Roofing permits · checked October 2026
Do you need a permit to replace your roof?
In most Lower Mainland municipalities, replacing the roofing on a house like for like needs no building permit. Structural work, a new roof shape, skylights or dormers, and strata or commercial buildings are different, and a few cities don't say. Pick your city and describe the job for a quick answer, then check the official source.
Your answer
Choose your city to start.
A quick guide based on each municipality's published rules, not legal advice. Always confirm with your city or district before work starts. Where a permit is needed, your roofer normally applies for it.
City by city
Re-roofing permit rules across the Lower Mainland
10 municipalities say in writing that re-roofing a house needs no permit, 4 exempt non-structural repairs without naming roofing or have two authorities with different rules, and 7 don't publish a clear answer.
| City | In short | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Vancouver | No permit for a like-for-like re-roof | Vancouver lists installing roofing among projects that don't require a permit, and says non-structural maintenance or minor exterior repairs need no permit. Structural changes, dormers or anything that changes the exterior form of the house need a building permit; heritage properties may need a Heritage Alteration Permit. |
| Surrey | Confirm with the city | Surrey's Residential Building Permits page says you don't need a permit for 'minor exterior repairs to your home' but never mentions roofing, and the Building Bylaw defines regulated construction to include repair. Call the Building Information Line (604-591-4366) before re-roofing. |
| Burnaby | Confirm with the city | Burnaby says minor non-structural exterior repairs do not need a permit, and in its restoration (fire/flood) section says roof repairs 'require a building permit' while carving out 'replacement of existing'. It never states a rule for an ordinary re-roof. Call the Building Department (604-294-7130, BPA@Burnaby.ca) to confirm. |
| Chilliwack | Usually no permit; structural work needs one | Chilliwack's Building Regulation Bylaw exempts non-structural repair and maintenance of a lawfully conforming house on a single-family lot, which is how a like-for-like re-roof would normally be treated, but the City does not name roofing anywhere. Anything structural, or on non-single-family property, needs a permit. Confirm with the Building Division (604-793-2905) before starting. |
| Abbotsford | Usually no permit; structural work needs one | On a single-family house, replacing the roof covering (like for like) does not need a building permit under Abbotsford's Building Bylaw. A permit is needed if the job changes the shape/plan of the roof, touches structural components (rafters, trusses, framing), or is on a multi-family building. |
| North Vancouver | Rules differ by municipality | North Vancouver has two municipalities. The City of North Vancouver's bylaw says no building permit is needed for re-roofing a house. The District of North Vancouver exempts non-structural repair and maintenance of a house without naming roofing, so a like-for-like re-roof is normally treated as exempt; confirm with the District's Building Department (604-990-2480). Structural work and multi-unit buildings need a permit in both. |
| Langley | Rules differ by municipality | Langley has two municipalities with different answers. The City of Langley says in writing that roofing repairs and re-roofing need no building permit (a third-party roof inspection is recommended). The Township of Langley publishes no statement about re-roofing; its guides say a permit is needed to alter or repair a building, so call Permits, Licences and Inspections (604-533-6018) before starting work in the Township. |
| Coquitlam | No permit for a like-for-like re-roof | Coquitlam says no building permit is needed to repair or replace roofing material or to install a new roof on an existing building. A permit is needed for structural work, or to attach a new roof structure such as a patio roof or awning. |
| Maple Ridge | Confirm with the city | Maple Ridge's pages and its new Building Bylaw 8097-2026 do not mention roofing at all. The Home Improvements page says a Home Improvement Building Permit is required to 'build, construct, remodel, repair', and the bylaw defines construction to include repair, so a homeowner should call Building Services (604-467-7311, BuildingEnquiries@MapleRidge.ca) before re-roofing. |
| Delta | No permit for a like-for-like re-roof | Delta lists roofing repair or replacement among minor modifications that do not need a building permit. The homeowner remains responsible for meeting the BC Building Code; structural alterations need a permit. |
| Richmond | No permit for a like-for-like re-roof | Richmond says installing, replacing or repairing roofing does not need a building permit. Installing solar panels, structural repairs and renovations do. Work done without a permit must still meet the BC Building Code and Zoning Bylaw. |
| West Vancouver | Confirm with the city | West Vancouver's Building Bylaw 5340 requires a permit before 'constructing, repairing or altering' a building and its short exemption list (fences, small sheds, landscaping, low retaining walls) does not include roofing. No roofing statement was found on the District's pages. Call Permits & Inspections (604-925-7055) before re-roofing. |
