Often you do not. The City of Bellevue says a roof replacement on a house needs no building permit as long as the sheathing work stays small. The details matter, so here they are. Rules change, and we check them for your address before we start.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof?
In Bellevue you need a permit for a house re-roof only when more than five 4x8 sheets of sheathing are repaired or replaced. That is the City of Bellevue Development Services rule for residential buildings. For commercial buildings the limit is two sheets.
| Job in Bellevue | Building permit? |
|---|---|
| House re-roof, five sheets of sheathing or fewer replaced | Not required |
| House re-roof with more sheathing replaced | Required |
| Commercial re-roof, two sheets or fewer replaced | Not required |
| New roofing laid over the old, adding 5 percent or less to roof weight | Not required |
| New or moved skylight | Required, with plan review |
This matters for cedar shake conversions. Going from shake on spaced boards to composition shingles means new solid sheathing over the whole roof, which is far more than five sheets. Plan on a permit for that job.
Do I need a permit for a roof repair?
No permit for a roof repair is needed in Bellevue when it stays within those sheathing limits. Replacing shingles, flashing, pipe boots or a few sheets of bad plywood on a house falls under the exemption. Work without a permit must still meet the building code.
Who pulls the permit: me or the roofer?
The roofer normally pulls the permit, and it should say so in the contract. Bellevue takes applications online through MyBuildingPermit. An owner can apply for a permit on their own home, but then the owner is the one answering to the city. We handle permits when the job needs one.
How many layers of shingles are allowed?
Two layers at most. The residential re-roof checklist used by Bellevue and neighboring cities says new roofing may not go over an existing roof that already has two or more layers, that is water-soaked or degraded, or that is wood shake, slate, clay or cement tile. In those cases everything comes off down to the deck.
Is ice and water shield or special underlayment required here?
Special underlayment is required on low slopes. Under the residential code as that checklist applies it, asphalt shingles on slopes from 2:12 up to 4:12 need a double layer of underlayment. We could not confirm a blanket ice and water shield rule for Bellevue, where ice dams are not a regular problem, so ask the building department if it matters to your job. Many roofers here still use a self-adhered membrane in valleys and around skylights and chimneys as good practice.
Does the energy code apply to a re-roof?
Sometimes. The City of Bellevue's guidance says no new insulation is required on a house when the insulation is in the roof cavity and the cavity is not opened up. If the cavity is exposed, it must be filled with insulation, keeping an air gap under the sheathing on vented roofs. Commercial roofs with insulation above the deck, or none at all, must be brought to the level required for new construction when replaced. Laying a new roof over an old one carries no energy code requirement.
Are condos and apartment buildings different?
Yes. Bellevue points to RCW 64.55, which requires a permit, building enclosure documents and an enclosure inspection for rehabilitative work on multi-unit residential buildings when the cost is more than five percent of the building's assessed value. A condo association planning a re-roof should check this early.
Does my HOA have a say in my roof?
Usually, yes. Many neighborhoods in Bellevue, Sammamish, Issaquah and Newcastle have covenants that control roofing material and color, and some that once required cedar shake now list approved composition or metal products. HOA approval is separate from any city permit. Get it in writing before you order materials. Who has the final say, the HOA or the city? Neither overrides the other. The city enforces the building code and the association enforces its recorded covenants, so a roof has to satisfy both. An HOA can refuse a metal roof or a color that the city would allow. If you think a refusal goes beyond what the covenants say, that is a question for an attorney. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is the roof inspected after the job?
Only when the job has a permit. A permitted re-roof gets city inspections, which on the regional checklist include an in-progress or nailing inspection and a final inspection after the roof is complete. With no permit there is no city inspection, so ask your roofer for photos of the deck, underlayment and flashing before they are covered.
Do roofers need a licence in Washington?
Roofers in Washington must be registered as contractors with the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). It is a registration, not a trade licence with an exam. To register, a contractor must post a surety bond of $30,000 for a general contractor or $15,000 for a specialty contractor, and carry liability insurance of at least $50,000 for property damage and $200,000 for injury, or $250,000 combined. The Bellevue Roofers is licensed and insured. You can check any contractor on L&I's Verify a Contractor lookup.
Will the city make me bring the roof deck up to code?
Only the work you do has to meet the code. A re-roof does not trigger a rebuild of the whole house. In practice the deck question comes up in two ways. Shingles must be nailed to a solid deck, so a cedar shake roof on spaced boards gets new sheathing to bring it up to code for the new roofing. And sheathing that is rotten has to be replaced. Sound plywood or boards that already meet the shingle maker's instructions normally stay. Ask Bellevue Development Services about an unusual roof.
What wind rating do my shingles need?
Your shingles need a wind rating that matches the design wind speed the building code sets for your site. Shingle wrappers and data sheets state the wind class the product was tested to. We have not verified a single figure that covers every Bellevue lot, and exposed ridges on Somerset or Cougar Mountain take more wind than sheltered streets, so we give no number here. Bellevue Development Services can tell you the design value. Correct nailing matters as much as the rating.
A free roof inspection with photos and a written quote is the only way to get a real price for your roof. Call or text The Bellevue Roofers at (425) 522-5354.