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Permitting Authorities / Nebraska / City of Omaha Planning Department - Building & Development Division

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Omaha, NE?

Adopted code

City of Omaha Planning Department - Building & Development Division

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Omaha, NE, issued by City of Omaha Planning Department - Building & Development Division. Permits are applied for through the city's OmahaPermits.com (Accela Citizen Access) portal, and the Planning Department's "How to Get a Permit in Omaha" resources include a dedicated "How to Schedule a Roof Inspection with Photos" guide among its standard permit how-tos, alongside guides for creating a permit online, renewing a contractor license, and scheduling inspections online or by phone/text.

Roof code checklist: Omaha, NE

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYesplanning.omaha.gov2026-07-17
Repair permit thresholdNot published
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1Complete_2018_IRC_Amendments.pdf2026-07-19
Deck & sheathingPublishedR905.2.1Complete_2018_IRC_Amendments.pdf2026-07-19
Drip edgeYesR905.2.8.5Complete_2018_IRC_Amendments.pdf2026-07-18
Ice & water shieldNot published
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNolibrary.municode.com2026-07-31
Wind design criteriaPublishedComplete_2018_IRC_Amendments.pdf2026-07-19
Adopted codePublishedplanning.omaha.gov2026-07-17
Contractor license / registrationYesnebraskalegislature.gov2026-08-31
Sales & use taxPublishedslstax_rates_07-01-2026.pdf2026-07-18

