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Permitting Authorities / City of Lubbock - Building Safety Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Lubbock, TX?

Adopted code

City of Lubbock - Building Safety Department

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Lubbock, TX, issued by City of Lubbock - Building Safety Department. The Residential Permitting page states: "A roofing permit is required to tear off and replace shingles. A remodeling permit is required if changing the framing or the pitch on the roof." The department's Residential Roofs handout states: "To ensure a measure of safety, a building permit is required for all roof covering replacements." The fee schedule for the fiscal year October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026 lists "Commercial or Residential Replacement Roof Permits" at $75. Work started without the permit costs more: City Code Section 28.05.106 sets the fee for "unlawful reroofing" at a minimum of "one hundred dollars ($100.00) or double the normal permit fee, whichever is greater." One inspection is scheduled, the final. Before it, the roofing contractor performs an interior check of the gas appliance vents (vents terminating through the roof, vent clearances, vent connections sealed) and files the Affidavit of Interior Inspection, signed by the contractor and by the owner or tenant, with Building Safety "prior to scheduling the final inspection." The final inspection then verifies the scope of work is complete, installation "to current adopted codes and ordinances", and that construction debris is removed.

Roof code checklist: Lubbock, TX

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYesmylubbock.us2026-09-26
Repair permit thresholdPublishedmylubbock.us2026-09-26
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1ecode360.com2026-09-26
Deck & sheathingPublishedR803mylubbock.us2026-09-26
Drip edgeYesR905.2.8.5mylubbock.us2026-09-26
Ice & water shieldNoecode360.com2026-09-26
Mid-roof inspectionNomylubbock.us2026-09-26
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNomylubbock.us2026-09-26
Wind design criteriaPublishedecode360.com2026-09-26
Adopted codePublishedSec. 28.14.004mylubbock.us2026-09-26
Contractor license / registrationYesecode360.com2026-09-26
Sales & use taxPublishedcomptroller.texas.gov2026-09-26

