Permitting Authorities / City of Orlando - Permitting Services Division
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Orlando, FL?
Adopted codeCity of Orlando - Permitting Services Division
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Orlando, FL, issued by City of Orlando - Permitting Services Division. Orlando has its own residential roof permit. The city's "Apply for a Residential Roof Permit" page asks "Do you need to replace or repair the roof on your home?" and answers that "You need to get a building permit", submitted on the city's "Residential Only Re-Roof Application" (Rev 12/24) with its "Scope of Work Re-Roofing" sheet (re-roof type "Replacement - remove existing and replace" or "Re-cover - new roof over existing", number of stories, skylights, Florida Product Approval numbers for each roofing product, roof slope, ventilation, flashing, drip edge and valley treatment). Applications go to [email protected]; the city says it will contact you within three business days, emails payment instructions once the application is approved, and then emails the permit, the inspection sign-off sheet and the affidavit. If the value of the work exceeds $5,000, a certified copy of the recorded Notice of Commencement must be filed with Permitting Services before the first inspection is scheduled. Homeowners doing their own work must sign the State of Florida Owner/Builder Declaration in person at the Permitting Services office. The dry-in/in-progress inspection (inspection code 125) has been required on all residential and commercial re-roofs since January 1, 2020, and the city warns that a re-roof "that did not receive a dry-in inspection, may receive disapproval at final inspection and may be subject to removing a portion of or all of the roof covering, to allow inspection of the underlayment and nailing of the sheathing." The city's 2026 residential fee schedule adds a "Violation Penalty—work without a permit" of "An additional 100% of applicable permit fee." The state's $7,500 permit exemption for single-family homes (Section 553.79(1)(g), Florida Statutes, effective July 1, 2026) does not reach roofing in Orlando: the city's exemption guide lists "Structural work, including railings, guards, pool barriers or fences, windows and doors, siding and soffits, roofing, and elevated decks" among the work "not eligible for exemption, regardless of cost.".
Roof code checklist: Orlando, FL
| Item | Answer | Code cite | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permit to replace a roof | Yes | orlando.gov | 2026-09-26 | |
| Repair permit threshold | Published | orlando.gov | 2026-09-26 | |
| Layer limit / roof-over | Published | R908.3 | codes.iccsafe.org | 2026-09-26 |
| Deck & sheathing | Published | 2024-inspection-affidavit.pdf | 2026-09-26 | |
| Drip edge | Yes | R905.2.8.5 | codes.iccsafe.org | 2026-09-26 |
| Ice & water shield | No | R905.1.2 | codes.iccsafe.org | 2026-09-26 |
| Mid-roof inspection | Yes | Sec. 110.3 | orlando.gov | 2026-09-26 |
| Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofing | No | library.municode.com | 2026-09-26 | |
| Wind design criteria | Published | R905.2.6.1 | library.municode.com | 2026-09-26 |
| Adopted code | Published | library.municode.com | 2026-09-26 | |
| Contractor license / registration | Yes | orlando.gov | 2026-09-26 | |
| Sales & use tax | Published | dr15dss_26.pdf | 2026-09-26 |
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 Orlando, Florida
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
400 South Orange Avenue, 1st Floor (City Hall), Orlando, FL 32801
Contact
- url: https://www.orlando.gov/Building-Development/Permits-Inspections/Get-a-Permit
- phone: 407-246-2271
- email: [email protected]
Permit portal
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
- state_level: Roofing is its own licensed trade in Florida. Section 489.113(2), Florida Statutes: "A person must be certified or registered in order to engage in the business of contracting in this state." Section 489.105(3)(e) defines a "Roofing contractor" as one whose services are unlimited in the roofing trade and who can "install, maintain, repair, alter, extend, or design" all kinds of roofing. A state-certified contractor may work statewide; a state-registered contractor may work only where he or she holds the local competency licence (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."). Verify a licence on the Department of Business and Professional Regulation licence search.
