Permits and Inspections After Storm Damage: Why They Matter and Who Handles Them

What the permit record does for you

A permit ties a named contractor to your address in the building department's records, and some states use it to screen credentials. In Illinois, a municipality or county may not issue a roofing permit without proof of a current state roofing license, and the license number goes on the application and the permit itself (225 ILCS 335/5). Kansas requires a roofer's registration certificate number with any roofing permit application and on each permit issued (K.S.A. 50-6,127).

Local building departments say the same thing in plainer terms. The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department's storm handout for homeowners (PPRBD) says that when you hire a contractor, the contractor must obtain the permit so the department can confirm it is licensed and insured for the work, and it tells homeowners never to obtain a homeowner permit for a contractor.

The FTC's list of home improvement scam signs includes "Scammers ask you to get any required building permits." A homeowner permit skips the license and insurance check the Pikes Peak department describes.

The rules differ from one building department to the next

Two official storm-recovery documents show how much local rules vary:

The Dallas entries come from the city's single-family tornado recovery page. The lesson is not which city is right. Siding that typically needs no permit in Dallas needs its own permit in the Pikes Peak region, so ask your own building department before work starts. Illinois's required consumer pamphlet gives the same instruction, telling homeowners to check with local and county governments about permits and inspections (815 ILCS 513/20), and Iowa's contractor registration office tells contractors to contact the city or county on every project (DIAL).

Why codes vary: adoption is local

Model codes such as the International Building Code only become law where a city, county or state adopts them, and communities often adopt them with amendments, as the chair of the ASCE 7-22 committee explained in ASCE's Civil Engineering magazine. The structural loads behind those codes come from ASCE 7, which ASCE says is adopted by reference into the International Building Code and the International Residential Code. The edition your inspector enforces depends on what your jurisdiction adopted, which is one more reason to let a licensed local contractor handle the permit.

Who should pull the permit

In the Pikes Peak region, a homeowner may pull a permit only when all three conditions are met: you own the home, live in it and are doing the work yourself. Dallas says a contractor is needed to obtain a permit for construction work, though a homeowner can act as the general contractor if capable. In Illinois, roofing permits go to licensed roofers, and a limited license holder can pull permits only for residential buildings of eight units or fewer.

If you hire the work out, the permit should be in the contractor's name, and its number belongs on your paperwork.

What the inspection covers

The Pikes Peak handout gives a concrete picture. A reroof permit there is good for 180 days. An asphalt shingle reroof needs one inspection, requested once the work is complete; a tile roof needs a mid-roof inspection and a final. Inspectors knock and can be asked for identification, you do not need to be home, and you can look up the permit and its inspection results online.

The same handout flags a hazard worth any homeowner's attention: large hail can damage the vent caps on gas water heaters and furnaces so that flue gases cannot escape, risking carbon monoxide exposure. The department recommends carbon monoxide detectors outside sleeping rooms and having a qualified contractor check the roof vents.

Before the final payment

• Confirm the permit was issued in the contractor's name, not yours.
• Look up the inspection result on your building department's permit search.
• Hold the final payment until the inspection has passed, in line with the FTC's advice to pay only when the work is done.

For roofing, the National Roofing Directory's licensing by state page shows what your state requires, and its new roof installation guide walks through the job itself.

Frequently asked questions

Does a storm roof repair need a permit?

It depends on your building department. In the Pikes Peak region a hail reroof needs a permit but repairs under 100 square feet do not; Dallas requires a reroof permit for large areas or a whole roof but not for minor repairs. Call your city or county before work starts.

Should I pull the permit myself to save time?

Not if a contractor is doing the work. The FTC treats a contractor's request that you get the permit as a scam sign, and the Pikes Peak department tells homeowners never to obtain a homeowner permit for a contractor.

How do I know the inspection passed?

Ask for the permit number and check it on your building department's online permit search, which in the Pikes Peak region shows the inspection results and permit status.