For most homes inside the City of Austin, a straight reroof doesn’t need a building permit. The city exempts replacing asphalt shingles with asphalt shingles, and replacing any roof covering that doesn’t adversely affect the roof structure. The main exception is a home in Austin’s Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) area where 50 percent or more of the roofing is being replaced.
This covers the City of Austin only. Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Georgetown, Lakeway and the other cities around Austin set their own rules, and unincorporated areas follow the county. Check with your city.
What reroofing work is exempt from a permit in Austin?
Austin Development Services keeps a list of work that’s exempt from building permits. For one- and two-family homes and townhouses up to three stories, the roofing items are:
- Replacing existing asphalt shingles with asphalt shingles.
- Replacing any roof covering, as long as the work doesn’t adversely affect the roof structure.
- Replacing roof decking of 128 square feet or less.
- Repairing or replacing exterior trim, including wood fascia and soffits.
Both roof-covering exemptions carry the same exception for homes in the Wildland-Urban Interface area, below.
When does a roof job need a permit?
- Your home is in the Wildland-Urban Interface and 50 percent or more of the roofing is being replaced. The exemption doesn’t apply, and the city’s WUI code adds its own rules. Austin’s WUI code page says replacing 50 percent or more of a roof requires replacing all of it, and homes within 50 feet of wildland need a Class A fire-rated roof covering and metal flashing in the valleys.
- The work touches the structure: changing the roof’s shape, or repairing or replacing rafters or trusses. That’s no longer “a roof covering that doesn’t affect the structure.”
- More decking than the exemption allows, meaning over 128 square feet. On some jobs nobody knows how much decking is bad until the old shingles come off, so ask the roofer how they’ll handle it if they find more.
How do I find out if my house is in the Wildland-Urban Interface?
The city publishes an interactive WUI Code Map that shows a property’s proximity zone, based on its distance from wildland. Zones A and B are the closest. If the map puts you in one of those, the city asks for the distance to the nearest wildland to be confirmed on site. Your roofer should check this before quoting, since it can change the materials and whether a permit is needed.
Exempt doesn’t mean anything goes
The city’s exemption list says exempt work still has to comply with the building code and other city rules. A reroof without a permit still needs to be done to code. Historic districts and homeowners associations can have their own approval steps for materials and colors, separate from the building permit.
Who gets the permit?
When a job needs a permit, ask the roofer to pull it as part of the contract and to put that in writing. Ask every roofer you’re comparing whether your job needs a permit, and why or why not. Two bids that disagree on this tell you something about how carefully each roofer looked at your house.
Common questions
Can a roofer just put new shingles on in Austin without a permit?
In most cases, yes. The City of Austin exempts replacing asphalt shingles with asphalt shingles, and any roof covering replacement that doesn't affect the structure. The exemption doesn't apply in the Wildland-Urban Interface area when half the roof or more is being replaced, or when the work changes the structure.
Does replacing rotted roof decking need a permit in Austin?
Not if it's 128 square feet or less. Austin's exemption list covers roof decking up to that size. More than that needs a permit. Since bad decking often isn't found until the shingles come off, ask the roofer up front how they'll handle a bigger repair.
Do I need a permit to switch from shingles to a metal roof in Austin?
Often not. The exemption covers replacing any roof covering that doesn't adversely affect the roof structure, which can include a different material. If the change needs structural work, or your home is in the Wildland-Urban Interface and half the roof or more is changing, it needs a permit. Ask the roofer to confirm.
Do the permit rules apply in Round Rock, Cedar Park or Pflugerville?
No. This guide covers the City of Austin only. Each nearby city sets its own permit rules, and unincorporated areas follow the county. Check your city's building department, or ask each roofer how they confirmed what your address needs.
What happens if my home is in Austin's wildfire zone?
If your home is in the Wildland-Urban Interface area and 50 percent or more of the roof is being replaced, the permit exemption doesn't apply. The city's WUI code also requires replacing the whole roof in that case, and homes within 50 feet of wildland need a Class A roof covering.