The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / City of Blaine, Minnesota - Building Inspections Division

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Blaine, MN?

Adopted code

City of Blaine, Minnesota - Building Inspections Division

Yes — a permit is required to replace a roof in Blaine, MN, issued by City of Blaine, Minnesota - Building Inspections Division. All residential roofing permits in Blaine are submitted online through the city's iMS portal (BlaineMN.gov/iMS); paper applications are not accepted. A contractor working on behalf of a homeowner must first create a User Account and then a "PRO Account" (for parties holding a required city or state license or registration); a homeowner doing their own work may use a User Account only. After gathering required documents (plans/job specifications for new roofing; a job-scope description for stucco repair), the applicant submits the online application, which cannot be saved and resumed mid-way -- once started it must be completed in one pass, though a review screen before final submission allows edits. Plan review takes up to 15 business days ("delays may occur" during busy construction months). After review, the city emails permit cost and payment instructions; after payment, plans are released and inspection scheduling can begin. Inspections must be scheduled at least 3-4 business days in advance by phone (763-785-6170, option 1) with the permit number, job-site address, inspection type, and (if the caller is the homeowner) the contractor's name ready.

Jurisdiction
City of Blaine, Minnesota
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
10801 Town Square Drive NE, Blaine, MN 55449
Contact
  • url: https://www.blainemn.gov/4046/Building-Inspection
  • phone: 763-785-6177
  • email: [email protected]
Permit portal
Permit portal
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • license: Minnesota has a statewide mandatory Residential Roofer (RR) license, per Minn. Stat. § 326B.805, subd. 1: "A person who meets the definition of a residential roofer as defined in section 326B.802, subdivision 14, must be licensed by the commissioner as a residential roofer, residential building contractor, or residential remodeler," enforced statewide (subd. 3) with a $15,000 gross-annual-receipts exemption threshold (subd. 6(5)) requiring an affirmative Certificate of Exemption; roofing is excluded from the general single-special-skill exemption available to other trades (subd. 6(8)). Administered by MN DLI, not the City of Blaine. Locally, City of Blaine Code of Ordinances Sec. 18-408(b) requires that "no person shall perform electrical, manufactured home installation, plumbing, water conditioning, roofing, residential remodeling, residential building, well water contracting work, septic system work, or any other work requiring a state-issued license for another within the city without first having provided a copy of their state-issued license," and that every such licensee "shall have on file with the building official a copy of the current license." Sec. 18-408(a) requires a separate City of Blaine general contractor's license only for a listed set of trades that includes "Commercial roofing" -- residential roofing is not on that list, so Blaine imposes no additional city-level contractor license on top of the state RR license for RESIDENTIAL roofing work, only a requirement to file proof of the state license. Blaine's own Contractor Licensing and Registration page confirms: "Residential Contractors doing residential home improvement projects will need to be licensed by the state for such projects as:... Roofing..." and separately notes city licensing applies to a different list of trades (furnace replacement, ductwork, air conditioner replacement, gas fireplace installation, boiler installation, garage heaters, sewer and water work) that does not include roofing. All contractors, including those only filing a state license, must also register as a user in Blaine's online iMS permitting system to pull a permit.
Permit process note
All residential roofing permits in Blaine are submitted online through the city's iMS portal (BlaineMN.gov/iMS); paper applications are not accepted. A contractor working on behalf of a homeowner must first create a User Account and then a "PRO Account" (for parties holding a required city or state license or registration); a homeowner doing their own work may use a User Account only. After gathering required documents (plans/job specifications for new roofing; a job-scope description for stucco repair), the applicant submits the online application, which cannot be saved and resumed mid-way -- once started it must be completed in one pass, though a review screen before final submission allows edits. Plan review takes up to 15 business days ("delays may occur" during busy construction months). After review, the city emails permit cost and payment instructions; after payment, plans are released and inspection scheduling can begin. Inspections must be scheduled at least 3-4 business days in advance by phone (763-785-6170, option 1) with the permit number, job-site address, inspection type, and (if the caller is the homeowner) the contractor's name ready.