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 Lubbock, Texas
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
1314 Avenue K, Lubbock, TX 79401
Contact
  • url: https://www.mylubbock.us/904/Residential-Permitting
  • phone: 806-775-2087
  • email: [email protected]
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • state_level: Texas issues no state roofing contractor licence; the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation's program list has no roofing program.
  • city_level: City of Lubbock Code of Ordinances Article 28.04 (Contractor Registration), Section 28.04.001(a): "No permit for work required by this code shall be issued to any contractor or other person unless such contractor or person is registered with the building official of the city in accordance with the following provisions". Section 28.04.003 requires "a good and sufficient bond in the amount of twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) issued by a surety company authorized to do business in the state", and Section 28.04.004 requires "a comprehensive general liability insurance policy in a minimum amount of one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) per occurrence", evidenced by a certificate of insurance before any permit is approved. The Building Safety fee schedule (fiscal year October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026) and the Residential Permitting page both state the coverage as either/or: "$20,000 compliance bond or $100,000 general liability insurance". Annual fee for contractors other than mechanical, electrical or plumbing: $65; registration runs January 1st to December 31st and must be renewed annually. Section 28.04.001(b)(1) exempts "a homeowner seeking a permit to perform authorized work on his/her existing primary personal residence (homestead), provided that the homeowner and/or a family member personally performs the work". The department's Residential Roofs handout states: "Contractors performing this work must register with our department and obtain a building permit before starting the job."
Permit process note
The Residential Permitting page states: "A roofing permit is required to tear off and replace shingles. A remodeling permit is required if changing the framing or the pitch on the roof." The department's Residential Roofs handout states: "To ensure a measure of safety, a building permit is required for all roof covering replacements." The fee schedule for the fiscal year October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026 lists "Commercial or Residential Replacement Roof Permits" at $75. Work started without the permit costs more: City Code Section 28.05.106 sets the fee for "unlawful reroofing" at a minimum of "one hundred dollars ($100.00) or double the normal permit fee, whichever is greater." One inspection is scheduled, the final. Before it, the roofing contractor performs an interior check of the gas appliance vents (vents terminating through the roof, vent clearances, vent connections sealed) and files the Affidavit of Interior Inspection, signed by the contractor and by the owner or tenant, with Building Safety "prior to scheduling the final inspection." The final inspection then verifies the scope of work is complete, installation "to current adopted codes and ordinances", and that construction debris is removed.
Adopted code
2021 International Residential Code, adopted by Ordinance No. 2024-O0029 (passed on second reading March 26, 2024; by its Section 4 not enforced until after the 30th day after final adoption) and codified at City Code Article 28.14, with local amendments at Section 28.14.004. Ordinance No. 2025-O0019 (second reading January 28, 2025) amended Section 28.14.001 only, to limit the adopted appendices to AA through AD, AG, AN and AP. The Building Safety Ordinances page lists the 2021 International Building, Existing Building, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation, Swimming Pool and Spa and Fire Codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code alongside it. For context, Texas Local Government Code Section 214.212 adopts "the International Residential Code, as it existed on May 1, 2012" as a municipal residential building code and allows a city to adopt local amendments by ordinance after a public hearing.
Drip edge
Required — Drip edge is required at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs (2021 IRC Section R905.2.8.5). Lubbock adopted the 2021 International Residential Code by Ordinance No. 2024-O0029; that ordinance, read in full, and City Code Article 28.14 as currently codified amend nothing in Section R905, so the code's drip-edge requirement stands as enacted local law. The operative ICC wording is not restated here. About drip edge
Ice & water shield
Not required — Table R301.2 as replaced by City Code Section 28.14.004(b) (Ordinance No. 2024-O0029, adopting the 2021 International Residential Code) lists "Ice Barrier Underlayment Required" as "No" for Lubbock. About ice & water barrier
Mid-roof inspection
Not required — The department's Residential Roofs handout names one inspection for a roof replacement, the final: "The final inspection for roof replacement will consist of the following", an interior check of gas appliance vents and an exterior check that the scope of work is complete, installed "to current adopted codes and ordinances", with debris removed. The roofing contractor performs the interior check and files the Affidavit of Interior Inspection "prior to scheduling the final inspection." The Residential Permitting page likewise states: "An inspection after completion is required." Section R109 as amended by Ordinance No. 2024-O0029 lists foundation, rough plumbing, mechanical, gas and electrical, floodplain, frame and masonry, fire-resistance-rated and final inspections, with no roof-covering or deck inspection, while reserving the building official's authority "to make or require any other inspections to ascertain compliance with this code".
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Lubbock sits in hail country, but its adopted code does not mandate impact-rated roofing. Neither Ordinance No. 2024-O0029 (adopting the 2021 International Residential Code, read in full, amendment items (a) through (nnn)) nor Ordinance No. 2025-O0019 (which changes only the list of adopted appendices) amends Chapter 9's roof-covering provisions other than the roof recover rule at R908.3.1.1; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in the city's adopted residential code or its amendments, as codified at City Code Article 28.14. An insurer's premium discount for a Class 4 roof is not a code requirement.
Repair permit threshold
No square-footage or dollar threshold for roof repairs is published. The Residential Permitting page makes the tear-off and replacement of shingles permit work ("A roofing permit is required to tear off and replace shingles") and the department's handout requires a permit "for all roof covering replacements." For repairs generally, the same page states: "Repairs are defined as minor part replacement to make a unit functional and typically do not require permitting," and that "When repairs become extensive or require replacement of a new unit, they would fall under the scope of remodeling and would require permitting." City Code Section 28.05.067 relieves "ordinary repairs to structures" from application or notice, without defining them for roofing, and Section 28.05.061 provides that "Where determined by the building official, permits may be waived for small and unimportant work". Changing the roof framing or pitch takes a remodeling permit. Whether a patch or partial repair needs a permit is therefore the building official's call; ask Building Safety at 806-775-2087 before starting.
Wind design criteria
Table R301.2, Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria, as replaced by City Code Section 28.14.004(b) (Ordinance No. 2024-O0029): Ground Snow Load 15 psf; Wind Design Speed 115 mph; Topographic effects No; Special wind region No; Windborne debris zone No; Seismic Design Category A; Weathering Moderate; Frost line depth 12 inches; Termite Moderate to Heavy; Winter Design Temp 15 Degrees; Ice Barrier Underlayment Required No; Air Freezing Index 172; Mean Annual Temp 59.9 Degrees.
Roof layer limit / recover
Lubbock rewrites the adopted code's recover rule. City Code Section 28.14.004(ee), "Roof re-cover not allowed", amends Section R908.3.1.1 of the 2021 International Residential Code to read: "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 wood shake, slate, clay, cement, asbestos-cement tile, or asphalt, fiberglass or composition shingles. 3. Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." Because condition 2 names asphalt, fiberglass and composition shingles, a shingle roof in Lubbock cannot be recovered; the existing shingles come off. Condition 3 bars any recover over two or more existing applications of any covering.
Deck & sheathing requirements
Lubbock sets no local roof-deck or sheathing rule. Ordinance No. 2024-O0029, adopting the 2021 International Residential Code and read in full, reaches the roof framing chapter only to amend the rafter and ceiling joist sizing sections (R802.4.1 and R802.5.1, pointing to the latest American Wood Council span data) and to add an attic ventilation exception at R806.1; it does not amend the roof sheathing provisions (Section R803) or the roof-covering deck requirements in Chapter 9, so the base code provisions on roof sheathing apply unmodified. If decking or framing is changed, the Residential Permitting page states that "A remodeling permit is required if changing the framing or the pitch on the roof."
Sales & use tax
8.25% combined (6.25% state + 1.50% City of Lubbock + 0.50% Lubbock County), the Texas local-rate cap, per the Texas Comptroller's local sales and use tax rate file, July 2026 quarter. Under Comptroller guidance for real property repair and remodeling, "Labor to repair, remodel, or restore residential real property is not taxable"; on the lump-sum contract typical of residential re-roofing, "you pay tax on all your supplies, materials, equipment, and taxable services when you buy them. You don't charge your customer tax" (Comptroller Pub. 94-116, Real Property Repair and Remodeling, comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/94-116.php), so the combined rate above is the roofer's own cost basis on materials purchased, not a rate charged to the homeowner.

