Permitting Authorities / St. Louis County, Missouri Department of Transportation and Public Works - Building Permit Section (permitting authority for the City of Chesterfield, Missouri, by contract)
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Chesterfield, MO?
Adopted code
St. Louis County, Missouri Department of Transportation and Public Works - Building Permit Section (permitting authority for the City of Chesterfield, Missouri, by contract)
No — Chesterfield, MO does not require a permit for like-for-like roof replacement (St. Louis County, Missouri Department of Transportation and Public Works - Building Permit Section (permitting authority for the City of Chesterfield, Missouri, by contract)). Confirmed from Chesterfield's own Municipal Code, Chapter 500 ("Buildings and Building Regulations"), Article I -- itself titled "Code Adoptions And County Enforcement Services" -- Section 500.020: "The City of Chesterfield, Missouri, is hereby authorized and directed to execute and enter into a contract on behalf of the City with St. Louis County, Missouri, for technical code enforcement services, which contract shall be on file in the City offices." Corroborated by St. Louis County's own Municipal Contract Agreements matrix confirming Chesterfield contracts out its Residential Code (see description). St. Louis County's own Re-Roofing Checklist (2015 IRC as amended by St. Louis County ordinances) states its submittal path applies "to re-roof with asphalt shingles a residence in Unincorporated St. Louis County, and in those municipalities that contract with St. Louis County for Residential Code Enforcement Services" -- Chesterfield is one such municipality, and the checklist further requires: "For properties in a municipality, submit each site plan stamped, signed and dated by the Municipal Zoning officer, and submit the Zoning application receipt dated and signed-approved by the Zoning Officer" -- i.e., Chesterfield zoning sign-off is a prerequisite the County requires before issuing the permit itself. Applicants apply for the actual roofing permit through St. Louis County, not Chesterfield City Hall, but must first obtain Chesterfield zoning approval. Permit trigger, from St. Louis County's Re-Roofing Checklist (the County enforces Chesterfield's building code under contract): from St. Louis County's Re-Roofing Checklist (2015 IRC as amended, explicitly applicable to contracting municipalities including Chesterfield): "A building permit is required to re-roof with asphalt shingles a 1-or 2-family attached dwelling or townhouse, where any of the following conditions are present: [The Roof Slope is less than 4:12, or more than 25% of Roof Sheathing requires replacement.] [The Roof Cover proposed is a different material from the existing roof cover, such as replacing wood shingles with asphalt shingles. This is required regardless of the roof slope.] [The wood structural panel sheathing is required to replace existing board sheathing, because the gaps between the boards exceed space limits of the Code.]" And: "A building permit is not required to provide a like-for-like replacement of asphalt shingles on roofs having a 4:12 or greater slope." Even permit-exempt reroofing must still comply with IRC Reroofing Section R907 (referencing IBC Section 105.2 via the IRC adopting ordinance).
Jurisdiction
City of Chesterfield, Missouri
Contact
- url: https://stlouiscountymo.gov/st-louis-county-departments/transportation-and-public-works/publications-and-manuals/pw-residential-guides/re-roofing-checklist/
- phone: 314-615-5184
Roofing permit required
Not required
Permit process note
Confirmed from Chesterfield's own Municipal Code, Chapter 500 ("Buildings and Building Regulations"), Article I -- itself titled "Code Adoptions And County Enforcement Services" -- Section 500.020: "The City of Chesterfield, Missouri, is hereby authorized and directed to execute and enter into a contract on behalf of the City with St. Louis County, Missouri, for technical code enforcement services, which contract shall be on file in the City offices." Corroborated by St. Louis County's own Municipal Contract Agreements matrix confirming Chesterfield contracts out its Residential Code (see description). St. Louis County's own Re-Roofing Checklist (2015 IRC as amended by St. Louis County ordinances) states its submittal path applies "to re-roof with asphalt shingles a residence in Unincorporated St. Louis County, and in those municipalities that contract with St. Louis County for Residential Code Enforcement Services" -- Chesterfield is one such municipality, and the checklist further requires: "For properties in a municipality, submit each site plan stamped, signed and dated by the Municipal Zoning officer, and submit the Zoning application receipt dated and signed-approved by the Zoning Officer" -- i.e., Chesterfield zoning sign-off is a prerequisite the County requires before issuing the permit itself. Applicants apply for the actual roofing permit through St. Louis County, not Chesterfield City Hall, but must first obtain Chesterfield zoning approval. Permit trigger, from St. Louis County's Re-Roofing Checklist (the County enforces Chesterfield's building code under contract): from St. Louis County's Re-Roofing Checklist (2015 IRC as amended, explicitly applicable to contracting municipalities including Chesterfield): "A building permit is required to re-roof with asphalt shingles a 1-or 2-family attached dwelling or townhouse, where any of the following conditions are present: [The Roof Slope is less than 4:12, or more than 25% of Roof Sheathing requires replacement.] [The Roof Cover proposed is a different material from the existing roof cover, such as replacing wood shingles with asphalt shingles. This is required regardless of the roof slope.] [The wood structural panel sheathing is required to replace existing board sheathing, because the gaps between the boards exceed space limits of the Code.]" And: "A building permit is not required to provide a like-for-like replacement of asphalt shingles on roofs having a 4:12 or greater slope." Even permit-exempt reroofing must still comply with IRC Reroofing Section R907 (referencing IBC Section 105.2 via the IRC adopting ordinance).
