Florida / St. Johns County

Roof Replacement Permit in St. Johns County, Florida

Permit required

Yes, a permit is required

Before removing and replacing roof covering on a structure in unincorporated St. Johns County

Confirmed on official page Verified Building Services Division, Growth Management Department

By Mario Bailey, verified against official sources

Quick answer

St. Johns County requires a permit under its general rule for repairing or altering a structure, and the county's own Re-Roof Mitigation Worksheet ties reroofing directly to a permit number and specific inspections (an in-progress inspection and a final inspection) under the state's hurricane mitigation retrofit law. This applies to unincorporated St. Johns County; St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach operate their own building departments. No square-footage exemption for minor roof repair is published on the county's site.

Who is pulling this permit?

Apply yourself

Apply on the St. Johns County permit portal

Hire it out

Before you sign, ask the contractor:

  • Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
  • Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
  • Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?

When a permit is usually needed

Before removing and replacing roof covering on a structure in unincorporated St. Johns County

What a roof replacement permit costs in St. Johns County

Line item
roof replacement permitBy formulaNo re-roof-specific fee line item is published. Roof replacement permits fall under the general Building Services Fees table: Permit Issuance Fee $14.00, plus Total Valuation of Building fee (minimum $19.00, or $11.00 for the first $1,000 plus $2.63 for each additional thousand up to $50,000; higher tiers apply above that), per St. Johns County's Schedule of Fees and Services, Exhibit A (amended 07/21/2026).
Fee schedule in forceOfficial scheduleRead . Fees are the jurisdiction’s; we do not mark them up or estimate them.

How St. Johns County compares in Florida

JurisdictionPermit needed?Threshold
Alachua CountyIt dependsarea of roof repair or replacement
Brevard CountyPermit requiredNot specified
Broward CountyIt dependsunder F.S. 553.79(1)(g) (HB 803, ch. 2026-63, effective 2026-07-01), work valued at less than $7,500 on a single-family dwelling qualifies for exemption upon a written exemption request with documentation of the nature and value of the work; the exemption excludes electrical, plumbing, structural, mechanical, and gas work and any property in a flood hazard area; the statute does not name roofing, so a non-structural reroof under that value can qualify; confirm with Broward County Building Code Division.
Charlotte CountyPermit requiredRoof repairs less than 100 square feet (one square) where the work does not include repairs to trusses or rafters do not require a permit.
Clay CountyPermit requiredNot specified
Collier CountyPermit requiredCollier County's locally adopted building code amendment exempts from permit only the repair of any roof covering not exceeding $1,500.00 in value of materials and labor, or repair work not exceeding two roofing squares (200 square feet) in extent; this exemption is for roof repair, not for roof replacement/reroofing (removing and replacing the covering), which requires a standard Reroof permit.
St. Johns Countythis pagePermit requiredNot specified

How to apply in St. Johns County

A residential reroof permit application is lighter than for structural work: you state whether the scope is a full tear-off (roof replacement) or an overlay (roof recover), describe the covering material and its manufacturer instructions, and note the condition of the existing deck, since those facts determine which code path applies.

What most roof replacement permit applications include:

  • State on the application whether the job is a roof replacement, which strips all existing layers down to the bare deck, or a roof recover, which leaves the old covering in place under specific conditions, since the two scopes are governed differently (IRC R908.3).
  • A recover is only an option where the new covering follows the roof covering manufacturer's approved instructions or is a self-supporting system, such as standing-seam metal, that does not rely on the existing roof for support (IRC R908.3.1).
  • Full tear-off must be scoped on the application instead of a recover when the existing roof is water soaked or deteriorated, is slate, clay, cement, or asbestos-cement tile, or already carries two or more layers of roof covering (IRC R908.3.1.1).
  • The materials and installation methods described on the application must comply with the reroofing requirements of the roof-assemblies chapter (IRC R908.1).
  • If the scope reuses existing slate, clay, or cement tile, damaged or broken pieces cannot be listed for reinstallation, and any rusted or deteriorated flashings, edgings, outlets, or vents uncovered during tear-off must be scoped for replacement (IRC R908.5).

General submittal guidance from IRC Section R908 Reroofing (text as adopted in the 2020 Residential Code of New York State, based on the 2018 IRC). Source. Building Services Division, Growth Management Department sets the exact checklist for St. Johns County.

Where to apply in St. Johns County:

Building Services Division, Growth Management Department

  • 4040 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084
  • Phone: 904-827-6800
  • Email: bldcodes@sjcfl.us

Inspections and closing out your permit

Most residential reroofs get two to three field inspections keyed to the scope of work: a deck or nailing check when sheathing is exposed or replaced, a final on the completed covering and flashings, and in some high-wind regions a dedicated check of mitigation measures added during tear-off.

