Permitting Authorities / Colorado / City of Arvada - Building Division
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Arvada, CO?
Adopted code
City of Arvada - Building Division
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Arvada, CO, issued by City of Arvada - Building Division. A reroofing permit is required for both residential and commercial properties; replacing up to 25% of the roofing material, not to exceed 100 square feet per year, is routine maintenance. Apply under the Roofing permit type on the Arvada Permits (eTRAKiT) site. Processing time is one day for applications outside the wildfire zones and no more than four days for applications that require additional review. Structures in Class 1 or Class 2 of the city's wildfire map need a plan review under the Wildfire Resiliency Code, which applies to roofing permits submitted after July 1, 2026. Every reroof requires a final roofing inspection, and the applicant must have a listed, duty-rated ladder set up for the inspector.
Roof code checklist: Arvada, CO
Each row comes from the sourced record on this page; full wording is in the table below. "Not published" means no official source for that item was found when the record was last verified.
Jurisdiction
City of Arvada, Colorado
Contact
- url: https://www.arvadaco.gov/332/Building-Permits
- telephone: 720-898-7620
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
- license: The City of Arvada requires licensing for contractors involved in the construction, alteration, repair, and equipping of buildings; the license number is used when applying for permits through eTRAKiT.
Permit process note
A reroofing permit is required for both residential and commercial properties; replacing up to 25% of the roofing material, not to exceed 100 square feet per year, is routine maintenance. Apply under the Roofing permit type on the Arvada Permits (eTRAKiT) site. Processing time is one day for applications outside the wildfire zones and no more than four days for applications that require additional review. Structures in Class 1 or Class 2 of the city's wildfire map need a plan review under the Wildfire Resiliency Code, which applies to roofing permits submitted after July 1, 2026. Every reroof requires a final roofing inspection, and the applicant must have a listed, duty-rated ladder set up for the inspector.
Adopted code
2024 International Residential Code and 2024 International Building Code, with local amendments, adopted by Ordinance No. 4921 (Council Bill CB26-005), which repealed and reenacted Arvada City Code Chapter 18. Passed March 24, 2026; Section 17: "This ordinance shall be effective on April 1st, 2026."
Drip edge
Required — "Flashing must comply with the 2024 IRC and manufacturer requirements, including applicable requirements for: Base and cap flashing, Bird stops, Valleys, Sidewall flashing, Drip edge, Other roof flashing." "Underlayment must be properly installed in relation to the drip edge at eaves and rake metal at gable ends." (City of Arvada Roofing and Reroofing Customer Guide, 2026, p. 3.)
About drip edgeIce & water shield
Required — Ordinance No. 4921 (Council Bill CB26-005), Sec. 18-181, amends Table R301.2(1) of the 2024 IRC, Climatic and Geographical Design Criteria, and fills in the "Ice Barrier Underlayment Required" column as "Yes." The ordinance does not amend IRC Section R905.1.2, so the base 2024 IRC text governs the extent: the ice barrier runs from the lowest edges of all roof surfaces to a point not less than 24 inches inside the exterior wall line of the building (36 inches measured along the slope from the eave edge on roofs of 8:12 or steeper). The city's Roofing and Reroofing Customer Guide (2026) corroborates: "Ice barrier (ice and water shield) is required as specified by the updated code." The city's Re-Roofing Ice Dams Memo of Oct. 1, 2020, which stated that ice barrier was not required as a general rule, predates Ordinance No. 4921 and its 2024 IRC adoption; the city's Reroofing page still links it.
About ice & water barrierMid-roof inspection
Required — "Mid-roof inspections will be required on all properties to ensure compliance with new underlayment, ice and water protection requirements and wildfire resiliency code requirements. Please call and schedule the inspection once 25% of the final cover material has been installed." (City of Arvada Roofing and Reroofing Customer Guide, 2026, p. 7.)
