City of Watford City, North Dakota - Building Department

City of Watford City, North Dakota

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Watford City, ND

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Permits and inspections are run by the Watford City Building Department at 213 2nd St NE, with the Building Inspector reachable on (701) 444-8414. Applications may be uploaded through the City's website, brought to City Hall or posted. Permits are valid for six months from the date of issue and may be renewed after expiry for an additional fee, and the City states that only the current version of each application form will be accepted. THE FEES A ROOFER WILL MEET. Building permit fees for residential work are set by annual City Council resolution against the project value. The current fee schedule prices a building permit renewal at $20 per six months, a demolition permit at $25, a fence permit at $25 and the City Contractor's License at $50. The General Permit application prices an insurance claim repair permit at a flat $20.00, with a copy of the claim submitted with the application and the property owner's signature required. Inspections must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance, and after-hours inspections cost an extra $100 an hour. Plumbing and electrical codes are inspected and enforced by the State of North Dakota boards rather than by the City. A LOCAL RULE ABOUT ROOF MATERIALS THAT IS NOT IN ANY MODEL CODE. The City's Land Development Ordinance sets minimum construction and design standards for dwellings, and for two-family dwellings and detached single-family dwellings other than manufactured homes it requires each to "Have an engineered, stamped roof design to meet North Dakota building codes. Corrugated metal or fiberglass roofing is prohibited" and to "Have a minimum roof pitch of three inches in one foot (3:12)." The same prohibition on corrugated metal and fiberglass roofing is repeated for the other dwelling categories in that section, and some of them also require "a minimum of a one-foot overhang on all eaves and gables". Check the dwelling type against that section before quoting a metal roof. ONE MORE THING WORTH KNOWING ON OLDER PROPERTIES. Under the nonconformities article, "Normal Maintenance and Repairs are permitted on any Nonconforming Structure or any Structure containing a Nonconforming Use", and the ordinance names "repair or replacement of fixtures, wiring, plumbing, roofing, windows, siding, and non-loadbearing walls" as examples, "provided the size of the Structure shall not be increased." So a reroof on a building that no longer conforms to current zoning is not blocked by its nonconforming status.

Watford City adopts the North Dakota State Building Code by reference, without naming an edition, and then publishes on its own website which editions that currently means. WHAT THE CITY CODE SAYS. Watford City Code Section 5-105 reads: "The erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, removal, demolition, conversion, occupancy, equipment, uses, height, area and maintenance of buildings or structures in the City of Watford City shall meet with the provisions of the rules and regulations of the edition of the North Dakota State Building Code, and are hereby made a part of this chapter by reference with the exception of the sections hereinafter set forth affecting local conditions in the City, which are amended, deleted, or added to, for use and application in the City, and the City hereby adopts said code as so modified." That section was most recently amended by Ordinance No. 663, adopted 6 May 2024. WHICH EDITIONS THAT IS. The City's own Building Codes and Design Criteria page, under the heading "CODES ADOPTED BY CITY OF WATFORD CITY AND THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA", lists the 2024 International Building Code, the 2024 International Residential Code, the 2024 International Mechanical Code, the 2024 International Fuel Gas Code and the 2024 International Existing Building Code. That matches the 2026 North Dakota State Building Code Book, which states that "Effective January 1, 2026, the North Dakota State Building Code consists of the 2024 International Building Code (IBC), International Residential Code (IRC), International Mechanical Code (IMC), International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC), International Energy Conservation Code, and the International Existing Building Code as published by the International Code Council (ICC)", and which adds "NO APPENDICES ARE ADOPTED". THE CITY'S OWN AMENDMENTS ARE THREE ITEMS AND NONE TOUCHES ROOFING. Section 5-106 deletes Section R302.13 on fire protection of floors in its entirety; puts back the requirement for a self-closing device on the door between the garage and the living area at Section R302.5.1, which the state had removed; and replaces exception 3 to Section R403.1.4.1 so that "Decks supported by a dwelling shall be supported with footings that extend to or below the frost line." AN APPENDIX THE STATE DOES NOT ADOPT, ADOPTED LOCALLY AND FROZEN. Sections 5-201 to 5-203 separately adopt "Appendix J of that certain code known as the 2015 International Building Code" for excavating and grading, with a named 2015 edition even though the building code adoption is not edition-named. Plumbing runs on the State Plumbing Code under Section 5-101 and electrical on the state wiring standards under Section 5-104, both inspected by the state boards rather than the City. The codified text used here is current through Ordinance No. 706, enacted 6 April 2026. STATE FRAMEWORK, FOR CONTEXT. Under NDCC 54-21.3-03(6) a city that elects to administer and enforce a building code "shall adopt and enforce the state building code", but "the state building code may be amended by cities, townships, and counties to conform to local needs". Watford City is named as a code enforcing city on the North Dakota Department of Commerce's directory of code enforcing jurisdictions.