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
City of Omaha, Nebraska
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
1819 Farnam Street, Suite 1100, Omaha, NE 68183
Contact
  • url: https://planning.omaha.gov/building-and-development-division/
  • phone: 402-444-5350
  • email: [email protected]
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • state_level: STATEWIDE, AND INDEPENDENT OF WHATEVER THIS JURISDICTION REQUIRES. Neb. Rev. Stat. 48-2104(1), in the Contractor Registration Act (48-2101 to 48-2117): "Before performing any construction work in Nebraska, a contractor shall be registered with the department." "Department" means the Department of Labor (48-2103(4)), and 48-2102 states the intent "that all contractors doing business in Nebraska be registered with the department." A roofer is inside the definitions rather than at their edge: "Construction" means "work on real property and annexations, including new work, additions, alterations, reconstruction, installations, and repairs" (48-2103(2)), and "Contractor" means a person or firm "engaged in the business of the construction, alteration, repairing, dismantling, or demolition of buildings ... and every other type of structure" (48-2103(3)). TWO EXEMPTIONS, BOTH IN 48-2104(1): a person who performs work, or has work performed, on his or her own property; and "any person who earns less than five thousand dollars annually for construction services." Read that threshold carefully - it is annual earnings for construction services, not the value of one job, so it will rarely reach a working roofer. An exemption from registration does not exempt anyone from Nebraska income tax withholding (48-2104(2)). WHAT REGISTRATION IS NOT: 48-2102 says in terms that it is "not the intent of the Legislature to endorse the quality or performance of services provided by any individual contractor," so this is not a competency credential and must not be described to a homeowner as one. WHAT IT IS TIED TO: workers' compensation. Under 48-2110 the Commissioner of Labor must revoke a registration when an investigation shows the contractor has failed to maintain workers' compensation coverage, and must revoke as of the time of cancellation if a cancellation notice arrives. HOW TO CHECK A CONTRACTOR: 48-2117 requires the Department of Labor, with the Department of Revenue, to maintain a database of registered contractors accessible on the Department of Labor's website, showing for each whether the contractor carries workers' compensation insurance, is self-insured, or is a sole proprietor.
  • city_level: The City of Omaha's Licensing Information page requires a Building Contractor License to perform building work in the city, with tiers of Class A/B ($300.00 + $24.00 tech fee, exam required) and Class C ($200.00 + $16.00 tech fee, exam required), a minimum $10,000 bond, and insurance ranging from $300,000 to $1,000,000 depending on class. Renewal requires nine contact hours of continuing education from approved sources including ICC, AIA, NAHB, or AGC.
Permit process note
Permits are applied for through the city's OmahaPermits.com (Accela Citizen Access) portal, and the Planning Department's "How to Get a Permit in Omaha" resources include a dedicated "How to Schedule a Roof Inspection with Photos" guide among its standard permit how-tos, alongside guides for creating a permit online, renewing a contractor license, and scheduling inspections online or by phone/text.
Inspection requirements
Roof inspections are scheduled through the city's permit system; the Planning Department publishes a dedicated "How to Schedule a Roof Inspection with Photos" guide, and inspections can be scheduled online or by phone/text per the department's how-to resources.
Adopted code
The Planning Department's Codes/Amendments page lists the city's current codes and amendments as: the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), 2018 International Building Code (IBC), 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), 2012 International Mechanical Code (IMC), 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC), and 2018 Omaha Plumbing Code (OPC), with the Fire Prevention Bureau enforcing the 2012 IFC and 2012 Life Safety Code.
Drip edge
Required — Drip edge is required at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs (IRC R905.2.8.5). The jurisdiction adopted the 2018 International Residential Code via the city's complete 2018 IRC Amendments (eff. 7-1-2020; Ch. 9 amendments limited to R903.4, R905.2.5, flashing-gage sections and the R908 recover ban); that instrument, read in full, does not amend R905.2.8.5, so the code's drip-edge requirement stands as enacted local law. About drip edge
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Omaha Municipal Code Chapter 43 (Building), Article II (Building Code), Division 2 (Amendments), Section 43-127 "2018 International Residential Code," read in full as codified. Division 1, Section 43-121 adopts the 2018 International Residential Code as one of the city's building codes, and Section 43-127 sets out the city's amendments to it. Nine of those amendments fall within Chapter 9 (Roof Assemblies): Section R903.4 (roof drainage), Section R905.2.5 (fasteners), Table R905.2.8.2 (valley-lining gage), Sections R905.3.8, R905.7.6 and R905.8.8 (flashing gage, changed from 26 to 28), and Sections R908.3.1, R908.3.1.1 and R908.4 (roof recover deleted and barred, so a full tear-off is required). Section R902, roof classification, is not amended at all. At the state layer, Neb. Rev. Stat. Section 71-6403(1)(b) adopts the 2018 IRC by reference except Section R313 and Chapters 25 through 33, leaving Chapter 9 otherwise unmodified statewide. Neither layer contains any UL 2218, Class 4, or impact-resistance provision for residential roofing.
Wind design criteria
Table R301.2(1) as locally filled in by the City of Omaha (Complete 2018 IRC Amendments, effective July 1, 2020, p. 32): Ground Snow Load 25 psf, Wind Speed 115 mph, Seismic Design Category A. The table's Topographic effects, Special wind region, and Windborne debris zone columns are left blank (not filled in) in the published table -- reported as-is, not assumed "No." Footnote d states: "The jurisdiction shall fill in this part of the table with the wind speed from the ultimate wind speed map (Figure R301.2(5)A). Wind exposure category shall be determined on a site-specific basis in accordance with Section R301.2.14" -- i.e. 115 mph is the ultimate design wind speed, and exposure category is not fixed in the table but determined site-specifically.
Roof layer limit / recover
"Section R908.3.1, Roof recover. Delete this section in its entirety. Section R908.3.1.1, Roof recover not allowed. A roof recover is not allowed. Section R908.4, Roof recovering. Delete this section in its entirely [sic]." (Complete 2018 IRC Amendments, effective July 1, 2020, p. 445) -- full tear-off of all existing roof coverings is required; no conditional recover/overlay allowance remains under the local amendment.
Deck & sheathing requirements
R905.2.1 (the 2018 IRC's solid-deck requirement for asphalt shingles) is not among the sections touched by the City of Omaha's Complete 2018 IRC Amendments (effective July 1, 2020) -- the amendment document, read in full, amends R905.2.5 (fasteners), R905.2.8.2/R905.3.8/R905.7.6/R905.8.8 (flashing gage 26-to-28), and R908.3.1/.3.1.1/R908.4 (recover ban), but contains no entry for R905.2.1. Because the local amendments leave that section untouched, the base 2018 IRC R905.2.1 text stands as enacted local law: "Asphalt shingles shall be fastened to solidly sheathed decks." No jurisdiction-specific gap tolerance or replacement trigger beyond that base solid-sheathing requirement was found in this document.
Sales & use tax
7.0% combined (.07) = Nebraska state rate 5.5% + City of Omaha local-option rate 1.5%, effective July 1, 2026, per the Nebraska Department of Revenue's Local Sales and Use Tax Rates schedule (Form 6-545-2024 Rev. 3-2026). Nebraska's local sales tax is state-administered, not self-collected by home-rule cities as in Colorado; no separate construction/use tax deposit at building-permit issuance was found for Omaha. Roofing contractors are taxed on materials, not labor, under one of three DOR 'contractor options' elected in the Nebraska Dept. of Labor's Contractor Registration Database (per the DOR's Nebraska Taxation of Contractors information guide, 6-346, rev. 10/2007 with 6/22/2011 updates): 'Option 1 contractors must continue to collect sales tax on the amounts billed to other contractors and project owners for building materials they annex during the project' (separately-stated labor is untaxed); 'Option 2 contractor labor charges are not taxable... Option 2 contractors will continue to pay sales tax on their purchases of building materials and fixtures' (contractor pays tax on cost, does not charge the customer); 'Option 3 contractors will continue to remit use tax on building materials and fixtures withdrawn from inventory' at 'the rate in effect at the time and place of withdrawal.' A contractor who does not register and elect an option 'will be treated as a retailer under Option 1.'

