The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / City of Minneapolis, Minnesota - Community Planning & Economic Development, Development Services (Building Inspections)

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

Adopted code

City of Minneapolis, Minnesota - Community Planning & Economic Development, Development Services (Building Inspections)

Yes — a permit is required to replace a roof in Minneapolis, MN, issued by City of Minneapolis, Minnesota - Community Planning & Economic Development, Development Services (Building Inspections). The Minneapolis Construction Code Services handout "Roofing at single-family and two-family dwellings," currently linked from the city's live Roofing building-requirements page, states under "Permits and Inspections": "A building permit is required for all re-roofing work, except repairs involving less than one bundle of shingles (33 1/3 square feet of roof area)." See repair_permit_threshold for the exact exemption text.

Jurisdiction
City of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
250 South 4th Street, Room 300 (Public Service Building), Minneapolis, MN 55415
Contact
  • url: https://www.minneapolismn.gov/business-services/permits/
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • license: no additional Minneapolis roofing-contractor license on top of the statewide RR license. Minneapolis's "Residential Specialty Contractors" city-license page describes specialty trades licensed by the city (e.g., masonry, drywall) and states "the state issues licenses for: General contractors, Residential remodeling contractors, Residential roofing contractor" -- roofing is not among the city's own specialty-contractor license categories; it is treated as a state-licensed trade. CAUTION/RESEARCH TRAP AVOIDED: the City's "Asphalt Shingles & Roofing Material License" (a Minneapolis "Skilled Work" license) is NOT a roofing-installation-contractor license -- the city's own page defines who needs it as "a business that makes: Asphalt shingles, Roofing materials, Roofing Tarvia or asphalt," i.e. a materials-MANUFACTURING license, unrelated to roofing installation contractors. Do not conflate the two.
Permit process note
The Minneapolis Construction Code Services handout "Roofing at single-family and two-family dwellings," currently linked from the city's live Roofing building-requirements page, states under "Permits and Inspections": "A building permit is required for all re-roofing work, except repairs involving less than one bundle of shingles (33 1/3 square feet of roof area)." See repair_permit_threshold for the exact exemption text.
Adopted code
STATE-GOVERNED, NOT CITY-SET. Minneapolis has no authority to adopt a different building code from the Minnesota State Building Code: Minn. Stat. § 326B.121, subd. 1(a)-(b) makes the State Building Code "the standard that applies statewide" and states 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 any structure that are different from any provision of the State Building Code" by ordinance. The residential chapter is Minnesota Rules, Chapter 1309 ("Minnesota Residential Code"), which incorporates the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) by reference "except as qualified by the applicable provisions in Minnesota Rules, chapter 1300, and as amended in this chapter" (Minn. R. 1309.0010, subpart 1), effective as the "2020 Minnesota Residential Code" published 2020-03-31. Minneapolis, as a metro-area municipality that adopted the State Building Code before 2008, is required under Minn. Stat. § 326B.121, subd. 2(a) to continue administering and enforcing this same statewide code -- it has no local variance authority over code content. Per this repo's MN state-lever research (staging/burn-wave/MN_STATE_LEVER.md), cited here rather than re-derived.
Drip edge
Not required — STATE-GOVERNED, and independently corroborated by Minneapolis's own published guidance. Minnesota Rules part 1309.0905, subpart 2 states verbatim: "Section R905.2.8.5 is deleted in its entirety" (the base IRC drip-edge mandate). The Minneapolis Construction Code Services roofing handout restates the practical effect: "Drip edge is not required by code unless specifically required by the shingle manufacturer's installation instructions."
Ice & water shield
Required — STATE-GOVERNED, NOT CITY-SET -- applies identically in Minneapolis as everywhere else in Minnesota. Minnesota Rules part 1309.0301, subpart 2 amends IRC Table R301.2(1) ("Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria") to pre-fill "ICE BARRIER UNDERLAYMENT REQUIRED[h] ... Yes" for the entire state -- footnote h ties this to IRC Sections R905.1.2 etc. "where there has been a history of local damage from the effects of ice damming," a determination Minnesota has made statewide by rule rather than leaving to municipal option. Minneapolis has no authority to opt out of this (Minn. Stat. § 326B.121, subd. 2(c)). The literal installation-extent text of R905.1.2 itself is unamended bare 2018 IRC text that this repo's MN scout could not obtain verbatim (ICC paywall) -- not restated here per the no-invented-baseline-text rule.
Mid-roof inspection
Not required — CITY-SPECIFIC administrative/inspection practice (permit administration is not preempted by the State Building Code, per Minn. Stat. § 326B.121, subd. 2). The Minneapolis Construction Code Services roofing handout states plainly, under "Permits and Inspections": "An underlayment and/or ice barrier inspection is not required. Photos may be taken by the installer but are not required to be submitted or posted for inspection purposes. An additional inspection may be requested when re-sheathing but is not required and is based on the inspector's availability. A final inspection is required when the work is complete." This is a real, notable city-to-city difference within Minnesota: Saint Paul's own published practice (see st-paul-mn.yaml) explicitly REQUIRES an in-progress deck/underlayment inspection before covering, while Minneapolis explicitly does NOT require one (only a final inspection).