Inspection requirements
Per Blaine's Roofing/Siding/Stucco permit page, the Roofing permit's typical inspections are "Roofing Pictures (ice and water)" and "Final," though the page notes "depending on your project, inspections may be added or removed." Blaine's own "Residential Roofing" reference handout describes the mechanics: the applicant uploads digital photographs to the permit's Files tile in the iMS system, with one photograph required each of: roof decking, all ice and water protection, all flashing details, all vents, the finished roof detail, and the front of the house showing the address. Hard-copy photographs are not accepted and must be converted to digital format first. "A final inspection will be automatically scheduled after the required photographs have been submitted and approved by the City," and that final inspection "is conducted by site visit only," with fenced-yard access required. Roof decks found rotted or otherwise unsound must be repaired before reroofing, and "a site inspection or digital photographs of repairs will be required" for that repair work specifically.
Adopted code
City of Blaine Code of Ordinances, Chapter 18 (Buildings and Construction), Article II (Construction Codes and Regulations), Division 1, Sec. 18-19 ("State building code; adopted by reference"), read in full, codified through Ordinance No. 25-2596 (enacted January 5, 2026, Supp. No. 2) per the city's Municode banner: "The most current edition of the state building code, as adopted by the department of labor and industry pursuant to M.S.A. § 326B.101 et seq., including all of the amendments, rules and regulations established, adopted and published from time to time by the department of labor and industry, through the construction codes and licensing division, is hereby adopted by reference including chapter 1306 with options 1306.0020, subpart 2, and 1306.0030 E, option 1." The section's own ordinance history runs from Ord. No. 410 (1974) through Ord. No. 07-2137 (7-19-2007), but its self-updating "most current edition... as amended from time to time" language means Blaine automatically tracks whatever residential code edition the state currently has in force -- currently the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code (Minn. R. ch. 1309), which incorporates the 2018 IRC. Sec. 18-20 confirms application, administration, and enforcement follow the state building code, enforced by a state-certified building official designated by the city. Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. § 326B.121, subd. 1(a)-(b)) makes the State Building Code the standard that applies statewide and supersedes any municipal building code; subd. 2(c) bars a municipality from imposing building-code provisions that differ from the State Building Code.
Drip edge
Not required — STATE-GOVERNED, NOT CITY-SET. Minnesota Rules part 1309.0905, subpart 2 deletes base IRC Section R905.2.8.5 (the drip-edge section) "in its entirety," so the base IRC drip-edge mandate has no force in Minnesota, and Blaine has no authority to reinstate it locally (Minn. Stat. § 326B.121, subd. 2(c)). Blaine's own Chapter 18 (Buildings and Construction, 119 sections, read in full via the city's Municode-hosted code) does not independently address drip edge anywhere; Sec. 18-19 adopts the state building code by reference "including all of the amendments, rules and regulations established, adopted and published from time to time by the department of labor and industry" without local modification. Blaine's own "Residential Roofing" reference handout does not state a drip-edge installation requirement either -- the word "drip edge" appears only as a label inside two flashing-detail diagram captions ("apron flashing with hemmed drip edge" at a chimney cricket), not as a general roof-edge mandate. About drip edge
Ice & water shield
Required — Blaine's own "Residential Roofing" reference handout states directly: "An ice and water barrier is required on all roofs, except for detached accessory buildings (garages). The barrier may consist of at least two layers of underlayment cemented together or a self-adhering polymer-modified bitumen sheet... The ice and water barrier must extend from the edge of the eaves to a point 24 inches inside the exterior wall line of the building. Ice and water barriers are required full-length in valleys." It further clarifies: "Ice and water protection is required on all attached garages. Exception: Detached accessory structures that contain no conditioned floor area," and "A maximum of two layers of ice and water barrier is permitted." This matches Minnesota Rules part 1309.0301, subpart 2, which amends IRC Table R301.2(1) to pre-fill "ICE BARRIER UNDERLAYMENT REQUIRED... Yes" statewide -- Blaine has no authority to opt out (Minn. Stat. § 326B.121, subd. 2(c)). About ice & water barrier