| White Rock | No permit for a like-for-like re-roof | White Rock lists replacing roofing as general building maintenance that does not need a building permit. Repairs, renovations or additions that go beyond maintenance (e.g. structural work, covering or enclosing a deck) need a permit. |
| Port Coquitlam | Confirm with the city | Port Coquitlam's permit page says a building permit is required to 'repair an existing building or foundation' and for 'any other project Building staff deem necessary', and does not mention roofing. Call the Building Division (604-927-5444) before re-roofing. |
| New Westminster | No permit for a like-for-like re-roof | New Westminster's residential building permit guide lists roofing repairs and re-roofing as non-structural minor modifications that do not need a building permit, with a third-party inspection recommended. The guide is dated 2011, so confirm with the City (604-521-3711) that it is still current. |
| Mission | No permit for a like-for-like re-roof | Mission says plainly that a permit is not required for roofing. A permit is required for structural alterations and for installing solar panels. |
| Pitt Meadows | Confirm with the city | Pitt Meadows does not mention roofing on its permit pages. Its Building Bylaw says the bylaw does not apply to 'building maintenance work that does not affect health and safety aspects of the work', which may cover a like-for-like re-roof, but a permit is required before 'repairing or altering' a building. Confirm with the Building Division (604-465-2428, building@pittmeadows.ca). |
| Port Moody | No permit for a like-for-like re-roof | Port Moody's residential permit guide says roofing repair or replacement does not require a permit, but the homeowner must make sure the work meets the BC Building Code and City bylaws. Altering or repairing the structure, or repairing fire-damaged buildings, needs a permit. |
| Hope | Confirm with the city | The District of Hope's permit page lists common permit-required work (new buildings, additions, garages, decks, interior renovations, demolition) and does not mention roofing either way. Its Building Bylaw could not be retrieved. Contact building inspection (604-869-5671, dlepitre@hope.ca) before re-roofing. |
| Agassiz | No permit for a like-for-like re-roof | The District of Kent's homeowner guide says roofing repair or replacement does not require a permit, but the homeowner must ensure the work conforms to the Building Code. Altering or structurally repairing the building needs a permit. |
| Harrison Hot Springs | No permit for a like-for-like re-roof | Harrison Hot Springs' building permit Q&A lists recovering an existing roof among common home improvement projects that do not need a building permit. Building inspection for the Village is handled by the Fraser Valley Regional District, so confirm anything structural with FVRD Building (604-702-5016). |
BC-wide basics
The code still applies
Every municipality that exempts re-roofing adds the same condition: the work must still meet the BC Building Code (or the Vancouver Building By-law in Vancouver) and the zoning bylaw. For a house roof that means the right minimum slope for the material, underlayment where the code or the manufacturer calls for it, attic ventilation of about 1 square foot of vent for every 300 square feet of ceiling, and flashing at every wall, chimney and valley.
The things that trigger a permit almost everywhere are structural: changing rafters or trusses, changing the pitch or the plan of the roof, adding dormers, converting a flat roof to a pitched one, or attaching a new structure such as a patio roof. Mission and Richmond also list solar panels as permit work.
Read the full guide: Do you need a permit to replace your roof in BC? Municipality by municipality →
Who handles it
Your roofer usually applies
When a permit is needed, roofing companies normally prepare the application and book the inspections as part of the job. Some charge for this separately, so check that permits, engineering and any third-party roof inspection are in each quote.
Strata, apartment and commercial roofs are treated differently in several municipalities and often involve a registered professional. Ask the municipality or a commercial roofer before work starts.
Questions
Roofing permit questions
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in BC?
There's no province-wide rule; each municipality decides. Most Lower Mainland cities that address it say a like-for-like re-roof on a house needs no permit, several exempt non-structural repairs without naming roofing, and a few publish no clear answer. Structural changes need a permit everywhere.
What roofing work always needs a permit?
Changing rafters or trusses, changing the roof's pitch or shape, adding dormers, converting a flat roof to a pitched one, and attaching a new roof structure such as a patio cover. Mission and Richmond also list solar panels. Strata and commercial roofs are treated differently in several cities.
Does a permit mean an inspection?
Yes. Permitted work is inspected, usually at framing and sheathing before it's covered and again at the end. Even without a permit, the City of Langley and New Westminster recommend a third-party roof inspection, which you can ask any roofer to include.
Who applies for the permit?
Normally the roofing company, as part of the job. Check that the permit, any engineering and the inspections are included in each quote and that the contractor holds a business licence for your municipality.