Roof permit rules in Denver, CO

Short answer: Yes, a roof replacement needs a permit in Denver, CO. A quick permit is issued without plan review; the city lists roof repair and replacement among work eligible for one.

11 rules in all. We read Community Planning and Development, City and County of Denver and kept the sentence behind every rule on this page. Denver publishes no roofing fee formula we could confirm, so there is no fee calculator.

Checked October 9, 2026. Information, not legal advice: confirm with the building department before you start.

Where to apply

Open the Denver permit portal

Denver roof permit rules at a glance

Each row is one confirmed statement from an official page; a row says “Not confirmed” when we found none.
Permit for a roof replacement	RequiredDenver's roofing guide treats roof replacement as permitted work: a partial roof that ends at a natural edge may be replaced under a permit, but not a partial slope. denvergov.org
Permit for a repair	DependsA roof repair needs a permit when the repairs cover more than 10% of the roof square footage or two roof squares, whichever is smaller. denvergov.org
Who files	Not confirmedWe could not tie who files to a sentence on a Denver page.
Fee	Not confirmedNo official Denver page we read states this, so we leave it out.
Inspections	StatedRoofing permits are inspected on request online; the city uses inspection codes 205 (pre-inspection), 206 (other) and 201 (final roof). denvergov.org
Review time	StatedA quick permit is issued without plan review; the city lists roof repair and replacement among work eligible for one. denvergov.org

Denver: permit for a roof replacement

Denver's roofing guide treats roof replacement as permitted work: a partial roof that ends at a natural edge may be replaced under a permit, but not a partial slope.

“Partial roofs that end at a natural edge may be replaced under a permit, but not partial slopes.”

denvergov.org. Read on October 9, 2026. Guide dated 4/11/2024.

Denver: permit for a repair

A roof repair needs a permit when the repairs cover more than 10% of the roof square footage or two roof squares, whichever is smaller.

“If repairs are more than 10% of the roof square footage or two roof squares (whichever is smaller), then the repair needs a permit.”

denvergov.org. Read on October 9, 2026.

Denver: inspections

Roofing permits are inspected on request online; the city uses inspection codes 205 (pre-inspection), 206 (other) and 201 (final roof).

“Use the “205,” “206,” or “201” inspection code when requesting an inspection online.”

denvergov.org. Read on October 9, 2026.

Denver: review time

A quick permit is issued without plan review; the city lists roof repair and replacement among work eligible for one.

“Quick permits are trad-specific permits that can be issued without the need for a plan review.”

denvergov.org. Read on October 9, 2026. The word 'trad-specific' is as printed on the city page.

Denver: licence and insurance

Membrane (low-slope) roofs must be installed by a contractor holding the D-Roof Covering/Waterproofing license.

“Membrane roofs must be installed by a D-Roof Covering/Waterproofing licensed contractor.”

denvergov.org. Read on October 9, 2026.

Denver: exceptions and extra rules

Roof coatings do not require a permit in Denver.

“Roof coatings do not require a permit.”

denvergov.org. Read on October 9, 2026.

Every new roof penetration, such as a skylight, rooftop unit, pipe or solar mount, needs a permit.

“All new roof penetrations require a permit (e.g., skylight, rooftop units, pipes, solar, etc.).”

denvergov.org. Read on October 9, 2026.

Roofing work on an individual landmark or a building in a historic district must first be approved by Landmark Preservation.

“All roofing/siding work on individual landmarks or buildings within a historic district must be first approved by Landmark Preservation .”

denvergov.org. Read on October 9, 2026.

Roof permits for any commercial or multifamily building of 25,000 square feet or more are subject to the Green Building Ordinance.

“Roof permits for any commercial or multifamily building 25,000 square feet or more (these projects are subject to the Green Building Ordinance )”

denvergov.org. Read on October 9, 2026.

Denver: scope

A roof permit is always applied for separately from the general construction permit, even for new construction.

“A roof permit is always applied for separately from the general construction permit, even for new construction.”

denvergov.org. Read on October 9, 2026.

Denver: where to apply

Roof permits are applied for in Denver's E-permits portal under Apply for a Permit in the Development Services section.

Open the permit portal

“Once signed into the e-permits portal, go to "Apply for a Permit" under the "Development Services" section and follow the prompts.”

denvergov.org. Read on October 9, 2026.

Denver: what we could not confirm

Fee. We did not find this stated on the Denver pages we checked on October 9, 2026. Ask the Denver permit office before you rely on it.
Who files. We did not find this stated on the Denver pages we checked on October 9, 2026. Ask the Denver permit office before you rely on it.

The housing behind Denver’s rules

The median home here was built in 1974. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (Denver city), ACS 2019–2023 5-year.
57.4 percent of the housing units were built before 1980. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (Denver city), ACS 2019–2023 5-year.
49.1 percent of occupied homes are lived in by their owner, the group that may file its own permit where the city allows it. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (Denver city), ACS 2019–2023 5-year.
The Census County Business Patterns file counts 103 roofing contractor establishments in the area. U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, CBP 2023.
NOAA storm reports show 31 days with hail of 1 inch or more in the reporting period. NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database, 2014–June 2026.

Questions

Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Denver?

Denver's roofing guide treats roof replacement as permitted work: a partial roof that ends at a natural edge may be replaced under a permit, but not a partial slope.

Do I need a permit to repair a roof in Denver?

A roof repair needs a permit when the repairs cover more than 10% of the roof square footage or two roof squares, whichever is smaller.

How long does the Denver permit take?

A quick permit is issued without plan review; the city lists roof repair and replacement among work eligible for one.

Planning a re-roof in Denver? Describe the job once and we send it to one local roofer, not five.

Start an inspection request

Other cities

Information, not legal advice. Rules change; every statement above carries the page it was read from and the date we read it. The city’s own text governs.