Permitting Authorities / Bay County - Community Development Department, Building Safety Division
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Unincorporated Bay County, FL?
Adopted codeBay County - Community Development Department, Building Safety Division
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Bay County, FL, issued by Bay County - Community Development Department, Building Safety Division. Bay County issues a dedicated Roofing (R) permit. Its Permits page lists what triggers it: "Any replacement or repair of more than 100 square feet for a residential project. Any commercial installation or major repair." Applications go through the Bay County Portal on the county's Roof Permit Application (Form B19R, revised 6/16/2025, headed "2023 Florida Building Code, Eighth Edition"), which asks for the job value, whether the job is a "Replacement - (remove existing and install new)" or a "Re-cover (new roof over existing)", the number of squares, the roof covering material, the number of stories and the contractor's "Florida Contractor License or Bay County Competency Card Number". The form notes: "FBC 107.3.5 EXEMPT FROM PLAN REVIEW: Residential only - Residential reroofs - roof application and product approval documents must be complete and submitted at the time of permit application." The Roofing Permit Packet adds the Florida Product Approval Affidavit (Form B37), the Product Approval Specification Sheet (Form B38) and the Notice of Commencement (Form B05); the county's FAQ says the recorded Notice of Commencement "is required to submitted to Bay County prior to scheduling the first building inspection." The county's FAQ describes re-roofing as a "minimum plan review project which will be reviewed and processed within three (3) business days." The fee schedule effective July 1, 2026 prices a Residential Roofing Permit at $160.00 for 1 to 5 squares (1 square = 100 square feet) plus $1.50 for each additional square over 5, plus state surcharges of 1.00% (Department of Community Affairs) and 1.50% (Department of Business and Professional Regulation), each with a $2.00 minimum. Working without a permit carries a penalty, independent of the permit fee, of "$100.00 or double the permit fee whichever is greater" for a first offense, rising for later offenses. Permits are valid for 180 days, and each passing inspection resets the clock. An owner-builder must appear in person at the Building Safety Division to sign the Owner-Builder Affidavit before the permit is issued. Since July 1, 2026 a state statute (Section 553.79(1)(g), Florida Statutes) exempts some single-family work valued under $7,500 on written request; Bay County handles those requests through a PREX-EXEMPT record and a Building Permit Exemption Application (see the repair threshold). To check whether a property is in unincorporated Bay County, the county says unincorporated parcels are labeled "Fire County Mosquito District 55 or District 56" on the Property Appraiser's parcel summary. Building Safety Division: 850-248-8350.
Roof code checklist: Unincorporated Bay County, FL
| Item | Answer | Code cite | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permit to replace a roof | Yes | baycountyfl.gov | 2026-09-26 | |
| Repair permit threshold | Published | baycountyfl.gov | 2026-09-26 | |
| Layer limit / roof-over | Published | R908.3 | codes.iccsafe.org | 2026-09-26 |
| Deck & sheathing | Published | codes.iccsafe.org | 2026-09-26 | |
| Drip edge | Yes | R905.2.8.5 | codes.iccsafe.org | 2026-09-26 |
| Ice & water shield | No | R905.1.2 | codes.iccsafe.org | 2026-09-26 |
| Mid-roof inspection | Yes | baycountyfl.gov | 2026-09-26 | |
| Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofing | No | library.municode.com | 2026-09-26 | |
| Wind design criteria | Published | R905.2.6.1 | baycountyfl.gov | 2026-09-26 |
| Adopted code | Published | Sec. 6-28 | library.municode.com | 2026-09-26 |
| Contractor license / registration | Yes | library.municode.com | 2026-09-26 | |
| Sales & use tax | Published | dr15dss_26.pdf | 2026-09-26 |
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
Bay County, Florida (unincorporated)
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
840 W. 11th Street, Panama City, FL 32401
Contact
- url: https://www.baycountyfl.gov/154/Building-Safety
- phone: 850-248-8350
Permit portal
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
- state_level: Roofing is its own licensed trade in Florida. Section 489.113(2), Florida Statutes: "A person must be certified or registered in order to engage in the business of contracting in this state." Section 489.105(3)(e) defines a "Roofing contractor" as one whose services are unlimited in the roofing trade and who can "install, maintain, repair, alter, extend, or design" all kinds of roofing; the scope includes "required roof-deck attachments" and "any repair or replacement of wood roof sheathing or fascia as needed during roof repair or replacement". A state-certified contractor may work statewide; a state-registered contractor may work only where he or she holds the local competency licence (Section 489.117: "Registration allows the registrant to engage in contracting only in the counties, municipalities, or development districts where he or she has complied with all local licensing requirements, if any, and only for the type of work covered by the registration."). Verify a licence on the Department of Business and Professional Regulation licence search.
