Permitting Authorities / City of Fort Myers - Building, Permitting & Inspections Division
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Fort Myers, FL?
Adopted codeCity of Fort Myers - Building, Permitting & Inspections Division
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Fort Myers, FL, issued by City of Fort Myers - Building, Permitting & Inspections Division. Fort Myers issues a dedicated Roofing Trade (TRD) permit for residential reroofs, applied for and paid through the City's EnerGov Customer Self Service portal (fortmyers.gov/EnerGov). The City's "Do I Need Permits?" page lists "Roof (Repairs and New)" as needing a permit for both residential and commercial property, and states: "Building permits are required from the City of Fort Myers to construct, alter, repair and move or demolish a building or structure and for change of building occupancy." The Roofing (TRD) Permit Application offers "Re-Roof", "Roof Over" and "Repair" and asks for the number of squares, slope, whether it is a partial re-roof, the existing and proposed roof material and the "FL Product Approval/Notice of Acceptance". The Roofing Trade Permits checklist: "Permit must be pulled by a properly licensed Contractor or Owner-Builder" and "Contractors must be actively registered with the City of Fort Myers, with updated license and insurance information." An owner-builder files the Owner-Builder Disclosure Statement and must personally appear to sign the application (notary service is free). A certified, recorded and notarized Notice of Commencement is due before inspection "for all jobs in excess of $5,000", and the Roof Inspection Affidavit is "Required PRIOR TO FINAL INSPECTION on all re-roof permits for 1 & 2 family homes". The checklist also states that a single-family residence "with a Value of $300,000 or Greater" must have its roof to wall connections improved under the Florida Building Code, and that job goes under a Building (BLD) permit pulled by a general, building or residential contractor with a roofing contractor as subcontractor ("A Roof Permit (TRD) will NOT be issued"), unless the home was built on or after March 1, 2002 or another listed exemption is approved (see deck and sheathing). Since July 1, 2026 a single-family owner may ask the City in writing to exempt some work valued under $7,500 (see the repair threshold); the City's request form carries "A $50.00 FEE WILL BE APPLIED UPON APPROVAL." In a City-designated historic district or on a designated landmark, a certificate of review is required "Before altering" a structure, and the City's approval matrix lists a roof "Change in material" and "Change in shape"; "ordinary repair and maintenance that does not change the design, material, or appearance of exterior elements" needs none (City Code Section 114-71). Permitting 239-321-7925, [email protected]; inspections 239-321-7923.
Roof code checklist: Fort Myers, FL
| Item | Answer | Code cite | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permit to replace a roof | Yes | fortmyers.gov | 2026-09-26 | |
| Repair permit threshold | Published | fortmyers.gov | 2026-09-26 | |
| Layer limit / roof-over | Published | R908.3 | codes.iccsafe.org | 2026-09-26 |
| Deck & sheathing | Published | fortmyers.gov | 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 | Sec. 110.3 | fortmyers.gov | 2026-09-26 |
| Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofing | No | library.municode.com | 2026-09-26 | |
| Wind design criteria | Published | R905.2.6.1 | fortmyers.gov | 2026-09-26 |
| Adopted code | Published | Sec. 102-121(b) | 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
City of Fort Myers, Florida
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
1825 Hendry St., Suite 101, Fort Myers, FL 33901
Contact
- url: https://fortmyers.gov/1293/Building-Permitting-Inspections
- phone: 239-321-7925
- email: [email protected]
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. 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 or at 850-487-1395.
