In most Lower Mainland municipalities you don't need a building permit to replace the roofing on a house like for like. Vancouver, Richmond, Delta, Coquitlam, Port Moody, New Westminster, White Rock, the City of North Vancouver, the City of Langley, Mission, Kent (Agassiz) and Harrison Hot Springs say so in writing. Abbotsford, Chilliwack and the District of North Vancouver exempt non-structural repair and maintenance, which covers a re-roof. Surrey, Burnaby, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, Port Coquitlam, West Vancouver, the Township of Langley and Hope don't say either way, so a phone call to the building department is the safe move. Structural work needs a permit everywhere. Here is the detail, checked against each municipality's bylaw or permit pages in October 2026.
The general rule
The BC Building Code sets the standards your roof must meet, but municipalities decide when a permit is required. Almost all of them draw the line at structure: replacing shingles, underlayment, flashing and a few sheets of plywood is maintenance; changing the roof's shape, pitch or framing, adding dormers or skylights that need new openings, or converting a flat roof to a pitched one is construction. Even where no permit is needed, every municipality that addresses it says the homeowner remains responsible for the work meeting the Code.
Solar panels are a separate question: Mission and Richmond, for example, list solar installation as permit-required work even though roofing isn't. See roofing and solar.
Municipality by municipality
| Municipality | Like-for-like re-roof on a house | What the source says | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | No permit | "Installing roofing, gutters, or drain-pipes" is listed under projects that don't require a permit; structural or exterior-form changes do. Heritage properties may need a Heritage Alteration Permit | Vancouver |
| Surrey | Not stated; call 604-591-4366 | "Minor exterior repairs" need no permit; roofing isn't named and the bylaw includes repair in regulated construction | Surrey |
| Burnaby | Not stated; call 604-294-7130 | Minor non-structural exterior repairs exempt; restoration section treats roof repairs differently; no plain re-roof rule | Burnaby |
| Richmond | No permit | "Installing, replacing or repairing roofing" is listed as not requiring a permit; solar panels and structural repairs do | Richmond |
| Delta | No permit | "Roofing repair or replacement" listed among minor modifications that don't need a permit | Delta |
| Coquitlam | No permit | "Installation of a new roof on an existing building" needs no permit; attaching a patio roof or awning does | Coquitlam |
| Port Coquitlam | Not stated; call 604-927-5444 | Permit required to "repair an existing building"; roofing not mentioned | Port Coquitlam |
| Port Moody | No permit | "Roofing repair or replacement" listed under work not requiring a permit | Port Moody |
| New Westminster | No permit | 2011 residential guide lists "roofing repairs or re-roofing (third party inspection recommended)"; confirm it's current, 604-521-3711 | New Westminster |
| North Vancouver (City) | No permit | Construction Regulation Bylaw s. 8.6.1: permits not required for "painting and decorating, re-roofing" unless the Chief Building Official requires one | North Vancouver |
| North Vancouver (District) | Usually no permit | Bylaw doesn't apply to non-structural repair and maintenance of a conforming house; roofing not named; 604-990-2480 | North Vancouver |
| West Vancouver | Not stated; call 604-925-7055 | Bylaw requires a permit before "constructing, repairing or altering"; exemption list omits roofing | West Vancouver |
| White Rock | No permit | "General building maintenance such as painting, replacing flooring, or replacing roofing" needs no permit | White Rock |
| Langley (City) | No permit | Application guide: no permit for "roofing repairs or re-roofing"; third-party inspection recommended | Langley |
| Langley (Township) | Not stated; call 604-533-6018 | Guides require a permit to "alter, repair, renovate" an existing building; no roofing statement found | Langley |
| Pitt Meadows | Not stated; call 604-465-2428 | Bylaw exempts "building maintenance work that does not affect health and safety"; roofing not named | Pitt Meadows |
| Maple Ridge | Not stated; call 604-467-7311 | New Building Bylaw 8097-2026 and the Home Improvements page don't mention roofing; permit required to "repair" | Maple Ridge |
| Abbotsford | No permit | Building Bylaw s. 16(e): no permit for exterior alteration of a single-family dwelling "limited to replacement of windows, siding, gutters or roofs"; changes to the roof's plan or structure need one | Abbotsford |
| Mission | No permit | "A Permit is NOT required for: Roofing"; solar panels and structural alterations need one | Mission |
| Chilliwack | Usually no permit | Bylaw exempts "non-structural repair and maintenance" of a conforming house; roofing not named; 604-793-2905 | Chilliwack |
| Hope | Not stated; call 604-869-5671 | Permit page lists common permit work; roofing not mentioned either way | Hope |
| Agassiz (District of Kent) | No permit | Homeowner guide: "Roofing repair or replacement" doesn't require a permit | Agassiz |
| Harrison Hot Springs | No permit | Permit Q&A lists "recovering existing roofs" as not requiring a permit; FVRD handles inspections, 604-702-5016 | Harrison Hot Springs |
Each linked page has the bylaw or guide quoted, the contact details and the date we checked. The permit checker asks a few questions about your job and tells you which way it's likely to go.
What always needs a permit
- Changing the roof's pitch, shape or height, including flat-to-pitched conversions and raising a roof
- Replacing or adding rafters, trusses or beams, or sistering damaged framing
- New dormers, or skylights that need framing cut (replacing a skylight in its existing opening usually doesn't)
- Adding a roof structure to the house: a patio cover, carport roof, awning attached to the building
- Work on multi-family, strata and commercial buildings (several bylaws exempt only single-family houses)
- Fire or flood restoration
- Solar panel installation in municipalities that list it (Mission, Richmond and others)
- Anything on a heritage-designated property in Vancouver and some other municipalities
Replacing sheathing is a grey area. A few sheets of rotten plywood is maintenance everywhere; re-decking a whole roof is "structural" in some building departments' reading and not others. If your roofer expects to re-deck, ask the department.
Why permits exist even for roofs
A permit brings an inspector who checks the work against the Code: slope minimums, fastening, eave protection, ventilation, flashing. Where no permit is required, nobody checks, which is why several municipalities (the City of Langley and New Westminster in their guides) recommend a third-party roofing inspection instead. RCABC-member roofers can offer a RoofStar guarantee with independent inspections on qualifying systems; otherwise a written inspection for $150 to $400 at completion is money well spent on a $20,000 roof. Our how to choose a roofer guide covers what else to check.
What if work was done without a required permit?
The municipality can require a permit after the fact, inspections (which may mean opening up finished work), and fees or penalties. It can also complicate a sale, since buyers' lawyers search for open or missing permits, and an insurance claim, if the insurer finds unpermitted structural work. For a like-for-like re-roof in the exempt municipalities, none of this applies; for structural work anywhere, get the permit.
Who applies, and what it costs
Usually the roofer, as part of the job, with the fee passed through. Fees for small residential permits are typically a few hundred dollars and set by each municipality's fee bylaw. Any quote that involves structural work should say who's applying and whether the fee is included; the quote comparison guide has it on the list.
Rules change. We checked the sources above in October 2026 and will re-check them; the municipality's own building department is the final word.
Common questions
Is there one BC rule for roofing permits?
No. The BC Building Code sets the technical standard; each municipality's building bylaw decides what needs a permit. Most Lower Mainland cities exempt a like-for-like re-roof on a house, a few don't say, and all require permits for structural changes.
What if my roofer says no permit is needed?
For a like-for-like re-roof in a city that exempts it, they're right. Check your city's page in our permit checker, and if the city doesn't publish a rule, a two-minute call to the building department settles it.