The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Arizona / City of Surprise - Community Development Department, Building Inspections & Plan Review

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Surprise, AZ?

Adopted code

City of Surprise - Community Development Department, Building Inspections & Plan Review

No, Surprise, AZ does not require a permit for like-for-like roof replacement (City of Surprise - Community Development Department, Building Inspections & Plan Review). The City's published local amendments to the 2024 codes, in the amended 2024 International Residential Code Section R105.2 (Work exempt from permit), list as exempt: "Re-roofing with the same type of material as the original roofing and provided not more than two layers of asphalt shingles are applied over an existing asphalt shingle roof." The amended 2024 International Building Code Section 105.2 carries the same item. A permit is therefore not required for a same-material reroof within that limit. A change of roofing material or a third shingle layer falls outside the quoted exemption.

Roof code checklist: Surprise, AZ

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofNocontent.civicplus.com2026-10-25
Repair permit thresholdNot published
Layer limit / roof-overNot published
Deck & sheathingNot published
Drip edgeNot published
Ice & water shieldNocontent.civicplus.com2026-10-25
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNot published
Wind design criteriaPublishedcontent.civicplus.com2026-10-25
Adopted codePublishedsurpriseaz.gov2026-10-25
Contractor license / registrationYesazleg.gov2026-10-25
Sales & use taxPublishedSec. 32-1121TPT_RATETABLE_10012026.pdf2026-10-25

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 Surprise, Arizona
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
16000 N. Civic Center Plaza, Surprise, AZ 85374
Contact
  • url: https://surpriseaz.gov/currently-adopted-building-codes
  • phone: 623-222-3000
Roofing permit required
Not required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • license: STATE LAYER, applies in Surprise as everywhere in Arizona. Contractors are licensed by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors under A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 10 (32-1101 et seq.). A.R.S. 32-1121(A)(14) exempts an unlicensed person only for one project whose aggregate contract price, including labor and materials, is "less than $1,000" and whose work is "of a casual or minor nature," and says the exemption "does not apply: (a) In any case in which the performance of the work requires a local building permit." An unlicensed person who advertises must include the words "not a licensed contractor." Owner-occupants doing their own work on a structure intended solely for their own occupancy are separately exempt under 32-1121(A)(5). The specific roofing classification codes and the Registrar's own licensing page were not read for this record.
Permit process note
The City's published local amendments to the 2024 codes, in the amended 2024 International Residential Code Section R105.2 (Work exempt from permit), list as exempt: "Re-roofing with the same type of material as the original roofing and provided not more than two layers of asphalt shingles are applied over an existing asphalt shingle roof." The amended 2024 International Building Code Section 105.2 carries the same item. A permit is therefore not required for a same-material reroof within that limit. A change of roofing material or a third shingle layer falls outside the quoted exemption.
Adopted code
The City's Currently Adopted Building Codes page lists, under "Effective January 1, 2026," the "2024 International Building Code," "2024 International Residential Code," "2024 International Existing Building Code" and "2023 National Electrical Code," citing Ordinance 2025-14, and states the City adopted the codes on December 2, 2025. It also says "Local Amendments are on file at the City Clerk's office" and links the "City of Surprise Local Amendments to the 2024 International Codes and 2023 National Electrical Code - January 1, 2026."
Ice & water shield
Not required — The City's local amendments, Table R301.2 (values listed), state "Ice shield underlayment required: No." About ice & water barrier
Wind design criteria
The City's local amendments, Table R301.2 (values listed), state: "Ground snow load: 0," "Wind speed (mph): 105 Exposure B (unless otherwise designated by the Building Official)," "Topographic Effects: No," "Special Wind Region: No," "Windborne Debris Zone: No," "Seismic design category: B," "Weathering: Negligible," "Frost line depth: 0," "Winter design temperature: 34F" and "Mean annual temperature: 72.3F."
Sales & use tax
Roofing is taxed in Arizona as Prime Contracting (business code 015) under the Transaction Privilege Tax, not as a retail sale. The Arizona Department of Revenue Transaction Privilege and Other Tax Rate Tables effective October 1, 2026 list Contracting - Prime at 6.30% for Maricopa County (the 5.6% state rate plus the county rate) and at 3.70% for the City of Surprise (city code SP), a combined 10.00%. A.R.S. 42-5075(B) sets the tax base at "sixty-five percent of the gross proceeds of sales or gross income derived from the business," so the 10.00% applies to 65% of contract income. The same statute excludes from the classification "any work or operation performed by a person that is not required to be licensed by the registrar of contractors pursuant to section 32-1121."

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The City of Surprise, Arizona (Maricopa County) issues building permits through the Building Inspections & Plan Review division of its Community Development Department, at 16000 N. Civic Center Plaza. The City's Currently Adopted Building Codes page says the City "adopted the nationally recognized building and fire safety standards developed by the International Code Council" on December 2, 2025, and lists the 2024 International Building Code, 2024 International Residential Code and 2023 National Electrical Code "Effective January 1, 2026" under Ordinance 2025-14. Arizona has no statewide building code, so Surprise's own adoption controls. This listing covers the office's contact details, the adopted code edition, the reroofing permit exemption and Table R301.2 values from the City's published local amendments, and the state licensing and tax rules that apply to a roofer working in Surprise.

Working an insurance claim in Surprise, AZ? 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).

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Sources

Roofing questions: Surprise, AZ

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Surprise, AZ?

No, Surprise, AZ does not require a permit to replace a roof.

Is ice & water shield required in Surprise, AZ?

No. The City's local amendments, Table R301.2 (values listed), state "Ice shield underlayment required: No."

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Surprise, AZ?

Yes. STATE LAYER, applies in Surprise as everywhere in Arizona. Contractors are licensed by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors under A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 10 (32-1101 et seq.). A.R.S. 32-1121(A)(14) exempts an unlicensed person only for one project whose aggregate contract price, including labor and materials, is "less than $1,000" and whose work is "of a casual or minor nature," and says the exemption "does not apply: (a) In any case in which the performance of the work requires a local building permit." An unlicensed person who advertises must include the words "not a licensed contractor." Owner-occupants doing their own work on a structure intended solely for their own occupancy are separately exempt under 32-1121(A)(5). The specific roofing classification codes and the Registrar's own licensing page were not read for this record.

What building code does Surprise, AZ use?

The City's Currently Adopted Building Codes page lists, under "Effective January 1, 2026," the "2024 International Building Code," "2024 International Residential Code," "2024 International Existing Building Code" and "2023 National Electrical Code," citing Ordinance 2025-14, and states the City adopted the codes on December 2, 2025. It also says "Local Amendments are on file at the City Clerk's office" and links the "City of Surprise Local Amendments to the 2024 International Codes and 2023 National Electrical Code - January 1, 2026."