Adopted code
Chesterfield Municipal Code Chapter 500, Section 500.002 ("Residential Code"), Ord. No. 3112, 8-3-2020: "A certain document... being marked and designated as the International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, 2015 Edition, including 'Appendix K - Sound Transmission,' as published by the International Code Council, is hereby adopted as the Residential Code of the City of Chesterfield, Missouri." Local amendments are published as Attachment B ("500b Amendments to the International Residential Code for One and Two Family Dwellings 2015 Edition," Supp. 2, Oct 2020), which was retrieved and read in full: it amends Table R301.2(1) (Ch. 3 Building Planning) and, in Chapter 9 Roof Assemblies, ONLY R905.2.8.2 (valleys) and adds R908.7 (roof ventilation on replacement) -- no amendment touches R905.2.1 (sheathing), R905.2.8.5 (drip edge), R908.2/R908.3/R908.3.1.1 (recover/layer limit), or R902.1 (fire classification); those stand as enacted 2015 IRC baseline. The companion Building Code (Sec. 500.001) is the 2015 IBC. RESOLVED CAVEAT: St. Louis County's own Re-Roofing Checklist independently confirms it applies 2015 IRC (via County Ordinance #27,654-Ch.1116) to "those municipalities that contract with St. Louis County for Residential Code Enforcement Services" -- the same edition Chesterfield itself adopted -- so there is no edition mismatch between the city's adopted code and the county's enforcement practice for Chesterfield specifically.
Drip edge
Required — "Drip edge is required at eaves and rakes of shingle roofs. Extend the drip edge minimum 2" onto roof sheathing and minimum 1/4" below the roof sheathing. Install roof underlayment over the drip edge along eaves and under the drip edge at rakes (R905.2.8.5)." (St. Louis County Re-Roofing Checklist, 2015 IRC as amended.) Chesterfield's own Chapter 9 amendment ordinance (Attachment B, read in full) does not amend R905.2.8.5, so this 2015-IRC requirement stands unamended and enacted as Chesterfield's own local law too (JQ-002-style adopted-unamended finding).
Ice & water shield
Not required — Chesterfield's own Municipal Code, Chapter 500, Table R301.2(1) Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria (as filled in/amended by the city's own ordinance, Attachment B "1116.103 - Amendments to the International Residential Code... Chapter 3 Building Planning"), lists "Ice Barrier Underlayment Required" as "NO" for Chesterfield. Independently corroborated by St. Louis County's own Re-Roofing Checklist for contracting municipalities: "Ice Barrier underlayment is not required (R905.1.2; SLCO Revised Ordinance Table R301.2(1))." Two independent official sources agree Chesterfield does NOT require ice barrier/ice-and-water-shield underlayment as a blanket rule (footnote h ties this to local history of ice-damming damage, which Chesterfield and St. Louis County have both filled in as "NO").
Repair permit threshold
A like-for-like asphalt shingle replacement on a roof slope of 4:12 or greater does NOT require a permit. A permit IS required when: roof slope is less than 4:12; more than 25% of roof sheathing requires replacement; the roof cover material is changing (e.g., wood shingle to asphalt, regardless of slope); or wood structural panel sheathing is needed to replace existing board sheathing because board gaps exceed code limits. (St. Louis County Re-Roofing Checklist, 2015 IRC as amended.)
Wind design criteria
From Chesterfield's own Table R301.2(1) (Attachment B to Chapter 500, "1116.103 - Amendments to the International Residential Code... Chapter 3 Building Planning," Supp. 2, Oct 2020): Ground Snow Load 20 lbs/ft2; Wind Speed Vult = 115 mph (Vasd = 89 mph); Topographic effects: No; Special wind region: No; Windborne debris zone: No; Seismic Design Category: C; Weathering: Severe; Frost line depth: 30 inches; Termite: Slight to Moderate; Winter design temp: 2 degrees F; Ice Barrier Underlayment Required: No; Flood Hazard date May 24, 1985; Air Freezing Index 1,000 days; Mean Annual Temp 55.2 degrees F.