- city_level: Fort Myers City Code Section 102-54(a): "It shall be unlawful for any person or firm to engage in the construction business or act in the capacity of a construction contractor, construction subcontractor or construction specialty contractor within the city without first obtaining a valid and appropriate construction contractor's license and registering that license with the community development department." Section 102-55(a) requires a person who wants to perform construction services and obtain permits to present "a current county certificate of competency and state contractor registration or a state certified contractor's license and proof of liability insurance and workers' compensation insurance or a certified exemption where eligible for a workers' compensation exemption", and Section 102-56 states: "All contractors, subcontractors and specialty contractors must register with the building division and shall provide all necessary documentation required for issuance of a permit." The City's Contractor/Private Provider Registration-Renewal form asks a state certified contractor for a copy of the State of Florida licence, a general liability certificate and a workers' compensation certificate (or state exemption) each "w/ City of Fort Myers as Certificate Holder", signed in front of a notary and emailed to [email protected]; it states "Contractors must register with the City of Fort Myers to obtain a permit within our jurisdiction." Current City contractor registration is due at permit issuance. The Building, Permitting & Inspections page adds: "The city requires proof of license from contractors who pull permits for properties located in the city, so be sure to require that the contractor pull the permit in his name, not your name." A lapsed licence or City registration stops further permits, inspections and certificates (Section 102-55(b)). A business tax receipt is not a contractor licence.
- 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 occupancy or use of such owner or tenant of the owner" after damage from an event declared a state of emergency by the Governor. Fort Myers adopts the state exemptions (City Code Section 102-53: "The requirements for exemption from a local license in F.S. ch. 489 shall be applicable in the city."), requires its Owner-Builder Statement Affidavit, and requires the owner to personally appear to sign the roofing permit application. City Code Section 102-58(5) makes it unlawful for a property owner who "knowingly or unknowingly applies for and/or pulls an owner/contractor permit and retains the services of an unlicensed or improperly licensed contractor". Whether a particular owner qualifies is for the statute and the City to say, not this record.
Permit process note
Fort Myers issues a dedicated Roofing Trade (TRD) permit for residential reroofs, applied for and paid through the City's EnerGov Customer Self Service portal (fortmyers.gov/EnerGov). The City's "Do I Need Permits?" page lists "Roof (Repairs and New)" as needing a permit for both residential and commercial property, and states: "Building permits are required from the City of Fort Myers to construct, alter, repair and move or demolish a building or structure and for change of building occupancy." The Roofing (TRD) Permit Application offers "Re-Roof", "Roof Over" and "Repair" and asks for the number of squares, slope, whether it is a partial re-roof, the existing and proposed roof material and the "FL Product Approval/Notice of Acceptance". The Roofing Trade Permits checklist: "Permit must be pulled by a properly licensed Contractor or Owner-Builder" and "Contractors must be actively registered with the City of Fort Myers, with updated license and insurance information." An owner-builder files the Owner-Builder Disclosure Statement and must personally appear to sign the application (notary service is free). A certified, recorded and notarized Notice of Commencement is due before inspection "for all jobs in excess of $5,000", and the Roof Inspection Affidavit is "Required PRIOR TO FINAL INSPECTION on all re-roof permits for 1 & 2 family homes". The checklist also states that a single-family residence "with a Value of $300,000 or Greater" must have its roof to wall connections improved under the Florida Building Code, and that job goes under a Building (BLD) permit pulled by a general, building or residential contractor with a roofing contractor as subcontractor ("A Roof Permit (TRD) will NOT be issued"), unless the home was built on or after March 1, 2002 or another listed exemption is approved (see deck and sheathing). Since July 1, 2026 a single-family owner may ask the City in writing to exempt some work valued under $7,500 (see the repair threshold); the City's request form carries "A $50.00 FEE WILL BE APPLIED UPON APPROVAL." In a City-designated historic district or on a designated landmark, a certificate of review is required "Before altering" a structure, and the City's approval matrix lists a roof "Change in material" and "Change in shape"; "ordinary repair and maintenance that does not change the design, material, or appearance of exterior elements" needs none (City Code Section 114-71). Permitting 239-321-7925, [email protected]; inspections 239-321-7923.
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. Fort Myers City Code Section 102-121(b) adopts "The Florida Building Code, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Residential, Existing Building, Energy Conservation, Accessibility, Fire Prevention and the National Electrical Code, as amended from time to time" as "the minimum construction standards for all municipal areas within the City of Fort Myers, Lee County, Florida", naming no edition. The City's current Building checklist has plans state compliance with the "8th Edition (2023) Florida Building Code, Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas and/or Existing Building". The City's local technical amendments (Sections 102-123 and 102-125, most recently Ordinance No. 4061, February 17, 2026) change only flood provisions: Building Section 1612.4 and Residential Sections R322.2.2, R322.3.4 and R322.3.5 on enclosed areas and walls below the design flood elevation. None touches the roofing chapter.