Mid-roof inspection
Required — Blaine's Roofing/Siding/Stucco permit page lists the inspections for a residential roofing permit under a heading "Inspections," stating: "Inspections typically include the following, but depending on your project, inspections may be added or removed. Roofing: Roofing Pictures (ice and water), Final." This names "Roofing Pictures (ice and water)" as a distinct inspection step in Blaine's permit system, separate from "Final." Blaine's own "Residential Roofing" reference handout explains the mechanism: this step is photo-documentation-based rather than an inspector site visit -- the applicant must submit digital photographs of components that get covered during construction ("Roof decking," "All ice and water protection," "All flashing details," "All vents," plus "Finished roof detail" and the house address) for City review and approval, and only after that approval is "a final inspection... automatically scheduled." The handout states "Final inspections are conducted by site visit only," implying the ice-and-water/decking documentation step is not itself a site visit. A roofer should document the roof deck and ice-and-water barrier by photograph before covering them with shingles, in addition to the final site-visit inspection.
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Minn. Stat. § 326B.121, subd. 1(a)-(b) makes the State Building Code the standard that applies statewide and provides that it supersedes the building code of any municipality, and subd. 2(c) bars a municipality from imposing building code provisions for a component or system that differ from the State Building Code. The Minnesota Residential Code (Minn. R. ch. 1309, incorporating the 2018 IRC) amends IRC Chapter 9, Roof Assemblies, in exactly two places -- Minn. R. 1309.0903 (kick-out flashing at R903.2.1) and 1309.0905 (asphalt-shingle sheathing at R905.2.1, plus deletion of R905.2.8.5) -- and neither addresses impact resistance, hail, UL 2218, or Class 4. Locally, City of Blaine Code of Ordinances Chapter 18 (Buildings and Construction), all 119 sections across Articles I through VII, was read in full via the city's own Municode-hosted code (codified through Ordinance No. 25-2596, enacted January 5, 2026, Supp. No. 2). Sec. 18-19 adopts "the most current edition of the state building code, as adopted by the department of labor and industry pursuant to M.S.A. § 326B.101 et seq., including all of the amendments, rules and regulations established, adopted and published from time to time by the department of labor and industry... including chapter 1306 with options 1306.0020, subpart 2, and 1306.0030 E, option 1" -- the same optional fire-protection chapter Plymouth adopted, which does not touch roof coverings. Sec. 18-20 addresses only application/administration/enforcement and misdemeanor penalties. The remainder of Chapter 18 covers permits and fees, corner lots/setbacks/grading, contractor licensing and registration (Article VII), swimming pools (Article III), the residential maintenance code for existing structures (Article IV), rental dwellings (Article V), and newspaper/advertising receptacles (Article VI) -- none of it roof-covering performance content. A full-text search of the chapter's 119 sections returns zero hits for "impact," "hail," "Class 4," "Class IV," "UL 2218," "wind speed," or "mph." Blaine's own "Residential Roofing" reference handout (Building Inspections Division, last content update April 21, 2026) likewise contains no impact-resistance, UL 2218, or Class 4 provision; its only use of "hail" is administrative, permitting partial reroofing "including in hail damage situations." No UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in the city's adopted code, its local amendments, or its own roofing guidance.
Repair permit threshold
NO MINIMUM-SIZE THRESHOLD FOUND. Blaine's Roofing/Siding/Stucco permit page states a blanket rule with no size exemption: "A building permits is required for roofing, siding, stucco, and adhered veneer projects." Blaine's own "Residential Roofing" reference handout repeats the same blanket framing: "Building permits are required for all roofing projects." Neither document states a square-footage or cost threshold below which a roofing repair is exempt. The handout does note that "reroofing of only portions of a roof is permitted, including in hail damage situations" and that replacing "independent sections or portions of roof covering" is allowed without redoing the whole roof -- but this describes permitted scope of a permitted project, not a permit exemption. Treat Blaine as requiring a permit for reroofing work of any size, and confirm any borderline small repair with the Building Inspections Division (763-785-6177).