  1. Where the covering is fully removed and the sheathing is exposed, replaced, or added, inspectors check the deck and its nailing before any new roofing goes down, since the structural framework must be able to carry the new covering's loads (IRC R908.2).
  2. An overlay is only approved where it meets one of the code's listed recover conditions, such as installation in accordance with the covering manufacturer's approved instructions (IRC R908.3.1).
  3. Flashings disturbed or replaced during the job are checked against the approved manufacturer's installation instructions, and metal flashing that will receive bituminous material must be primed before installation (IRC R908.6).
  4. A final inspection confirms the completed roof covering and its fasteners were installed as required for that material and per manufacturer instructions before the permit is closed (IRC R905).
  5. In some regions with strengthened wind provisions, reroofing an older single-family home also triggers inspection of supplemental deck-nailing and a secondary water barrier added during tear-off, on top of the base reroofing requirements (Florida Building Code, Residential R908.7 Mitigation).
  6. Reinstalled existing slate, clay, or cement tile is checked against reuse limits at inspection, and any rusted, damaged, or deteriorated flashings, edgings, outlets, or vents found during tear-off must be replaced rather than reinstalled (IRC R908.5).

Schedule each inspection in advance and pass the final before you use the work or close the permit. Request inspections through the St. Johns County permit portal or by phone at 904-827-6800.

Inspection sequence from IRC Section R908 Reroofing and Section R905 Roof Coverings (2021 International Residential Code). Source. An open permit left un-inspected can surface later in a title search or home sale.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need a roof replacement permit in St. Johns County?
St. Johns County requires a permit under its general rule for repairing or altering a structure, and the county's own Re-Roof Mitigation Worksheet ties reroofing directly to a permit number and specific inspections (an in-progress inspection and a final inspection) under the state's hurricane mitigation retrofit law. This applies to unincorporated St. Johns County; St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach operate their own building departments. No square-footage exemption for minor roof repair is published on the county's site. Always confirm with the Building Services Division, Growth Management Department before starting.
How much does a roof replacement permit cost in St. Johns County?
No re-roof-specific fee line item is published. Roof replacement permits fall under the general Building Services Fees table: Permit Issuance Fee $14.00, plus Total Valuation of Building fee (minimum $19.00, or $11.00 for the first $1,000 plus $2.63 for each additional thousand up to $50,000; higher tiers apply above that), per St. Johns County's Schedule of Fees and Services, Exhibit A (amended 07/21/2026). See the official fee schedule for current amounts.
Where do you apply for a roof replacement permit in St. Johns County?
You can apply through the St. Johns County permit portal or contact the Building Services Division, Growth Management Department directly. The links are listed on this page.
Can a homeowner pull a roof replacement permit themselves in St. Johns County?
Under Florida law (F.S. 489.103(7)(a)-(c)): Florida lets you pull your own permit as an owner-builder under section 489.103(7), Florida Statutes, which exempts property owners from the contractor licensing law when they act as their own contractor and provide direct, onsite supervision of all work not performed by licensed contractors. The exemption covers building or improving a one-family or two-family residence or a farm outbuilding for your own occupancy or use, and commercial buildings only up to a $75,000 cost, and the property may not be built or improved for sale or lease. If you sell or lease the property within 1 year after completing the work, the law presumes it was built for sale or lease, which violates the exemption. To qualify, you must personally appear and sign the building permit application and sign a state-prescribed disclosure statement acknowledging that you are the party legally and financially responsible for the construction, that you must provide direct, onsite supervision, and that unlicensed people you use must be your own employees, bringing federal tax withholding and workers' compensation obligations. You may not hire an unlicensed person to act as your contractor and may not delegate supervision to anyone who is not licensed for the work being done; if these requirements are violated, the local permitting agency shall withhold final approval, revoke the permit, or pursue unlicensed-activity remedies. A separate narrow branch of the exemption also lets an owner take over and complete a permit on a one-family or two-family residence when the original contractor substantially completed the project. Confirm how St. Johns County applies this before you apply.

From the Library

What else needs a permit in St. Johns County

Every other permit type we have verified for this jurisdiction, with the rule that applies here.

ProjectPermit needed?ThresholdTypical fee
Deck PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedNo deck-specific fee line item is published.
Electrical PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedElectrical Permit Fees (F.S.
Fence PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedNo fence-specific fee line item is published.
HVAC PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedMechanical Permit Fees (F.S.
Patio PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedNo patio-specific fee line item is published.
Plumbing PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedPlumbing Permit Fees (F.S.
Pool PermitPermit requiredpool surface area per the LDC regulated-pool definition, which also uses a 2 foot depth testSwimming Pool Fees (F.S.
Shed PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedNo shed or accessory-structure-specific fee line item is published.
Solar PermitPermit requiredNot specifiedSolar Permit Fees (F.S.

Roof Replacement Permit in other Florida localities

Everything above, sourced

sjcfl.us: building departmentread
sjcfl.us: Re Roof Mitigation Worksheetread

Code references

National and state model-code sections the general guidance on this page is drawn from. They are not St. Johns County documents; the office above sets the local rules.

Verified by a person against the sources above on , not confirmed with Building Services Division, Growth Management Department. Rules change; confirm before you build. How we verify.

Last checked: Report an error on this page

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Look up an existing St. Johns County permit record

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