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 (4 inches on center where the allowable stress design wind speed is 110 mph or more or the mean roof height exceeds 33 feet). This applies to shingle roofs. Fort Myers' building chapter (City Code Chapter 102), read in full, amends only flood provisions of the Florida Building Code, 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 Fort Myers' building chapter (City Code Chapter 102), read in full, amends only flood 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 — The City's Roofing Trade Permits checklist lists the required inspections: "Prep Roof Over – Schedule prior to the commencement of work" (roof overs of shingles, metal or flat deck); "Ridge Metal/Flashing (Tile Only) – Schedule prior to the commencement of tile installation"; "Re-Roof In-Progress – Schedule when the work is being done" (re-roofs with less than a 2:12 slope and flat decks, metal over shingle, and metal); "Re-Roof Dry-In – Schedule prior to the finished product installation" (shingles only, shingles and flat deck, metal, shingles to tile, and tile to tile); and "Roof Final – Schedule after submittal of Inspection Affidavit, and job is completed." The Roof Inspection Affidavit on the roof deck nailing and secondary water barrier is due before the final on every one- and two-family re-roof. The City's inspection page states that Re-roof Dry In and Re-roof In-Progress inspections let the permit holder request an estimated hour between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. The Florida Building Code's required-inspection list (Section 110.3) includes a "Roofing inspection" covering at a minimum dry-in, insulation, roof coverings and flashing.
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Fort Myers' building chapter (City Code Chapter 102, which adopts the Florida Building Code and amends only its flood provisions) contains no roof-covering provision, and 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 City's Roofing Trade application, Roofing Trade checklist and Roof Inspection Affidavit. Florida's "impact" provisions concern windborne-debris 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
Roof repairs need a permit in Fort Myers. The City's "Do I Need Permits?" page lists "Roof (Repairs and New)" as needing a permit for residential and commercial property; the Roofing (TRD) Permit Application has a "Repair" box. City Code Section 102-81: "No development or other construction may be undertaken or commenced within the city without a permit first being issued by the building official or fire official, as applicable, including buildings, signs or other construction, unless specifically exempted by law or regulation." The City's building chapter (Chapter 102) adds no roofing exemption, and the Florida Building Code's permit exemption list (Section 105.2) names only gas, mechanical and plumbing items, none of them roof work; its general relief is Section 105.2.2: "Ordinary minor repairs may be made with the approval of the building official without a permit," provided they do not cut away walls or structural members or alter egress. The code also caps piecemeal work (Florida Building Code, Residential, Section R908.1.1): "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". 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 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." Fort Myers takes that request on its Request for Permit Exemption form, which requires the contract or other documentation and a detailed scope of work and has the applicant acknowledge, among other things, that "The work is valued less than $7,500.00", that "The property is not partially or entirely located in a flood hazard area", and that "The work to be conducted is not structural in nature and does not include structural components, doors and/or windows." The form warns that if the work "is later determined not to qualify for exemption, you may be required to" obtain a permit, pay applicable fees, and "Correct or remove non-compliant work", and "A $50.00 FEE WILL BE APPLIED UPON APPROVAL." Whether a particular roof repair qualifies is for the City to decide on the request.
Wind design criteria
Fort Myers' Window/Door/Shutter Worksheet, a Building, Permitting & Inspections form posted on the City's Permits & Applications page, states: "FORT MYERS WIND SPEED V-160ULT" (an ultimate design wind speed of 160 mph). Its design pressure table, drawn from Florida Building Code, Residential Tables R301.2(2) and R301.2(3), is worked at 160 mph for Exposures B, C and D, and it notes that Exposure D covers flat, unobstructed terrain facing large bodies of water over a mile wide: "Riverfront property in Fort Myers is generally in this category." Site-specific values may instead come from a wind load calculator based on ASCE 7-16 or signed and sealed engineering. Fort Myers is not in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone: "This zone consists of Broward and Miami-Dade counties." Asphalt shingles "shall be tested and classified in accordance with ASTM D3161, TAS 107 or ASTM D7158" to resist the basic wind speed (Florida Building Code, Residential, Section R905.2.6.1); at 160 mph the table's row for speeds up to 168 mph calls for Class H under ASTM D7158 or Class F under ASTM D3161, which are wind ratings, not impact ratings. The City's roofing application asks for each product's Florida Product Approval or Miami-Dade Notice of Acceptance.
