Permitting Authorities / Lake County - Office of Building Services
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Unincorporated Lake County, FL?
Adopted codeLake County - Office of Building Services
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Lake County, FL, issued by Lake County - Office of Building Services. Lake County's Office of Building Services permits work in unincorporated Lake County only; for property inside a city, "you will contact that city's building department directly." Residential re-roof permits are applied for online: "these permits are auto-issue permits, which means that once you have submitted your application packet, the fees will automatically generate, and you will be issued the building permit. However, if the property is in a flood zone, additional reviews will be required before the permit can be issued." Give the full square footage of the roof ("not a square count") and the material and structure in the job description, and upload the Notice of Commencement after paying; a recorded Notice of Commencement is required "for permits with a job value over $5,000." The FY 2026 fee schedule lists "Residential Roofing (per square foot)" at $0.03. Kept on site for the final inspection: the notarized Reroof Scope of Work and Inspection Affidavit (form BF61), Florida product approval installation instructions for every product, and printed photographs of sheathing re-nailing and underlayment "with a measurement device shown to reference required fastener spacing." Under Lake County Code Sec. 6-22 (FBC 109.4 as amended), work begun before a permit is issued is charged a fee from the adopted fee schedule, and emergency work must be permitted within three business days or a double fee applies. A permit expires unless a valid inspection is called and approved within 180 days of issuance.
Roof code checklist: Unincorporated Lake County, FL
| Item | Answer | Code cite | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permit to replace a roof | Yes | cl16-re-roof-permit-checklist-ada... | 2026-09-26 | |
| Repair permit threshold | Published | library.municode.com | 2026-09-26 | |
| Layer limit / roof-over | Published | R908.3 | codes.iccsafe.org | 2026-09-26 |
| Deck & sheathing | Published | bf61-reroof-scope-of-work-reroofi... | 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 | bf60_roofing_information_guidelin... | 2026-09-26 |
| Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofing | No | library.municode.com | 2026-09-26 | |
| Wind design criteria | Published | library.municode.com | 2026-09-26 | |
| Adopted code | Published | Sec. 1612.4 | 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
Lake County, Florida (unincorporated)
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
320 W. Main St., Tavares, FL 32778
Contact
- url: https://www.lakecountyfl.gov/building-services
- phone: 352-343-9653
- email: [email protected]
Permit portal
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
- state_level: Roofing contractor is its own licensed trade in Florida (s. 489.105(3)(e), F.S.), and s. 489.113(2), F.S. provides that "A person must be certified or registered in order to engage in the business of contracting in this state." A state-certified roofing contractor may work anywhere in Florida; a state-registered contractor may work only where he or she holds the local competency licence, since "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" (s. 489.117(1)(b), F.S.). Section 489.103(7), F.S. separately 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 "for the occupancy or use of such owners and not offered for sale or lease"; this record does not decide whether any reader falls within that exemption.
- county_level: Lake County Code Sec. 6-4 provides: "No person shall engage in the business of contracting in Lake County unless he or she obtains the appropriate license or is exempted pursuant to Section 6-5. Any person who desires to engage in the contracting classifications listed in Section 489.105, Florida Statutes, Part I or Part II shall be either state certified or state registered." Sec. 6-5 exempts the persons listed in ss. 489.103 and 489.117(4)(a), F.S. Before pulling a permit, a state-certified contractor files with the Office of Building Services a copy of the state licence, a general liability insurance certificate for at least $300,000 per occurrence and a workers' compensation certificate (or exemption), each naming the Lake County Board of County Commissioners (form BF47, updated 2.9.2024). A state-registered or locally licensed contractor files an Application for Registration (form BF08, updated May 22, 2024) with a letter of reciprocity ("The passing grade for Lake County is 75.0%, and you must have taken the Business and Law examination"), a $5,000 bond payable to the Florida Homeowners Construction Recovery Fund, the same insurance certificates, a statewide criminal history check and a fee of "$150.00 for two (2) years"; the form states that "All items must be on file in the Lake County Office of Building Services before contracting, sub-contracting, or operating a construction industry trade in Lake County, and prior to making application for any form or construction permit." Owner-builders sign the county's Owner Builder Disclosure Statement (form BF30) and "must personally appear to sign the building permit application." Licensing questions: [email protected], 352-343-9653.
