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Permitting Authorities / Ouray County Land Use Department - Building

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Ouray County, CO?

Adopted code

Ouray County Land Use Department - Building

Building permit authority for unincorporated Ouray County, Colorado. The Land Use Department administers building permits through the Cloudpermit online paperless system and enforces the 2018 International Codes.

Jurisdiction
Ouray County, Colorado
Jurisdiction type
county
Address
Ouray, CO
Contact
  • url: https://ouraycountyco.gov/212/Building-Information
  • phone: 970-626-9775
Permit portal
Permit portal
Permit process note
Ouray County uses Cloudpermit, an online paperless permitting system, for all building and septic permit applications; hard-copy applications are no longer accepted and all plans must be submitted in electronic PDF format. A building permit and an engineered foundation are required for all structures with habitable space and all other construction (single family homes, accessory structures, etc.); limited exemptions exist for small sheds, fences under 7 feet, and similar minor structures. Special permitting rules apply to mining claims above 9,480 feet elevation.
Inspection requirements
Inspection requests must be made at least 24 hours in advance. For permits issued after May 1, 2024, inspections are scheduled through Cloudpermit; for earlier permits, contact the Land Use Office at 970-626-9775. Per Resolution 2021-049, foundation inspections must be completed by a professional engineer registered in Colorado.
Adopted code
Ouray County has re-adopted the 2018 International Building Code, the 2018 International Codes, and the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code.
Drip edge
Required — Ouray County Resolution No. 2021-049, Exhibit A, contains no amendment reaching IRC Chapter 9, Roof Assemblies, so the base 2018 International Residential Code Section R905.2.8.5 governs asphalt-shingle roofs: "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. Drip edges shall extend not less than 1/4 inch below the roof sheathing and extend up back onto the roof deck not less than 2 inches." About drip edge
Ice & water shield
Required — Ouray County Resolution No. 2021-049, Exhibit A, item 11, amends Table R301.2(1) to state "Ice Shield: Yes," a county-completed answer to the base 2018 IRC's Section R905.1.2 conditional ice- barrier trigger for areas with a history of ice forming along the eaves. About ice & water barrier
Mid-roof inspection
Not required — Ouray County Resolution No. 2021-049, Exhibit A, addresses department records, permit exemptions and expiration, inspection requests, permit and plan-review fees, reinspection and investigation fees, refunds, appeals and flood hazards, and adds no roof-specific or mid-installation inspection stage. The base 2018 International Residential Code Section R109, Inspections, which the resolution leaves unamended, names only Foundation, Plumbing/Mechanical/Gas/Electrical rough-in, Floodplain, Frame and masonry, Other, and Final inspections. The Frame and masonry inspection (R109.1.4) is the only roof-adjacent milestone, and it occurs only "after the roof, masonry, all framing, firestopping, draftstopping and bracing are in place" -- after the roof is already on, not a mid-installation checkpoint.
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — Ouray County Resolution No. 2021-049, recorded December 16, 2021, was read in full with its Exhibit A and attachments. It amends and replaces Resolution No. 2020-004 and repeals the County's 2006-edition adoption at Resolution 2010-018, adopting in their place the 2018 International Building Code including all appendices, the 2018 International Residential Code including Appendices E, F, H, J, K, L, Q and S, the 2018 Mechanical, Existing Building and Energy Conservation Codes, and the 1997 Uniform Code for the Abatement of Dangerous Buildings, effective in unincorporated Ouray County on January 1, 2022. Exhibit A was read in full. Its amendments common to all the adopted codes direct that references to the International Private Sewage Disposal, Property Maintenance, Electrical, Plumbing, Fuel Gas, Fire, Zoning, Swimming Pool and Spa and Urban Wildland Interface Codes are to be disregarded and are not adopted, substitute the Colorado electrical and plumbing codes, and define the jurisdiction; the code-specific amendments address department records, permit exemptions and expiration, inspection requests, permit, plan review, reinspection and investigation fees, refunds, appeals and flood hazards, and delete the residential fire sprinkler sections. The resolution states expressly that any amendments or appendices it does not reference are neither adopted nor applicable. No amendment reaches Chapter 9 of the Residential Code or Chapter 15 of the Building Code; the only roof provision anywhere in the resolution is an elevation- based ground and roof snow load table. Because the County declined the Urban Wildland Interface Code and the Fire Code, it sets no local fire classification on roof coverings either. Neither the adopted codes nor any County amendment requires impact-resistant roof coverings or names a UL 2218 or Class 4 standard. The only statewide instrument reaching reroofing is the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code, 8 CCR 1507-39, effective July 1, 2026 in areas designated wildland-urban interface under that code, which requires a Class A roof covering tested to ASTM E108 or UL 790 where 25 percent or more of the roof surface is replaced, at Sections 101.6 and 403.2; that is a fire classification independent of impact rating, and the code sets no impact-resistance requirement.
Repair permit threshold
No dollar-value or square-footage threshold exempts a re-roof from permit. Ouray County's own "What Requires a Building Permit?" document lists permit exemptions by structure type and size (tool sheds 200 sq ft or less, play houses 200 sq ft or less, fences 7 feet or less, retaining walls under 4 feet, among others) and does not list roofing or re-roofing among them; the document's closing catch-all category, requiring a permit, is "All other construction (single family homes, accessory structures, etc.)." This matches the base 2018 International Residential Code, which Resolution No. 2021-049 adopted unamended in this respect: Section R105.2, Work exempt from permit, lists narrow exemptions for small accessory structures, fences, retaining walls, water tanks, sidewalks/driveways, finish work, small pools, playground equipment, small awnings and small unattached decks, none of which covers roof covering, reroofing or roof repair of any kind or value.
Wind design criteria
Ouray County Resolution No. 2021-049, Exhibit A, item 11, amends and replaces Table R301.2(1), Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria, to state: "Wind Speed: 90 mph, 3 second gusts sustained (115 ultimate) / Seismic Design Category: C / Weathering: Severe / Frost Line Depth: 36 inches / Termite: None/Slight / Decay: Slight / Winter Design Temperature: -16 degrees F / Ice Shield: Yes / Flood Hazards: Section 10 of Ouray County Land Use Code / Air Freezing Index: 2000 (BF/days) / Mean Annual Temperature: 44 degrees F."
Roof layer limit / recover
Ouray County Resolution No. 2021-049, Exhibit A, contains no amendment reaching IRC Chapter 9, Roof Assemblies, so the base 2018 International Residential Code governs. Section R908.3.1.1, Roof recover not allowed, provides: "A roof recover shall not be permitted where any of the following conditions occur: ... 3. Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." A third layer therefore requires full tear-off replacement under Section R908.3.
Deck & sheathing requirements
Ouray County Resolution No. 2021-049, Exhibit A, contains no amendment reaching IRC Chapter 8, Roof-Ceiling Construction, or Chapter 9, Roof Assemblies, so the base 2018 International Residential Code governs. Section R905.2.1 states: "Asphalt shingles shall be fastened to solidly sheathed decks." Section R803.2, Wood structural panel sheathing, requires panels to conform to DOC PS 1, DOC PS 2, CSA O437 or CSA O325, be identified for grade, bond classification and performance category, and be installed within the allowable spans of Table R503.2.1.1(1).
Sales & use tax
5.45% total for unincorporated Ouray County: 2.9% Colorado state plus 2.55% Ouray County. Ouray County is not within the RTD or SCFD special-district boundaries, so no additional district tax applies. This is the rate for unincorporated county areas; the incorporated towns of Ouray and Ridgway may carry additional municipal sales tax and are separate permitting-authority records.

