Permitting Authorities / City of St. Joseph Building Development, Building Division
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in St. Joseph, MO?
Adopted code
City of St. Joseph Building Development, Building Division
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in St. Joseph, MO, issued by City of St. Joseph Building Development, Building Division.
Roof code checklist: St. Joseph, MO
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 St. Joseph, Missouri
Address
1100 Frederick Avenue, Room 106, St. Joseph, MO 64501
Contact
- url: https://www.stjosephmo.gov/255/Building-Development
- phone: 816-344-5117
Roofing permit required
Required
Adopted code
THE CITY'S OWN SOURCES NAME TWO EDITIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE. City Code Section 7-32(b), as codified through Ordinance No. 3140 (February 2, 2026), adopts "The International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, 2018 edition (2018 IRC), including Appendix B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M and N" as the residential code, subject to the amendments in Section 7-34. The history line of Section 7-32 ends at G.O. 2865 (July 2, 2018). Section 7-34's history line cites G.O. 3123 (March 17, 2025), and its text still refers to "the 2018 IRC" in its R113.4 amendment. The City's building-codes FAQ also lists the 2018 International Residential Code. The City's Building Development page lists the 2024 International Residential Code among codes in effect for plans submitted as of March 2025, and the Building Permits/Plan Review page says residential plans are reviewed for compliance with the 2024 International Residential Code and the City Code of Ordinances. No ordinance adopting the 2024 edition was opened for this record. Section 7-34 was read in full (items 1 through 17). It amends administration (R101.1, R105.2 deleted, R106.1, R108.2, R108.5, R108.6 added, R112.1, R113.4, R114.2), inserts the City's entries into Table R301.2(1), deletes R313 sprinklers, amends E3902 and E4002, deletes Chapters 12 through 33 and Sections G2413 to G2424, and adds a Chapter 45 on house numbering. It amends nothing in Chapter 9, Roof Assemblies. Because the edition is not settled by the City's own sources, this record gives no edition-dependent answer on drip edge, ice barrier, sheathing or impact rating; call the Building Department at 816-344-5117 to confirm which edition a roof permit is reviewed under.
Repair permit threshold
LESS THAN 25 PERCENT OF THE ROOF IS EXEMPT; A FULL REROOF IS NOT. City Code Section 7-406, "Permit exempt work," says permits shall not be required for "Residential roof repairs or alterations when affecting less than 25 percent of the roof." A full replacement affects the whole roof, so it falls outside that exemption and needs a permit. Section 7-34(3) amends the IRC "by deleting Subsection R105.2," the model code's work-exempt list. Section 7-406 adds that exemptions do not authorize "any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this chapter, its sections, the adopted codes or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction." The City's Building Development page lists "Roofing" among projects that require a permit and names roofs among its over-the-counter permits, which are issued without plan review. Cost of skipping the permit: under R108.6 as added by Section 7-34(6), anyone who "commences any work on a building ... before first obtaining the necessary permits may be charged double the normal required permit fee."
Wind design criteria
90 MPH, FROM THE CITY'S OWN ENACTED TABLE ENTRIES. City Code Section 7-34(10) amends Section R301 by inserting into Table R301.2(1): "Wind speed = 90 mph; Seismic design category = B; Weathering = Severe; Frost Line Depth = 36 inches; Termite = Moderate to Heavy; Decay = slight to moderate; Winter Design Temp = 2 degrees; Flood hazard = September 19, 1984." The inserted entries name no ground snow load and no ice barrier entry.
Roof layer limit / recover
BOTH EDITIONS THE CITY NAMES BAR A RECOVER OVER TWO OR MORE EXISTING LAYERS; THE CITY HAS NOT AMENDED THE REROOFING SECTION. Section 7-34, the City's amendment list to the IRC, was read in full and names nothing in Chapter 9. Under the 2018 IRC, which codified Section 7-32(b) adopts, Section R908.3.1.1, "Roof recover not allowed," bars a recover "Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." Under the 2024 IRC, which the City's Building Development page lists, the same words appear in the Exceptions to Section R908.4, "Roof recover." On either edition one existing layer may be recovered, and a second existing layer means tear-off. The City's sources disagree on the edition, so this record does not classify the limit.