Permit process note
Lake County's Office of Building Services permits work in unincorporated Lake County only; for property inside a city, "you will contact that city's building department directly." Residential re-roof permits are applied for online: "these permits are auto-issue permits, which means that once you have submitted your application packet, the fees will automatically generate, and you will be issued the building permit. However, if the property is in a flood zone, additional reviews will be required before the permit can be issued." Give the full square footage of the roof ("not a square count") and the material and structure in the job description, and upload the Notice of Commencement after paying; a recorded Notice of Commencement is required "for permits with a job value over $5,000." The FY 2026 fee schedule lists "Residential Roofing (per square foot)" at $0.03. Kept on site for the final inspection: the notarized Reroof Scope of Work and Inspection Affidavit (form BF61), Florida product approval installation instructions for every product, and printed photographs of sheathing re-nailing and underlayment "with a measurement device shown to reference required fastener spacing." Under Lake County Code Sec. 6-22 (FBC 109.4 as amended), work begun before a permit is issued is charged a fee from the adopted fee schedule, and emergency work must be permitted within three business days or a double fee applies. A permit expires unless a valid inspection is called and approved within 180 days of issuance.
Inspection requirements
For a residential re-roof, Lake County requires a final roofing inspection; at that inspection the notarized Reroof Scope of Work and Inspection Affidavit (BF61), the Florida product approval installation instructions for every product, and printed photographs of sheathing re-nailing, underlayment and any purlins or insulation must be on site. The affidavit is signed by a general, building, residential or roofing contractor, engineer, architect or Chapter 468 building inspector (or the owner on an owner-builder permit), who affirms "that the sheathing, nailing, dry-in, and flashings at the above referenced address/lot have been installed in accordance with the attached scope of work," and it must be accompanied by "digital photographs of each plane of the roof with the permit number or address number clearly marked on the deck for each inspection." The affidavit records which Section R905.1.1 underlayment method was used. A recover over one existing layer also needs only the roof final, with the same affidavit, photographs and product approvals on site. Commercial re-roofs are inspected at Roof Dry-In / Flashing, Roof Secondary Barrier, Roof Decking, Sheathing - Roof Nailing and Roof Nailing. Site debris must be cleaned up before final approval.
Adopted code
Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), Residential (2021 IRC base), effective December 31, 2023, adopted by the Florida Building Commission in Rule 61G20-1.001, F.A.C. Under s. 553.73(6), F.S., the code "is deemed adopted for use statewide without adoptions by local government." Lake County Code Sec. 6-22 provides that "all construction in Lake County shall be in accordance with the current FBC, and the Florida Fire Prevention Code, as amended from time to time," subject to county amendments that are administrative (permits, fees, inspections) except for two flood-elevation changes (Residential Section R322.2.1 and Building Section 1612.4); the county makes no amendment to the roofing chapters. The county's Residential Re-Roof / Roof Over Permit Check List (CL16, updated January 2024) is headed "Florida Building Code 8th Edition (2023)."