- city_level: The city's "Register a Contractor" page: "Contractors getting permits for work in the City of Orlando must be registered with the Permitting Services Division." State-certified contractors file a current business tax receipt from the Florida city or county where the business is located, a copy of their state certification, and current proof of workers' compensation insurance or exemption (addressed to the City of Orlando, 400 South Orange Avenue). "State-registered and limited specialty contractors also need: A surety bond in an amount of at least $5,000 for state-regulated contractors." The city's residential permitting checklist lists the same items plus a "Competency Card (Registered Contractors only)", and the re-roof application asks for the contractor's state certification or registration number and certificate of competency number. "If we do not have your updated documents on file, you will be unable to schedule inspections or move forward with your permit." A business tax receipt is a tax, not a contractor licence.
- owner_builder: Section 489.103(7)(a), Florida Statutes, exempts owners "when acting as their own contractor and providing direct, onsite supervision themselves of all work not performed by licensed contractors" when improving one-family or two-family residences "for the occupancy or use of such owners and not offered for sale or lease." The city's roof permit page says a homeowner doing the work without a contractor must submit the State of Florida Owner/Builder Declaration with the permit application and sign it in person at the Permitting Services office. Whether a particular owner qualifies is for the statute and the city to say, not this record.
Permit process note
Orlando has its own residential roof permit. The city's "Apply for a Residential Roof Permit" page asks "Do you need to replace or repair the roof on your home?" and answers that "You need to get a building permit", submitted on the city's "Residential Only Re-Roof Application" (Rev 12/24) with its "Scope of Work Re-Roofing" sheet (re-roof type "Replacement - remove existing and replace" or "Re-cover - new roof over existing", number of stories, skylights, Florida Product Approval numbers for each roofing product, roof slope, ventilation, flashing, drip edge and valley treatment). Applications go to [email protected]; the city says it will contact you within three business days, emails payment instructions once the application is approved, and then emails the permit, the inspection sign-off sheet and the affidavit. If the value of the work exceeds $5,000, a certified copy of the recorded Notice of Commencement must be filed with Permitting Services before the first inspection is scheduled. Homeowners doing their own work must sign the State of Florida Owner/Builder Declaration in person at the Permitting Services office. The dry-in/in-progress inspection (inspection code 125) has been required on all residential and commercial re-roofs since January 1, 2020, and the city warns that a re-roof "that did not receive a dry-in inspection, may receive disapproval at final inspection and may be subject to removing a portion of or all of the roof covering, to allow inspection of the underlayment and nailing of the sheathing." The city's 2026 residential fee schedule adds a "Violation Penalty—work without a permit" of "An additional 100% of applicable permit fee." The state's $7,500 permit exemption for single-family homes (Section 553.79(1)(g), Florida Statutes, effective July 1, 2026) does not reach roofing in Orlando: the city's exemption guide lists "Structural work, including railings, guards, pool barriers or fences, windows and doors, siding and soffits, roofing, and elevated decks" among the work "not eligible for exemption, regardless of cost."
Adopted code
Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), Residential (2021 IRC base), effective December 31, 2023, adopted statewide by Rule 61G20-1.001, Florida Administrative Code. Orlando City Code Sec. 13.1 (as amended by Ordinance No. 2024-6, February 5, 2024): "The Florida Building Code Eighth Edition (2023) as updated by the Florida Building Commission on June 20, 2023, and adopted by Rule 61G20-1.001, Florida Administrative Code, is hereby adopted as the building code of the City of Orlando, Florida." The city's local amendments are administrative changes to Chapter 1 of the Building volume (Sec. 13.2, covering enforcement, unsafe structures, permit extensions and transfers, refunds, flood documentation and flood elevation certificates at inspection), interpolated ultimate design wind speeds (Sec. 13.3), and flood provisions (Sec. 13.4 amending Building Section 1612; Sec. 13.5 amending Residential Sections R322.2.2 and R322.1.10). None touches roofing. The Florida Building Commission's local-amendment registry lists no amendments for the City of Orlando under the 2023 code.
