An unpermitted installation could technically void warranty coverage.

Does the City of St. Louis Have Different Rules?

Yes. The City of St. Louis and St. Louis County are separate jurisdictions with separate building codes and fee schedules. According to the City of St. Louis Building Division, a building permit is not required for a roof replacement when the work is done with like materials and involves replacement of 25% or less of the roof sheathing.

This means a standard re-roof on a City of St. Louis home (replacing old asphalt shingles with new asphalt shingles, no structural changes) does not require a permit. However, if you are changing the roofing material type, adding structural modifications, or replacing more than 25% of the sheathing, a permit is required.

If you are unsure whether your home is in the City of St. Louis or St. Louis County, check your property tax bill or the address lookup on stlouis-mo.gov (City) versus stlouiscountymo.gov (County).

What About Individual Municipalities Like Kirkwood, Chesterfield, and Ballwin?

St. Louis County contains 88 municipalities, and permit requirements can vary at the local level. Some municipalities handle their own building inspections; others contract with St. Louis County for code enforcement services.

Municipalities contracting with St. Louis County (including Ballwin, Wildwood, and many others) follow the county’s permit process and fee schedule. Your contractor pulls the permit through the St. Louis County Department of Transportation and Public Works.

Municipalities with their own building departments (including Chesterfield, Clayton, and others) may have additional requirements or slightly different fee structures. Chesterfield, for example, has been noted for stringent residential code enforcement. Clayton has unique considerations for historic or older structures.

Your contractor should know which jurisdiction your home falls under and which permit office to contact. If they do not know, that tells you something about their experience working in the St. Louis area.

What Does St. Louis County Building Code Require for a Roof Replacement?

Beyond the permit itself, St. Louis County enforces several code requirements that affect how your roof is installed:

Fire rating. Roofing materials must carry a Class A fire rating for code compliance in Missouri. All standard asphalt shingle products from major manufacturers (GAF, Owens Corning, CertainTeed) meet this requirement.

Wind resistance. Shingles must meet ASTM D7158 or ASTM D3161 wind resistance standards. In practice, this means architectural shingles rated for 110 to 130 MPH wind speeds, which is standard for products installed in the St. Louis market.

Attic ventilation. IRC R806.2 and the Missouri Energy Code require a minimum of 1 square foot of net free ventilation per 150 to 300 square feet of attic space, depending on the configuration. If your current ventilation does not meet code, your contractor should address this during the re-roof.

Insulation. Residential attic insulation must generally meet R-38 in the St. Louis area per the Missouri Energy Code. A roof replacement is a practical opportunity to check whether your existing insulation meets this standard.

Tear-off requirement. Building code typically limits the number of shingle layers to two. If your home already has two layers of shingles, the old layers must be torn off before new shingles are installed. Many quality contractors, including Family First Exteriors, recommend a full tear-off regardless of layer count to inspect and repair the deck underneath.

Who Should Pull the Permit: Me or My Contractor?

Your contractor should pull the permit. This is standard practice for professional roofing contractors in the St. Louis area. When the contractor pulls the permit, they are taking responsibility for ensuring the work meets building code. If you pull the permit yourself, you are taking on that liability, which defeats the purpose of hiring a licensed professional.

Before work begins, ask your contractor for the permit number. You can verify it through the St. Louis County Department of Transportation and Public Works or your local municipality’s building department. A permit that has been pulled means inspections are scheduled, which means someone other than your contractor is verifying the work was done correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions