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Permitting Authorities / City of Ottawa - Community Development Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Ottawa, KS?

Adopted code

City of Ottawa - Community Development Department

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Ottawa, KS, issued by City of Ottawa - Community Development Department. The city's permit fee resolution (Resolution No. 1863-21, Section 6-1201) states that "All fees shall be due and payable before a building permit may be issued" and lists, under Roofs, a residential single-family and duplex fee of $50.00, "Based on valuation if valuation is $8,000.00 and up." The city's Permit Application asks for the "Roofing Contractor State of Kansas License Number".

Roof code checklist: Ottawa, KS

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYesottawaks.gov2026-10-17
Repair permit thresholdNot published
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3ottawaks.citycode.net2026-10-17
Deck & sheathingNot published
Drip edgeYesR905.2.8.5ottawaks.citycode.net2026-10-17
Ice & water shieldYesottawaks.citycode.net2026-10-17
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNoottawaks.citycode.net2026-10-17
Wind design criteriaPublishedottawaks.citycode.net2026-10-17
Adopted codePublishedSec. 6-302ottawaks.gov2026-10-17
Contractor license / registrationYesksrevisor.gov2026-10-17
Sales & use taxPublishedksrevenue.gov2026-10-17

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 Ottawa, Kansas
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
101 S. Hickory, Ottawa, KS 66067
Contact
  • url: https://www.ottawaks.gov/205/Building-Codes
  • phone: 785-229-3620
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required About Kansas roofing contractor registration
Registration details
  • state_level: A KANSAS ROOFING CONTRACTOR REGISTRATION CERTIFICATE FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL. K.S.A. 50-6,123(a)(1): "No person shall engage in the business of or act in the capacity of a roofing contractor within this state without having a valid registration certificate as required by this act." K.S.A. 50-6,122(a)(1) defines a roofing contractor as any person, including a subcontractor and nonresident contractor, who in the ordinary course of business "Engages in the business of commercial or residential roofing services for a fee" or offers or solicits roofing-related services. Section 50-6,122(a)(2) excludes a person doing demolition or debris cleanup, "a person working under the direct supervision of the roofing contractor and who is hired by such roofing contractor as an employee or day laborer," and an "exempt general contractor," a general contractor meeting the conditions of 50-6,122(e) (among them, that roofing is no more than 50% of the project cost, or that roofing is subcontracted to a registered roofer, and no door-to-door sales). This record does not decide whether a given reader falls inside any exclusion. Under K.S.A. 50-6,128 the annual fee is set by the Attorney General, may not exceed $500, and the certificate expires June 30 each year. Working unregistered carries civil penalties under K.S.A. 50-636 (50-6,123(b)).
  • city_level: Ottawa Municipal Code Article XI, Section 6-1103, states: "It shall be unlawful for any contractor to carry on or engage in the business of General, Specialty, or Trades Contracting, as regulated by any City code or act in the capacity of a General, Specialty, or Trades Contractor, without first having been issued a valid City occupational license." Roofing is the Class R specialty license, and the article states: "A roofing contractor must have obtained a State roofing certificate and provide it to the city." Section 6-1110 sets the Class R, Roofing Contractor company fee at $125.00. A specialty contractor working under a General Contractor does not need its own City occupational license (Section 6-1103 G.a).
Permit process note
The city's permit fee resolution (Resolution No. 1863-21, Section 6-1201) states that "All fees shall be due and payable before a building permit may be issued" and lists, under Roofs, a residential single-family and duplex fee of $50.00, "Based on valuation if valuation is $8,000.00 and up." The city's Permit Application asks for the "Roofing Contractor State of Kansas License Number".
Adopted code
The city's Building Codes page lists "International Residential One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code, 2018 Edition" among the codes the City of Ottawa has adopted. Ottawa Municipal Code Section 6-302 (Ord. 4052-20) adopts "the International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, 2018 Edition" by reference as the Residential Code of the City of Ottawa, and Section 6-310 lists the local amendments.
Drip edge
Required — Drip edge is required at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs (IRC R905.2.8.5). The City adopted the 2018 International Residential Code via Ottawa Municipal Code Article III, Sections 6-301 through 6-310 (Ord. 4052-20); that instrument, read in full, does not amend R905.2.8.5, so the code's drip-edge requirement stands as enacted local law. Its only roof-covering amendment is to R908.3, roof replacement; it also amends roof drainage at Section 801.3. About drip edge
Ice & water shield
Required — Table R301.2 (1) as filled in by Ottawa Municipal Code Section 6-310 answers yes in the ice barrier column. The same section's amended R908.3 lets an existing adhered ice barrier stay: "Where the existing roof assembly includes an ice barrier membrane that is adhered to the roof deck, the existing ice barrier membrane shall be permitted to remain in place and covered with an additional layer of ice barrier membrane in accordance with Section R905." About ice & water barrier
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Ottawa Municipal Code Chapter 6, Article III, Sections 6-301 through 6-310, which adopts the 2018 International Residential Code and lists every local amendment to it, was read in full. Counts across the whole article: "UL 2218" 0, "Class 4" 0, "impact" 0, "hail" 0. No provision requires impact-resistant roof coverings.
Wind design criteria
Table R301.2 (1), Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria, as filled in by Ottawa Municipal Code Section 6-310: ground snow load 20; wind speed 115 mph; seismic design category A; weathering severe; frost line depth 36 inches; termite moderate to heavy; winter design temperature 6 F; ice barrier yes; flood hazard May 3, 2011; air freezing index 779; mean annual temperature 55.9 F. The city's table has no topographic effects, special wind region or windborne debris zone columns.
Roof layer limit / recover
Ottawa Municipal Code Section 6-310 amends Section R908.3 of the 2018 International Residential Code, Recovering versus replacement, to read: "New roof coverings shall not be installed without first removing all existing layers of roof coverings down to the roof decking." Its exceptions keep the base-code cases of complete and separate roofing systems such as standing-seam metal that do not rely on the existing roof for support, metal panel, metal shingle and concrete and clay tile over existing wood shakes under Section R907.4, a new protective coating over spray polyurethane foam, and an adhered ice barrier membrane left in place. An asphalt-shingle re-roof is a tear-off to the deck.
Sales & use tax
Ottawa's combined sales tax rate is 9.5% (Kansas state 6.5% + Franklin County 1.5% + City of Ottawa 1.5%), per the Kansas Department of Revenue's Pub. 1700 jurisdiction rate table effective October 1, 2026. Pub. 1700 also lists 4 special districts inside the city (community improvement, transportation development or STAR bond districts); 4 of them carry a higher combined rate at their listed addresses. Per KDOR Pub. KS-1525, "Services performed to install or apply tangible personal property are exempt from sales tax when the services involve the original construction, reconstruction, restoration, remodeling, renovation, repair or replacement of a residence," so residential re-roof labor is exempt. Materials are not: contractors "are considered to be the final user or consumer of the materials they install for others, and must pay Kansas sales or use tax on them."

