Whether a re-roof needs a permit depends on the work and on the county rules that apply to it. Ferry County Planning and Building administers building applications. This guide explains how to ask the question and what to get in writing, and it does not state a general answer that the sources for this site do not support.
Key takeaways
- Ferry County Planning and Building administers building applications.
- The permit question depends on the work, so ask for it in writing for your job.
- The roofer should name who will apply for any permit.
- Do not begin work on an assumption that no permit is needed.
Why the answer depends on the job
A repair, a re-cover, a frame change and a full replacement may be treated differently by the county office.
A small repair of a few shingles is a different job from a re-cover of a whole slope, and both differ from a frame change that alters the structure. The county office decides how each is treated under its rules. A homeowner should not assume that a job is exempt because it looks small, and should not assume that every roof job needs the same application.
The crew describes the work as it is proposed, and the county office is the body that says whether an application applies to that work. The two should be asked together for a clear answer.
- Repair, re-cover and frame change differ
- County office decides treatment
- Describe the exact work to the office
Who administers the application
Ferry County Planning and Building administers building applications in the county.
The county Planning and Building office is the place to ask. It can say whether an application is needed for the work described, what the application involves and how long the review takes where that information is published. The office is the authority on the county rules, not the roofer and not this guide.
The owner should keep the name of the person spoken to and the date of the call, and ask for the answer in writing where the office can give one.
- Ask Planning and Building directly
- Keep the name and date of the call
- Ask for a written answer where possible
What the roofer should put in writing
The roofer should state in writing whether a permit is needed, and who will apply for it.
A roofer who says a permit is not needed should be asked to say why, in writing, and the county office can be called to check. A roofer who says a permit is needed should name the applicant, state the work it covers and say how the application will be tracked.
The written statement belongs on the estimate or the scope, so it is kept with the rest of the job. The owner should not sign a scope that leaves the permit question open.
- Permit need stated in writing
- Applicant named on the scope
- Scope not signed with the question open
The county snow and wind rules still apply
A permit question is separate from the snow and wind rules, and both must be met where they apply.
The county snow minimum, the suggested higher figure at elevation, the basic wind speed and the ice barrier requirement apply to the work whether or not a permit is needed. A permit is an administrative step; the rules are the standard the work must meet.
The crew records the figures it used for the work on the scope, so the owner has the basis of the work even where no application is filed.
- Rules apply with or without a permit
- Figures used recorded on the scope
- Permit and standard kept distinct
Inspection and the record
Where an application is made, the work may be inspected, and the record should be ready for it.
Where a permit is issued, the work may be inspected at stages set by the county office. The owner and the roofer should know the stages and book the inspections in time. The record of the work, with photographs of the frame, the layer and the fixing, is the evidence the inspector will want to see.
The owner should keep the permit, any inspection notice and the final approval with the house file. A roof with a permit history is easier to explain at a sale or a claim.
- Inspection stages known in advance
- Photographs of frame, layer and fixing
- Permit and approval kept with the file
Working without a permit
Working without a permit where one is needed can leave the owner with an unrecorded roof, and the owner should decide that with the county answer in hand.
A roof work done without a permit that the county required can cause problems at a sale, at a claim or at a later inspection. The owner should not decide to skip the application on the roofer's word alone. The county office should be asked, and the answer kept.
This guide does not state the consequences of working without a permit, because they depend on the county rules and the facts of the job. The owner should ask the county office and, where needed, a qualified adviser.
- Do not decide on the roofer's word alone
- Ask the county and keep the answer
- Consequences depend on facts not stated here
A short script for the call
A short, specific question gets a more useful answer than a general one.
Describe the address, the county, the work (for example, a re-cover of one slope or a repair of a frame section), the materials and the roof area. Ask whether a building application is needed for that work, what the application involves and who should apply. Write down the answer, the date and the name of the person who gave it.
Repeat the question for each change to the scope. A change that adds a frame repair can change the answer, and the owner should not assume the first answer still holds.
- Address, county and exact work described
- Application need, process and applicant asked
- Answer, date and name written down
Keeping the file complete
The permit answer, the scope, the photographs and the approvals form one file for the house.
The owner keeps the county answer, the signed scope, the photographs and any application or approval in one place with the house file. The file answers the questions a future buyer, insurer or inspector will ask first, and it saves time at every one of those points.
A copy kept away from the house protects the record against a fire or flood at the property.
- County answer kept with the scope
- Photographs and approvals kept
- Copy kept away from the house
Permits and the work on the frame
A frame change is a structural job, and the county office should be asked about it separately from a covering repair.
Strengthening a frame, sistering a rafter or setting a new ridge changes the structure of the house. The county office should be asked about that work by name, and the answer should be kept separately from the answer for the covering. A covering repair and a frame change can have different answers.
The crew describes the frame work in the scope so the office can see what is proposed. The description should be specific: the members to be sistered, the location and the fixing.
- Frame work asked about by name
- Answer kept apart from covering answer
- Frame work described specifically
Timing the application
An application is best made before the work starts, so the timing of the job and the review can be planned together.
Where an application is needed, the review may take time, and the work should not start until the answer is in hand. The owner should ask the county office how long a review takes for the work described, where that information is published, and plan the season around it.
A job that starts before a required application is in place can be stopped by the office, and the owner should avoid that risk by asking first.
- Application made before work starts
- Review time asked and planned for
- Work not started on an open question
Records the county may ask for
The county may ask for the scope, the figures used and the photographs, so they should be ready.
A county office reviewing a roof application may ask for the scope, the snow and wind figures used, the fixing pattern and the photographs of the frame. The crew keeps those in the record, and the owner should have a copy ready to send.
The figures should be stated as the county rules state them, and the owner should not restate a rule from memory. The county rule itself is the authority.
- Scope and figures kept ready
- Photographs of frame and fixing
- County rule stated as written
Neighbours, boundaries and the work next door
Work on one house can touch a boundary or a shared roofline, and the county office should be asked about that too.
A re-roof that changes the height of a ridge, a parapet or a shared gutter can affect the neighbouring house. Where the work touches a boundary, the owner should ask the county office whether any further requirement applies, and the crew notes the shared line on the scope.
The crew does not give a view on a boundary question. It records the shared line, and the owner takes the question to the county office and, where needed, a qualified adviser.
- Shared lines noted on the scope
- Boundary question put to the county
- Crew records, does not rule on boundaries
Changes made during the job
A change to the work during the job can change the permit answer, so the answer is checked when the scope changes.
A job that starts as a covering repair and then finds a soft deck or a frame that needs strengthening has changed its scope. The permit answer given at the start may not cover the new work. The crew stops, records the change in writing and asks the county office before it continues.
The owner should agree each change in writing, and the record should show the date of the change and the answer that was given for it.
- Scope change stops the work
- Change recorded in writing
- Permit answer checked for the new work
Frequently asked questions
Is a permit always needed for a re-roof?
This guide does not say so. The answer depends on the work and the county rules, and the county office decides how the work is treated.
Who applies for the permit?
The roofer should name the applicant in writing. The owner should confirm who is responsible for the application.
Do the snow and wind rules apply without a permit?
Yes. The county rules describe the standard the work must meet, whether or not an application is filed.
Who do I ask?
Ferry County Planning and Building, which administers building applications in the county.
Sources
This guide is general information for Ferry County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.