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Permitting Authorities / Missouri / City of Cape Girardeau - Inspection Services Division

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Cape Girardeau, MO?

Adopted code

City of Cape Girardeau - Inspection Services Division

No, Cape Girardeau, MO does not require a permit for like-for-like roof replacement (City of Cape Girardeau - Inspection Services Division). Section 7-7 of the City's Code of Ordinances exempts from the chapter's permit and inspection fee provisions a "New roof covering involving only the roof surface, and where the new covering complies with the provisions of this chapter." The Inspection Services Division states that it "is responsible for building inspection, building plan and site layout review, interpretation and enforcement of the International Code Council (ICC) construction standards, and any local construction codes adopted by the City Council." Residential building permit applications are submitted to the Community Development Department, and residential plan submittals "are subject to a minimum five (5) business days review process.".

Roof code checklist: Cape Girardeau, MO

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofNoCode_of_Ordinances_Section_7_Buil...2026-10-22
Repair permit thresholdNot published
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1Code_of_Ordinances_Section_7_Buil...2026-10-22
Deck & sheathingNot published
Drip edgeYesR905.2.8.5Code_of_Ordinances_Section_7_Buil...2026-10-22
Ice & water shieldNoCode_of_Ordinances_Section_7_Buil...2026-10-22
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNoCode_of_Ordinances_Section_7_Buil...2026-10-22
Wind design criteriaPublishedCode_of_Ordinances_Section_7_Buil...2026-10-22
Adopted codePublishedResidential-Building-Permit-Appli...2026-10-22
Contractor license / registrationNot published
Sales & use taxPublisheddor.mo.gov2026-10-22

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 Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
44 North Lorimier Street, Cape Girardeau, MO 63701
Contact
  • url: https://www.cityofcapegirardeau.org/departments/development/inspection-services/
  • phone: 573-339-6327
Roofing permit required
Not required
Permit process note
Section 7-7 of the City's Code of Ordinances exempts from the chapter's permit and inspection fee provisions a "New roof covering involving only the roof surface, and where the new covering complies with the provisions of this chapter." The Inspection Services Division states that it "is responsible for building inspection, building plan and site layout review, interpretation and enforcement of the International Code Council (ICC) construction standards, and any local construction codes adopted by the City Council." Residential building permit applications are submitted to the Community Development Department, and residential plan submittals "are subject to a minimum five (5) business days review process."
Adopted code
The City's Residential Building Permit Application Information Sheet (revised 08/28/2024) requires plans detailing compliance with "City of Cape Girardeau Ordinance No. 4702, dated June 1 2015, adopting the following codes," which it lists as including the "2015 International Residential Code" and the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code.
Drip edge
Required — Drip edge is required at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs (IRC R905.2.8.5). The City adopted the 2015 International Residential Code via Section 7-361 of its Code of Ordinances; Section 7-362, which lists every local amendment as items (1) to (28), read in full, does not amend R905.2.8.5, so the code's drip-edge requirement stands as enacted local law. About drip edge
Ice & water shield
Not required — Section 7-362(7) of the Cape Girardeau Code of Ordinances amends Table R301.2(1), Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria, of the 2015 International Residential Code; the amended table enters No for Ice Barrier Underlayment Required. About ice & water barrier
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Chapter 7 (Buildings) of the Cape Girardeau Code of Ordinances, as posted by the City, Article IX, Sections 7-360 to 7-362: Section 7-361 adopts the 2015 International Residential Code with appendices E, F, H, J, K, M, O, P, R and S, and Section 7-362 lists every amendment, items (1) to (28), was read in full. "UL 2218", "Class 4", "impact" and "hail" each occur zero times in it, and no amendment touches IRC Chapter 9 (Roof Assemblies), so no impact-resistant roof covering is required by local law.
Wind design criteria
115 mph wind speed; topographic effects No; special wind region No; wind-borne debris zone No; seismic design category D1; ground snow load 15 psf. (Table R301.2(1) as amended by Section 7-362(7) of the Cape Girardeau Code of Ordinances.)
Roof layer limit / recover
Base-code rule, read at 2015 International Residential Code Section R908.3.1.1, Roof recover not allowed, and quoted here rather than left behind the ICC paywall: a roof recover "shall not be permitted" where "the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." One existing layer may be recovered; a second existing layer means a tear-off to the deck. The City's amendments to the 2015 International Residential Code (Section 7-362, items (1) to (28)), read in full, do not touch Sections R907 or R908.
Sales & use tax
Cape Girardeau's combined sales tax rate depends on the county part of the city: in its Cape Girardeau County part 8.475% (use tax the same), jurisdiction code 11242-031-000; in its Scott County part 9.475% (use tax 8.475%), jurisdiction code 11242-201-000, per the Missouri Department of Revenue's Jurisdiction and Total Rate Database for the fourth quarter of 2026. The same table lists 9 smaller rate areas inside the city's Cape Girardeau County part where special taxing districts (community improvement and transportation development districts among them) add tax, at a combined sales rate of 8.975% to 10.475%. Missouri's own state rate is 4.225%; the rest is local. For a re-roof, 12 CSR 10-112.010(1) provides that "a contractor is the final user and consumer of the materials and supplies used and consumed in fulfilling a construction contract and which become part of a completed real property improvement," so the roofer pays tax when it buys the materials. Under 12 CSR 10-112.010(2)(A), "In general, title passes after installation is complete," and where title passes after attachment the contractor "does not collect tax on its transfer of ownership or title of the item."

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The Inspection Services Division of the Community Development Department issues building permits in the City of Cape Girardeau, Missouri (Cape Girardeau County), from 44 North Lorimier Street. The City's residential building permit application names the 2015 International Residential Code, adopted by Ordinance No. 4702. This listing covers the office's contact details and the local sales tax rate, and the code facts quoted below; it does not cover every local permit rule.

Working an insurance claim in Cape Girardeau, MO? 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, 4 pages, free).

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Sources

Roofing questions: Cape Girardeau, MO

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Cape Girardeau, MO?

No, Cape Girardeau, MO does not require a permit to replace a roof.

Is ice & water shield required in Cape Girardeau, MO?

No. Section 7-362(7) of the Cape Girardeau Code of Ordinances amends Table R301.2(1), Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria, of the 2015 International Residential Code; the amended table enters No for Ice Barrier Underlayment Required.

Is drip edge required in Cape Girardeau, MO?

Yes. Drip edge is required at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs (IRC R905.2.8.5). The City adopted the 2015 International Residential Code via Section 7-361 of its Code of Ordinances; Section 7-362, which lists every local amendment as items (1) to (28), read in full, does not amend R905.2.8.5, so the code's drip-edge requirement stands as enacted local law.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Cape Girardeau, MO?

Base-code rule, read at 2015 International Residential Code Section R908.3.1.1, Roof recover not allowed, and quoted here rather than left behind the ICC paywall: a roof recover "shall not be permitted" where "the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." One existing layer may be recovered; a second existing layer means a tear-off to the deck. The City's amendments to the 2015 International Residential Code (Section 7-362, items (1) to (28)), read in full, do not touch Sections R907 or R908.

What building code does Cape Girardeau, MO use?

The City's Residential Building Permit Application Information Sheet (revised 08/28/2024) requires plans detailing compliance with "City of Cape Girardeau Ordinance No. 4702, dated June 1 2015, adopting the following codes," which it lists as including the "2015 International Residential Code" and the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code.