Drip edge
Required — Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), Section R905.2.8.5: "Provide drip edge at eaves and gables of shingle roofs." Eave drip edges extend 1/2 inch below the sheathing and 2 inches back onto the roof and are installed over the underlayment. This applies to shingle roofs. Orlando's amendments to the Florida Building Code (City Code Chapter 13, Article I) do not touch the roofing chapter, and the state registry lists no city amendment, so the state text applies unchanged. The city's re-roof scope sheet asks whether the job will use, repair or replace the existing drip edge. About drip edge
Ice & water shield
Not required — Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023): "R905.1.2 Ice barriers. Reserved." There is no ice-barrier requirement in the Florida code, and Orlando's amendments (City Code Chapter 13, Article I) do not touch the roofing chapter. Self-adhered underlayment is still used in Florida, but as a secondary water barrier or underlayment method, not as an ice barrier. About ice & water barrier
Mid-roof inspection
Required — Orlando requires an in-progress roof inspection. The city's roof permit page: "As of Jan. 1, 2020, the city has reinstated the dry-in/in-progress inspection (inspection code 125) for all residential and commercial re-roof projects." The re-roof scope sheet lists "Two inspections required for this permit": "Exterior dry in in-progress, Inspection Code 125" and "Final Inspection Code 600"; it adds "If damaged decking replacement is required, an inspection is required" (the city's inspection code list includes "120 Roof Decking"). A re-roof that skips the dry-in inspection "may receive disapproval at final inspection and may be subject to removing a portion of or all of the roof covering." The city also requires a notarized inspection affidavit at final, in which a contractor, engineer, architect, Chapter 468 building inspector or owner/builder states that he or she personally inspected the roof deck nailing and/or secondary water barrier work under Section 706 of the 2023 Florida Building Code, Existing Building. The state code's required inspections (Florida Building Code, Building, Section 110.3, which Orlando amends only for flood elevation certificates) include "5. Roofing inspection. Shall at a minimum include the following building components:" dry-in, insulation, roof coverings and flashing.
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Orlando's amendments to the Florida Building Code (City Code Sec. 13.2 administrative amendments, Sec. 13.3 design wind speeds, Sec. 13.4 and 13.5 flood provisions) contain no roof-covering provision, and the state registry lists no city amendment; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in the Florida Building Code's residential roofing chapter, the Building volume's roofing chapter or the Existing Building volume's reroofing provisions, or in the city's amendments. Florida's shingle classifications (ASTM D3161, TAS 107, ASTM D7158) are wind ratings, not hail-impact ratings. An insurer's discount for an impact-rated roof is not a code requirement.
Repair permit threshold
No dollar or size threshold for roof work. The city's Residential Building Permit Exemption Guide, which applies the state's new $7,500 exemption, states "The following types of work are not eligible for exemption, regardless of cost:" and lists "Electrical, plumbing, mechanical, or gas work", "Structural work, including railings, guards, pool barriers or fences, windows and doors, siding and soffits, roofing, and elevated decks" and "Any work on a property located partially or entirely within a flood hazard area as defined by the Florida Building Code." The city's roof permit page covers both replacing and repairing a roof. The state statute behind the guide, Section 553.79(1)(g), Florida Statutes (effective July 1, 2026), exempts "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," but "does not apply to" work on a property "partially or entirely located in a flood hazard area" or to "Any electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, or gas work performed on property containing a single-family dwelling," and requires "a written request for exemption to the local enforcement agency with a copy of the contract or other documentation demonstrating the nature and the value of the work to be performed." Orlando's Chapter 13 amendments to the Florida Building Code add no permit exemption. Separately, the Florida Building Code, Existing Building (Section 706.1.1) limits piecemeal roof work: "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." Under Section 553.844(5), Florida Statutes, where the existing roof was built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later and 25 percent or more is being repaired, replaced or recovered, "only the repaired, replaced, or recovered portion is required to be constructed in accordance with the Florida Building Code in effect."
Wind design criteria
Orlando City Code Sec. 13.3 (Ultimate Design Wind Speeds, as last amended by Ordinance No. 2015-34): "Pursuant to 'Note 2,' Figure 1609A, of the Building volume of the building code, the ultimate design wind speeds for Risk Category II buildings and other structures within the City is hereby interpolated as 135 miles per hour." The same section sets 145 miles per hour for Risk Category III and IV buildings (Figure 1609B) and 125 miles per hour for Risk Category I buildings (Figure 1609C). Orlando is in Orange County and is not in the High-Velocity Hurricane Zone, which the Florida Building Code defines as "Broward and Miami-Dade counties." Florida Building Code, Residential, Section R905.2.6.1: "Asphalt shingles shall be tested and classified in accordance with ASTM D3161, TAS 107 or ASTM D7158 and shall meet the required classification in accordance with Table R905.2.6.1 to resist the basic wind speed in accordance with Figure R301.2(4)."
