The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Johnson County - Building Codes Division

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Unincorporated Johnson County, KS?

Adopted code

Johnson County - Building Codes Division

Yes — a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Johnson County, KS, issued by Johnson County - Building Codes Division. Residential re-roofing permits carry no plan review fee and may be approved directly by an inspector or the Building Official. Commercial re-roofing requires plan review and a set of plans sealed by a design professional registered in Kansas. Roof assemblies must be full, pre-approved assemblies (UL, FM, or similar), not custom combinations of individual components. Online applications must specify whether the work is a tear-off, the number of squares, the material used, and the project valuation. Applicants must confirm the project address is in unincorporated Johnson County before applying; projects inside a city are permitted by that city instead. Permits are submitted through the MyGovernmentOnline (MGO Connect) portal.

Jurisdiction
Johnson County, Kansas (unincorporated)
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
111 S. Cherry St., Suite 2000, Olathe, KS 66061
Contact
  • url: https://www.jocogov.org/department/building-codes
  • phone: (913) 715-2200
  • email: [email protected]
Permit portal
Permit portal
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required About Kansas roofing contractor registration
Registration details
  • license: Johnson County Contractor Licensing (JCCL) license required; all Roofing, Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical contractors must be licensed with Johnson County Contractor Licensing.
Permit process note
Residential re-roofing permits carry no plan review fee and may be approved directly by an inspector or the Building Official. Commercial re-roofing requires plan review and a set of plans sealed by a design professional registered in Kansas. Roof assemblies must be full, pre-approved assemblies (UL, FM, or similar), not custom combinations of individual components. Online applications must specify whether the work is a tear-off, the number of squares, the material used, and the project valuation. Applicants must confirm the project address is in unincorporated Johnson County before applying; projects inside a city are permitted by that city instead. Permits are submitted through the MyGovernmentOnline (MGO Connect) portal.
Adopted code
2018 International Codes, adopted by the Board of County Commissioners in the Johnson County Code of Regulations for Buildings & Construction, 2018 Edition, effective July 1, 2020.
Drip edge
Required — "R905.2.8.5 Drip edge. A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs. Adjacent segments of drip edge shall be overlapped not less than 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edges shall extend not less than 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) below the roof sheathing and extend up back onto the roof deck not less than 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edges shall be mechanically fastened to the roof deck at not more than 12 inches (305 mm) o.c." (Johnson County Building Codes, "Requirements for Residential Roof Coverings," dated "Effective July 1, 2020," linked from the Code of Regulation for Buildings and Construction page as "Residential Roof Covering Guidelines"). About drip edge
Ice & water shield
Required — Table R301.2(1) Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria, as amended by the Johnson County Code of Regulations for Buildings and Construction, 2018 Edition (Article 3, Section 5(d)), lists "Yes" in the Ice Barrier Underlayment Required column. The county's own "Requirements for Residential Roof Coverings" handout (effective July 1, 2020) reproduces the triggering condition at R905.1.2: "In areas where there has been a history of ice forming along the eaves causing a backup of water as designated in Table R301.2(1), an ice barrier shall be installed... and extend from the lowest edges of all roof surfaces to a point not less than 24 inches (610 mm) inside the exterior wall line of the building. On roofs with slope equal to or greater than eight units vertical in 12 units horizontal, the ice barrier shall also be applied not less than 36 inches (914 mm) measured along the roof slope from the eave edge." About ice & water barrier
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — The Johnson County Code of Regulations for Buildings and Construction, 2018 Edition, adopted by the Board of County Commissioners under its home-rule authority (K.S.A. 19-101, 19-101a) and effective July 1, 2020, governs unincorporated Johnson County only. Its Article 3 adopts the International Residential Code, 2018 Edition (with Appendix Chapters E, G, H, J, K, O, P and Q), then lists 5 deletions, 22 lettered additions (a-v), and 28 lettered amendments (a-bb). Of these, only two touch Chapter 9 (Roof Assemblies): Additions n-p add new Sections R903.5, R903.5.1 and R903.5.2 defining "moderate" and "severe" hail-exposure zones by a map and hail-diameter thresholds, with no attached material, rating, or testing requirement; and Amendment l rewrites Section R908.3.1.1 to bar roof recover over water-soaked roofing, over asphalt shingle/wood shake/slate/clay/cement/asbestos-cement tile, or over two or more existing roof-covering layers. No other Chapter 9 section is touched, so the balance of Chapter 9 -- including the roof-covering material and classification requirements of R902 and R905 -- is adopted as published in the 2018 IRC. No UL 2218, Class 4, or impact-resistance provision appears anywhere in the Code of Regulations. A companion county handout, "Requirements for Residential Roof Coverings" (also dated effective July 1, 2020), reproduces the applicable 2018 IRC ice-barrier, ventilation, and flashing sections for roof coverings and likewise contains no impact-resistance provision.
Wind design criteria
115 mph ultimate design wind speed (3-second gust); topographic effects No; special wind region No; windborne debris zone No. (Table R301.2(1) as amended, Section R301.2 Climatic and geographic design criteria, Article 3 Section 5(d) of the Johnson County Code of Regulations for Buildings and Construction, 2018 Edition.) Exposure category is not a stated column of the amended table.
Roof layer limit / recover
"A roof recover shall not be permitted where any of the following conditions occur: 1. Where the existing roof or roof covering is water soaked or has deteriorated to the point that the existing roof or roof covering is not adequate as a base for additional roofing. 2. Where the existing roof covering is asphalt shingle, wood shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile. 3. Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." (Section R908.3.1.1 Roof recover not allowed, as amended, Article 3 Section 5(l) of the Johnson County Code of Regulations for Buildings and Construction, 2018 Edition.)
Sales & use tax
Unincorporated Johnson County's combined sales tax rate is 7.975% (KS state 6.5% + Johnson County 1.475%; no city component in unincorporated territory), per KDOR Pub. 1700. Per Kansas DOR Pub. KS-1525 "Sales & Use Tax for Contractors, Subcontractors, and Repairmen" (Rev. 7-29-25): "Services performed to install or apply tangible personal property are exempt from sales tax when the services involve the original construction, reconstruction, restoration, remodeling, renovation, repair or replacement of a residence" -- so residential re-roof LABOR is exempt, but materials are not: contractors "are considered to be the final user or consumer of the materials they install for others, and must pay Kansas sales or use tax on them" at the time of purchase (or self-assessed compensating use tax on out-of-state materials, via Form CT-10U, per the same publication's Compensating Use Tax section). Commercial re-roof labor is taxable ("roofing, siding and guttering" is listed as a taxable labor service on commercial projects). Pub. KS-1525 describes only two collection points for contractor materials tax -- retailer sale or self-assessed use tax -- with no mechanism tied to building-permit issuance anywhere in the publication; Kansas sales/use tax is administered centrally by KDOR, not self-collected by home-rule cities as in Colorado.