- county_level: Bay County Code Section 6-111(a) (Ordinance No. 23-33, as amended by Ordinance No. 25-22): "Any state certified or registered contractors must present the following to the Bay County Building Official, or their designated representative, prior to being issued a building permit or doing any work in Bay County that is required to be done by a contractor": a copy of the current state registration; for registered contractors, a current competency card from a sponsoring jurisdiction with which Bay County has reciprocity and a reciprocity letter with passing test scores; general liability insurance "naming Bay County Builders' Services Division as a certificate holder"; a workers' compensation certificate naming Bay County as certificate holder, or an exemption certificate; a driver licence or ID; any letter authorising agents to pull permits; and the registration fee. County registrations run through September 30 and must be renewed each year. Section 6-111(e): "It is unlawful for any person to engage in the business or act in the capacity of any covered occupation listed in this article or in F.S. ch. 489 in the county without having been duly registered or certified under the provisions hereof." The Contractor Licensing page lists fees of $115 for initial registration and $50 for renewal (per state licence), notes "REGISTRATION FEES ARE APPLIED TO REGISTERED CONTRACTORS", and states "ONLY CERTIFIED CONTRACTORS & FLORIDA LICENSED CONTRACTORS MAY PERFORM WORK IN BAY COUNTY". New contractor registrations are done in person at the Building Safety Division. Unincorporated Bay County has no local business tax receipt; the county says that does not affect state contractor licensing. Contractor Licensing: [email protected], 850-248-8350.
- owner_builder: Section 489.103(7)(a), Florida Statutes, exempts "Owners of property when acting as their own contractor and providing direct, onsite supervision themselves of all work not performed by licensed contractors" when building or improving "one-family or two-family residences on such property for the occupancy or use of such owners and not offered for sale or lease", and separately "When repairing or replacing wood shakes or asphalt or fiberglass shingles on one-family, two-family, or three-family residences" for the owner's or a tenant's use after damage from an event declared a state of emergency by the Governor. Bay County Code Section 6-111(d) states that the county registration article "does not apply to those exempted from the provisions of F.S. ch. 489, part I, Construction Contracting," by Section 489.103. The county's FAQ says the owner must "appear in person at the Building Safety Division to review and sign the Owner-Builder Affidavit" before the permit is issued. Whether a particular owner qualifies is for the statute and the county to say, not this record.
Permit process note
Bay County issues a dedicated Roofing (R) permit. Its Permits page lists what triggers it: "Any replacement or repair of more than 100 square feet for a residential project. Any commercial installation or major repair." Applications go through the Bay County Portal on the county's Roof Permit Application (Form B19R, revised 6/16/2025, headed "2023 Florida Building Code, Eighth Edition"), which asks for the job value, whether the job is a "Replacement - (remove existing and install new)" or a "Re-cover (new roof over existing)", the number of squares, the roof covering material, the number of stories and the contractor's "Florida Contractor License or Bay County Competency Card Number". The form notes: "FBC 107.3.5 EXEMPT FROM PLAN REVIEW: Residential only - Residential reroofs - roof application and product approval documents must be complete and submitted at the time of permit application." The Roofing Permit Packet adds the Florida Product Approval Affidavit (Form B37), the Product Approval Specification Sheet (Form B38) and the Notice of Commencement (Form B05); the county's FAQ says the recorded Notice of Commencement "is required to submitted to Bay County prior to scheduling the first building inspection." The county's FAQ describes re-roofing as a "minimum plan review project which will be reviewed and processed within three (3) business days." The fee schedule effective July 1, 2026 prices a Residential Roofing Permit at $160.00 for 1 to 5 squares (1 square = 100 square feet) plus $1.50 for each additional square over 5, plus state surcharges of 1.00% (Department of Community Affairs) and 1.50% (Department of Business and Professional Regulation), each with a $2.00 minimum. Working without a permit carries a penalty, independent of the permit fee, of "$100.00 or double the permit fee whichever is greater" for a first offense, rising for later offenses. Permits are valid for 180 days, and each passing inspection resets the clock. An owner-builder must appear in person at the Building Safety Division to sign the Owner-Builder Affidavit before the permit is issued. Since July 1, 2026 a state statute (Section 553.79(1)(g), Florida Statutes) exempts some single-family work valued under $7,500 on written request; Bay County handles those requests through a PREX-EXEMPT record and a Building Permit Exemption Application (see the repair threshold). To check whether a property is in unincorporated Bay County, the county says unincorporated parcels are labeled "Fire County Mosquito District 55 or District 56" on the Property Appraiser's parcel summary. Building Safety Division: 850-248-8350.
