The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Clay County - Planning & Zoning Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Clay County, MO?

Adopted code

Clay County - Planning & Zoning Department

Yes — a permit is required to replace a roof in Clay County, MO, issued by Clay County - Planning & Zoning Department. The Building Inspector's "IRC 2012 Roofing Requirements" letter states: "Clay County, MO Building Department has adopted all provisions of the 2012 International Residential Code (IRC) concerning roofing and re-roofing requirements... All provisions of Chapter 9 in the IRC (as well as other chapters pertaining to roofing) are enforced and expected of anyone doing work in unincorporated Clay County." The county's Residential Construction Regulations state separately: "Clay County requires permits and inspections for almost all types of construction," that "appointments must be made with the Building Inspector to obtain permits," that plans/paperwork are submitted online through the Planning & Zoning portal, and that "drop-ins for permit pick up, in most cases, are not possible." A $60 re-inspection fee applies under Clay County Ordinance 2007-ORD-23 after the first free re-inspection.

Jurisdiction
Clay County, Missouri
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
234 W. Shrader Street, Suite C, Liberty, MO 64068
Contact
  • url: https://claycountymo.gov/228/Building-Division
  • phone: 816-407-3380
  • email: [email protected]
Roofing permit required
Required
Permit process note
The Building Inspector's "IRC 2012 Roofing Requirements" letter states: "Clay County, MO Building Department has adopted all provisions of the 2012 International Residential Code (IRC) concerning roofing and re-roofing requirements... All provisions of Chapter 9 in the IRC (as well as other chapters pertaining to roofing) are enforced and expected of anyone doing work in unincorporated Clay County." The county's Residential Construction Regulations state separately: "Clay County requires permits and inspections for almost all types of construction," that "appointments must be made with the Building Inspector to obtain permits," that plans/paperwork are submitted online through the Planning & Zoning portal, and that "drop-ins for permit pick up, in most cases, are not possible." A $60 re-inspection fee applies under Clay County Ordinance 2007-ORD-23 after the first free re-inspection.
Inspection requirements
Per the Building Inspector's IRC 2012 Roofing Requirements letter, Clay County enforces IRC Section 903.2 (Flashing, including crickets/saddles and coping), Section 905.2 (Asphalt Shingles slope, underlayment and attachment), Section 905.2.7.1 (Ice Barrier — the letter states "Clay County does require the adherence of an ice barrier application"), and Section 905.2.8 (Flashing locations/applications for asphalt shingles, "the most prevalent in our area"). The letter states all of IRC Chapter 9 and other roofing-related chapters "are enforced and expected of anyone doing work in unincorporated Clay County."
Adopted code
Clay County's Building Codes page states the County Commission "approved the adoption of the 2012 family of building and construction codes with amendments by way of Ordinance Number 2012-ORD-24," effective January 1, 2013: the 2012 International Building Code, 2012 International Residential Code, 2012 International Plumbing Code, 2012 International Mechanical Code, and 2012 International Fire Code (ICC), plus the 2011 National Electrical Code (NFPA). The Residential Construction Regulations corroborate this, citing County Commission adoption on September 10, 2012.
Drip edge
Required — The Building Inspector's "IRC 2012 Roofing Requirements" letter states Clay County enforces "Section 905.2.8 - Flashing - this section further defines what's needed for asphalt shingles (the most prevalent in our area) flashing and it's locations and applications," and that "[a]ll provisions of Chapter 9 in the IRC (as well as other chapters pertaining to roofing) are enforced and expected of anyone doing work in unincorporated Clay County." The 2012 IRC Chapter 9 excerpt furnished as part of this same document states, at R905.2.8.5 Drip edge: "A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and gables of shingle roofs. Adjacent pieces of drip edge shall be overlapped a minimum of 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edges shall extend a minimum of 0.25 inch (6.4 mm) below the roof sheathing and extend up the roof deck a minimum of 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edges shall be mechanically fastened to the roof deck at a maximum of 12 inches (305 mm) o.c.... Underlayment shall be installed over the drip edge along eaves and under the underlayment on gables." About drip edge
Ice & water shield
Required — The same letter states: "Section 905.2.7.1 - Ice Barrier - Table 301.2(1) requires each jurisdiction to indicate through its weather history the need for ice barrier. Clay County does require the adherence of an ice barrier application (one of two methods in the code)." The attached 2012 IRC R905.2.7.1 text furnished in the same document reads: "In areas where there has been a history of ice forming along the eaves causing a backup of water..., an ice barrier that consists of a least two layers of underlayment cemented together or of a self-adhering polymer modified bitumen sheet shall be used in lieu of normal underlayment and extend from the lowest edges of all roof surfaces to a point at least 24 inches (610 mm) inside the exterior wall line of the building. Exception: Detached accessory structures that contain no conditioned floor area." About ice & water barrier
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Clay County's Ordinance No. 2012-ORD-24 ("Approve Adoption of New Building, Construction and Abatement Ordinance," adopted by the County Commission September 10, 2012, effective January 1, 2013) was read in full (7 pages). Its Article II, Sec. 150.16 ("Dwelling Code") adopts the 2012 International Residential Code and lists 26 lettered amendment items, (a) through (z), running from Chapter 1 Scope and Administration through electrical sections E3902.2, E3902.5, E4002.14 and E3902.12; none of the 26 items touches IRC Chapter 9 (Roof Assemblies), so Chapter 9 stands as adopted, unamended. No UL 2218, Class 4, or impact-resistance provision appears anywhere in the ordinance's amendment lists for the Building, Dwelling, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fire or Electric codes it enacts. This is corroborated by the county's "IRC 2012 Roofing Requirements" letter from the Building Inspector, which attaches the base 2012 IRC's own Chapter 9 text (Sections R901 through R905.4.3.2, pages 439-443) and states the county "has adopted all provisions of the 2012 International Residential Code concerning roofing and re-roofing requirements," directing attention only to flashing (R903.2), asphalt shingles (R905.2), the county's mandatory ice barrier (R905.2.7.1), and shingle flashing (R905.2.8); no impact-resistance provision appears in that attached code text either.
Deck & sheathing requirements
"Section 905.2 - Asphalt Shingles (and its requirements for asphalt shingles and their slope, underlayment and attachment)" is one of the sections the Clay County Building Department singles out as governing roofing/re-roofing. The attached 2012 IRC text furnished by the department in the same document reads, at R905.2.1: "Sheathing requirements. Asphalt shingles shall be fastened to solidly sheathed decks." The letter states the county "has adopted all provisions of the 2012 International Residential Code (IRC) concerning roofing and re-roofing requirements" and that "[a]ll provisions of Chapter 9 in the IRC (as well as other chapters pertaining to roofing) are enforced." This is base 2012 IRC text as adopted without a county-specific amendment to R905.2.1 itself.
Sales & use tax
Combined general sales tax rate for unincorporated Clay County is 5.4750% at the base county rate, which already includes the Kansas City Metropolitan Zoological District tax (Missouri DOR jurisdiction code 00000-047-000: 4.225% state + county + zoo district), per the DOR's statewide Sales/Use Tax Rate Table for July 2026. Two fire protection districts stack on top: the Smithville Area Fire Protection District and the Kearney Fire and Rescue Protection District (00000-047-001 and 00000-047-002) each raise the combined rate to 5.9750%. Incorporated cities within Clay County (Gladstone, Liberty, North Kansas City, the Clay County portion of Kansas City and Independence, etc.) carry their own separate, higher combined rates -- this county-only figure applies to unincorporated parcels. 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 Missouri jurisdiction collects a construction use tax at building-permit issuance, unlike the self-collecting home-rule cities of Colorado; the DOR's own Sales/Use Tax page (https://dor.mo.gov/taxation/business/tax-types/sales-use/) describes local use tax as a self-reported obligation -- "Use tax is imposed directly upon the person that stores, uses, or consumes tangible personal property in Missouri," with "a purchaser ... required to file a use tax return if the cumulative purchases subject to use tax exceed two thousand dollars in a calendar year" -- not a sum collected at the permit counter.