Related guides

Hail-Belt Rules by State Denver-Metro Roofing Permits Filing a Hail Insurance Claim Colorado Hail Season Prep Hiring a Contractor

The building permit authority for unincorporated Johnson County, Kansas (Kansas City metro area). Building Codes, a division of Planning, Housing and Community Development, enforces building codes, issues permits, and performs inspections for unincorporated areas outside incorporated cities such as Overland Park, Olathe, and Shawnee, which permit separately.

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Sources

Roofing questions — Unincorporated Johnson County, KS

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Unincorporated Johnson County, KS?

Required.

Is ice & water shield required in Unincorporated Johnson County, KS?

Required — Table R301.2(1) Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria, as amended by the Johnson County Code of Regulations for Buildings and Construction, 2018 Edition (Article 3, Section 5(d)), lists "Yes" in the Ice Barrier Underlayment Required column. The county's own "Requirements for Residential Roof Coverings" handout (effective July 1, 2020) reproduces the triggering condition at R905.1.2: "In areas where there has been a history of ice forming along the eaves causing a backup of water as designated in Table R301.2(1), an ice barrier shall be installed... and extend from the lowest edges of all roof surfaces to a point not less than 24 inches (610 mm) inside the exterior wall line of the building. On roofs with slope equal to or greater than eight units vertical in 12 units horizontal, the ice barrier shall also be applied not less than 36 inches (914 mm) measured along the roof slope from the eave edge.".

Is drip edge required?

Required — "R905.2.8.5 Drip edge. A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs. Adjacent segments of drip edge shall be overlapped not less than 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edges shall extend not less than 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) below the roof sheathing and extend up back onto the roof deck not less than 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edges shall be mechanically fastened to the roof deck at not more than 12 inches (305 mm) o.c." (Johnson County Building Codes, "Requirements for Residential Roof Coverings," dated "Effective July 1, 2020," linked from the Code of Regulation for Buildings and Construction page as "Residential Roof Covering Guidelines")..

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Unincorporated Johnson County, KS?

Required. Johnson County Contractor Licensing (JCCL) license required; all Roofing, Electrical, Plumbing and Mechanical contractors must be licensed with Johnson County Contractor Licensing..

What building code does Unincorporated Johnson County, KS use?

2018 International Codes, adopted by the Board of County Commissioners in the Johnson County Code of Regulations for Buildings & Construction, 2018 Edition, effective July 1, 2020.