Required — Watford City adopts the International Residential Code, and the two instruments that could change its roof-assemblies chapter were both read in full and neither does. The City's own amendments, at Code Section 5-106, are three items covering fire protection of floors, a self-closing garage door and deck footing depth, and no section of the roof-assemblies chapter is amended anywhere in Chapter V. The North Dakota amendment set for the 2024 International Residential Code amends thirty sections, none of them in that chapter either. So the base residential code drip-edge requirement for asphalt-shingle roof coverings applies in Watford City unmodified, with no local softening and no local addition. Take the installation extent and the fastener spacing from the 2024 International Residential Code, which is the edition the City's own Building Codes and Design Criteria page lists as adopted. ONE LOCAL RULE AT THE EAVE THAT WORKS THE OTHER WAY. Rain gutters are the one piece of exterior water management Watford City exempts from a building permit outright: Land Development Ordinance Section 9-2(B)(3) exempts "Installation, repair, or replacement of exterior rain gutters". So gutter work needs no permit here even though altering the roof above it does. The City's Land Development Ordinance also requires a minimum one-foot overhang on all eaves and gables for some dwelling types, which affects how much edge there is to detail. About drip edge

Required — Ice barrier underlayment is required in Watford City, on the City's own published statement rather than on any assumption about the climate. The City's Building Codes and Design Criteria page lists its required design criteria for the adopted codes, and among them it answers the ice barrier underlayment item "Yes". The same list gives a winter design temperature of negative 21 degrees Fahrenheit and an air freezing index of 4,000, which is the kind of climate the ice barrier provisions exist for. THE CITY ALSO INSPECTS IT, WHICH IS THE PART THAT AFFECTS SEQUENCING. Watford City publishes the list of building inspections it performs, and "Roof/Ice & Water Barrier" is one of them by name. So on a job where that inspection is called for, the barrier has to be inspected before the covering goes over it, and inspections must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance. Build the inspection into the schedule rather than treating it as a formality at the end. WHAT IS NOT SETTLED HERE. The City states the trigger, not the installation detail. How far up the slope the barrier must run, and which materials satisfy it, come from the adopted edition of the residential code, because Watford City has made no amendment to the roof-assemblies chapter. Confirm the required extent with the Building Department when the permit is pulled. About ice & water barrier

Required — Watford City inspects the roof before the covering goes on, and it names the inspection in its own published list. The City's Building Inspections page sets out the inspections the City performs, and among them are "Roof/Ice & Water Barrier" and "Sheathing: Nailing/Shear-walls". An ice and water barrier inspection can only happen after the barrier is installed and before it is covered, so on a job where it is called for, the roof is inspected mid-course rather than only at completion. READ THE SCOPE CONDITION WITH IT. The same page states that "The nature and scope of a project will determine the inspections required", so whether a particular reroof triggers the roof inspection is a decision for the Building Department, not something to be assumed either way from the list. That fits the City's permit rule, which also sends any alteration of a roof to City Officials for a determination regardless of the value of the job. HOW TO SCHEDULE IT, AND WHAT IT COSTS TO GET IT WRONG. "Permit holders must schedule an inspection 24 hours prior to inspection. After hours inspections are an extra $100/hr." Inspection hours are Monday to Thursday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and Friday 8:00 am to 1:00 pm. It is the permit holder's responsibility to call for inspections, and the City will not issue the certificate of occupancy or final inspection until all inspections have been performed and found code compliant and all City fees are paid.

Not required — No impact-resistance mandate applies in Watford City, at either level of government, and that is established by reading the instruments in full rather than by failing to find one. CITY LEVEL. Watford City Code Chapter V, Plumbing, Electrical, Building Codes, is the instrument that adopts and amends the building code here, and it was read in full, Sections 5-101 through 5-205. Its entire list of local amendments to the residential code is Section 5-106, three items, dealing with fire protection of floors, a self-closing garage door and deck footing depth. None is an impact provision and none touches the roof-assemblies chapter. The City's Land Development Ordinance, Chapter XV, was also read across all nine of its articles, and it contains no UL 2218, Class 4, Class IV or FM 4473 provision either. The City's own published design criteria list every climatic and structural value it imposes and includes no impact rating. STATE LEVEL. The North Dakota amendments to the 2024 International Residential Code, published in the 2026 North Dakota State Building Code Book, were also read in full, thirty numbered section amendments, and none addresses roofing or impact rating. AN IMPORTANT DISTINCTION. Impact resistance under UL 2218 is a hail rating, and it is not the same thing as a fire classification or a wind rating, which are graded under different standards entirely. An impact-rated shingle may still be worth buying, and an insurer may discount for one, but nothing in Watford City or North Dakota law requires it. WHAT THE CITY DOES RESTRICT IS THE MATERIAL, NOT THE RATING. Its Land Development Ordinance requires dwellings to "Have an engineered, stamped roof design to meet North Dakota building codes. Corrugated metal or fiberglass roofing is prohibited". That is a materials and design rule, not an impact rating.