Roof layer limit / recover
"2015-IRC Section R908.3 requires all existing layers of roof coverings be removed down to the sheathing prior to applying a new roofing covering. The only exception is when there is only a single layer of existing roof covering and the roof covering and sheathing below provides an adequate base that is neither deteriorated nor water soaked." Elsewhere on the same page: "Only 1 layer of roof cover exists, and it is not deteriorated or water soaked (R908.3.1.1-Items 1, 3)" and "The structural roof components are capable of supporting the dead load of 2 roof covers. Properly sealed structural calculations may be required by Building Plan Review on a case-by-case basis (R908.2; St. Louis County Policy)." Net effect: one existing layer may be recovered over under specific conditions; otherwise full tear-off to the sheathing is required. Chesterfield's own Chapter 9 amendment ordinance (Attachment B) does not touch R908.3/R908.3.1.1/R908.2, so this 2015-IRC-as-enforced text stands for Chesterfield too (Chapter 9 amendment list read in full; only R905.2.8.2 valleys and R908.7 ventilation were amended -- see adopted_code).
Deck & sheathing requirements
"Roof Sheathing: Asphalt shingle roof covers shall be fastened to solidly sheathed decks. Acceptable existing sheathing conditions are as follows (R905.2.1; St. Louis County Policy): Wood structural panel sheathing thickness and spans allowed by Code when the sheathing was installed, where not deteriorated, warped, cracked, or delaminated between supports. Wood sheathing boards with maximum 1/2" gap between boards; Wood sheathing boards with larger gaps that are overlaid with minimum 3/8" thick wood structural panel sheathing. Where new work wood structural panel (plywood) sheathing is required, comply with the table (R503.2.1.1; Table R503.2.1.1(1))." This is St. Louis County's own published reading of 2015 IRC R905.2.1 as enforced on contracting municipalities including Chesterfield. Chesterfield's own Chapter 9 amendment ordinance does not amend R905.2.1 (amendment list read in full), so this baseline stands for Chesterfield without modification. EDITION CAVEAT: this is 2015-IRC-specific text; do not reuse for jurisdictions on a different IRC edition.
Sales & use tax
Base combined general sales tax rate in Chesterfield (St. Louis County) is 8.7380% (Missouri DOR jurisdiction code 13600-189-000), per the DOR's statewide Sales/Use Tax Rate Table for July 2026. Stacked CID/TDD districts raise the rate on specific parcels, up to 10.1130% for the Chesterfield Valley TDD + Chesterfield Blue Valley CID overlap (13600-189-001) -- the highest combined rate found in Chesterfield. Missouri's own Contractors Tax Matrix (DOR Audit Services, Industry Guidance, eff. 10-24-2022, https://dor.mo.gov/taxation/business/documents/Contractors_000.pdf) treats a roofing contractor as the final consumer of materials incorporated into real property: "Contractor sales of tangible personal property where title passed to the customer after installation" is listed Exempt, while "Tangible personal property to be sold as an attachment to real property" is listed Taxable -- meaning the contractor owes sales/use tax on shingles, underlayment, etc. at the point of purchase from the supplier, and does not separately charge the homeowner sales tax on the installed roof or on labor. No jurisdiction in this roster collects a construction use tax at building-permit issuance; the DOR's own Sales/Use Tax page describes local use tax as a self-reported obligation on purchases over $2,000/year, not a sum collected at the permit counter.
Local roofing hub
Related guides
DELEGATION CONFIRMED FROM TWO INDEPENDENT OFFICIAL SOURCES. The City of Chesterfield, Missouri (St. Louis County) does NOT run its own building department. (1) Chesterfield's own Municipal Code, Chapter 500 Section 500.020 ("Agreement With St. Louis County"): "The City of Chesterfield, Missouri, is hereby authorized and directed to execute and enter into a contract on behalf of the City with St. Louis County, Missouri, for technical code enforcement services." (2) St. Louis County's own "Municipal Contract Agreements" matrix (revised April 6, 2026) states explicitly: "Chesterfield is contracted with St. Louis County for Building Code, Residential Code, Existing Building Code, Mechanical Code, Electrical Code, Plumbing Code, Explosives Ordinance, Fire Suppression Systems, Elevators and Conveying Systems, Amusement Rides, Periodic Inspections of Mechanical Equipment. Chesterfield is contracted with St. Louis County for Residential Occupancy Permits for first time home buyers only. Chesterfield is not contracted with St. Louis County for the Property Maintenance Code, Land Disturbances, Sewer Lateral Repair Program (SLRP)." Roofing permits fall under the Residential Code, which IS contracted out -- so St. Louis County's Department of Transportation and Public Works, Building Permit Section is the real permitting/inspection authority for Chesterfield roofing work. Chesterfield's own Planning Department retains a separate, prerequisite step: Municipal Zoning Approval (MZA), required before the County will issue the permit (per Chesterfield's Building Permits page navigation listing "Municipal Zoning Approval (MZA)" as a form; the direct PDF link 404'd on fetch -- see escalation, not load-bearing for the delegation finding itself, which rests on the two sources above).
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