Roof layer limit / recover
Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), Section R908.3: "New roof coverings shall not be installed without first removing all existing layers of roof coverings where any of the following conditions occur: ... 3. Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." Tear-off is also required where the existing roof is water soaked or deteriorated, where it is wood shingle or shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile, where blisters are not cut and secured, and where the existing covering cannot meet the securement provisions; the Existing Building volume (Section 706.3) repeats the same conditions. One re-cover over a single existing layer is therefore the most the code allows. Orlando's building code chapter (City Code Chapter 13, Article I, Secs. 13.1 to 13.5), read in full, does not amend the reroofing sections, and the state registry lists no city amendment. The city's re-roof scope sheet offers "Re-cover - new roof over existing" as a re-roof type and states no layer number of its own. Chapter 9: https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/FLRC2023P1/chapter-9-roof-assemblies
Deck & sheathing requirements
On a house not originally permitted under the Florida Building Code, a reroof triggers deck re-nailing and a secondary water barrier. Florida Building Code, Existing Building, 8th Edition (2023), Section 706.7: "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 706.7.1. (b) A secondary water barrier shall be provided as required by Section 706.7.2. Exception: Structures permitted subject to the Florida Building Code are not required to comply with this section." Sawn lumber or plank decking up to 12 inches wide "secured with at least two nails (minimum size 8d) to each roof framing member it crosses shall be deemed to be sufficiently connected"; wood structural panels follow the fastener rules in Section 706.7.1.2. Section 706.7.2: "When a roof covering is removed and replaced, a secondary water barrier shall be installed" (roofs under 2:12 with a continuous roof system, and clay and concrete tile systems installed to the code, are deemed to comply). Orlando enforces this through its final-inspection affidavit, in which the signer states that he or she personally inspected "the roof deck nailing and/or secondary water barrier work" and found it done "according to Section 706 2023 Florida Existing Building Code 8th Edition," and the city's roof permit page says the affidavit is required "to verify the roof decking nail down and secondary water barrier installation." The re-roof scope sheet adds: "If damaged decking replacement is required, an inspection is required." Orlando's amendments (City Code Chapter 13, Article I) do not change these provisions.
Sales & use tax
6.5% combined on materials: the 6% Florida state sales and use tax plus Orange County's 0.5% discretionary sales surtax (effective January 1, 2003, with an expiration date of December 31, 2035, per the Florida Department of Revenue's Form DR-15DSS for calendar year 2026). The surtax applies only to the first $5,000 of the sales amount of any single item of tangible personal property (Department of Revenue discretionary sales surtax guidance). Florida treats roofing as a real property contract (Rule 12A-1.051, Florida Administrative Code, lists "(cc) Roofing work"): "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," and "They should charge no tax to their customers, regardless of whether they itemize charges for materials and labor in their proposals or invoices." Repairs and replacements are treated the same way.
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Related guides
The building permit office of the City of Orlando, part of the city's Economic Development Department. The Permitting Services Division takes permit applications, including a dedicated residential re-roof permit application, registers contractors, reviews plans and schedules inspections for work inside the city limits. Unincorporated Orange County is served by the county's Division of Building Safety instead.
Hail reports near Orlando, FL
- Reports, last 24 months
- 0
- Largest, last 24 months
- None
- Most recent
- None in 24 months
- Reports, last 5 years
- 3
| Date | Hail size | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 6, 2024 | 1.75 in | 10 mi S |
| Jun 23, 2023 | 1.00 in | 7 mi SW |
| May 18, 2023 | 1.00 in | 9 mi NNW |
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 Orlando, FL (Census point). Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.
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Sources
- orlando.gov verified 2026-09-26
- orlando.gov verified 2026-09-26
- orlando.gov verified 2026-09-26
- library.municode.com verified 2026-09-26
- codes.iccsafe.org verified 2026-09-26
- library.municode.com verified 2026-09-26
- orlando.gov verified 2026-09-26
- floridarevenue.com verified 2026-09-26
- library.municode.com verified 2026-09-26
- orlando.gov verified 2026-09-26