Adopted code
Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), Residential (2021 IRC base), effective December 31, 2023, adopted statewide by Rule 61G20-1.001, Florida Administrative Code, with no local adoption needed. Bay County Code Section 6-28: "The most recent edition of the Florida Building Code, as now constituted and as it may be updated or amended in the future by the Florida Building Commission, is hereby adopted, in toto, as the Bay County Building Code." The Building Official's memo of October 12, 2023 announced that implementation of the 2023 Florida Building Code, Eighth Edition was "scheduled to occur at midnight December 31, 2023", and the Building Safety Division page states that its permit documents and forms are "tagged as "FBC, Eighth Edition (2023)" in some manner. All other previous versions (6th Edition, 7th Edition) should be discarded." The county's building chapter (County Code Chapter 6, as codified through Ordinance No. 25-61) adds a Coastal Construction Code for the coastal building zone and barrier islands (Sections 6-51 to 6-87, which apply to new construction of, or substantial improvement to, structures there and require major structures to be designed to Chapter 16 of the Florida Building Code) and county contractor registration (Section 6-111); none of it amends the roofing provisions.
Drip edge
Required — Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), Section R905.2.8.5: "Provide drip edge at eaves and gables of shingle roofs." Eave drip edges extend 1/2 inch below the sheathing and 2 inches back onto the roof, are installed over the underlayment, and are mechanically fastened at a maximum of 12 inches on center, closer where the allowable stress design wind speed is 110 mph or more. This applies to shingle roofs. Bay County adopts the Florida Building Code in toto (County Code Section 6-28), and its building chapter (County Code Chapter 6), read in full, does not amend the roofing provisions, so the state text applies unchanged. About drip edge
Ice & water shield
Not required — Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023): "R905.1.2 Ice barriers. Reserved." There is no ice-barrier requirement in the Florida code, and Bay County's building chapter (County Code Chapter 6), which adopts the Florida Building Code in toto, does not amend the roofing provisions. Self-adhered underlayment is still used in Florida, but as underlayment or a secondary water barrier, not as an ice barrier. About ice & water barrier
Mid-roof inspection
Required — Bay County's "2023 Florida Building Code - Eighth Edition Minimum Required Inspections" lists a "Roofing Inspection. Shall at a minimum include the following building components:" dry-in, insulation, roof coverings and flashing; and a "Sheathing Inspection. To be made either as part of a dry-in inspection or done separately at the request of the Contractor after all roof and wall sheathing and fasteners are complete", covering roof sheathing, sheathing fasteners and roof/wall dry-in. The same document states: "The Building Official shall determine the timing and sequencing of when inspections occur and what elements are inspected at each inspection." Inspections are requested through the Bay County Portal or by telephone. On a reroof that triggers deck re-nailing or a secondary water barrier, the county's Inspection Affidavit for Nailing/Water Barrier (Form B55) has a licensed General, Building, Residential or Roofing Contractor, engineer, architect or Chapter 468 building inspector swear that he or she "will personally inspect the roof deck nailing and/or secondary water barrier work".
