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Do You Need a Permit for a Re-Roof in Orlando, FL?

Updated 2026-08-28 · Sources verified 2026-07-20

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Short answer: permit required. Any re-roof needs a roof permit with in-progress + final inspections. Minor repairs have no published Orange County/Orlando exemption — for small patches (under ~1 square), confirm with the county before assuming one. The full rule and its official source are below, with the code requirements and mistakes that trip up Orlando homeowners.

The permit answer

Permit required. Any re-roof needs a roof permit with in-progress + final inspections. Minor repairs have no published Orange County/Orlando exemption — for small patches (under ~1 square), confirm with the county before assuming one.
Source: https://www.orangecountyfl.net/PermitsLicenses/DoINeedaPermit.aspx

Orange County and the City of Orlando run separate permit offices with separate portals — and your mailing address alone doesn't tell you which one covers your home. Check which permit office covers your address →

Key facts before you start

The expensive mistake in Florida is assuming small patches keep you out of a full re-roof. FBC Existing Building 2023 706.1.1: "Not more than 25 percent of the total roof area or roof section of any existing building or structure shall be repaired, replaced or recovered in any 12-month period unless the roof covering on the entire existing roof system or roof section is replaced or recovered to conform to the requirements of this code." It is a rolling 12 months, and repairs accumulate.
Getting up to look is the riskiest part of the whole job — Eagle names the "inherent danger associated with walking on a roof" and recommends only a licensed and insured roofing contractor traverse one, with ladder-level work (gutters, lights) staying on the ladder. Inspect from the ground, from a ladder at the eave, or from inside the attic where a daylight pinhole or a wet truss shows the real entry point.
The age of the existing roof decides the answer, so establish it first. FBC Existing Building 706.1.1 and F.S. 553.844(5) carry the same exception: "If an existing roofing system or roof section was built, repaired, or replaced in compliance with the requirements of the 2007 Florida Building Code, or any subsequent editions of the Florida Building Code, and 25 percent or more of such roofing system or roof section is being repaired, replaced, or recovered, only the repaired, replaced, or recovered portion is required to be constructed in accordance with the Florida Building Code in effect."
Re-roofing an older Orange County house triggers mitigation retrofits, and the county publishes the exact specs. First check whether the structure was permitted on or after March 1, 2002 — FBC Existing Building 708.7 excepts those. Otherwise: plywood or OSB decking fastened with 8d nails spaced 6 in o.c. is code compliant and anything less must be re-nailed with 8d RING SHANK nails at 6 in o.c. (sawn lumber or planks up to 12 in wide with two 8d nails are compliant), plus a secondary water barrier by one of five approved methods — a 4 in self-adhering polymer tape over all deck joints and seams, a full self-adhered synthetic underlayment, 30# felt with nails and tin tabs, ASTM D226 Type I/II felt with 1 in cap nails at 6 in on edges and 12 in in the field, or an approved synthetic fastened per its own instructions.
Budget for the paperwork, not just the shingles: Orange County requires a roof permit, and its roof-permit page states that if the value of work exceeds $5,000 a Notice of Commencement is required. Use a licensed roofing contractor (Eagle's own recommendation is a licensed and insured one); an owner-occupant may instead pull an owner-builder permit and do the work themselves, but may not hire an unlicensed crew to do it.
Shingles are a spec'd assembly, not a cosmetic layer, and three rules decide whether the roof survives a storm and whether anyone honors the warranty. SLOPE: FBC-R 2023 R905.2.2 — "Asphalt shingles shall be used only on roof slopes of two units vertical in 12 units horizontal (2:12) or greater" — so shingling a flatter lanai, porch or addition roof is a code violation and a permanent leak no matter how much cement goes on it. FASTENERS: R905.2.5 requires galvanized steel, stainless steel, aluminum or copper nails, "minimum 12-gage [0.105 inch (3 mm)] shank with a minimum 3/8-inch-diameter (9.5 mm) head, complying with ASTM F1667, of a length to penetrate through the roofing materials and not less than 3/4 inch (19.1 mm) into the roof sheathing"; Owens Corning allows the alternative of penetrating "completely through the deck by a minimum of 1/4 inch" and is blunt that "Owens Corning Roofing requires the use of nails as the method of attaching shingles to wood decking" — staples are not an option. COUNT AND PLACEMENT: R905.2.6's "not less than four fasteners per strip shingle" is only the floor; the code defers to "the minimum number of fasteners required by the manufacturer," and Owens Corning publishes a Six Nail Fastening Pattern for its Duration series plus the rule that "[f]asteners must be placed in the SureNail® Technology fastening area" (6 1/8 inches from the bottom edge on mansard/steep slope). Nailing high, above that band, is a deviation — and OC states the manufacturer "will not be responsible for problems resulting from any deviation from the application instructions." Finally, check the shingle's wind class against the site: R905.2.6.1 requires ASTM D3161, TAS 107 or ASTM D7158 classification meeting Table R905.2.6.1, where 142 mph Vult and above needs D3161 Class F and 168 mph and above needs D7158 Class H.

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Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit for a roof leak repair or re-roof in Orange County, FL?

Permit required. Any re-roof needs a roof permit with in-progress + final inspections. Minor repairs have no published Orange County/Orlando exemption — for small patches (under ~1 square), confirm with the county before assuming one.

What's the most common mistake homeowners make with a roof leak repair or re-roof?

The expensive mistake in Florida is assuming small patches keep you out of a full re-roof.

What's the biggest safety risk to know about before a roof leak repair or re-roof?

Getting up to look is the riskiest part of the whole job — Eagle names the "inherent danger associated with walking on a roof" and recommends only a licensed and insured roofing contractor traverse one, with ladder-level work (gutters, lights) staying on the ladder.

Related repairs

Sources

https://up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-existing-building-code-2023/chapter/7/alterations-level-1
https://up.codes/viewer/florida/fl-residential-code-2023/chapter/9/roof-assemblies-and-rooftop-structures
https://www.flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2024/553.844
http://www.orangecountyfl.net/Portals/0/Resource%20Library/permits%20-%20licenses/Re-Roof%20Mitigation%20Requirements%20CERT.pdf
https://www.orangecountyfl.net/PermitsLicenses/Permits/RoofPermit.aspx
https://www.owenscorning.com/en-us/roofing/install-instructions/duration-series
https://eagleroofing.com/resources/faqs/

This guide is general informational content, not professional or legal advice. Codes and county rules change — confirm permit requirements with your local building department, and use a licensed professional for electrical, gas, structural, or main-line plumbing work.

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