Repair permit threshold
CITY-SPECIFIC. The Minneapolis Construction Code Services roofing handout sets the no-permit repair threshold at "less than one bundle of shingles (33 1/3 square feet of roof area)." Above that, a permit is required for all re-roofing work. The same handout adds: "If repairs are needed to the roof framing system (rafters or trusses), an additional permit and a framing inspection are required."
Wind design criteria
STATE-GOVERNED, NOT CITY-SET -- applies identically in Minneapolis as everywhere else in Minnesota. Minnesota Rules part 1309.0301, subpart 2 (amended IRC Table R301.2(1)) sets a uniform statewide design wind speed of 115 mph with topographic effects "Yes" and Seismic Design Category "A" (wind exposure category is determined site-specifically per Section R301.2.1.4, not a state or city lever). Ground snow load, the one geographically-varying input, is fixed by Minnesota Rules part 1303.1700 at the COUNTY level, not by municipality: Hennepin County (Minneapolis) is not listed among the 29 higher-snow-load counties enumerated in 1303.1700 (Aitkin, Becker, Beltrami, Carlton, Cass, Clearwater, Cook, Crow Wing, Hubbard, Itasca, Kanabec, Kittson, Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, Mahnomen, Marshall, Mille Lacs, Morrison, Norman, Otter Tail, Pennington, Pine, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau, St. Louis, Todd, Wadena), so Minneapolis (Hennepin County) falls under the rule's default: ground snow load Pg = 50 pounds per square foot.
Roof layer limit / recover
Substantively STATE-GOVERNED (unamended 2018 IRC Section R908, which Minnesota Rules chapter 1309 does not amend -- confirmed by this repo's MN state-lever research, which found no Minn. R. 1309.0908 part exists). Recorded here from Minneapolis's OWN published guidance (a legitimate city primary source in its own right, not an invented restatement of ICC text) rather than derived from paywalled ICC text: the Minneapolis Construction Code Services roofing handout states, under "Recovering (overlays) vs. replacement": "The code allows for roof overlays over one existing layer of roof covering under the following conditions: The existing roof or roof covering is not water-soaked or deteriorated to the point that it does not provide an adequate base for additional roofing. No overlays allowed over existing wood shakes, slate, clay, and cement or asbestos-cement tiles. The installation is acceptable by and completed according to the shingle manufacturer's instructions..." -- i.e., one overlay layer (over one existing layer) is permitted in Minneapolis when those conditions are met; full tear-off is otherwise required. NOTE: this Minneapolis document's header cites the "2015 Minnesota Residential Code" / "2012 IRC" in its intro paragraph but carries a footer disclaimer "Refer to the 2020 Minnesota Residential building code for all requirements and exceptions" -- its substantive content (deck sheathing, drip edge, ice-barrier extent) matches the current 2020 MRC/Minn. R. 1309 amendments exactly, so the version-label mismatch in the doc's own header appears to be an uncorrected legacy citation, not a substantive conflict; flagged for awareness.
Deck & sheathing requirements
STATE-GOVERNED, and independently corroborated by Minneapolis's own published guidance. Minnesota Rules part 1309.0905, subpart 1 amends IRC Section R905.2.1: "Asphalt shingles shall be fastened to solidly sheathed decks or 1-inch thick nominal wood boards." The Minneapolis Construction Code Services roofing handout restates this near-verbatim: "The code requires that asphalt shingles be fastened to solidly sheathed decks or 1-inch-thick nominal (3/4" actual) wood boards. The code does not define 'solidly sheathed' but most shingle manufacturers have requirements that allow for the use of plywood, OSB and the wood boards mentioned above... many require maximum board spacing between the seams to be 1/8" to ensure the shingle nails don't miss the boards."
Sales & use tax
Minneapolis's combined general sales tax rate is 9.025%, per the Minnesota Department of Revenue's own "Metro Counties Sales and Use Tax Rate Guide, Effective 7/1/2026 - 9/30/2026" (visually confirmed from the official table, not just OCR/text-extracted, to avoid a known column-misalignment artifact in this PDF's automated text extraction): State Rate 6.875% + Metro Area Rate 1.00% (Metro Area Sales and Use Tax for Housing 0.25% + Metro Area Transportation Sales and Use Tax 0.75%, both effective 10/1/2023, apply across the seven-county Twin Cities area per Minn. Stat., applicable in Hennepin County) + Hennepin County "Other Local Rate" 0.15% + Hennepin County Transit Sales and Use Tax 0.50% + City of Minneapolis "City Rate" 0.50% = 9.025% combined. Minneapolis also imposes separate, narrower "special local taxes" (a 3.00% Entertainment Tax eff. 10/1/1969, a 3.00% Lodging Tax eff. 10/1/2019, downtown liquor/restaurant taxes) per the Department of Revenue's "Local Sales and Use Taxes / Including Special Local Taxes" chart -- these apply only to those specific categories (entertainment, lodging, downtown liquor/restaurant), NOT to general retail purchases of roofing materials, and are not part of the 9.025% general rate a roofing contractor would pay on materials.