Sales & use tax
9.7% SALES TAX AND 9.7% USE TAX FOR ST. JOSEPH, BUCHANAN COUNTY (jurisdiction code 64550-021-000), per the Missouri Department of Revenue's Sales and Use Tax Rate Tables for July, August, September 2026 (updated 5/22/2026). Locations inside one of the City's community improvement districts or its Gateway transportation development district carry higher sales tax rates in the same table, from 10.2% to 11.2%. For a roofer, the Department's Contractors Tax Matrix (effective 10-24-2022) defines a contractor as "Any person entering into an agreement to improve, repair, replace, erect or alter real property," and lists "Purchases of parts, materials, supplies, and chemicals purchased by contractors" and "Tangible personal property to be sold as an attachment to real property" as taxable. It says the "applicable Missouri sales or Missouri consumer's use tax must be paid to the vendor or accrued and remitted directly to the Missouri Department of Revenue."
Local roofing hub
More roof permit pages in Missouri
Related guides
The building permitting authority for the City of St. Joseph, Missouri. The City's Building Development page lists "Roofing" among the projects that require a permit and says "Roof permits are issued through the Building Department," and the City publishes its own Roof Permit Application. City Code Section 7-406 exempts residential roof repairs or alterations affecting less than 25 percent of the roof, so a full reroof needs a permit. The City's sources disagree on which edition of the International Residential Code applies. Codified Section 7-32(b) adopts the 2018 IRC and the City's building-codes FAQ lists the 2018 IRC, while the Building Development and Building Permits/Plan Review pages list the 2024 IRC. This record states both and leaves out the answers that depend on the edition.
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Roofing questions: St. Joseph, MO
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in St. Joseph, MO?
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in St. Joseph, MO. LESS THAN 25 PERCENT OF THE ROOF IS EXEMPT; A FULL REROOF IS NOT. City Code Section 7-406, "Permit exempt work," says permits shall not be required for "Residential roof repairs or alterations when affecting less than 25 percent of the roof." A full replacement affects the whole roof, so it falls outside that exemption and needs a permit. Section 7-34(3) amends the IRC "by deleting Subsection R105.2," the model code's work-exempt list. Section 7-406 adds that exemptions do not authorize "any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this chapter, its sections, the adopted codes or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction." The City's Building Development page lists "Roofing" among projects that require a permit and names roofs among its over-the-counter permits, which are issued without plan review. Cost of skipping the permit: under R108.6 as added by Section 7-34(6), anyone who "commences any work on a building ... before first obtaining the necessary permits may be charged double the normal required permit fee."
Can you roof over an existing roof in St. Joseph, MO?
BOTH EDITIONS THE CITY NAMES BAR A RECOVER OVER TWO OR MORE EXISTING LAYERS; THE CITY HAS NOT AMENDED THE REROOFING SECTION. Section 7-34, the City's amendment list to the IRC, was read in full and names nothing in Chapter 9. Under the 2018 IRC, which codified Section 7-32(b) adopts, Section R908.3.1.1, "Roof recover not allowed," bars a recover "Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." Under the 2024 IRC, which the City's Building Development page lists, the same words appear in the Exceptions to Section R908.4, "Roof recover." On either edition one existing layer may be recovered, and a second existing layer means tear-off. The City's sources disagree on the edition, so this record does not classify the limit.
What building code does St. Joseph, MO use?
THE CITY'S OWN SOURCES NAME TWO EDITIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL RESIDENTIAL CODE. City Code Section 7-32(b), as codified through Ordinance No. 3140 (February 2, 2026), adopts "The International Residential Code for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, 2018 edition (2018 IRC), including Appendix B, C, D, E, F, G, H, J, K, M and N" as the residential code, subject to the amendments in Section 7-34. The history line of Section 7-32 ends at G.O. 2865 (July 2, 2018). Section 7-34's history line cites G.O. 3123 (March 17, 2025), and its text still refers to "the 2018 IRC" in its R113.4 amendment. The City's building-codes FAQ also lists the 2018 International Residential Code. The City's Building Development page lists the 2024 International Residential Code among codes in effect for plans submitted as of March 2025, and the Building Permits/Plan Review page says residential plans are reviewed for compliance with the 2024 International Residential Code and the City Code of Ordinances. No ordinance adopting the 2024 edition was opened for this record. Section 7-34 was read in full (items 1 through 17). It amends administration (R101.1, R105.2 deleted, R106.1, R108.2, R108.5, R108.6 added, R112.1, R113.4, R114.2), inserts the City's entries into Table R301.2(1), deletes R313 sprinklers, amends E3902 and E4002, deletes Chapters 12 through 33 and Sections G2413 to G2424, and adds a Chapter 45 on house numbering. It amends nothing in Chapter 9, Roof Assemblies. Because the edition is not settled by the City's own sources, this record gives no edition-dependent answer on drip edge, ice barrier, sheathing or impact rating; call the Building Department at 816-344-5117 to confirm which edition a roof permit is reviewed under.