Permitting Authorities / City of Palm Bay - Building Department
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Palm Bay, FL?
Adopted codeCity of Palm Bay - Building Department
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Palm Bay, FL, issued by City of Palm Bay - Building Department. Re-roofing is permit work in Palm Bay. The Building Department's FAQ lists "re-roofing" among projects that need a permit, and its Fiscal Year 2025-2026 fee schedule (Resolution 2025-32, effective October 1, 2025) carries a "New Roofing or Replacement Roofing or Siding - Single Family" fee of $150.00 ($75.00 when using private provider inspection services) and a "Roofing or Siding Repair - Single Family" fee of $100.00 ($50.00 with a private provider), plus the 2.5% Florida state surcharge and the City's 0.25% construction and demolition surcharge. Applications are filed electronically through the City's iMS portal. The City's Roof Permit Requirements sheet asks for an owner/builder affidavit if the owner is applying as contractor, proof of ownership if applicable, product approval (or a product approval affidavit) for the roof covering and for the underlayment with their installation requirements, product approval for any skylights being replaced, and a "Copy of the recorded Notice of Commencement or affidavit of filing for NOC (if value is greater than $5,000)." The City will not issue permits that entail temporary access along the Melbourne-Tillman Canal until a Melbourne-Tillman Water Control District permit has been obtained. Starting work without a permit "could be subject to a penalty of up to four times the sum of all fees as determined by the Building Official." On the state exemption for work valued at less than $7,500 (in effect since July 1, 2026), the City's building page lists "Structural (including exterior doors, exterior windows, roofing, sheds, etc.)" among "Projects that require a permit regardless of the value of work"; see the repair threshold field.
Roof code checklist: Palm Bay, FL
| Item | Answer | Code cite | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Permit to replace a roof | Yes | palmbayfl.gov | 2026-09-26 | |
| Repair permit threshold | Published | palmbayfl.gov | 2026-09-26 | |
| Layer limit / roof-over | Published | R908.3 | codes.iccsafe.org | 2026-09-26 |
| Deck & sheathing | Published | palmbayfl.gov | 2026-09-26 | |
| Drip edge | Yes | R905.2.8.5 | codes.iccsafe.org | 2026-09-26 |
| Ice & water shield | Not published | |||
| Mid-roof inspection | Yes | Sec. 110.3 | palmbayfl.gov | 2026-09-26 |
| Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofing | Not published | |||
| Wind design criteria | Not published | |||
| Adopted code | Published | Sec. 96.01 | CodeID_7793_a4f7_City of Pam Bay ... | 2026-09-26 |
| Contractor license / registration | Yes | leg.state.fl.us | 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 Palm Bay, Florida
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
110 Malabar Road SE, Palm Bay, FL 32907
Contact
- url: https://www.palmbayfl.gov/government/city-departments-a-to-e/building-permits-inspections
- phone: 321-953-8924
- email: [email protected]
Permit portal
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
- state_level: Roofing contractor is a separately licensed trade in Florida. Section 489.105(3)(e), Florida Statutes, defines a "Roofing contractor" as "a contractor whose services are unlimited in the roofing trade." Section 489.113(2) provides that "A person must be certified or registered in order to engage in the business of contracting in this state." A state-certified contractor may work statewide; under section 489.117, "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." Section 489.103(7) contains an owner-builder exemption for owners "acting as their own contractor and providing direct, onsite supervision themselves of all work not performed by licensed contractors" when building or improving one- or two-family residences "for the occupancy or use of such owners and not offered for sale or lease," and a separate clause for owners "repairing or replacing wood shakes or asphalt or fiberglass shingles" on one-, two- or three-family residences after a declared state of emergency, on the conditions that section states. This record does not decide whether a particular reader falls within either clause.
- city_level: The City's Florida Contractor License Registration sheet states that "State of Florida licensed Contractors who intend to pull permits in the City of Palm Bay must register with our office at iMS," attaching a copy of the Florida contractor license or county competency card, certificates of general liability insurance (minimum bodily injury $300,000 and property damage $50,000) and workers' compensation insurance (or an exemption), each naming the City of Palm Bay Building Department as certificate holder with at least 30 days' notice of cancellation, and a copy of the business tax receipt. The Building Department's page states that "Under state and local law any person you hire under contract (verbal or written) to perform construction work on your property must be a licensed contractor. The contractor must be either state certified or registered." For owner-builders, the FAQ states a permit may be obtained if the applicant is the owner, ownership is by an individual, and the "property is not for sale or lease for a period of one year"; the City's Owner-Builder Disclosure Statement must be completed and the owner must "personally appear to sign for the building permit."
Permit process note
Re-roofing is permit work in Palm Bay. The Building Department's FAQ lists "re-roofing" among projects that need a permit, and its Fiscal Year 2025-2026 fee schedule (Resolution 2025-32, effective October 1, 2025) carries a "New Roofing or Replacement Roofing or Siding - Single Family" fee of $150.00 ($75.00 when using private provider inspection services) and a "Roofing or Siding Repair - Single Family" fee of $100.00 ($50.00 with a private provider), plus the 2.5% Florida state surcharge and the City's 0.25% construction and demolition surcharge. Applications are filed electronically through the City's iMS portal. The City's Roof Permit Requirements sheet asks for an owner/builder affidavit if the owner is applying as contractor, proof of ownership if applicable, product approval (or a product approval affidavit) for the roof covering and for the underlayment with their installation requirements, product approval for any skylights being replaced, and a "Copy of the recorded Notice of Commencement or affidavit of filing for NOC (if value is greater than $5,000)." The City will not issue permits that entail temporary access along the Melbourne-Tillman Canal until a Melbourne-Tillman Water Control District permit has been obtained. Starting work without a permit "could be subject to a penalty of up to four times the sum of all fees as determined by the Building Official." On the state exemption for work valued at less than $7,500 (in effect since July 1, 2026), the City's building page lists "Structural (including exterior doors, exterior windows, roofing, sheds, etc.)" among "Projects that require a permit regardless of the value of work"; see the repair threshold field.
Inspection requirements
Contractor re-roofs of single-family homes (City procedure effective April 14, 2024): once the old roof is stripped and the contractor confirms the sheathing is compliant, the contractor uploads 4 to 6 photos of the sheathing and the Roof Sheathing / Water Barrier Inspection Affidavit to the permit in iMS; when dry-in is complete, the contractor uploads 4 to 6 photos (one showing enough detail to identify the site) and a Dry-In Affidavit, then schedules the dry-in inspection, which a plan reviewer or inspector results from the uploads; the final inspection is on site. Both affidavits are notarized and signed by a general, building, residential or roofing contractor, an engineer or architect, or a Chapter 468 building inspector, attesting that the work "was done according to the Hurricane Mitigation Retrofit Manual (Based on 553.844 F.S.)." Owner-builder re-roofs get four inspections seen in person by the inspector (roof deck/sheathing, water barrier, dry-in, final), and the owner must provide a ladder or other access. Inspections are scheduled through iMS with a "3:00pm cut off to schedule next day inspections."
Adopted code
Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), Residential volume (2021 International Residential Code base), effective December 31, 2023, adopted statewide by the Florida Building Commission under Rule 61G20-1.001, Florida Administrative Code. Palm Bay's Ordinance 2023-104 (enacted December 21, 2023, effective December 31, 2023) amended City Code section 96.01 so that the "2023 Florida Building Code, 8th, Edition or as amended - Residential mandated by the State of Florida is hereby recognized as the Residential Building Code for the city," with the same wording for the Building (exclusive of Chapter 1), Existing Building and other volumes, and adopted the City's administrative amendments to Chapter 1 of the Florida Building Code, Building, as Exhibit A. That administrative chapter adopts Appendices M and Q of the Florida Building Code, Residential. The Building Department's page states that "All permit applications submitted on or after December 31, 2023, to the City's Building Department must comply with the new provisions." The Florida Building Commission's local-amendment registry lists Palm Bay's 2023 administrative amendment to Chapter 1 (sections 101 to 117, effective January 10, 2024) and no technical amendment by the City.
Drip edge
Required — Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), section R905.2.8.5 Drip edge: "Provide drip edge at eaves and gables of shingle roofs. Overlap to be a minimum of 3 inches (76 mm). Eave drip edges shall extend 1/2 inch (13 mm) below sheathing and extend back on the roof a minimum of 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edge shall be installed over the underlayment." It "shall be mechanically fastened a maximum of 12 inches (305 mm) on center," tightening to 4 inches on center where the Vasd is 110 mph or greater or the mean roof height exceeds 33 feet. The requirement is written for shingle roofs. Palm Bay's Ordinance 2023-104 recognizes the state's Residential code as the City's residential code and, with its administrative Exhibit A, does not amend section R905.2.8.5. About drip edge
Mid-roof inspection
Required — Palm Bay's administrative chapter of the Florida Building Code, adopted by Ordinance 2023-104 (section 110.3), reads: "Roofing inspection. Shall at a minimum be made in at least two inspections and include the following building components," listed as "Dry-in," "Insulation," "Roof coverings (including In Progress as necessary)," "Insulation on roof deck" and "Flashing," with a "Re-roof sheathing inspection" for which an affidavit of a licensed roofing contractor "may be accepted at the discretion of the building official." The City's Roof Inspection Procedures for contractors (effective April 14, 2024) require, for a single-family re-roof, photos of the stripped roof sheathing with a Roof Sheathing / Water Barrier Affidavit uploaded to the permit, then photos and a dry-in affidavit before the dry-in inspection is scheduled, then an on-site final inspection. For owner-builders the process "will consist of four (4) inspections at the property," namely "Roof Deck/ Sheathing Inspection, Water Barrier Inspection, Dry-in Inspection, and Final Inspection," and "Affidavits and Photos are not permitted to be used for Owner/Builder roof inspections."
Repair permit threshold
The City's building page, under "Permit Exemptions - House Bill 803," lists "Structural (including exterior doors, exterior windows, roofing, sheds, etc.)" among "Projects that require a permit regardless of the value of work," and the City's fee schedule carries a dedicated "Roofing or Siding Repair - Single Family" permit fee ($100.00). The City's Post-Storm Recovery Permitting guide lists "Roof replacements or substantial repairs" under "Repairs that DO require a permit" and, under "Repairs that DO NOT require a permit," lists "100 square feet of roof." and "Temporary roof tarping or boarding." The City's administrative chapter of the Florida Building Code (section 105.2.2) allows "Ordinary minor repairs" to be made "with the approval of the building official without a permit," provided they do not cut away walls, remove structural beams or load-bearing supports, or touch piping, wiring or mechanical equipment; its list of work exempt from permit (section 105.2) names no roofing item. Section 553.79(1)(g), Florida Statutes (effective July 1, 2026), reads: "A local government that issues building permits shall exempt 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." It does not apply to "Work on a property that is 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"; "A construction project may not be divided into more than one project for the purpose of evading the requirements of this paragraph"; and "the owner or the owner's contractor must submit 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." The City treats roofing as structural work for this exemption, as quoted above; its House Bill 803 Permit Exemption Request form has the signer affirm "I will not be performing any work that involves Structural, Mechanical, Plumbing, Electrical, or Gas" and acknowledge that the local government has no legal duty for exempted work. Separately, the Florida Building Code, Residential (section R908.1.1) provides that "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," except that where the existing roof was built, repaired or replaced under the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, "only the repaired, replaced, or recovered portion is required to be constructed in accordance with the Florida Building Code in effect."