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Roofing in Minneapolis, MinnesotaCity hub

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The permitting authority for the City of Minneapolis, Minnesota (Hennepin County), within the Minneapolis-St. Paul seven-county metropolitan area. Minneapolis enforces the Minnesota State Building Code (Minn. Stat. § 326B.121), which is the exclusive statewide building-code-content standard and supersedes any city building code; Minneapolis's own role is limited to permit administration, fees, inspections, and any zoning/historic-district overlay rules, which are NOT preempted by the state code.

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Sources

Roofing questions — Minneapolis, MN

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

Required. CITY-SPECIFIC. The Minneapolis Construction Code Services roofing handout sets the no-permit repair threshold at "less than one bundle of shingles (33 1/3 square feet of roof area)." Above that, a permit is required for all re-roofing work. The same handout adds: "If repairs are needed to the roof framing system (rafters or trusses), an additional permit and a framing inspection are required."

Is ice & water shield required in Minneapolis, MN?

Required — STATE-GOVERNED, NOT CITY-SET -- applies identically in Minneapolis as everywhere else in Minnesota. Minnesota Rules part 1309.0301, subpart 2 amends IRC Table R301.2(1) ("Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria") to pre-fill "ICE BARRIER UNDERLAYMENT REQUIRED[h] ... Yes" for the entire state -- footnote h ties this to IRC Sections R905.1.2 etc. "where there has been a history of local damage from the effects of ice damming," a determination Minnesota has made statewide by rule rather than leaving to municipal option. Minneapolis has no authority to opt out of this (Minn. Stat. § 326B.121, subd. 2(c)). The literal installation-extent text of R905.1.2 itself is unamended bare 2018 IRC text that this repo's MN scout could not obtain verbatim (ICC paywall) -- not restated here per the no-invented-baseline-text rule..

Is drip edge required?

Not required — STATE-GOVERNED, and independently corroborated by Minneapolis's own published guidance. Minnesota Rules part 1309.0905, subpart 2 states verbatim: "Section R905.2.8.5 is deleted in its entirety" (the base IRC drip-edge mandate). The Minneapolis Construction Code Services roofing handout restates the practical effect: "Drip edge is not required by code unless specifically required by the shingle manufacturer's installation instructions.".

Is a mid-roof inspection required?

Not required — CITY-SPECIFIC administrative/inspection practice (permit administration is not preempted by the State Building Code, per Minn. Stat. § 326B.121, subd. 2). The Minneapolis Construction Code Services roofing handout states plainly, under "Permits and Inspections": "An underlayment and/or ice barrier inspection is not required. Photos may be taken by the installer but are not required to be submitted or posted for inspection purposes. An additional inspection may be requested when re-sheathing but is not required and is based on the inspector's availability. A final inspection is required when the work is complete." This is a real, notable city-to-city difference within Minnesota: Saint Paul's own published practice (see st-paul-mn.yaml) explicitly REQUIRES an in-progress deck/underlayment inspection before covering, while Minneapolis explicitly does NOT require one (only a final inspection)..

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

Required. no additional Minneapolis roofing-contractor license on top of the statewide RR license. Minneapolis's "Residential Specialty Contractors" city-license page describes specialty trades licensed by the city (e.g., masonry, drywall) and states "the state issues licenses for: General contractors, Residential remodeling contractors, Residential roofing contractor" -- roofing is not among the city's own specialty-contractor license categories; it is treated as a state-licensed trade. CAUTION/RESEARCH TRAP AVOIDED: the City's "Asphalt Shingles & Roofing Material License" (a Minneapolis "Skilled Work" license) is NOT a roofing-installation-contractor license -- the city's own page defines who needs it as "a business that makes: Asphalt shingles, Roofing materials, Roofing Tarvia or asphalt," i.e. a materials-MANUFACTURING license, unrelated to roofing installation contractors. Do not conflate the two..

What building code does Minneapolis, MN use?

STATE-GOVERNED, NOT CITY-SET. Minneapolis has no authority to adopt a different building code from the Minnesota State Building Code: Minn. Stat. § 326B.121, subd. 1(a)-(b) makes the State Building Code "the standard that applies statewide" and states 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 any structure that are different from any provision of the State Building Code" by ordinance. The residential chapter is Minnesota Rules, Chapter 1309 ("Minnesota Residential Code"), which incorporates the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) by reference "except as qualified by the applicable provisions in Minnesota Rules, chapter 1300, and as amended in this chapter" (Minn. R. 1309.0010, subpart 1), effective as the "2020 Minnesota Residential Code" published 2020-03-31. Minneapolis, as a metro-area municipality that adopted the State Building Code before 2008, is required under Minn. Stat. § 326B.121, subd. 2(a) to continue administering and enforcing this same statewide code -- it has no local variance authority over code content. Per this repo's MN state-lever research (staging/burn-wave/MN_STATE_LEVER.md), cited here rather than re-derived.