Drip edge
Required — Required on shingle roofs. Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), Section R905.2.8.5: "Provide drip edge at eaves and gables of shingle roofs." It also requires a 3-inch minimum overlap and mechanical fastening at a maximum of 12 inches on center (4 inches where the allowable stress design wind speed, Vasd, is 110 mph or greater or the mean roof height exceeds 33 feet). Lake County Code Sec. 6-22, read in full, makes no amendment to the roofing provisions. The county's Roofing Definitions and Guidelines handout (BF60, revised April 2024) states that drip edge shall be overlapped at least 3 inches and fastened 4 inches on center, and the Reroof Scope of Work (BF61) requires final-inspection photographs with a measuring device confirming "overlaps including drip edge and valley flashing." About drip edge
Ice & water shield
Not required — Not required anywhere in Florida. Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023) reads "R905.1.2 Ice barriers. Reserved." Lake County Code Sec. 6-22, read in full, makes no amendment to the roofing provisions. A full-deck ASTM D1970 self-adhering underlayment remains one of the underlayment methods listed on the county's Reroofing Inspection Affidavit (BF61) for Section R905.1.1. About ice & water barrier
Mid-roof inspection
Required — Lake County lets the dry-in be documented by sworn affidavit and photographs instead of a separate on-site inspection. The Florida Building Code's required-inspection list (Section 110.3, as amended by Lake County Code Sec. 6-22) includes a "Roofing inspection" that "Shall at a minimum include the following building components": dry-in, insulation, roof coverings and flashing; the county's amendment adds "5.1 Re-Roof sheathing inspection. An affidavit with a notarized signature of an architect, engineer, state or locally licensed roofing contractor for the installation of additional sheathing fasteners as required by the FBC may be accepted at the discretion of the Building Official," and states that "The Building Official shall determine the timing and sequencing of when inspections occur and what elements are inspected at each inspection." The county's roofing handout (BF60, revised April 2024) states that Lake County "will accept the BF 61" Re-Roofing Inspection Affidavit (Nailing, Sheathing, Dry-in and Flashing) "form only for re-roofing permits, with a final roofing inspection required," and for a shingle recover over one existing layer, "Only a 161-roof final is required at end of the job." Plan on photographing the sheathing re-nailing, underlayment, drip edge and valley flashing, with a ruler in each shot, before covering them, and on having the notarized affidavit on site at the final. The checklist adds that "On-site inspections, per Florida Building Code 110, may be required by the Building Division to verify Code compliance," the Scope of Work states that replacing damaged decking requires an inspection, and multi-layer underlayment on 2:12 to 4:12 slopes "requires inspection or digital photographs for verification."
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Lake County Code Sec. 6-22, read in full, amends the Florida Building Code only in its administrative provisions and two flood-elevation sections, and makes no amendment to the roofing provisions; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement for roof coverings appears in the Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), Chapter 9, or in the county's code. The "impact-resistant coverings" named in the county's permit and inspection sections are storm protection for openings, not roof coverings, and Florida's shingle classifications (ASTM D3161, TAS 107, ASTM D7158) are wind ratings, not hail-impact ratings.
Repair permit threshold
Lake County's enacted list of work exempt from a building permit (Lake County Code Sec. 6-22, amending Florida Building Code Section 105.2) names no roof work, and the county charges a dedicated residential roofing permit fee. Florida Building Code, Building, Section 105.2.2 provides that "Ordinary minor repairs may be made with the approval of the building official without a permit, provided the repairs do not include the cutting away of any wall, partition or portion thereof, the removal or cutting of any structural beam or load-bearing support"; none of the county's roofing forms or pages read on September 26, 2026 applies it to roof work. The county's roofing handout defines "Roof Repair" by the code's 25 percent rule: "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 entire roofing system or roof section conforms to requirements of the code." For manufactured homes, Sec. 6-23 requires repairs to the roof system to use "material and design equivalent to the original construction and if the material or design is upgraded or unobtainable a permit will be required." Separately, since July 1, 2026, s. 553.79(1)(g), F.S. provides: "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 to "Any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work performed on property containing a single-family dwelling"; a 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." The Office of Building Services pages and forms read on September 26, 2026 do not mention this exemption.
Wind design criteria
Lake County publishes no design wind speed of its own in the documents read; it uses the Florida Building Code's statewide wind speed lines. Lake County Code Sec. 6-22: "For purposes of the FBC, the exact location of wind speed lines shall be determined by overlaying the line provided in the FBC on the corresponding GIS map of Lake County streets, roads and highways. Determination of wind speed, with respect to structures bearing on the wind line, shall be made by the Building Official." The Office of Building Services links a "Windline/Windspeed Maps" document from its home page; ask the office for the site's wind speed where the property is near a wind line. Lake County is not in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which the code defines as "Broward and Miami-Dade counties."
Roof layer limit / recover
Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), Section R908.3 (Recovering versus replacement): "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." A tear-off is also required where the existing roof is water soaked or deteriorated, where the existing covering is wood shingle or shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile, where unrepaired blisters exist, or where the existing covering cannot meet the securement provisions for the new system. The code applies statewide, and Lake County Code Chapter 6 (Buildings and Construction), read in full, amends nothing in the reroofing section. The county's Roofing Definitions and Guidelines handout (BF60, revised April 2024) agrees: tear-off is required "When the existing roof has two or more applications of any type roofing material. Conformance with this item shall make replacement mandatory," and it allows a recover over "one-layer existing" roofing in good condition, adding that "The condition of the existing roof is between the owner and contractor, not determined by the building department."
Deck & sheathing requirements
Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), Section R908.7 (Wind mitigation): "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." Section R908.7.1 sets the deck-fastening rules for existing wood decks (it treats an 8d nail as at least 0.113 inch in diameter and 2-1/4 inches long), and Section R908.7.2 requires that "When a roof covering is removed and replaced, a secondary water barrier shall be installed in accordance with Section R905.1.1 or Section 1518.2 of the Florida Building Code, Building." Lake County's Re-Roof checklist (CL16) and Reroof Scope of Work (BF61) state: "Sheathing shall be re-nailed for any detached Single-Family home built prior to March 1, 2002," with nailing equivalent to 8d nails no more than 6 inches on center (citing Florida Building Code, Existing Building, Section 706.7.1). Printed photographs of the sheathing re-nailing, with a ruler or measuring device showing fastener spacing, must be on site at the final inspection. Lake County Code Sec. 6-22 (FBC 110.3 as amended) adds: "Sheathing fasteners installed and found to be missing the structural member (shiners) shall be removed and properly reinstalled prior to installation of the dry-in material." Where damaged decking must be replaced, the Scope of Work states "an inspection is required."
Sales & use tax
7% combined: 6% Florida state sales and use tax plus a 1% Lake County discretionary sales surtax, effective January 1, 1988, with an expiration date of December 31, 2032 (Florida Department of Revenue form DR-15DSS, Discretionary Sales Surtax Information for Calendar Year 2026). Roofing work is classified as a real property contract (Rule 12A-1.051(17)(cc), F.A.C.). Under Rule 12A-1.051(4), "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." The same treatment applies to a roof repair and a full replacement.
Lake County's Office of Building Services, in Tavares, issues building permits, including residential re-roof permits, performs inspections and licenses and registers contractors for unincorporated Lake County, Florida. Property inside a city is permitted by that city's own building department.
Hail reports near the center of Lake County, FL
- Reports, last 24 months
- 0
- Largest, last 24 months
- None
- Most recent
- None in 24 months
- Reports, last 5 years
- 4
| Date | Hail size | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 4, 2024 | 1.00 in | 3 mi NNW |
| Jun 18, 2022 | 0.75 in | 3 mi NNW |
| May 21, 2022 | 1.00 in | 8 mi NE |
| May 21, 2022 | 1.00 in | 4 mi NNW |
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 the center of Lake County, FL. Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.
Working an insurance claim in Unincorporated Lake County, FL? 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).
Code items like drip edge and ice & water shield are what adjusters ask you to document.
Buy this jurisdiction's pack: $12 Delivered by email within minutes.
Questions about the Unincorporated Lake County, FL pack?
Not ready to buy, or need a different jurisdiction? Tell us and we’ll reply directly.
Sources
- lakecountyfl.gov verified 2026-09-26
- cdn.lakecountyfl.gov verified 2026-09-26
- library.municode.com verified 2026-09-26
- cdn.lakecountyfl.gov verified 2026-09-26
- cdn.lakecountyfl.gov verified 2026-09-26
- library.municode.com verified 2026-09-26
- codes.iccsafe.org verified 2026-09-26
- cdn.lakecountyfl.gov verified 2026-09-26
- floridarevenue.com verified 2026-09-26