Related guides

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

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Roofing questions — Ouray County, CO

When does a roof repair need a permit in Ouray County, CO?

No dollar-value or square-footage threshold exempts a re-roof from permit. Ouray County's own "What Requires a Building Permit?" document lists permit exemptions by structure type and size (tool sheds 200 sq ft or less, play houses 200 sq ft or less, fences 7 feet or less, retaining walls under 4 feet, among others) and does not list roofing or re-roofing among them; the document's closing catch-all category, requiring a permit, is "All other construction (single family homes, accessory structures, etc.)." This matches the base 2018 International Residential Code, which Resolution No. 2021-049 adopted unamended in this respect: Section R105.2, Work exempt from permit, lists narrow exemptions for small accessory structures, fences, retaining walls, water tanks, sidewalks/driveways, finish work, small pools, playground equipment, small awnings and small unattached decks, none of which covers roof covering, reroofing or roof repair of any kind or value.

Is ice & water shield required in Ouray County, CO?

Required — Ouray County Resolution No. 2021-049, Exhibit A, item 11, amends Table R301.2(1) to state "Ice Shield: Yes," a county-completed answer to the base 2018 IRC's Section R905.1.2 conditional ice- barrier trigger for areas with a history of ice forming along the eaves..

Is drip edge required?

Required — Ouray County Resolution No. 2021-049, Exhibit A, contains no amendment reaching IRC Chapter 9, Roof Assemblies, so the base 2018 International Residential Code Section R905.2.8.5 governs asphalt-shingle roofs: "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. Drip edges shall extend not less than 1/4 inch below the roof sheathing and extend up back onto the roof deck not less than 2 inches.".

Is a mid-roof inspection required?

Not required — Ouray County Resolution No. 2021-049, Exhibit A, addresses department records, permit exemptions and expiration, inspection requests, permit and plan-review fees, reinspection and investigation fees, refunds, appeals and flood hazards, and adds no roof-specific or mid-installation inspection stage. The base 2018 International Residential Code Section R109, Inspections, which the resolution leaves unamended, names only Foundation, Plumbing/Mechanical/Gas/Electrical rough-in, Floodplain, Frame and masonry, Other, and Final inspections. The Frame and masonry inspection (R109.1.4) is the only roof-adjacent milestone, and it occurs only "after the roof, masonry, all framing, firestopping, draftstopping and bracing are in place" -- after the roof is already on, not a mid-installation checkpoint..

What building code does Ouray County, CO use?

Ouray County has re-adopted the 2018 International Building Code, the 2018 International Codes, and the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code.