Do I Need a Permit to Replace My Roof in Lee County?

Yes. In Lee County a roof permit is required to replace, repair or re-cover a roof on an existing structure. That is the first line of the county’s own Roof Application and Permitting Guide, and it applies whether your roof is shingle, tile, metal or flat. Here is what the permit involves, what it protects you from, and how International Roofing handles it for homeowners in Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Estero and Cape Coral.

Who issues the permit

Lee County Community Development issues roof permits for unincorporated Lee County. Cities and villages such as Fort Myers, Cape Coral, Bonita Springs and Estero have their own building departments, and Naples and Marco Island fall under Collier County or the City of Naples. Every one of them requires a permit for a roof replacement. Part of our job is knowing which office your address falls under and filing there, so you do not have to.

What the county requires

From the Lee County guide, updated April 2026:

• A licensed contractor or an owner-builder. A contractor pulling the permit must hold a state license registered with Lee County or a county certificate of competency, with current liability and workers’ compensation coverage. Contractors are required to apply through the county’s eConnect system. A homeowner acting as an owner-builder must sign a disclosure statement and appear in person to sign for the permit.
• Florida Product Approval numbers for every roofing product, and proof that the products meet the wind pressures for your wind speed, exposure and roof height. Skylights and solar tubes need approvals too.
• Engineering for tile. If tile is going on a home that did not previously have tile, an engineer’s letter confirming the trusses can carry the weight is required. Houses built before 1995 with a value of $300,000 or more may have additional requirements.
• A roof plan for partial replacements, showing exactly which part of the roof is being replaced.
• A Notice of Commencement when the project value is more than $5,000, recorded with the Lee County Clerk of Court and posted on site before the first inspection.
• Solid waste approval for tear-offs, under Lee County Ordinance 07-25.

The inspections

The permit lists the required inspections. For most roofs there is a dry-in inspection once the underlayment is on, a final inspection when the job is complete, and for tile roofs an in-process inspection in between. Before the final, a Roof Inspection Affidavit is required on every re-roof permit for one- and two-family homes, completed by a licensed roofing contractor, engineer, architect or building inspector. The permit, approved plans and manufacturer specifications must be on site during each inspection. A permit that does not pass at least one inspection within 180 days expires. When the final passes, the county closes the permit and issues a Certificate of Compliance, the document that proves your roof was installed to the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023).

Repairing part of a roof: the 25 percent rule

For years Florida’s building code required that if more than 25 percent of a roof was repaired or replaced within a year, the whole roof had to be brought up to current code. That changed in 2022. Under Florida Statute 553.844(5), if your existing roof was built, repaired or replaced to the 2007 Florida Building Code or later, and 25 percent or more of it is being repaired or replaced, only the portion being worked on has to meet the current code. Roofs older than the 2007 code can still trigger a full replacement. A permit is still required for the repair either way, and the building department makes the final call on which rule applies to your roof.

Why you want the permit

• The inspections are an independent check that the underlayment, fastening and flashing were done to code, on the parts of the roof you will never see again.
• The closed permit and Certificate of Compliance are what your insurance company and a future buyer will ask for. A new roof with the right attachments also earns wind mitigation credits, and we provide the wind mitigation inspection form after every re-roof.
• Unpermitted work can surface at sale, at claim time, or when the county finds it, and fixing it after the fact costs far more than the permit fee.

How International Roofing handles it

We file the permit and the Notice of Commencement, supply the product approvals and the roof plan, schedule the dry-in, in-process and final inspections, complete the Roof Inspection Affidavit, and hand you the warranty documents and your wind mitigation form at the end. On tile conversions we arrange the engineer’s letter, and on HOA properties we prepare the community submittal with the same product approval numbers. A foreman is on site every day and the property is cleaned with magnets for nails.

Lorena and her team made the whole process painless! They all seemed to enjoy their jobs and coworkers. It was fun to watch and everything came out great!

Dawn U., Google review

Common questions

Do I need a permit for a small repair?
The county guide says a permit is required to replace, repair or re-cover a roof. For a minor repair, ask the building department or ask us; we will tell you what the county requires for your specific job.

How long does the permit take?
Complete applications filed through eConnect are reviewed by the required reviewers at the same time. If anything is missing the county sends a rejection notice, and the applicant has 30 days to correct it. Filing a complete package the first time is the fastest path, which is why we handle it.

Can I pull the permit myself and hire a roofer?
Florida allows owner-builder permits, but you take on the contractor’s responsibilities and must appear in person to sign for the permit. When a licensed roofer does the work, the roofer pulls the permit.

Is the permit included in your estimate?
Yes. Permit filing, inspections and the affidavit are part of every roof replacement we do.

Ready for a new roof? Call 239-202-8103 or request a free estimate. We serve Fort Myers, Naples, Bonita Springs, Estero and Cape Coral, and financing is available through the PACE program.

Sources: Lee County Community Development, Roof Application and Permitting Guide (updated April 6, 2026); Florida Statutes 553.844(5) and 713.13. Requirements change; confirm current rules with your building department.