The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Oklahoma County Planning Commission

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

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Oklahoma County Planning Commission

The permitting authority for unincorporated Oklahoma County, Oklahoma — a rarity among Oklahoma counties, which generally issue no building permits. The Planning Commission issues permits for structures in unincorporated territory; roof work inside Oklahoma City, Edmond, Midwest City, Del City, and the county's other municipalities is governed by those cities.

Jurisdiction
Oklahoma County, Oklahoma
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
320 Robert S. Kerr Avenue, Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Contact
  • url: https://www.oklahomacounty.org/departments/planning-commission
  • phone: 405-713-1361
Permit process note
The Planning Commission's own FAQ states: "The Oklahoma County Planning Commission only has jurisdiction over property that is outside of any city's limits" and "Oklahoma County issues permits for any structure that is 200 square feet or larger." The page links the county's Adopted Building Codes and zoning, subdivision, stormwater, and floodplain regulations for unincorporated territory.
Drip edge
Required — Drip edge is required at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs (IRC R905.2.8.5). Oklahoma's operative text is the OUBCC 2018 IRC Permanent Rule -- "the statewide minimum code for residential building construction for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses in Oklahoma pursuant to 59 O.S. Sec. 1000.23" -- whose amended R905.2.8.5 requires a drip edge at eaves and rake edges (with a shingle-mold exception). Resolution No. 2024-5421 (eff. 1-1-2025), which adopts the 2018 IRC 'as modified by the OUBCC' explicitly, read in full, does not alter R905.2.8.5, so the state-minimum requirement stands. 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." Resolution No. 2024-5421 (eff. 1-1-2025), which adopts the 2018 IRC "as modified by the OUBCC with the 2022 Oklahoma Amendments" for unincorporated Oklahoma County, read in full, does not touch any Chapter 9 Roof Assemblies provision, including Sec. 905.1.2. No local climate-design table stating whether an ice barrier is required at the EAVES was found for unincorporated Oklahoma County, so the eave question is left open here; only the unconditional valley and pitch-change requirement is stated. About ice & water barrier
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Resolution No. 2024-5421, "A Resolution Updating the Building Codes for Unincorporated Oklahoma County," approved December 11, 2024 and effective January 1, 2025 (superseding BOCC Resolution 189-18), adopts for unincorporated Oklahoma County the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) as modified by the OUBCC with the 2022 Oklahoma Amendments, along with six other 2018-cycle international codes and the 2020 NEC. Read in full (its complete text, all pages): the resolution's only local amendments are five addendum items -- two Building Code Addendums (Construction Equipment; Permit Extensions), one Mechanical Addendum (Attic Access), and two Electrical Addendums (Grounding Electrode System; Conductor Material) -- none of which touch Chapter 9 Roof Assemblies. No UL 2218, Class 4, or impact-resistance provision appears anywhere in the resolution. Because the resolution adopts the 2018 IRC as modified by the OUBCC without further locally amending Chapter 9, the operative roofing text is the OUBCC 2018 IRC Permanent Rule (OAC Title 748, Ch. 20, Subch. 6, Sec. 748:20-6-14, "IRC 2018 Chapter 9 Roof Assemblies," 13 modification items), which likewise contains no UL 2218, Class 4, or impact-resistance provision.
Roof layer limit / recover
Resolution No. 2024-5421 (eff. 1-1-2025) adopts, for unincorporated Oklahoma County, "the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) as modified by the Oklahoma Uniform Building Code Commission (OUBCC) with the 2022 Oklahoma Amendments"; its own 3-page text and addendums do not further amend any roofing section, so the OUBCC's statewide text controls. The OUBCC 2018 IRC Permanent Rule amends Section R908.3.1.1 Roof recover to read: "A roof recover shall not be permitted where any of the following conditions occur: (1) the existing roof covering is water soaked or has deteriorated; (2) the existing roof covering is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile; (3) the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering; (4) the existing roof has one or more application of asphalt shingles -- additional applications of asphalt shingles shall not be permitted." In effect, only one layer of asphalt shingles is allowed and a full tear-off is required before any re-cover.
Deck & sheathing requirements
Resolution No. 2024-5421 adopts the 2018 IRC "as modified by the OUBCC with the 2022 Oklahoma Amendments" for unincorporated Oklahoma County without further local amendment of the sheathing sections, so the OUBCC's statewide text controls. The OUBCC 2018 IRC Permanent Rule amends Section R905.2.1 to define solidly sheathed decks as sawn lumber boards or wood structural panels that provide solid holding power for fasteners, excluding boards or panels with gaps wider than the roof covering manufacturer's installation instructions allow, or that are warped, split, cracked, deteriorated, or rotten -- such deficient decking must be corrected/replaced before new roof covering is fastened to it.
Sales & use tax
Unincorporated Oklahoma County combined rate is 4.5% (state 4.5% + Oklahoma County 0% -- Oklahoma County is unusual among large-population Oklahoma counties in levying NO county sales tax at all, per the OTC rate chart's own "OKLAHOMA CTY 0%" line item). Incorporated cities within the county (Oklahoma City, Bethany, Del City, Edmond, Midwest City, Nichols Hills, Warr Acres, etc.) each add their own city rate on top of the bare state rate -- see those cities' own records; this value covers unincorporated county land and the (zero) county-tax component only. 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.

Related guides

Oklahoma Roofer Registration Hail-Belt Rules by State Denver-Metro Roofing Permits Filing a Hail Insurance Claim Colorado Hail Season Prep Hiring a Contractor

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Roofing questions — Oklahoma County, OK

Is ice & water shield required in Oklahoma County, 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." Resolution No. 2024-5421 (eff. 1-1-2025), which adopts the 2018 IRC "as modified by the OUBCC with the 2022 Oklahoma Amendments" for unincorporated Oklahoma County, read in full, does not touch any Chapter 9 Roof Assemblies provision, including Sec. 905.1.2. No local climate-design table stating whether an ice barrier is required at the EAVES was found for unincorporated Oklahoma County, so the eave question is left open here; only the unconditional valley and pitch-change requirement is stated..

Is drip edge required?

Required — Drip edge is required at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs (IRC R905.2.8.5). Oklahoma's operative text is the OUBCC 2018 IRC Permanent Rule -- "the statewide minimum code for residential building construction for one- and two-family dwellings and townhouses in Oklahoma pursuant to 59 O.S. Sec. 1000.23" -- whose amended R905.2.8.5 requires a drip edge at eaves and rake edges (with a shingle-mold exception). Resolution No. 2024-5421 (eff. 1-1-2025), which adopts the 2018 IRC 'as modified by the OUBCC' explicitly, read in full, does not alter R905.2.8.5, so the state-minimum requirement stands..