Roof layer limit / recover
Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), section R908.3 Recovering versus replacement: "New roof coverings shall not be installed without first removing all existing layers of roof coverings where any of the following conditions occur: 1. Where the existing roof or roof covering is water soaked or has deteriorated to the point that the existing roof or roof covering is not adequate as a base for additional roofing. 2. Where the existing roof covering is wood shingle or shake, slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile. 3. Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." Tear-off is also required where blisters are not cut or scraped open and secured, or where the existing covering is to be used for attachment and the securement provisions cannot be met. Palm Bay's Ordinance 2023-104 recognizes the state's Residential code as the City's residential code, and neither it nor its administrative Exhibit A states a layer limit of its own or amends section R908.3.
Deck & sheathing requirements
Florida Building Code, Residential, 8th Edition (2023), section R908.7 Wind mitigation: "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 R908.7.1. (b) A secondary water barrier shall be provided as required by Section R908.7.2. Exception: Structures permitted subject to the Florida Building Code are not required to comply with this section." Under section R908.7.1, "8d nails shall be a minimum of 0.113 inch (2.9 mm) in diameter and shall be a minimum of 2 1/4 inch (57 mm) long to qualify for the provisions of this section for existing nails"; plank decking "secured with at least two nails (minimum size 8d) to each roof framing member it crosses shall be deemed to be sufficiently connected," and wood structural panel decks take supplemental ring shank fasteners per Table R908.7.1.2. Palm Bay checks the deck on every re-roof: its administrative code calls for a "Re-roof sheathing inspection," and the City's Roof Sheathing / Water Barrier Inspection Affidavit has the licensed signer state "I personally inspected the roof deck nailing and secondary water barrier work" and that "the installation was done according to the Hurricane Mitigation Retrofit Manual (Based on 553.844 F.S.)." Contractors upload that affidavit with 4 to 6 photos of the roof sheathing once the old roof is stripped; owner-builders must have the deck nailing seen by the inspector, and "An inspector will not move or cut out underlayment."
Sales & use tax
7% combined: 6% Florida state sales and use tax plus Brevard County's 1% discretionary sales surtax. The Department of Revenue's Form DR-15DSS for calendar year 2026 lists the Brevard surtax in two 0.5% parts, one effective January 1, 2015 and one effective January 1, 2017, each with an expiration date of December 31, 2026. Per the Department, discretionary sales surtax "applies to the first $5,000 of the sales amount on the sale, use, lease, rental, or license to use any item of tangible personal property." Under Rule 12A-1.051, Florida Administrative Code, "Roofing work" is a real property contract, and "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"; such contractors "should charge no tax to their customers, regardless of whether they itemize charges for materials and labor in their proposals or invoices." The rate is the roofer's cost on materials, repair and replacement alike, not a tax charged to the homeowner.
Local roofing hub
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Related guides
The building permit office of the City of Palm Bay in Brevard County. The Building Department takes permit applications through its iMS online portal, reviews plans, runs inspections and registers state-licensed contractors who pull permits inside the city limits, including permits for new and replacement roofing.
Hail reports near Palm Bay, FL
- Reports, last 24 months
- 7
- Largest, last 24 months
- 1.75 in Mar 15, 2026
- Most recent
- Mar 15, 2026 1.75 in
- Reports, last 5 years
- 17
| Date | Hail size | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Mar 15, 2026 | 1.75 in | 4 mi ESE |
| Mar 15, 2026 | 1.50 in | 3 mi E |
| Mar 15, 2026 | 1.00 in | 4 mi ESE |
| Mar 15, 2026 | 1.00 in | 4 mi NNE |
| May 24, 2025 | 1.75 in | 1 mi E |
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 Palm Bay, FL (Census point). Data through Sep 30, 2026. A report is an observation, not a damage record.
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Sources
- palmbayfl.gov verified 2026-09-26
- palmbayfl.gov verified 2026-09-26
- palmbayfl.gov verified 2026-09-26
- leg.state.fl.us verified 2026-09-26
- palmbayfl.gov verified 2026-09-26
- palmbayfl.gov verified 2026-09-26
- palmbayfl.gov verified 2026-09-26
- floridabuilding.org verified 2026-09-26
- codes.iccsafe.org verified 2026-09-26
- floridarevenue.com verified 2026-09-26
- palmbayfl.gov verified 2026-09-26