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Permitting Authorities / City of Oklahoma City - Development Services Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Oklahoma City, OK?

Adopted code

City of Oklahoma City - Development Services Department

Yes — a permit is required to replace a roof in Oklahoma City, OK, issued by City of Oklahoma City - Development Services Department. "Starting Aug. 1, [2025] contractors and property owners must get a roofing permit from the City of Oklahoma City before beginning any significant roof removal, repair and/or replacement project," applying to all single-family homes and duplexes within city limits, adopted by Oklahoma City Council on June 17, 2025. "A roofing permit is not required for maintenance work in areas of 500 square feet or less or on new construction." Permits are typically issued the same day and cost $94.50; applications are made online at okc.gov/access or in person at the Development Services In-Person Business Center, 420 W. Main St.

Jurisdiction
City of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
420 W Main St, 1st Floor, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Contact
  • url: https://www.okc.gov/departments/development-services/development-center/permits
  • phone: 405-297-2525
  • email: [email protected]
Permit portal
Permit portal
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required About Oklahoma roofing contractor registration
Registration details
  • license: The City's Building & Trade Permits page states: "The State of Oklahoma requires that all electrical, plumbing, mechanical, roofing, and elevator contractors must be licensed and registered through the Construction Industries Board ... or the Department of Labor ... before performing work within Oklahoma." Separately, the City's own Contractor Registration page lists the categories the City itself registers (Boiler, Building (Residential Only), Electrical, Fence, House Moving, Insulation, Mechanical, Plumbing, Prequalified, Sidewalk, Sign Contractor) and does not include a distinct roofing contractor category, indicating roofing contractors register with the state CIB rather than the City.
Permit process note
"Starting Aug. 1, [2025] contractors and property owners must get a roofing permit from the City of Oklahoma City before beginning any significant roof removal, repair and/or replacement project," applying to all single-family homes and duplexes within city limits, adopted by Oklahoma City Council on June 17, 2025. "A roofing permit is not required for maintenance work in areas of 500 square feet or less or on new construction." Permits are typically issued the same day and cost $94.50; applications are made online at okc.gov/access or in person at the Development Services In-Person Business Center, 420 W. Main St.
Inspection requirements
After receiving the permit and inspection list, the applicant requests inspection online, by text, or via the automated phone system. "The City's inspectors will check for things like roof condition, flashing, drainage, installation, compliance and more."
Adopted code
Oklahoma City's Adopted Building Safety Codes page lists: International Building Code, 2018; National Electrical Code, 2017; International Plumbing Code, 2018; International Mechanical Code, 2018; International Energy Conservation Code, 2009; International Fire Code, 2018; American National Standards Institute, 2009; International Residential Code, 2018; International Fuel Gas Code, 2018; International Existing Building Code, 2018 — each with City of Oklahoma City supplements.
Drip edge
Required — "Section R905.2.8.5 is amended to read as follows: R905.2.8.5 Drip edge. A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs. Adjacent segments of drip edge shall be overlapped not less than 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edges shall extend not less than 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) below the roof sheathing and extend up back onto the roof deck not less than 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edges shall be mechanically fastened to the roof deck at not less than 12 inches (305 mm) o.c.... Exception: If a nominal 1 inch by 2 inch (25 mm by 51 mm) shingle mold is used, attached to the fascia and the starter course of shingles is extended a minimum of 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) and not more than 1 inch (25 mm) then a metal drip edge is not required." (City of Oklahoma City 2018 IRC Amendments, State Amendments Included, Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies). About drip edge