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 of Section R905. One re-cover over a single existing layer is therefore the most the code allows. Fort Myers' building chapter (City Code Chapter 102), read in full, amends only flood provisions and does not touch the reroofing sections. The City permits a re-cover as a "Roof Over" on its Roofing (TRD) Permit Application, with a "Prep Roof Over" inspection before work starts; the City's roofing documents state no layer number of their own. 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"; existing 8d nails must be at least 0.113 inch in diameter and 2-1/4 inches long to count, and wood structural panels follow the supplemental fastener table in Section R908.7.1.2. Fort Myers checks this with its Roof Inspection Affidavit, required before the final inspection on every re-roof of a single-family, single-family attached or duplex home: the qualifier or owner-builder certifies under oath that "the roof deck nailing and secondary water Barrier (if applicable)" for the job "was installed according to the Hurricane Mitigation Retrofit Manual (based on 553.844 F.S.)". The affidavit may be signed by a general, building, residential or roofing contractor or an individual certified under Chapter 468, Florida Statutes, and the City's checklist also allows an engineer, architect or the owner-builder. Section R908.8 separately requires improved roof-to-wall connections on a reroof of a house in the wind-borne debris region with an insured (or, if uninsured, just) value of $300,000 or more, capped at a 15 percent increase in the cost of re-roofing. The City's checklist applies this to "Single Family Residences with a Value of $300,000 or Greater": the work needs a Building (BLD) permit with engineer details of the connectors, pulled by a general, building or residential contractor with a roofing contractor as subcontractor, unless the home was built on or after March 1, 2002, a licensed contractor, inspector, architect or engineer certifies by notarized letter that the connectors already exist, or an estimate and the roof contract are submitted "showing the value of the connectors as being 15-percent greater than the value of the roof replacement" (the last two need the Building Official's approval).
Sales & use tax
6.5% combined on materials: the 6% Florida state sales and use tax plus Lee County's 0.5% discretionary sales surtax (effective January 1, 2019, with an expiration date of December 31, 2028, per the Florida Department of Revenue's Form DR-15DSS for calendar year 2026). "Discretionary sales surtax applies to the first $5,000 of the sales amount on the sale, use, lease, rental, or license to use any 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.
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Related guides
The permitting authority for the City of Fort Myers, in Lee County, Florida. The Building, Permitting & Inspections Division of the Community Development Department reviews plans, issues building and roofing trade permits, performs inspections and registers contractors for work inside the city limits. Unincorporated Lee County is served by Lee County, not by the City.
Hail reports near Fort Myers, FL
- Reports, last 24 months
- 2
- Largest, last 24 months
- 1.00 in Jun 25, 2025
- Most recent
- Jun 25, 2025 1.00 in
- Reports, last 5 years
- 3
| Date | Hail size | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 25, 2025 | 1.00 in | 5 mi NW |
| Jun 11, 2025 | 1.00 in | 7 mi ENE |
| May 13, 2022 | 1.00 in | 10 mi WSW |
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 Fort Myers, FL (Census point). Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.
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Sources
- fortmyers.gov verified 2026-09-26
- fortmyers.gov verified 2026-09-26
- fortmyers.gov verified 2026-09-26
- library.municode.com verified 2026-09-26
- fortmyers.gov verified 2026-09-26
- fortmyers.gov verified 2026-09-26
- codes.iccsafe.org verified 2026-09-26
- fortmyers.gov verified 2026-09-26
- floridarevenue.com verified 2026-09-26
- fortmyers.gov verified 2026-09-26
- fortmyers.gov verified 2026-09-26