The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Monroe County - Building Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Unincorporated Monroe County, FL?

Adopted code

Monroe County - Building Department

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Monroe County, FL, issued by Monroe County - Building Department. A re-roof in unincorporated Monroe County is permit work. County Code section 6-100(a) provides that "A permit shall be required for all work shown in the following table, except where specifically exempted this section," and the table lists "Any new construction and remodeling work of principal and accessory structures," whose only repair relief is "Normal maintenance or ordinary minor repairs where the fair market value of such work is less than $2,500.00." The Building Department states that it "intakes and issues permits for all types of development"; applications are made through the County's online permitting services, and a recorded Notice of Commencement must be submitted before the first inspection where the job valuation is greater than $5,000. State law makes it "unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or governmental entity to construct, erect, alter, modify, repair, or demolish any building within this state without first obtaining a permit" (section 553.79(1)(a), Florida Statutes). Under County Code section 6-110(a)(1), anyone who starts permit work before obtaining the permit "shall pay $500.00 for completed construction work that is valued at $5,000.00 or less or, pay $1,000.00 for completed work that is valued at more than $5,000.00 or ten percent of the value of the construction work already completed, whichever is greater," and must supply sealed engineer's drawings certifying the completed work. A permit "will expire six months after issuance if no inspection related to the scope of work has passed.".

Roof code checklist: Unincorporated Monroe County, FL

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYeslibrary.municode.com2026-10-16
Repair permit thresholdPublishedlibrary.municode.com2026-10-16
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-16
Deck & sheathingPublishedcodes.iccsafe.org2026-10-16
Drip edgeYesR905.2.8.5codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-16
Ice & water shieldNoR905.1.2codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-16
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNolibrary.municode.com2026-10-16
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedSec. 553.73(6)library.municode.com2026-10-16
Contractor license / registrationYesleg.state.fl.us2026-10-16
Sales & use taxPublisheddr15dss_26.pdf2026-10-16