Ice & water shield
Required — A 36-inch-wide ice barrier IS required in all valleys ("installed in all valleys, run the length of the valley, and centered on the valley") and at all changes in roof pitch where the lower roof has a lower pitch than the upper roof -- unconditional requirements added to IRC Sec. 905.1.2 by the OUBCC 2018 IRC Permanent Rule, "the statewide minimum code for residential building construction... pursuant to 59 O.S. Sec. 1000.23," which "may only be amended or altered by other jurisdictions pursuant to Oklahoma law." At the EAVES, the City's own Re-Roofing Permit Requirements checklist answers the eave ice-damming trigger directly: "Q7. Are ice barriers required? No." (effective 7/28/25), consistent with the City's own Table R301.2(1), which fills "Ice Barrier Underlayment Required - No." Net effect: ice barrier required in valleys and at pitch changes everywhere in the city; not required at eaves. The same Sec. 905.1.2 text appears word-for-word in the City's own "2018 IRC Amendments, State Amendments Included" document. About ice & water barrier
Mid-roof inspection
Not required — Not required - and Oklahoma City is explicit about what it requires in place of an in-progress inspection. The City's one-page "RE-ROOFING PERMIT REQUIREMENTS" checklist, effective 7/28/25 and read in full (Essentials for Submittal, Prior to Inspection, and Frequently Asked Questions Q1 through Q12), carries a dedicated "PRIOR TO INSPECTION" block whose complete text is: "Pictures must be uploaded to the permit online during and after the work is complete; these pictures help to ensure accuracy of the work and for our inspection purposes and must be uploaded before requesting inspection," followed by exactly three bullets - "Provide a picture of the existing roof prior to tear-off." / "Provide a picture showing the roof decked and after flashing and any ice and water shield has been added." / "Provide a picture of the finished roof." - and then the instruction that "Inspections must be scheduled through the Citizens Portal by logging in to your account at okc.gov/access, selecting your permit, and then selecting to Schedule an Inspection." So the deck-and-underlayment stage that a mid-roof inspection would otherwise cover is documented by mandatory photographs rather than by a separate site visit, and the permit carries a single inspection requested after the work is complete. The photo requirement is a real obligation rather than a suggestion: the checklist makes uploading them a precondition of requesting the inspection at all, so a crew that fails to photograph the decked stage cannot cure the omission later. Q10 of the FAQ confirms the applicant need not attend: "Do I need to be present for the inspection? No." Q11 adds that for "decking, sheathing, waterproofing, etc.", "All materials must be installed as per the IRC code and per manufacturers standards."
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — The City of Oklahoma City's "2018 IRC Amendments, State Amendments Included" document (Editor's Note: "amendments adopted by the City of Oklahoma City and the State of Oklahoma regarding the 2018 International Residential Code," state items shown in red per the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission) was read in full, all 37 pages. Its Chapter 9, Roof Assemblies amendment block carries exactly 13 numbered items: Sections R905.1.2 (ice barriers), R905.2.1, R905.2.8.5 (drip edge), R905.3.1, R905.4.1, R905.5.1, R905.6.2, R905.7.1, R905.8.1, R905.10.1, R905.16.1, R905.17.1 (deck/sheathing requirements for the various roof-covering types), and R908.3.1.1 (roof re-cover conditions). None of these items touches Section R902, Roof Classification, and none references impact resistance, hail rating, or testing standards. A document-wide search for "2218," "Class 4," "Class four," "impact," and "hail" found a single "impact" occurrence, at amended Section M1307.3.1, a mechanical fuel-burning appliance clearance rule unrelated to roofing. No UL 2218, Class 4, or impact-resistance provision appears anywhere in the document. This matches the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission's 2018 Permanent Rule (OAC Title 748, Chapter 20, Subchapters 5-6, Sections 748:20-6-1 through 748:20-6-53; the roof-assemblies amendments sit at 748:20-6-14, "IRC(R) 2018 Chapter 9 Roof Assemblies," the vintage that corresponds to Oklahoma City's own 2018 IRC adoption), which likewise carries 13 Chapter 9 amendment items and contains no UL 2218, Class 4, or hail provision. Oklahoma's floor-state statute, 59 O.S. Section 1000.23, lets a municipality exceed the state minimum, but Oklahoma City's own local instrument, read directly, does not do so for impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
