What's Required in San Diego
- No building permit for renewal of roof coverings where the roof structure and diaphragm are not altered (SDMC 129.0203(a)(16))
- Permit with framing plans and calculations when structural members or sheathing are replaced, or roofing over 6 lb per sq ft replaces shingles or shakes
- Permit when skip sheathing is removed and plywood or OSB installed; in-kind sheathing repair up to 25 percent of the roof is exempt on houses, duplexes and townhouses
- Permit always required on designated historical resources and in historic districts
- All replacement roofing Class A; entire roof Class A when more than 25 percent is replaced in twelve months
- Two existing layers of shingles or built-up roofing must be removed to the deck before reroofing
- No new wood shakes or shingles, and no roofing over existing wood shakes or shingles
- Electrical permit to reinstall removed solar panels; mechanical or plumbing permit for removed rooftop equipment
- Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone homes built on or after August 27, 2009 follow the Wildland Urban Interface Code
Do You Need a Permit to Replace a Roof in San Diego?
Not for the ordinary job. San Diego Municipal Code section 129.0203(a)(16) exempts the renewal of roof coverings on any building where the existing roof structure, including the roof diaphragm, is not altered, and the Development Services Department (DSD) handout puts it in one line: simple re-roofing without structural changes is exempt. Information Bulletin 123, revised September 2026, lists the four cases that do need a permit: the reroof requires altering or replacing framing, sheathing or other structural members; wood shakes, wood shingles or asphalt shingles are replaced with a material weighing more than 6 pounds per square foot (tile over a shingle roof is the classic case); spaced skip sheathing is removed and new plywood or OSB installed; or the site is a designated historical resource or in a historic district, where a permit is always required. Two lesser-known exemptions help: on single-family homes, duplexes and townhouses damaged sheathing may be replaced in kind without a permit as long as the cumulative area stays at or under 25 percent of the roof surface, and new plywood may go over skip sheathing that stays in place if the roofing plus plywood does not exceed 6 pounds per square foot.
San Diego Reroof Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Tear off shingles, replace with shingles, structure untouched | None | SDMC 129.0203(a)(16); IB 123 |
| Replace damaged sheathing in kind, 25 percent of the roof or less (house, duplex, townhouse) | None | IB 123 exemption A |
| Shingles to tile or another roofing over 6 lb per sq ft | Building permit with framing plans and calculations | IB 123 section I |
| Remove skip sheathing, install plywood or OSB | Building permit; Roof Re-sheathing fee line, hourly plan check | IB 123; IB 501 Table 501C |
| Replace rafters or trusses | Building permit; Roof Structure Replacement fee line | IB 123; IB 501 Table 501C |
| Reroof on a designated historical resource or in a historic district | Building permit with historical review, always | IB 123 section II; IB 581 |
| Solar panels or rooftop HVAC removed for the reroof | Electrical permit to reinstall panels; mechanical permit for equipment | IB 123 section III |
How Much Does a Roof Permit Cost in San Diego?
Zero for an exempt reroof. When a permit is required, Information Bulletin 501, Table 501C, has three lines. Roof re-sheathing on a single-family home, duplex or townhome: plan check billed hourly at $176.84 per hour and a $264.25 inspection fee. Roof structure replacement: $1,942.13 plan check and $264.25 inspection per 2,000 square feet, plus $617.38 and $264.25 for each additional 2,000. A damage repair replaced in kind can go through a No-Plan Building Permit at a $529.71 inspection fee, but IB 203 says roof replacements are not eligible for that route. A plan-reviewed roof job also pays the $737.00 General Plan Maintenance Fee once at application and a $12.16 mapping fee, so a re-sheathing permit with two plan check hours is about $353.68 + $264.25 + $737.00 + $12.16 = $1,367.09, and a 2,000-square-foot roof structure replacement about $2,955.54. State fees of 13 cents per $1,000 of valuation and $1 per $25,000, a $17.11 collection charge and a $58.00 lead hazard fee on pre-1978 buildings are added at issuance.
Rules That Apply Even Without a Permit
IB 123 sets standards for every reroof, permitted or not. If the roof already has two layers of asphalt shingles or built-up roofing, all layers come off down to the deck before new roofing goes on. Wood shakes and shingles are not allowed as new roofing except under the Historical Building Code, and nothing may be applied over existing wood shakes or shingles. All replacement roofing must be a Class A assembly, and when more than 25 percent of the roof area is replaced in any twelve months the entire roof must be Class A. Homes in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone built on or after August 27, 2009 follow the Wildland Urban Interface Code as amended by the city, and reroofing can trigger California Energy Code section 150.2(b)1 I. For a structure 45 years or older, in-kind roof repair and replacement is exempt from Potential Historical Resource Review; other exterior work is not.
Who Files and How
A permitted reroof is submitted online as a Building Construction application with plans per the Project Submittal Manual, by a licensed contractor or by the owner with the Owner-Builder Verification Form DS-3042. IB 100 puts alterations under 3,000 square feet in the single-dwelling Short category, estimated at 8 business days for the first review. Once the roof is on, work that fails inspection is noted on a correction notice and must stay accessible until it passes.
How to Get a Roof Replacement Permit in San Diego
Check what changes
Covering only, structure untouched: no permit. Framing, sheathing, a heavier roofing material, or a historic site: file.
Confirm the site on ZAPP
Look for historic designation, a historic district and the Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone; each changes the rules.
Apply online if needed
Submit a Building Construction application on the DSD portal with plans per the Project Submittal Manual, DS-345 and DS-3042 if owner-built.
Pay plan check
Hourly plan check at $176.84 or the $1,942.13 structure line plus the $737.00 General Plan Maintenance Fee are due before review; first review is estimated at 8 business days.
Reroof to Class A and inspect
Pay the $264.25 inspection fee at issuance, strip double layers to the deck, and schedule inspection online or at 858-581-7111.