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
Monroe County, Florida (unincorporated)
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
2798 Overseas Hwy., Suite 300, Marathon, FL 33050
Contact
  • url: https://www.monroecounty-fl.gov/149/Building-and-Permitting
  • phone: 305-289-2501
Permit portal
Permit portal
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • state_level: Roofing contractor is a separately licensed trade in Florida. Section 489.105(3)(e), Florida Statutes, defines a "Roofing contractor" as "a contractor whose services are unlimited in the roofing trade"; section 489.113(2) provides that a person "must be certified or registered in order to engage in the business of contracting in this state." A state-certified contractor may work statewide; under section 489.117(1)(b), "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, if any, and only for the type of work covered by the registration." Section 489.103(7) contains an owner-builder exemption for "Owners of property when acting as their own contractor and providing direct, onsite supervision themselves of all work not performed by licensed contractors"; this record does not decide whether a particular reader falls within it.
  • county_level: County Code section 6-77 makes it "unlawful for any person or firm to engage in the business or act in the capacity of a contractor, subcontractor, master, journeyman or maintenance personnel, as hereinafter defined, anywhere within the unincorporated areas of this county without a current valid certificate of competency issued by either the county or by the state." The County's contractor page offers a "State Contractor Registration" application for state-certified contractors and a Certificate of Competency application, and keeps a list of registered contractors whose "Business Tax, State/County, Liability, and Worker Comp" dates have not expired. The County's inspections page states that "The owner/builder must be present for all inspections."
Permit process note
A re-roof in unincorporated Monroe County is permit work. County Code section 6-100(a) provides that "A permit shall be required for all work shown in the following table, except where specifically exempted this section," and the table lists "Any new construction and remodeling work of principal and accessory structures," whose only repair relief is "Normal maintenance or ordinary minor repairs where the fair market value of such work is less than $2,500.00." The Building Department states that it "intakes and issues permits for all types of development"; applications are made through the County's online permitting services, and a recorded Notice of Commencement must be submitted before the first inspection where the job valuation is greater than $5,000. State law makes it "unlawful for any person, firm, corporation, or governmental entity to construct, erect, alter, modify, repair, or demolish any building within this state without first obtaining a permit" (section 553.79(1)(a), Florida Statutes). Under County Code section 6-110(a)(1), anyone who starts permit work before obtaining the permit "shall pay $500.00 for completed construction work that is valued at $5,000.00 or less or, pay $1,000.00 for completed work that is valued at more than $5,000.00 or ten percent of the value of the construction work already completed, whichever is greater," and must supply sealed engineer's drawings certifying the completed work. A permit "will expire six months after issuance if no inspection related to the scope of work has passed."
Adopted code
Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), Residential volume (2021 International Residential Code base), effective December 31, 2023, adopted statewide by the Florida Building Commission under Rule 61G20-1.001, Florida Administrative Code; section 553.73(6), Florida Statutes, provides that the code and each update "is deemed adopted for use statewide without adoptions by local government." County Code section 6-16 provides that "The Florida Building Code shall be applicable to and govern all buildings and structures, and parts and portions thereof, and all devices and safeguards thereto, within the unincorporated limits of the county, except as specifically exempted under state statutes." The County's own amendments to the Florida Building Code (County Code sections 6-146 through 6-149, Ord. No. 027-2022 and Ord. No. 021-2025) concern plan review for flood items, required inspections under Building section 110.3, foundations in flood hazard areas (Building 1612.4.3 and Residential R322) and flood provisions of the Existing Building code; none amends Residential Chapter 9 or Building Chapter 15. County Code Chapter 6, Buildings and Construction, was read in full. The County's owner-builder residential re-roof requirements sheet still cites the 5th Edition Florida Building Code.
Drip edge
Required — Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), section R905.2.8.5 Drip edge: "Provide drip edge at eaves and gables of shingle roofs. Overlap to be a minimum of 3 inches (76 mm). Eave drip edges shall extend 1/2 inch (13 mm) below sheathing and extend back on the roof a minimum of 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edge shall be installed over the underlayment." The requirement is written for shingle roofs. County Code Chapter 6 (read in full) does not amend it. About drip edge
Ice & water shield
Not required — Not required. The Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023) reads "R905.1.2 Ice barriers. Reserved." and, for asphalt shingles, "R905.2.7 Ice barrier. Reserved." County Code Chapter 6 (read in full, including its Florida Building Code amendments in sections 6-146 through 6-149) adds no ice barrier. A self-adhering ASTM D1970 underlayment remains one of the permitted secondary water barrier methods on a re-roof; it is not prohibited. About ice & water barrier
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — County Code Chapter 6 (read in full, including its Florida Building Code amendments in sections 6-146 through 6-149, which concern flood plan review, required inspections and flood-zone foundations) does not amend the roofing chapters; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in the Florida Building Code, Residential Chapter 9, Building Chapter 15 or Existing Building Chapter 7 as they apply in unincorporated Monroe County. Florida's shingle classes under section R905.2.6.1 (ASTM D3161, TAS 107, ASTM D7158) are wind ratings, not impact ratings.
Repair permit threshold
County Code section 6-100(a) exempts from the permit, for new construction and remodeling work, "Normal maintenance or ordinary minor repairs where the fair market value of such work is less than $2,500.00." Its note adds that "NO EXCEPTIONS apply to work conducted below base flood elevation and/or subject to the floodplain management requirements of the Florida Building Code and Monroe County Codes to buildings or structures located within a Coastal Barrier Resource System (CBRS) or structures located within flood zone AE or flood zone VE," and that work exempt from County permitting "shall still comply with the Florida Building Code." After a hurricane, section 6-100(d)(2) provides that "No permit shall be required for any residential work involving the replacement of 300 square feet or less of storm damage roof shingle and underlayment," for "a period of 60 days based [on] a resolution approved by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC)." Since July 1, 2026, section 553.79(1)(g), Florida Statutes, also reads: "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" or to "Any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work," requires "a written request for exemption to the local enforcement agency with a copy of the contract," and provides that "A construction project may not be divided into more than one project for the purpose of evading the requirements of this paragraph." The Building Department states that exemption requests are made through its online permitting services and that "the entire property must NOT be in a flood hazard area such as A and/or V Zone." The Florida Building Code's own relief, Building section 105.2.2, allows "Ordinary minor repairs" without a permit only "with the approval of the building official." Separately, the Florida Building Code's 25 percent rule applies to roof repairs (see the deck and sheathing field).
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: 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 shingle or shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile. 3. Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." A single re-cover over one existing layer is therefore the most the code allows. County Code Chapter 6 (read in full) states no layer limit of its own and does not amend section R908.3.
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 R908.1.1 (the 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 roof covering on the entire existing roof system or roof section is replaced or recovered to conform to the requirements of this code," with an exception for roofs built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later. In Monroe County, the Building Department's Roof Inspection Affidavit, signed by a contractor, engineer, architect or building inspector and notarized, certifies that the "ROOF Deck nailing and sheathing thickness meets NOA requirements" and that "the installation was done according to the Hurricane Mitigation Retrofit Manual." County Code Chapter 6 does not amend these sections.
Sales & use tax
7.5% combined: 6% Florida state sales and use tax plus Monroe County's 1.5% discretionary sales surtax, which the Department of Revenue's Form DR-15DSS for calendar year 2026 lists as two levies, 1% effective November 1, 1989 with an expiration date of December 31, 2048 and 0.5% effective January 1, 1996 with an expiration date of December 31, 2035. Per the Department, the surtax "applies to the first $5,000 of the sales amount on the sale, use, lease, rental, or license to use any item of tangible personal property." Under Rule 12A-1.051, Florida Administrative Code, "Roofing work" is a real property contract, and "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"; such contractors "should charge no tax to their customers, regardless of whether they itemize charges for materials and labor in their proposals or invoices." The rate is the roofer's cost on materials, repair and replacement alike, not a tax charged to the homeowner.