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The permitting authority for the City of Omaha (Douglas County), Nebraska. The Building & Development Division within the Planning Department issues building permits, licenses building contractors, and performs inspections, publishing a dedicated roof-inspection scheduling guide among its permit resources. The division's public-facing permit site migrated from permits.cityofomaha.org to planning.omaha.gov.

Hail reports near Omaha, NE

Reports, last 24 months
51
Largest, last 24 months
3.00 in Apr 24, 2025
Most recent
Jun 13, 2026 1.00 in
Reports, last 5 years
116
5 most recent reports, last 5 years
DateHail sizeDistance
Jun 13, 20261.00 in9 mi W
Jun 13, 20261.00 in6 mi NW
Jun 13, 20261.00 in10 mi SE
May 18, 20261.00 in8 mi W
Apr 23, 20261.25 in7 mi SW

Source: NOAA Storm Prediction Center severe weather database and daily storm reports (reports since the start of the current year are preliminary), within 10 miles of Omaha, NE (Census point). Data through Oct 7, 2026, not updated since. A report is an observation, not a damage record.

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Sources

Roofing questions: Omaha, NE

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Omaha, NE?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Omaha, NE.

Is drip edge required in Omaha, NE?

Yes. Drip edge is required at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs (IRC R905.2.8.5). The jurisdiction adopted the 2018 International Residential Code via the city's complete 2018 IRC Amendments (eff. 7-1-2020; Ch. 9 amendments limited to R903.4, R905.2.5, flashing-gage sections and the R908 recover ban); that instrument, read in full, does not amend R905.2.8.5, so the code's drip-edge requirement stands as enacted local law.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Omaha, NE?

"Section R908.3.1, Roof recover. Delete this section in its entirety. Section R908.3.1.1, Roof recover not allowed. A roof recover is not allowed. Section R908.4, Roof recovering. Delete this section in its entirely [sic]." (Complete 2018 IRC Amendments, effective July 1, 2020, p. 445) -- full tear-off of all existing roof coverings is required; no conditional recover/overlay allowance remains under the local amendment.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Omaha, NE?

Yes.

What building code does Omaha, NE use?

The Planning Department's Codes/Amendments page lists the city's current codes and amendments as: the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC), 2018 International Building Code (IBC), 2018 International Existing Building Code (IEBC), 2012 International Mechanical Code (IMC), 2023 National Electrical Code (NEC), and 2018 Omaha Plumbing Code (OPC), with the Fire Prevention Bureau enforcing the 2012 IFC and 2012 Life Safety Code.