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The permitting authority for unincorporated Clay County, Missouri (county seat Liberty, in the Kansas City metro area). The Planning and Zoning Department's Building Division issues building permits and performs inspections for unincorporated territory, and has published roofing-specific guidance adopting the 2012 International Residential Code's roofing and re-roofing requirements. Roof work inside the county's incorporated cities is governed by those municipalities' own permitting departments.

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Roofing questions — Clay County, MO

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Clay County, MO?

Required.

Is ice & water shield required in Clay County, MO?

Required — The same letter states: "Section 905.2.7.1 - Ice Barrier - Table 301.2(1) requires each jurisdiction to indicate through its weather history the need for ice barrier. Clay County does require the adherence of an ice barrier application (one of two methods in the code)." The attached 2012 IRC R905.2.7.1 text furnished in the same document reads: "In areas where there has been a history of ice forming along the eaves causing a backup of water..., an ice barrier that consists of a least two layers of underlayment cemented together or of a self-adhering polymer modified bitumen sheet shall be used in lieu of normal underlayment and extend from the lowest edges of all roof surfaces to a point at least 24 inches (610 mm) inside the exterior wall line of the building. Exception: Detached accessory structures that contain no conditioned floor area.".

Is drip edge required?

Required — The Building Inspector's "IRC 2012 Roofing Requirements" letter states Clay County enforces "Section 905.2.8 - Flashing - this section further defines what's needed for asphalt shingles (the most prevalent in our area) flashing and it's locations and applications," and that "[a]ll provisions of Chapter 9 in the IRC (as well as other chapters pertaining to roofing) are enforced and expected of anyone doing work in unincorporated Clay County." The 2012 IRC Chapter 9 excerpt furnished as part of this same document states, at R905.2.8.5 Drip edge: "A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and gables of shingle roofs. Adjacent pieces of drip edge shall be overlapped a minimum of 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edges shall extend a minimum of 0.25 inch (6.4 mm) below the roof sheathing and extend up the roof deck a minimum of 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edges shall be mechanically fastened to the roof deck at a maximum of 12 inches (305 mm) o.c.... Underlayment shall be installed over the drip edge along eaves and under the underlayment on gables.".

What building code does Clay County, MO use?

Clay County's Building Codes page states the County Commission "approved the adoption of the 2012 family of building and construction codes with amendments by way of Ordinance Number 2012-ORD-24," effective January 1, 2013: the 2012 International Building Code, 2012 International Residential Code, 2012 International Plumbing Code, 2012 International Mechanical Code, and 2012 International Fire Code (ICC), plus the 2011 National Electrical Code (NFPA). The Residential Construction Regulations corroborate this, citing County Commission adoption on September 10, 2012.