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The Monroe County Building Department, headed by the Building Official, which takes in and issues building permits, including residential re-roof permits, and performs inspections for the unincorporated Florida Keys under the Florida Building Code and Chapter 6 of the Monroe County Code. It serves the public from offices in Key Largo, Marathon, Big Pine Key, Stock Island and Ocean Reef.

Working an insurance claim in Unincorporated Monroe 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).

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Sources

Roofing questions: Unincorporated Monroe County, FL

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Unincorporated Monroe County, FL?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Unincorporated Monroe County, FL. County Code section 6-100(a) exempts from the permit, for new construction and remodeling work, "Normal maintenance or ordinary minor repairs where the fair market value of such work is less than $2,500.00." Its note adds that "NO EXCEPTIONS apply to work conducted below base flood elevation and/or subject to the floodplain management requirements of the Florida Building Code and Monroe County Codes to buildings or structures located within a Coastal Barrier Resource System (CBRS) or structures located within flood zone AE or flood zone VE," and that work exempt from County permitting "shall still comply with the Florida Building Code." After a hurricane, section 6-100(d)(2) provides that "No permit shall be required for any residential work involving the replacement of 300 square feet or less of storm damage roof shingle and underlayment," for "a period of 60 days based [on] a resolution approved by the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC)." Since July 1, 2026, section 553.79(1)(g), Florida Statutes, also reads: "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" or to "Any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work," requires "a written request for exemption to the local enforcement agency with a copy of the contract," and provides that "A construction project may not be divided into more than one project for the purpose of evading the requirements of this paragraph." The Building Department states that exemption requests are made through its online permitting services and that "the entire property must NOT be in a flood hazard area such as A and/or V Zone." The Florida Building Code's own relief, Building section 105.2.2, allows "Ordinary minor repairs" without a permit only "with the approval of the building official." Separately, the Florida Building Code's 25 percent rule applies to roof repairs (see the deck and sheathing field).

Is ice & water shield required in Unincorporated Monroe County, FL?

No. Not required. The Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023) reads "R905.1.2 Ice barriers. Reserved." and, for asphalt shingles, "R905.2.7 Ice barrier. Reserved." County Code Chapter 6 (read in full, including its Florida Building Code amendments in sections 6-146 through 6-149) adds no ice barrier. A self-adhering ASTM D1970 underlayment remains one of the permitted secondary water barrier methods on a re-roof; it is not prohibited.

Is drip edge required in Unincorporated Monroe County, FL?

Yes. Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), section R905.2.8.5 Drip edge: "Provide drip edge at eaves and gables of shingle roofs. Overlap to be a minimum of 3 inches (76 mm). Eave drip edges shall extend 1/2 inch (13 mm) below sheathing and extend back on the roof a minimum of 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edge shall be installed over the underlayment." The requirement is written for shingle roofs. County Code Chapter 6 (read in full) does not amend it.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Unincorporated Monroe County, FL?

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: 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 shingle or shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile. 3. Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." A single re-cover over one existing layer is therefore the most the code allows. County Code Chapter 6 (read in full) states no layer limit of its own and does not amend section R908.3.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Unincorporated Monroe County, FL?

Yes.

What building code does Unincorporated Monroe County, FL use?

Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), Residential volume (2021 International Residential Code base), effective December 31, 2023, adopted statewide by the Florida Building Commission under Rule 61G20-1.001, Florida Administrative Code; section 553.73(6), Florida Statutes, provides that the code and each update "is deemed adopted for use statewide without adoptions by local government." County Code section 6-16 provides that "The Florida Building Code shall be applicable to and govern all buildings and structures, and parts and portions thereof, and all devices and safeguards thereto, within the unincorporated limits of the county, except as specifically exempted under state statutes." The County's own amendments to the Florida Building Code (County Code sections 6-146 through 6-149, Ord. No. 027-2022 and Ord. No. 021-2025) concern plan review for flood items, required inspections under Building section 110.3, foundations in flood hazard areas (Building 1612.4.3 and Residential R322) and flood provisions of the Existing Building code; none amends Residential Chapter 9 or Building Chapter 15. County Code Chapter 6, Buildings and Construction, was read in full. The County's owner-builder residential re-roof requirements sheet still cites the 5th Edition Florida Building Code.