What's Required in Seattle
- No permit for a roof recover or a roof replacement at a one- or two-family home or townhouse when the building envelope is unchanged except for insulation.
- A construction permit is required for any structural change and for replacement of roof sheathing of any size; envelope changes such as skylights or dormers need an addition or alteration permit with plan review.
- Commercial and multifamily re-roofs, and roof repairs over 500 sq ft on those buildings, need a re-roof permit at half the base fee ($146) plus the state surcharge and 5 percent technology fee.
- Insulation must meet the current energy code where sheathing or cavities are exposed (Seattle Energy Code R503.1.1 exceptions).
- Roofing contractors must be registered with Washington L&I, and SDCI requires contractor disclosure on permits it issues.
- Permitted roof work is priced on value through Table D-1 (STFI adds 40 percent plan review; full review adds 100 percent).
- New circuits for attic fans or solar need a separate SDCI electrical permit; solar PV under 12 kW is an online permit.
- Construction permits are valid for 18 months; the commercial re-roof permit closes with a Roof Replacement Affidavit.
Do You Need a Permit to Replace a Roof in Seattle?
For a house, duplex or townhouse: no, as long as the job does not change the building envelope. Seattle Residential Code R105.2 exempts a roof recover (item 11) and a roof replacement if no changes are made to the building envelope other than adding or replacing insulation and the work is equivalent to or better than the existing structure (item 12). SDCI's Re-Roof Permit page says the same in plain words. R105.2 states that permits are required for structural changes and for replacement of sheathing of any size, so a tear-off that finds rotten plywood becomes a permitted job, and skylights, dormers or a raised roofline mean an addition or alteration permit with plan review. Commercial and multifamily buildings are different: they need a re-roof permit for any roofing replacement or for repairs over 500 sq ft, and that permit is a flat half base fee, $146.
Seattle Roof Permit Rules by Scenario
| What you are doing | City filing | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Tear-off and re-roof of a house, duplex or townhouse with the envelope unchanged (insulation may be added or replaced) | None | SRC R105.2 item 12; SDCI Re-Roof Permit page |
| Roof recover (new layer over the existing roofing) at a house | None | SRC R105.2 item 11 |
| Replacing roof sheathing, any area, or any structural change (rafters, trusses) | Construction permit, value-based (STFI if the structural scope fits Tip 316) | SRC R105.2 item 12; Tip 316 |
| Adding skylights, a dormer or raising the roof (envelope changes) | Addition or alteration permit with plan review | SRC R105.2 item 12; SDCI Remodels page |
| Commercial or multifamily re-roof, or repairs over 500 sq ft | Re-roof permit, half the base fee ($146) plus state surcharge and 5 percent, same day online | SDCI Re-Roof Permit page; Table D-2 item 27 |
| Re-roofing a house on a steep-slope or landslide ECA lot | Still exempt; roofing replacement is carved out of the ECA survey and geotech rules | SDCI Addition/Alteration page |
| Exposed sheathing or uninsulated cavities during a commercial re-roof | Insulation must be brought to current energy code | SDCI Re-Roof Permit page |
How Much Does a Roof Replacement Permit Cost in Seattle?
For most homeowners the answer is $0, because there is no permit to buy. The commercial re-roof permit is a flat charge: half the $292 base fee is $146, plus the 5 percent technology fee ($7.30) and the state Building Code Council surcharge, which is $25 for a commercial building permit or $6.50 plus $2 per additional unit for a residential building, so a commercial re-roof permit is about $178.30 and a four-unit apartment re-roof about $165.80. No on-site inspection is required; the permit is closed by emailing a Roof Replacement Affidavit to SDCI.
A house that needs sheathing replaced falls into the value-based construction permit system. The fee comes from Table D-1 of the 2026 Fee Subtitle on the value of the work. Example: an $18,000 re-roof with new sheathing has a Development Fee Index of $325 for the first $1,000 plus 170 x $1.60 = $272, so $597. As an STFI permit that is $597 + 40 percent plan review ($238.80) = $835.80, plus $41.79 technology fee and $6.50 = $884.09. If the work involves rafters or trusses beyond what Tip 316 allows in the field, plan review is 100 percent of the index instead and the same job is about $1,260. Construction permit fees rose 18 percent in 2026.
What Still Applies When No Permit Is Required
Exemption from the permit does not exempt the work from the code. R105.2 says so directly, and the roofing items point to Energy Code Section R503.1.1 for insulation requirements in existing buildings: when a re-roof exposes the sheathing or the roof cavity is uninsulated, insulation has to be brought up to the current standard. SDCI requires contractor disclosure on the permits it does issue. Electrical work that goes with a roof, such as an attic fan circuit or solar, needs its own SDCI electrical permit; a PV system under 12 kW is an online permit at $438 plus the administrative fee.
When the Job Turns Into a Permit
If the roofer opens the roof and finds rotten decking, stop and apply before replacing it: the sheathing rule has no minimum area. Start a Building & Land Use Pre-Application in the Seattle Services Portal with a site plan and legal description, upload a short plan set describing the sheathing and any framing repair, and ask for the subject-to-field-inspection track; SDCI screens STFI applications in a few days and the inspector checks the work in the field. Bigger structural changes and envelope changes go to the regular addition or alteration permit (initial review 2-3 weeks for simple applications). Permits stay valid for 18 months.
How to Get a Roof Replacement Permit in Seattle
Confirm the scope stays inside the exemption
Same envelope, no sheathing replacement, no structural change, no new openings: for a house this means no permit, though the work must still meet the code and the insulation rules.
Plan for what the tear-off may reveal
Agree with the roofer in advance that rotten sheathing stops the job until a construction permit is applied for, since the sheathing rule has no minimum area.
Apply online when a permit is needed
Start a Building and Land Use Pre-Application in the Seattle Services Portal with a site plan and legal description, then upload a plan set describing the sheathing or framing work and request the STFI track if it fits Tip 316.
Pay the value-based fee
SDCI calculates the fee from Table D-1 on the job value; commercial and multifamily owners instead pay the flat $146 re-roof permit plus surcharges and print the permit the same day.
Inspect or affirm completion
For a permitted house job, schedule the field inspection before the new sheathing is covered; for a commercial re-roof, email the Roof Replacement Affidavit to SCI_INSPECTIONS@seattle.gov to close the permit.