"Q2. Do I need a permit if I'm just patching lost or damaged shingles? Only when the area of repair or replacement exceeds 500sf." (City of Oklahoma City Re-Roofing Permit Requirements checklist, effective 7/28/25).
Wind design criteria
"Table R301.2 (1) is hereby amended to fill the table with the following: Ground Snow Load - 10 psf; Wind Speed - 115 mph; Seismic Design Category - C; Weathering - Moderate; Frost Line Depth - 18 inches; Termite - Yes; Winter Design Temp. - 13F; Ice Barrier Underlayment Required - No; Flood Hazards - See Chapter 16 of the Oklahoma City Municipal Code; Air Freezing Index - 32; Mean Annual Temp. - 60F." (City of Oklahoma City 2018 IRC Amendments, State Amendments Included, Ch. 3 Building Planning, p.7-8 of 37).
Roof layer limit / recover
"Section R908.3.1.1 is amended to read as follows: R908.3.1.1. Roof re-cover. A roof re-cover 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 slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile. 3. Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering. 4. Where the existing roof has one or more application of asphalt shingles additional applications of asphalt shingles shall not be permitted." (City of Oklahoma City 2018 IRC Amendments, State Amendments Included, Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies, p.24 of 37). Consistent with the City's own re-roofing checklist: "Q8. Can I shingle over the existing layer of asphalt singles? No, only one layer is permitted."
Deck & sheathing requirements
"Section R905.2.1 is amended to read as follows: R905.2.1 Sheathing requirements. Asphalt shingles shall be fastened to solidly sheathed decks. Solidly sheathed decks shall be defined as sawn lumber boards or structural panels that provide a solid holding power for fasteners that do not have deficit conditions (gaps greater than those allowed by the roof covering manufacturer's installation instructions, warped, split, cracked, deteriorated or rotten boards)." (City of Oklahoma City 2018 IRC Amendments, State Amendments Included, Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies, p.22 of 37).
Sales & use tax
Oklahoma City's own city sales tax rate is 4.125% everywhere, but the COMBINED rate varies by county because OKC's corporate limits cross four county lines. The OTC rate chart lists Oklahoma City under four jurisdiction codes, all at the same 4.125% city rate: COPO 5521 (Oklahoma County), COPO 0921 (Canadian County), COPO 1421 (Cleveland County), and COPO 6321 (Pottawatomie County). Combined rates: 8.625% in the Oklahoma County portion (state 4.5% + city 4.125% + county 0% -- Oklahoma County levies no county sales tax; this is the large majority of the city's area and population); 8.975% in the Canadian County portion (+0.35% county); 8.75% in the Cleveland County portion (+0.125% county); 10.12% in the Pottawatomie County portion (+1.495% county). A roofer should confirm which county a specific OKC address sits in before quoting a combined rate. Oklahoma taxes roofing contractors as consumers/users: they pay sales tax on materials, supplies, and equipment at the point of purchase from the vendor, and do not separately charge the homeowner sales tax on labor or the finished job (Oklahoma Tax Commission Rule OAC 710:65-7-13(a): "Contractors are defined by statute as consumer/users and must pay sales tax on all taxable services and tangible personal property, including materials, supplies, and equipment purchased to develop, repair, alter, remodel, and improve real property."). No construction use tax collected at building-permit issuance was found in OTC or city sources -- Oklahoma's local sales tax is OTC-administered and collected by material vendors at the point of sale, not assessed by the permitting authority at permit issuance.