Wind design criteria
STATE-GOVERNED, NOT CITY-SET -- applies identically in Blaine as everywhere else in Minnesota. Minnesota Rules part 1309.0301, subpart 2 (amended IRC Table R301.2(1)) sets a uniform statewide ultimate design wind speed of 115 mph with topographic effects "Yes" and Seismic Design Category "A." Ground snow load, the one geographically-varying input, is fixed at the COUNTY level by Minnesota Rules part 1303.1700, not by municipality: neither Anoka County nor Ramsey County -- the two counties Blaine straddles -- appears among the 29 higher-snow-load counties enumerated in 1303.1700, so both sides of Blaine fall under the rule's default: ground snow load Pg = 50 pounds per square foot. Blaine's own Code of Ordinances Chapter 18 (Buildings and Construction, read in full) contains no independent wind-speed or snow-load provision -- Sec. 18-19 adopts the state building code by reference without amendment on this point, and a full-text search of the chapter returns zero hits for "wind speed" or "mph."
Roof layer limit / recover
Blaine's own "Residential Roofing" reference handout states: "It is permitted to install roofing over one existing layer of asphalt shingles, provided the existing layer is considered a flat and adequate base." The handout also permits an existing ice-barrier membrane adhered to the roof deck to remain in place and be covered with one additional layer of ice barrier membrane, "for a maximum of two layers." The handout does not use the words "tear-off" or state a numeric cap on total shingle layers beyond the one-existing-layer overlay condition quoted above; it does state that reroofing of only portions of a roof, and replacement of independent sections without redoing the entire roof covering, is permitted.
Deck & sheathing requirements
Blaine's own "Residential Roofing" reference handout states: "Roof decks shall be solidly sheathed for asphalt shingles or mineral-surfaced roll roofing. Solid sheathing may consist of plywood, OSB, or 1-inch nominal boards. Wood shingles and wood shakes may be applied over solid or spaced sheathing." The handout separately states: "Roof decks that are rotted or otherwise unsound shall be repaired prior to reroofing. A site inspection or digital photographs of repairs will be required," and "Any sheathing that is replaced shall be installed and fastened in accordance with the applicable code."
Fastening requirements
Blaine's own "Residential Roofing" reference handout states: "Fasteners shall be long enough to penetrate the roof sheathing by ¾ inch or through the full thickness of the sheathing, whichever is less," and requires "corrosion-resistant nails, minimum 12-gauge with a 3/8-inch head, per ASTM F 1669 (galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum, or copper)," installed "perpendicular to the roof sheathing" and not penetrating the shingle surface. For asphalt shingles specifically: "For normal application, strip shingles shall be fastened with a minimum of four nails per shingle. For interlocking shingles, a minimum of two nails per shingle is required." A handout table separately states wood shingles/shakes must be "corrosion-resistant, penetrate at least 1/2\" into the sheathing... minimum of 2 fasteners per shingle/shake," with fasteners extending fully through sheathing thinner than the penetration depth. Mineral-surfaced roll roofing must be installed per the manufacturer's instructions. About roofing nails
Sales & use tax
Blaine straddles two counties, and the two portions of the city carry different combined rates, per the Minnesota Department of Revenue's official "Local Sales and Use Tax Rate Guide" (effective 7/1/2026-9/30/2026), which lists "Blaine*" separately under both counties (the asterisk means "may fall within multiple taxing areas"). ANOKA COUNTY portion: State Rate 6.875% + Other Area Rate (Metro Area Sales and Use Tax: Housing 0.25% + Transportation 0.75%) 1.00% + Anoka County Transit Rate 0.25% = Combined 8.125%. RAMSEY COUNTY portion: State Rate 6.875% + Other Area Rate (same Metro Area 1.00%) + Ramsey County Transit Rate 0.50% = Combined 8.375%. Neither county's Blaine row shows a city-specific local-option sales tax (the City Rate column is blank for Blaine in both tables). Confirm which county a specific Blaine job site sits in before quoting a rate.