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The permitting authority for the City of Lubbock. The Building Safety Department issues residential and commercial building permits, including roof replacement permits, registers contractors, and enforces the city's adopted construction codes, which it lists with their adopting ordinances.

Hail reports near Lubbock, TX

Reports, last 24 months
19
Largest, last 24 months
2.50 in Jun 5, 2025
Most recent
Sep 15, 2026 1.00 in
Reports, last 5 years
27
5 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
Sep 15, 20261.00 in4 mi WNW
Jun 25, 20261.00 in4 mi NW
Jun 25, 20261.00 in3 mi NW
Jun 25, 20261.00 in3 mi N
Jun 8, 20261.00 in5 mi W

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 Lubbock, TX (Census point). Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.

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NOAA storm reports show hail up to 1.00 in within 10 miles of Lubbock, TX on September 15, 2026. If you are writing supplements for those roofs, the pack has this jurisdiction's code items with sources.

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Sources

Roofing questions: Lubbock, TX

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Lubbock, TX?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Lubbock, TX. No square-footage or dollar threshold for roof repairs is published. The Residential Permitting page makes the tear-off and replacement of shingles permit work ("A roofing permit is required to tear off and replace shingles") and the department's handout requires a permit "for all roof covering replacements." For repairs generally, the same page states: "Repairs are defined as minor part replacement to make a unit functional and typically do not require permitting," and that "When repairs become extensive or require replacement of a new unit, they would fall under the scope of remodeling and would require permitting." City Code Section 28.05.067 relieves "ordinary repairs to structures" from application or notice, without defining them for roofing, and Section 28.05.061 provides that "Where determined by the building official, permits may be waived for small and unimportant work". Changing the roof framing or pitch takes a remodeling permit. Whether a patch or partial repair needs a permit is therefore the building official's call; ask Building Safety at 806-775-2087 before starting.

Is ice & water shield required in Lubbock, TX?

No. Table R301.2 as replaced by City Code Section 28.14.004(b) (Ordinance No. 2024-O0029, adopting the 2021 International Residential Code) lists "Ice Barrier Underlayment Required" as "No" for Lubbock.

Is drip edge required in Lubbock, TX?

Yes. Drip edge is required at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs (2021 IRC Section R905.2.8.5). Lubbock adopted the 2021 International Residential Code by Ordinance No. 2024-O0029; that ordinance, read in full, and City Code Article 28.14 as currently codified amend nothing in Section R905, so the code's drip-edge requirement stands as enacted local law. The operative ICC wording is not restated here.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Lubbock, TX?

Lubbock rewrites the adopted code's recover rule. City Code Section 28.14.004(ee), "Roof re-cover not allowed", amends Section R908.3.1.1 of the 2021 International Residential Code to read: "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 wood shake, slate, clay, cement, asbestos-cement tile, or asphalt, fiberglass or composition shingles. 3. Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." Because condition 2 names asphalt, fiberglass and composition shingles, a shingle roof in Lubbock cannot be recovered; the existing shingles come off. Condition 3 bars any recover over two or more existing applications of any covering.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Lubbock, TX?

Yes.

What building code does Lubbock, TX use?

2021 International Residential Code, adopted by Ordinance No. 2024-O0029 (passed on second reading March 26, 2024; by its Section 4 not enforced until after the 30th day after final adoption) and codified at City Code Article 28.14, with local amendments at Section 28.14.004. Ordinance No. 2025-O0019 (second reading January 28, 2025) amended Section 28.14.001 only, to limit the adopted appendices to AA through AD, AG, AN and AP. The Building Safety Ordinances page lists the 2021 International Building, Existing Building, Mechanical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Energy Conservation, Swimming Pool and Spa and Fire Codes and the 2020 National Electrical Code alongside it. For context, Texas Local Government Code Section 214.212 adopts "the International Residential Code, as it existed on May 1, 2012" as a municipal residential building code and allows a city to adopt local amendments by ordinance after a public hearing.