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The permitting authority for the City of Oklahoma City. The Development Services Department, through its Development Center, issues building and trade permits, including a roofing permit required for significant roof removal, repair, or replacement on single-family homes and duplexes, and publishes the city's adopted building safety codes and contractor registration categories.

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Roofing questions — Oklahoma City, OK

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Oklahoma City, OK?

Required. "Q2. Do I need a permit if I'm just patching lost or damaged shingles? Only when the area of repair or replacement exceeds 500sf." (City of Oklahoma City Re-Roofing Permit Requirements checklist, effective 7/28/25).

Is ice & water shield required in Oklahoma City, OK?

Required — A 36-inch-wide ice barrier IS required in all valleys ("installed in all valleys, run the length of the valley, and centered on the valley") and at all changes in roof pitch where the lower roof has a lower pitch than the upper roof -- unconditional requirements added to IRC Sec. 905.1.2 by the OUBCC 2018 IRC Permanent Rule, "the statewide minimum code for residential building construction... pursuant to 59 O.S. Sec. 1000.23," which "may only be amended or altered by other jurisdictions pursuant to Oklahoma law." At the EAVES, the City's own Re-Roofing Permit Requirements checklist answers the eave ice-damming trigger directly: "Q7. Are ice barriers required? No." (effective 7/28/25), consistent with the City's own Table R301.2(1), which fills "Ice Barrier Underlayment Required - No." Net effect: ice barrier required in valleys and at pitch changes everywhere in the city; not required at eaves. The same Sec. 905.1.2 text appears word-for-word in the City's own "2018 IRC Amendments, State Amendments Included" document..

Is drip edge required?

Required — "Section R905.2.8.5 is amended to read as follows: R905.2.8.5 Drip edge. A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs. Adjacent segments of drip edge shall be overlapped not less than 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edges shall extend not less than 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) below the roof sheathing and extend up back onto the roof deck not less than 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edges shall be mechanically fastened to the roof deck at not less than 12 inches (305 mm) o.c.... Exception: If a nominal 1 inch by 2 inch (25 mm by 51 mm) shingle mold is used, attached to the fascia and the starter course of shingles is extended a minimum of 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) and not more than 1 inch (25 mm) then a metal drip edge is not required." (City of Oklahoma City 2018 IRC Amendments, State Amendments Included, Ch. 9 Roof Assemblies)..

Is a mid-roof inspection required?

Not required — Not required - and Oklahoma City is explicit about what it requires in place of an in-progress inspection. The City's one-page "RE-ROOFING PERMIT REQUIREMENTS" checklist, effective 7/28/25 and read in full (Essentials for Submittal, Prior to Inspection, and Frequently Asked Questions Q1 through Q12), carries a dedicated "PRIOR TO INSPECTION" block whose complete text is: "Pictures must be uploaded to the permit online during and after the work is complete; these pictures help to ensure accuracy of the work and for our inspection purposes and must be uploaded before requesting inspection," followed by exactly three bullets - "Provide a picture of the existing roof prior to tear-off." / "Provide a picture showing the roof decked and after flashing and any ice and water shield has been added." / "Provide a picture of the finished roof." - and then the instruction that "Inspections must be scheduled through the Citizens Portal by logging in to your account at okc.gov/access, selecting your permit, and then selecting to Schedule an Inspection." So the deck-and-underlayment stage that a mid-roof inspection would otherwise cover is documented by mandatory photographs rather than by a separate site visit, and the permit carries a single inspection requested after the work is complete. The photo requirement is a real obligation rather than a suggestion: the checklist makes uploading them a precondition of requesting the inspection at all, so a crew that fails to photograph the decked stage cannot cure the omission later. Q10 of the FAQ confirms the applicant need not attend: "Do I need to be present for the inspection? No." Q11 adds that for "decking, sheathing, waterproofing, etc.", "All materials must be installed as per the IRC code and per manufacturers standards.".

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Oklahoma City, OK?

Required. The City's Building & Trade Permits page states: "The State of Oklahoma requires that all electrical, plumbing, mechanical, roofing, and elevator contractors must be licensed and registered through the Construction Industries Board ... or the Department of Labor ... before performing work within Oklahoma." Separately, the City's own Contractor Registration page lists the categories the City itself registers (Boiler, Building (Residential Only), Electrical, Fence, House Moving, Insulation, Mechanical, Plumbing, Prequalified, Sidewalk, Sign Contractor) and does not include a distinct roofing contractor category, indicating roofing contractors register with the state CIB rather than the City..

What building code does Oklahoma City, OK use?

Oklahoma City's Adopted Building Safety Codes page lists: International Building Code, 2018; National Electrical Code, 2017; International Plumbing Code, 2018; International Mechanical Code, 2018; International Energy Conservation Code, 2009; International Fire Code, 2018; American National Standards Institute, 2009; International Residential Code, 2018; International Fuel Gas Code, 2018; International Existing Building Code, 2018 — each with City of Oklahoma City supplements.