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Bay County's building chapter (County Code Chapter 6, which adopts the Florida Building Code in toto and adds coastal construction and contractor registration rules) contains no roof-covering provision; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in the Florida Building Code's residential roofing chapter, the Existing Building volume's reroofing provisions, or the county's roof permit application and roofing permit packet. Florida's "impact" and wind-borne debris rules concern the protection of windows and doors, not roof coverings. An insurer's discount for an impact-rated roof is not a code requirement.
Repair permit threshold
Bay County's Permits page: a Roofing (R) permit is required for "Any replacement or repair of more than 100 square feet for a residential project." The Florida Building Code, Building, Section 105.2.2 separately allows "Ordinary minor repairs" to "be made with the approval of the building official without a permit". State law adds one dollar test. Section 553.79(1)(g), Florida Statutes (effective July 1, 2026): "A local government that issues building permits shall exempt an owner of a single-family dwelling or the owner's contractor from the requirement to obtain a building permit to perform any work valued at less than $7,500 on the owner's property." It does not apply to "Work on a property that is partially or entirely located in a flood hazard area as defined by the Florida Building Code" or "Any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work performed on property containing a single-family dwelling"; "A construction project may not be divided into more than one project for the purpose of evading the requirements of this paragraph"; and "the owner or the owner's contractor must submit a written request for exemption to the local enforcement agency with a copy of the contract or other documentation demonstrating the nature and the value of the work to be performed." Bay County's Building Official memo on the exemption (June 10, 2026) says: "Drywall replacement and roof repairs are two possible examples; however, it is important to remember that to qualify for the exemption all of the statute's requirements must be met," and that "failure to follow this process may result in building code enforcement action and possible financial penalties for unpermitted work." Requests go through the county's PREX-EXEMPT record type with the Building Permit Exemption Application, a signed copy of the contract and the scope of work; the county's application treats windows and doors as structural work that does not qualify. A full reroof is ordinarily valued above $7,500. Separately, the Florida Building Code, Residential (Section R908.1.1) limits partial work: "Not more than 25 percent of the total roof area or roof section of any existing building or structure shall be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period unless the roof covering on the entire existing roof system or roof section is replaced or recovered to conform to the requirements of this code," except that where the existing roof was built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, "only the repaired, replaced, or recovered portion is required to be constructed in accordance with the Florida Building Code in effect."
Wind design criteria
Bay County publishes its own wind map, "Ultimate Design Wind Speeds, Vult, for Risk Category II Buildings and Other Structures, Bay County, Florida, 2023 Florida Building Code, 8th Edition". It shows two Risk Category II design wind speed lines crossing the county, a 140 mph line to the west and a 130 mph line to the east, marks unincorporated Bay County and the municipalities, and shades two wind-borne debris regions: "Wind Debris Region Category II" and "Wind Debris Region Category II - 1 Mile of the Mean High-Water line". The map's notes quote ASCE 7-22 Section 26.12.3.1: glazed openings must be protected "1. In Areas where the basic wind speed is equal to or greater than 140 mi/h (63 m/s)" and "2. Within 1 mi (1.6 km) of the mean high water line where an Exposure D condition exists upwind of the water line and the basic wind speed is equal to or greater than 130 mi/hr (58 m/s)." Read the design wind speed and debris region for a site from the map. The county's existing-building submittal checklist asks for the "Method of compliance w/wind-load & wind-borne debris. Please see Bay County wind maps." Bay County is not in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which the Florida Building Code defines as "Broward and Miami-Dade counties." Asphalt shingles must be tested and classified to ASTM D3161, TAS 107 or ASTM D7158 to resist the site's basic wind speed (Florida Building Code, Residential, Section R905.2.6.1).
