Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Sacramento?

Yes. The City of Sacramento lists re-roofing among the projects that require a building permit, and Sacramento County lists re-roof among its permit-required projects. For an ordinary residential re-roof, it is one of the simplest permits either department issues: no plans in the City, and automatic online issuance in the County when there are no structural changes. The permit still carries real requirements: how many layers can stay, the cool roof rules in the 2025 Energy Code, and the fire rating of the new roof.

First: City or County?

The answer depends on your address, not your ZIP code. Inside Sacramento city limits, the City of Sacramento’s Building Division issues the permit. In unincorporated areas, including much of Carmichael, Fair Oaks, Orangevale and Arden-Arcade, Sacramento County’s Building Permits and Inspection division issues it. Folsom, Roseville, Citrus Heights, Elk Grove and Rancho Cordova run their own building departments; the Sacramento remodel permits guide covers how to tell which one is yours. Folsom lists re-roofing among the minor building permits it handles through its eTRAKiT portal.

City of Sacramento: a minor permit

The City classifies residential and commercial re-roofs as minor permits. A minor permit needs no construction plans; the inspector reviews code compliance in the field. Licensed contractors can apply for and pay for a re-roof permit through the City’s Public Permit Portal. Homeowners can also pull a residential re-roof permit through the portal for a single-family home or duplex, and any minor permit can be requested by email.

Two more City items apply to many roofs:

• Energy Code paperwork. The City’s re-roof handout (CDD-0304) requires a Certificate of Compliance, form CF1R-ALT-05-E, with the permit application, signed by the document author and the building designer, which is the contractor or the homeowner. At final inspection, the installing contractor completes an Installation Certificate, form CF2R-ALT-05-E, gives it to the owner, and the inspector reviews it.
• Changing the roofing material. Site Plan and Design Review is a City planning permit for exterior changes. The City’s roofing exemption form (CDD-0223) is used to request an exemption from that review when the new roof matches the existing one, or makes one of the listed swaps, such as replacing tile or wood shake with dimensional composition or concrete tile shingles, or replacing a built-up or hot-mop roof with a single-ply membrane. The form says 3-tab shingles can be used for repair only, not a full replacement. Properties in a historic district or involving a historic landmark cannot use this form and go through the City’s preservation review instead.

Sacramento County: issued online

Sacramento County’s rule is broad: anyone who intends to construct, alter or repair a building must apply for and obtain a permit first, and “Re-roof” is on the County’s list of projects that need one. A residential re-roof with no structural changes is one of the residential permits the County issues automatically online once the permit is paid. If the job involves structural changes, it does not qualify for automatic issuance.

What the code says about layers and tear-off

The 2025 California Residential Code separates a roof replacement from a roof recover (an overlay):

Question	What the code says
What counts as a replacement?	Removing the existing layers of roof covering down to the roof deck (Section R908.3)
When is an overlay allowed?	When the new covering is installed per the manufacturer’s approved instructions (R908.4)
When is an overlay not allowed?	The existing roof already has two or more applications of any roof covering; the existing roof is water soaked or too deteriorated to serve as a base; or the existing covering is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile
Can old flashing be reused?	Existing flashings, edgings, vents and similar parts are replaced where rusted, damaged or deteriorated (R908.5); flashings are reconstructed per the manufacturer’s instructions (R908.6)
Does the structure have to carry it?	The roof framing must support the roof covering system plus the material and equipment loads during installation (R908.2)

In practice, a home that already has two layers needs a full tear-off. A tear-off also exposes the sheathing. You do not know its condition until the old roof is off.

What gets inspected

The inspection sequence follows the scope of work. Sacramento County’s inspection codes include 131 Re-Roof Overlay and 132 Re-Roof Nail/Tear Off, and the County asks for an inspection before any part of the work is covered and before moving to the next stage. The City’s virtual inspection program lists roof plywood nailing and roof in progress inspections, plus a final. City virtual inspections are optional for residential re-roofs.

The City says small projects such as reroofs can be inspected without the owner or contractor present, as long as the inspector has access, animals are secured, a ladder is available if needed, and the permit is on site. The County asks for access to the work area, an OSHA-approved ladder to reach the roof or attic, and the permit and inspection card on site.

Attic ventilation is part of the roof assembly. The California Residential Code requires enclosed attics to have cross ventilation, with openings screened against rain and animals, and a minimum net free ventilating area of 1/150 of the vented space (Section R806).

Cool roof rules: 2025 Energy Code, climate zone 12

The 2025 California Energy Code applies to permit applications submitted on or after January 1, 2026. Under it, a low-rise home where more than 50% of the roof’s exterior surface is replaced must use a roofing product that meets the cool roof requirements. The City’s handout gives these values for climate zone 12:

Roof slope	Aged solar reflectance	Thermal emittance	Or SRI
Steep slope (2:12 or steeper), most homes	0.20	0.75	16
Low slope (under 2:12)	0.63	0.75	75

For steep-sloped residential roofs, the requirement does not apply if any of these holds: the roof is a mass roof of 25 lb or more, the ceiling has at least R-38 insulation, the roof has a radiant barrier that meets Section 150.1(c)2, the home has no ducts in the attic, or there is R-2 or greater insulation above the roof deck.

Products used to comply must be tested and labeled by the Cool Roof Rating Council and listed in its Rated Product Directory. Roof area covered by building-integrated photovoltaic or solar thermal panels does not have to meet the cool roof requirement; the rest of the roof does.

Fire rating: Class C or Class A

Which fire rating applies depends on whether your address is in a mapped fire hazard area. The Office of the State Fire Marshal publishes Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, rated moderate, high and very high, with an address viewer on its website.

• Outside Fire Hazard Severity Zones and WUI areas: when more than 50% of the total roof area is replaced within any one-year period, the entire roof covering must be at least Class C (California Residential Code R902.1.2).
• Inside Fire Hazard Severity Zones or WUI areas: roofing must also comply with the California Wildland-Urban Interface Code. Under its Section 507.1, a roof covering that is replaced, or has 50% or more replaced in a 12-month period, must meet the requirements for new construction, which call for a Class A roof assembly. Any roofing applied in a repair must be at least Class A. Attic vents in these areas must also meet the WUI code’s ember-resistance rules.

HOA approval is separate

A building permit does not satisfy your homeowners association. If your HOA’s governing documents require approval before an exterior change, the association runs its own review. Under California Civil Code Section 4765, that decision has to be made in good faith and in writing, and it cannot violate a building code. Get HOA approval on material and color before the permit is pulled.

How we handle it

We confirm which department covers your address, pull the re-roof permit, prepare the Energy Code forms where they apply, and manage the inspections through the final sign-off. Our Fair Oaks roof retrofit was a full roof replacement on a 2,200 sq ft home, completed in 4 weeks with improved insulation and ventilation. See roofing and exterior for how a roofing project runs.

What to ask your roofer

• Which department issues the permit for my address, and who is pulling it?
• Is this a tear-off or an overlay, and how many layers are on the roof now?
• Does the product meet the cool roof requirement, or which exception applies to my home?
• Is my address in a Fire Hazard Severity Zone, and what fire class is the new roof?
• What is your CSLB license number? The C-39 Roofing classification covers installing and repairing roof surfaces that seal and weatherproof a structure.
• Who completes the CF2R-ALT-05-E Installation Certificate, and when do I get the signed final?