Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Maplewood, MN?

Roofing questions: Maplewood, MN

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Maplewood, MN?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Maplewood, MN. NO MINIMUM-SIZE THRESHOLD PUBLISHED. Maplewood's current Roof page states the rule as "A roofing permit is required if you are tearing off and re-roofing," and its roofing handout states it more broadly still: "Building permits are required for all roofing projects. Permits can be obtained from the City of Maplewood, 1902 County Road B East. Permits are issued at the time of application." Neither document sets a square-footage or dollar carve-out below which a small repair may proceed unpermitted, which is a different posture from Bloomington, Minnesota, whose own threshold is an explicit 100 square feet. Treat Maplewood as requiring a permit for reroofing work of any size and confirm a borderline small repair with the Building Department at 651-249-2300. (The 1902 County Road B East address in the handout is the address that document was published with; the City's current Roof page gives 1830 County Road B E.) Applying for the permit requires a Building Permit Application including project valuation and type of shingle; plans and documentation are additionally required for commercial roofing projects.

Is ice & water shield required in Maplewood, MN?

Yes. Maplewood's roofing handout states: "An ice and water barrier is required on all roofs except for detached accessory buildings (garages). The barrier may be at least two layers of underlayment cemented together or a self-adhering polymer modified bitumen sheet... The ice and water barrier must extend from the edge of the eaves to a point at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line of the building. Ice and water barriers are not required along the rakes or in valleys." This is state-governed content rather than a city choice: Minnesota Rules part 1309.0301, subpart 2 amends IRC Table R301.2(1) to read "ICE BARRIER UNDERLAYMENT REQUIRED[h] ... Yes" for the whole state, so the requirement survives the handout's 2015 revision date. WATCH THE GARAGE WORDING. Maplewood's exemption is written for "detached accessory buildings (garages)" with no heated or conditioned qualifier, whereas Apple Valley, Minnesota words the same exemption as applying to "unheated detached accessory structures" and Bloomington, Minnesota frames it around heated detached garages. Because applicability here is state code content rather than a municipal choice, confirm garage-specific applicability with the Building Department at 651-249-2300 rather than relying on a blanket detached-garage exemption.

Is drip edge required in Maplewood, MN?

No. Maplewood says so outright in its roofing handout, under a "DRIP EDGE/ GUTTERS" heading: "Roof Gutters and drip edge are not required by the code." This is one of the places Minnesota departs from the base IRC and it is state-governed, so the handout's 2015 revision date does not undermine it — Minnesota Rules part 1309.0905, subpart 2 provides of IRC Section R905.2.8.5, the drip-edge section, that "Section R905.2.8.5 is deleted in its entirety," and the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry's guidance sheet states the consequence: "Drip edge is not required unless specifically required by the manufacturer's installation instructions." Maplewood has no authority to require a drip edge beyond that state baseline (Minn. Stat. 326B.121, subd. 2(c)). The manufacturer's installation instructions remain a live route to a drip-edge requirement on a specific product. Flashing is a separate matter and IS required — the handout requires it "at all wall and roof intersections wherever there is a change in roof slope or direction and around roof openings," including a kick-out flashing where the eave of a sloped roof meets a vertical sidewall.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Maplewood, MN?

Maplewood states a flat two-layer ceiling in its own roofing handout, under the heading "REROOFING": "New roofing may be installed over an existing roof but shall be limited to a total of two layers. Existing flashing in good condition may be reinstalled. Any sheathing that is replaced must be installed and fastened according to the code." One overlay over one existing layer is therefore permitted and a second existing layer forces a tear-off. The current state code independently produces the same answer, so the handout's 2015 revision date does not undermine it: base 2018 IRC Section R908.3.1.1 (Roof recover not allowed), as incorporated by the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code and unamended by Minnesota, bars a roof recover "where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." Maplewood has no authority to set a different layer limit (Minn. Stat. 326B.121, subd. 2(c)).

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Maplewood, MN?

Yes. A licence is required, and Maplewood is one of the Minnesota cities that will accept its own in place of the state's. The City's Roof page states: "If a contractor is roofing, the city requires the contractor to be licensed with either the state or the City of Maplewood." The City's roofing handout puts the state route more strictly: "All contractors engaged in roofing work must have a state contractor's license and show proof of the license to obtain a permit. Specific questions regarding contractor licenses should be directed to the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, (651) 284-5069 or 1-800-342-5354." At state level Minn. Stat. 326B.805, subd. 1 provides that "A person who meets the definition of a residential roofer as defined in section 326B.802, subdivision 14, must be licensed by the commissioner as a residential roofer, residential building contractor, or residential remodeler," and subd. 3 makes it an offence to act in that capacity for compensation without the licence except as provided in subd. 6. Because the current page and the older handout differ on whether a City licence is an alternative to the state licence or an addition to it, confirm which route the counter will accept, at 651-249-2300, before applying.

What building code does Maplewood, MN use?

STATE-GOVERNED, NOT CITY-SET. Maplewood enforces the Minnesota State Building Code; its residential chapter is Minnesota Rules chapter 1309, the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code, which incorporates the 2018 International Residential Code by reference. Minn. Stat. 326B.121, subd. 1 makes the State Building Code the standard that applies statewide and provides that it supersedes the building code of any municipality, and subd. 2(c) bars a municipality from requiring building code provisions regulating components or systems of a structure that differ from the State Building Code, so Maplewood has no authority to adopt a different edition or vary the code's content. NOTE ON THE CITY'S OWN HANDOUT: Maplewood's published roofing handout carries a revision date of 10/26/2015 and states that it "is based in part on the 2015 Minnesota State Building Code" — an edition since superseded by the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code. Its roofing content is quoted in this record only where the current state rule independently confirms it.