Local roofing hub

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The City of Ottawa Community Development Department issues building permits in the City of Ottawa, Kansas (Franklin County), from 101 S. Hickory. The city says it has adopted the International Residential One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code, 2018 Edition. This listing covers the office's contact details, the Kansas roofing contractor registration rule and the local sales tax rate, and the code facts quoted below; it does not cover every local permit rule.

Working an insurance claim in Ottawa, KS? 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).

Code items like drip edge and ice & water shield are what adjusters ask you to document.

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Sources

Roofing questions: Ottawa, KS

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Ottawa, KS?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Ottawa, KS.

Is ice & water shield required in Ottawa, KS?

Yes. Table R301.2 (1) as filled in by Ottawa Municipal Code Section 6-310 answers yes in the ice barrier column. The same section's amended R908.3 lets an existing adhered ice barrier stay: "Where the existing roof assembly includes an ice barrier membrane that is adhered to the roof deck, the existing ice barrier membrane shall be permitted to remain in place and covered with an additional layer of ice barrier membrane in accordance with Section R905."

Is drip edge required in Ottawa, KS?

Yes. Drip edge is required at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs (IRC R905.2.8.5). The City adopted the 2018 International Residential Code via Ottawa Municipal Code Article III, Sections 6-301 through 6-310 (Ord. 4052-20); that instrument, read in full, does not amend R905.2.8.5, so the code's drip-edge requirement stands as enacted local law. Its only roof-covering amendment is to R908.3, roof replacement; it also amends roof drainage at Section 801.3.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Ottawa, KS?

Ottawa Municipal Code Section 6-310 amends Section R908.3 of the 2018 International Residential Code, Recovering versus replacement, to read: "New roof coverings shall not be installed without first removing all existing layers of roof coverings down to the roof decking." Its exceptions keep the base-code cases of complete and separate roofing systems such as standing-seam metal that do not rely on the existing roof for support, metal panel, metal shingle and concrete and clay tile over existing wood shakes under Section R907.4, a new protective coating over spray polyurethane foam, and an adhered ice barrier membrane left in place. An asphalt-shingle re-roof is a tear-off to the deck.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Ottawa, KS?

Yes.

What building code does Ottawa, KS use?

The city's Building Codes page lists "International Residential One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code, 2018 Edition" among the codes the City of Ottawa has adopted. Ottawa Municipal Code Section 6-302 (Ord. 4052-20) adopts "the International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, 2018 Edition" by reference as the Residential Code of the City of Ottawa, and Section 6-310 lists the local amendments.