Roof layer limit / recover
Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), Section R908.3: "New roof coverings shall not be installed without first removing all existing layers of roof coverings where any of the following conditions occur: ... 3. Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." Tear-off is also required where the existing roof is water soaked or deteriorated, where it is wood shingle or shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile, where blisters are not cut and secured, and where the existing covering cannot meet the securement provisions. One re-cover over a single existing layer is therefore the most the code allows. Bay County adopts the Florida Building Code in toto (County Code Section 6-28), and its building chapter (County Code Chapter 6), read in full, does not touch the reroofing sections. The county's Roof Permit Application offers "Re-cover (new roof over existing)" as a job type and adds: "Mobile Home Engineer Letter is REQUIRED for Mobile Home Roof Re-Cover". Chapter 9: https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/FLRC2023P1/chapter-9-roof-assemblies
Deck & sheathing requirements
On a house not originally permitted under the Florida Building Code, a reroof triggers deck re-nailing and a secondary water barrier. Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), Section R908.7: "When a roof covering on an existing structure with a sawn lumber, wood plank or wood structural panel roof deck is removed and replaced, the following procedures shall be permitted to be performed by the roofing contractor: (a) Roof-decking attachment shall be as required by Section R908.7.1. (b) A secondary water barrier shall be provided as required by Section R908.7.2. Exception: Structures permitted subject to the Florida Building Code are not required to comply with this section." Sawn lumber or plank decking up to 12 inches wide "secured with at least two nails (minimum size 8d) to each roof framing member it crosses shall be deemed to be sufficiently connected"; wood structural panels follow Table R908.7.1.2. Section R908.7.2: "When a roof covering is removed and replaced, a secondary water barrier shall be installed" (roofs under 2:12 with a continuous roof system, and clay and concrete tile systems installed to the code, are deemed to comply). Section R908.8 requires roof-to-wall connections to be improved on such a reroof of a building in the wind-borne debris region with an insured (or, if uninsured, just) value of $300,000 or more, but "Mandated retrofits of the roof-to-wall connection shall not be required beyond a 15 percent increase in the cost of re-roofing." Bay County's Inspection Affidavit for Nailing/Water Barrier (Form B55) is signed by the licensed contractor, engineer, architect or building inspector who "will personally inspect the roof deck nailing and/or secondary water barrier work" and affirms "the installation will be done according to the Florida Existing Building Code Section 611.7.1 and the shingles and other materials used are installed in accordance with the Manufacturer's installation instruction." The county's minimum required inspections include a sheathing inspection (roof sheathing and sheathing fasteners), made as part of the dry-in inspection or separately. Bay County's building chapter (County Code Chapter 6) does not amend these provisions.
Sales & use tax
7% combined on materials: the 6% Florida state sales and use tax plus Bay County's 1% discretionary sales surtax, made up of two 0.5% levies, one effective January 1, 2011 with an expiration date of December 31, 2030 and one effective January 1, 2017 with an expiration date of December 31, 2036 (Florida Department of Revenue Form DR-15DSS for calendar year 2026). The surtax applies only to the first $5,000 of the sales amount of any single item of tangible personal property (Department of Revenue discretionary sales surtax guidance). Florida treats roofing as a real property contract (Rule 12A-1.051, Florida Administrative Code, lists "(cc) Roofing work"): "Contractors are the ultimate consumers of materials and supplies they use to perform real property contracts and must pay tax on their costs of those materials and supplies, unless the contractor has entered a retail sale plus installation contract," and "They should charge no tax to their customers, regardless of whether they itemize charges for materials and labor in their proposals or invoices." Repairs and replacements are treated the same way.
The Building Safety Division of the Bay County Community Development Department issues building permits, including residential Roofing permits, reviews plans, performs inspections and registers contractors for unincorporated Bay County, Florida. Property inside an incorporated city is permitted by that city, not the county. Permit applications go through the Bay County Portal.
Hail reports near the center of Bay County, FL
- Reports, last 24 months
- 0
- Largest, last 24 months
- None
- Most recent
- None in 24 months
- Reports, last 5 years
- 3
| Date | Hail size | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2024 | 1.00 in | 2 mi S |
| Apr 27, 2023 | 1.75 in | 9 mi NW |
| Apr 18, 2022 | 1.00 in | 9 mi NW |
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 the center of Bay County, FL. Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.
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Sources
- baycountyfl.gov verified 2026-09-26
- library.municode.com verified 2026-09-26
- library.municode.com verified 2026-09-26
- codes.iccsafe.org verified 2026-09-26
- baycountyfl.gov verified 2026-09-26
- library.municode.com verified 2026-09-26
- floridarevenue.com verified 2026-09-26
- baycountyfl.gov verified 2026-09-26