Local roofing hub

Roofing in Blaine, MinnesotaCity hub

Related guides

Denver-Metro Roofing Permits Filing a Hail Insurance Claim Colorado Hail Season Prep Hiring a Contractor

The permitting authority for the City of Blaine, Minnesota, a Twin Cities suburb that straddles both Anoka County and Ramsey County. Blaine enforces the Minnesota State Building Code (Minn. Stat. § 326B.121), which is the exclusive statewide building-code-content standard and supersedes any city building code; the city's own role is permit administration, fees, plan review, and inspections through its Building Inspections Division, part of Community Development. Blaine's own building-permit pages name roofing explicitly as a permit type, and the city publishes its own "Residential Roofing" reference handout describing permit, licensing, inspection, and installation requirements for reroofing projects.

Working an insurance claim in Blaine, MN? Everything on this page — drip edge, ice & water shield, inspections, Class 4 rules — formatted as a claim-ready evidence pack: verbatim ordinance quotes, code section cites, verification dates, and official source links, ready to attach to a supplement. See a real sample pack (PDF) — one page, free.

Buy this jurisdiction's pack — $12 Delivered by email within minutes.

Questions about the Blaine, MN pack?

Not ready to buy, or need a different jurisdiction? Tell us and we’ll reply directly.

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Sources

Roofing questions — Blaine, MN

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Blaine, MN?

Required. NO MINIMUM-SIZE THRESHOLD FOUND. Blaine's Roofing/Siding/Stucco permit page states a blanket rule with no size exemption: "A building permits is required for roofing, siding, stucco, and adhered veneer projects." Blaine's own "Residential Roofing" reference handout repeats the same blanket framing: "Building permits are required for all roofing projects." Neither document states a square-footage or cost threshold below which a roofing repair is exempt. The handout does note that "reroofing of only portions of a roof is permitted, including in hail damage situations" and that replacing "independent sections or portions of roof covering" is allowed without redoing the whole roof -- but this describes permitted scope of a permitted project, not a permit exemption. Treat Blaine as requiring a permit for reroofing work of any size, and confirm any borderline small repair with the Building Inspections Division (763-785-6177).

Is ice & water shield required in Blaine, MN?

Required — Blaine's own "Residential Roofing" reference handout states directly: "An ice and water barrier is required on all roofs, except for detached accessory buildings (garages). The barrier may consist of at least two layers of underlayment cemented together or a self-adhering polymer-modified bitumen sheet... The ice and water barrier must extend from the edge of the eaves to a point 24 inches inside the exterior wall line of the building. Ice and water barriers are required full-length in valleys." It further clarifies: "Ice and water protection is required on all attached garages. Exception: Detached accessory structures that contain no conditioned floor area," and "A maximum of two layers of ice and water barrier is permitted." This matches Minnesota Rules part 1309.0301, subpart 2, which amends IRC Table R301.2(1) to pre-fill "ICE BARRIER UNDERLAYMENT REQUIRED... Yes" statewide -- Blaine has no authority to opt out (Minn. Stat. § 326B.121, subd. 2(c))..

Is drip edge required?

Not required — STATE-GOVERNED, NOT CITY-SET. Minnesota Rules part 1309.0905, subpart 2 deletes base IRC Section R905.2.8.5 (the drip-edge section) "in its entirety," so the base IRC drip-edge mandate has no force in Minnesota, and Blaine has no authority to reinstate it locally (Minn. Stat. § 326B.121, subd. 2(c)). Blaine's own Chapter 18 (Buildings and Construction, 119 sections, read in full via the city's Municode-hosted code) does not independently address drip edge anywhere; Sec. 18-19 adopts the state building code by reference "including all of the amendments, rules and regulations established, adopted and published from time to time by the department of labor and industry" without local modification. Blaine's own "Residential Roofing" reference handout does not state a drip-edge installation requirement either -- the word "drip edge" appears only as a label inside two flashing-detail diagram captions ("apron flashing with hemmed drip edge" at a chimney cricket), not as a general roof-edge mandate..

Is a mid-roof inspection required?