Impact-resistant roofing
Required — Ordinance No. 4921 (Council Bill CB26-005), which repealed and reenacted Arvada City Code Chapter 18 and adopted the 2024 International Residential Code, was adopted on March 24, 2026 and took effect April 1, 2026 (Section 17: "This ordinance shall be effective on April 1st, 2026."). Its amendment list adds Section 18-191, amending IRC Section R905.2.4.2: "Asphalt shingles shall be Class 4 impact resistant, tested in accordance with UL 2218, and installed in accordance with the manufacturer's installation instructions." Two exceptions apply: where an owner repairs or replaces existing shingles that are less than Class 4 and no Class 4 shingles of similar color or style are available, the building official may approve the highest class of impact-resistant shingle that matches (or, where none is available, a non-impact-resistant material); and repairs or additions not exceeding 100 square feet to existing less-than-Class-4 shingles may use the same or similar materials. This requirement is new with the 2024 code adoption - the superseded 2018 IRC amendment article (Code Chapter 18, Article V) contained no impact-resistance provision.
Repair permit threshold
"You do NOT need a permit if: You are replacing up to 25% of the roofing material, not to exceed 100 square feet (one roofing square), with a maximum of 100 square feet per year." (City of Arvada Reroofing page.)
Wind design criteria
Ordinance No. 4921, Sec. 18-181, amends 2024 IRC Table R301.2(1) with two wind design speeds split at Highway 93: "136 Vult E. of Hwy 93" and "150 Vult W. of Hwy 93," Exposure C. The city's Roofing and Reroofing Customer Guide (2026, p. 3) states the same zones: "East of Highway 93: 136 Vult" and "West of Highway 93: 150 Vult."
Roof layer limit / recover
"A new roof covering may be installed over an existing roof covering when permitted by 2024 IRC Section R908.4." (City of Arvada Roofing and Reroofing Customer Guide, 2026, p. 2.) Arvada allows recover; neither the guide nor Ordinance No. 4921 states a layer count of its own, and the ordinance does not amend Section R908. Base-code rule, read at 2024 IRC Section R908.4 (Roof recover) and quoted here rather than left behind the ICC paywall: "A roof recover shall not be permitted where any of the following conditions occur," including "Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering" (and where the existing covering is water soaked or deteriorated, or is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile). One existing layer may therefore be recovered; a second existing layer forces tear-off to the deck.
Deck & sheathing requirements
"Existing spaced sheathing may be reused when: The spaces between boards are no more than 1/2 inch; The sheathing remains in good structural condition." "If gaps greater than 1/2 inch are present in only a few areas, repairs may be possible." "If gaps greater than 1/2 inch occur across the majority of the roof, the spaced sheathing should be removed and solid sheathing installed." "If you request to install new solid sheathing over existing spaced sheathing, the new sheathing must be nailed in accordance with the applicable 2024 IRC nailing schedule, and an engineer's letter may be required." (City of Arvada Roofing and Reroofing Customer Guide, 2026, p. 4.)
Sales & use tax
7.96% combined (state 2.9% + Jefferson County 0.5% + RTD/SCFD 1.1% + Arvada city 3.46%); home-rule self-collected. Arvada collects a building use tax estimate at permit issuance, computed by applying the 3.46% city rate to an estimated materials percentage (58% as of Jan 1, 2026) of the total construction valuation; reconciled against actual costs at project completion.
Local roofing hub
Roof permits nearby: Jefferson County
Related guides
The building permitting authority for the City of Arvada, spanning Jefferson and Adams counties. The Building Division issues reroofing permits through eTRAKiT and licenses contractors working within the city.
Hail reports near Arvada, CO
- Reports, last 24 months
- 29
- Largest, last 24 months
- 1.75 in Jun 8, 2026
- Most recent
- Jun 26, 2026 1.00 in
- Reports, last 5 years
- 77
Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database and daily storm reports (reports since the start of the current year are preliminary), within 10 miles of Arvada, CO (Census point). Data through Oct 7, 2026, not updated since. A report is an observation, not a damage record.
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