WATFORD CITY NAMES ROOF WORK EXPRESSLY, AND IT IS THE CLEAREST STATEMENT ON THE POINT IN ANY NORTH DAKOTA RECORD IN THIS DIRECTORY. The rule is in the City's Land Development Ordinance at Section 9-2 of Article 9. THE BASELINE. Subsection 9-2(A) provides: "No Building or other Structure shall be erected, moved, expanded, demolished, or structurally altered within Watford City or its Extraterritorial Area prior to issuance of a Development Permit and all other permits as may be necessary for Development, except as provided in Subsection 9-2(B), below. Unpermitted Development is unlawful and shall be punishable as provided in Section 9-12 (Penalties and Enforcement)." THE EXCEPTIONS, IN FULL. Subsection 9-2(B) reads: "Exceptions. Building Permits are not required for the following activities: 1. Construction or placement of Structures with a floor area of 120 square feet or less; 2. Repair or replacement of fences or flatwork on private property; 3. Installation, repair, or replacement of exterior rain gutters; 4. Other activities up to a cost of $1,000 that are not addressed in any of the applicable Building codes. Regardless of dollar amount, the following categories of projects require review by City Officials to determine the necessity of a Building Permit: a. Structural components (e.g., load-bearing elements, footings, or piers); b. Life/safety requirements (e.g., egress windows or smoke/CO); c. Plumbing and/or electrical updates; d. Altering City utility services; e. Altering a roof; and f. Site grading (raising or lowering from existing)." WHAT THAT MEANS ON A ROOF. Roofing is not on the exemption list, and the thousand-dollar self-assessment does not apply to it: altering a roof is expressly one of the categories that must go to City Officials regardless of dollar amount. Rain gutter work, by contrast, is exempt outright under item 3. So price the job on the assumption that the City is involved, and take the determination from the Building Department rather than from the dollar value. WHICH FORM. A house or a building of up to three dwelling units uses the Residential Building application. For work that does not fit an existing permit type the City uses a General Permit, and its application states: "General Permits are available for projects in which the work may not be categorized by an existing permit type. The requirements of and fees for this permit will be set at the discretion of the City Building Official. This type of permit shall also be reserved for insurance claim repairs. Insurance claim repair permits are $20.00 and must provide a copy of the claim submitted with this application." That form also carries the line "OWNER SIGNATURE REQUIRED FOR INSURANCE CLAIMS", so a hail claim reroof needs the homeowner's signature on the permit application as well as the contractor's. A NAMING TRAP WORTH AVOIDING. The City also publishes a "Construction and Repair Permit Application", and despite the name it is not a building repair permit at all - it covers work on public streets, sidewalks, driveways, curbs and gutters in the right of way, and carries a $10,000 minimum surety bond. Do not file it for a reroof. Permits are valid for six months from issue and may be renewed; the renewal fee is $20 per six months.

Watford City publishes its own required design criteria, and unlike most North Dakota jurisdictions it names the BASIS of its wind figure, which is what makes the number usable. From the City's Building Codes and Design Criteria page, under the heading "REQUIRED DESIGN CRITERIA", the published values are an ultimate design wind speed of 115 mph with surface roughness C, a ground snow load of 30, seismic design category A, a frost depth of 48 inches, an elevation of about 2,400 feet, an air freezing index of 4,000, a mean annual temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit, a winter design temperature of negative 21 degrees Fahrenheit, and ice barrier underlayment required. For the roof snow load the page does not give a number at all - it directs the designer to ASCE 7-22. THE BASIS POINT. Because the City states the 115 mph as an ULTIMATE design wind speed, it is not interchangeable with a nominal or fastest-mile figure, and it must not be converted into one. A fastening schedule written to a nominal wind speed of 115 mph is not the same design as one written to an ultimate 115 mph. Use the figure on the basis the City states it on, with surface roughness C. WHAT ELSE THE PAGE IMPOSES. On foundations, "Calculations for footings shall include the presumptive load bearing values contained in IBC Table 1806.2. A geo-technical report shall be provided to verify that the values are justified where vertical pressure values are greater than 1500 psf." That is a foundation requirement rather than a roofing one, but it is the same page a roofer will be sent to, so it is worth knowing what else is on it. A winter design temperature of negative 21 degrees and an air freezing index of 4,000 are among the harshest figures published by any jurisdiction in this directory, and they are the reason the City answers the ice barrier question the way it does.