Required — Blaine's Roofing/Siding/Stucco permit page lists the inspections for a residential roofing permit under a heading "Inspections," stating: "Inspections typically include the following, but depending on your project, inspections may be added or removed. Roofing: Roofing Pictures (ice and water), Final." This names "Roofing Pictures (ice and water)" as a distinct inspection step in Blaine's permit system, separate from "Final." Blaine's own "Residential Roofing" reference handout explains the mechanism: this step is photo-documentation-based rather than an inspector site visit -- the applicant must submit digital photographs of components that get covered during construction ("Roof decking," "All ice and water protection," "All flashing details," "All vents," plus "Finished roof detail" and the house address) for City review and approval, and only after that approval is "a final inspection... automatically scheduled." The handout states "Final inspections are conducted by site visit only," implying the ice-and-water/decking documentation step is not itself a site visit. A roofer should document the roof deck and ice-and-water barrier by photograph before covering them with shingles, in addition to the final site-visit inspection..

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Blaine, MN?

Required. Minnesota has a statewide mandatory Residential Roofer (RR) license, per Minn. Stat. § 326B.805, subd. 1: "A person who meets the definition of a residential roofer as defined in section 326B.802, subdivision 14, must be licensed by the commissioner as a residential roofer, residential building contractor, or residential remodeler," enforced statewide (subd. 3) with a $15,000 gross-annual-receipts exemption threshold (subd. 6(5)) requiring an affirmative Certificate of Exemption; roofing is excluded from the general single-special-skill exemption available to other trades (subd. 6(8)). Administered by MN DLI, not the City of Blaine. Locally, City of Blaine Code of Ordinances Sec. 18-408(b) requires that "no person shall perform electrical, manufactured home installation, plumbing, water conditioning, roofing, residential remodeling, residential building, well water contracting work, septic system work, or any other work requiring a state-issued license for another within the city without first having provided a copy of their state-issued license," and that every such licensee "shall have on file with the building official a copy of the current license." Sec. 18-408(a) requires a separate City of Blaine general contractor's license only for a listed set of trades that includes "Commercial roofing" -- residential roofing is not on that list, so Blaine imposes no additional city-level contractor license on top of the state RR license for RESIDENTIAL roofing work, only a requirement to file proof of the state license. Blaine's own Contractor Licensing and Registration page confirms: "Residential Contractors doing residential home improvement projects will need to be licensed by the state for such projects as:... Roofing..." and separately notes city licensing applies to a different list of trades (furnace replacement, ductwork, air conditioner replacement, gas fireplace installation, boiler installation, garage heaters, sewer and water work) that does not include roofing. All contractors, including those only filing a state license, must also register as a user in Blaine's online iMS permitting system to pull a permit..

What building code does Blaine, MN use?

City of Blaine Code of Ordinances, Chapter 18 (Buildings and Construction), Article II (Construction Codes and Regulations), Division 1, Sec. 18-19 ("State building code; adopted by reference"), read in full, codified through Ordinance No. 25-2596 (enacted January 5, 2026, Supp. No. 2) per the city's Municode banner: "The most current edition of the state building code, as adopted by the department of labor and industry pursuant to M.S.A. § 326B.101 et seq., including all of the amendments, rules and regulations established, adopted and published from time to time by the department of labor and industry, through the construction codes and licensing division, is hereby adopted by reference including chapter 1306 with options 1306.0020, subpart 2, and 1306.0030 E, option 1." The section's own ordinance history runs from Ord. No. 410 (1974) through Ord. No. 07-2137 (7-19-2007), but its self-updating "most current edition... as amended from time to time" language means Blaine automatically tracks whatever residential code edition the state currently has in force -- currently the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code (Minn. R. ch. 1309), which incorporates the 2018 IRC. Sec. 18-20 confirms application, administration, and enforcement follow the state building code, enforced by a state-certified building official designated by the city. Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. § 326B.121, subd. 1(a)-(b)) makes the State Building Code the standard that applies statewide and supersedes any municipal building code; subd. 2(c) bars a municipality from imposing building-code provisions that differ from the State Building Code.