Watford City imposes no layer rule of its own, so the rule is whatever the adopted code says. Watford City Code Chapter V was read in full, Sections 5-101 through 5-205, current through Ordinance No. 706 enacted 6 April 2026, and it contains no roof-covering, shingle, recover or re-roofing provision; its entire amendment list to the residential code is three items, none in the roof-assemblies chapter. The City's Land Development Ordinance, Chapter XV, was read across all nine articles and contains no layer or overlay rule either. The North Dakota amendments to the 2024 International Residential Code were read in full, thirty numbered section amendments, and none reaches the roof-assemblies chapter. So the base International Residential Code provisions on installing a new roof covering over an existing one apply in Watford City unmodified, with no local cap added and none removed. That base text was not opened for this record, so no layer count is stated here and none should be inferred. WHAT IS SETTLED IS THE EDITION: the City's own Building Codes and Design Criteria page lists the 2024 International Residential Code as adopted, matching the state code that took effect on 1 January 2026. TWO LOCAL FACTS THAT BEAR ON AN OVERLAY. Altering a roof must be brought to City Officials to determine whether a permit is needed regardless of the value of the job, so the layer question will be asked at the counter rather than left to the contractor. And the City requires ice barrier underlayment, which constrains what can be left in place at the eave. Confirm the permitted number of layers with the Building Department before bidding an overlay.

No Watford City roof-sheathing standard exists, and that is established by reading the City's own instruments rather than by failing to find one. Watford City Code Chapter V was read in full, Sections 5-101 through 5-205, and its whole amendment list to the residential code is three items, none of which reaches roof or ceiling construction. The City's Land Development Ordinance, Chapter XV, was read across all nine articles and contains no roof sheathing or decking provision. The North Dakota amendments to the 2024 International Residential Code were also read in full, thirty numbered section amendments, and none reaches roof or ceiling construction. So the base residential code roof sheathing and decking provisions apply unmodified, and there is no local span table, thickness minimum or fastener schedule to reconcile them against. THE CITY DOES INSPECT SHEATHING, WHICH IS THE practical point. "Sheathing: Nailing/Shear-walls" is one of the inspections the City's Building Inspections page says it performs, so exposed deck and its nailing can be looked at rather than taken on trust, and inspections must be scheduled at least 24 hours ahead. WHAT THE DECK HAS TO CARRY. Watford City publishes the loadings itself: a ground snow load of 30, an ultimate design wind speed of 115 mph at surface roughness C, and seismic design category A, with the roof snow load referred to ASCE 7-22 rather than given as a number. Where a tear-off exposes deteriorated sheathing, the replacement is sized against the adopted code and those loadings, and the City Building Official decides whether what is exposed may stay.

6.50% on materials in Watford City - North Dakota state sales and use tax of 5%, plus the City of Watford City's 1.5% local sales, use and gross receipts tax. THERE IS NO COUNTY COMPONENT. McKenzie County does not appear in the county table of the North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner's Local Taxes by Location Guideline, which lists only eight North Dakota counties as imposing a local tax, and the Watford City row carries none of the shading or bracketed county name the guideline uses to mark a city that also owes county tax. The guideline, rates effective 1 July 2026, shows the City's rate history as 1% from 10-1-98 and 0.5% from 10-1-14, giving the current 1.5%. AND THERE IS NO MAXIMUM TAX CAP. The guideline's maximum tax column for Watford City reads $25 per sale from 10-1-98 and then none from 10-1-18, and the last dated entry is the one in force, so the local tax is not capped per transaction here the way it is in most North Dakota cities. New farm machinery is not subject to the local tax, and permit holder compensation is 3% capped at $83.33 a month or $250.00 a quarter. WHO PAYS IT ON A ROOF. North Dakota treats a roofing contractor as the final consumer of the materials installed into real property: "A contractor or subcontractor entering into any contract, except for a labor only contract, is regarded as the final user or consumer of all tangible personal property installed into real property." So the contractor pays the tax on its material purchases and does not charge the homeowner sales tax on an install-plus-materials reroof; selling materials without installing them is a taxable retail sale instead. ONE WATFORD CITY SPECIFIC. The City is NOT among the sixty jurisdictions whose local tax ordinance carries the limited exemption for materials bought inside the jurisdiction but installed outside it, so where a contractor buys on a certificate of exemption the guideline's default applies: "use tax is due to the local jurisdiction where the materials were purchased regardless of where the materials were installed." On oil-patch work that means buying in Watford City and installing out in McKenzie County still carries the Watford City local tax, even though the county levies none of its own.