Your Roof Isn’t Complete Until You Have a City Inspection
After the roofing professionals have finished working on your home, cleaned up, and taken all their tools and equipment away, you might think your roofing project is complete. But just because your beautiful new roof has been installed, don’t assume everything is finished just yet!
You still need to have a roof inspection performed by your city or county inspector (depending on where you live).
To get a city inspection performed, the roofing contractor you’ve hired to complete your project is required to purchase a building permit from either the city or county where you live to begin work on your project. You should ask about this crucial step when vetting a potential roofing contractor for your project.
What is a roofing permit?
A roofing permit helps ensure that your roofing contractor is qualified and licensed to complete your project. For example, in the City of Denver, a contractor must provide their current City of Denver Contractor’s License before obtaining a permit. A roofing permit must be in hand and on-site before any work may begin.
First and foremost, a roofing permit helps to protect you and ensure your contractor completes your roofing project according to local guidelines. This permit also creates a record of the work being performed on your home, which is essential if you would need future repairs or replacement after a storm, or if in the future you would want to sell your property.
Your roofing contractor is required to pull a permit from either the city or county where you live to begin work on your project.
What happens if my contractor doesn’t pull a permit?
If your roofing contractor fails to obtain a permit before they begin work, it’s not often for a good reason. In fact, this might indicate that your contractor is unqualified and possibly running a roofing scam.
A roofing contractor may try to tell you that they didn’t obtain a permit to help save on costs, but this is not acceptable. The city can charge you double the normal permit fees if your contractor doesn’t pull a permit, and in some cases may require you to pull off what your roofer had installed if it was not done according to code.
A reputable roofer will post the permit while working on your roof and answer any questions you may have regarding the process. If you suspect you might have an issue, you can check with your local building permits office to ensure that a permit has been issued for your project.
What is a city inspection?
An inspection is part of the permitting process that protects you as the homeowner. It ensures that your roofing contractor has completed your project correctly and that the work is up to municipal code. The City roof inspector serves as an unbiased third party who makes sure your new or repaired roof is ready to handle the intense storms that often roll through Denver and surrounding areas.
Here’s an example of Colorado installation standards from the City of Fort Collins.
What’s involved in a roof inspection?
Once they have installed your roof, your contractor will notify the city, and the city will schedule a city inspector to complete a final roof inspection.
Some cities and counties require that your roofing contractor set a ladder for the city inspector. Do not remove this ladder. Once the inspector has approved your roofing project, your contractor will remove the ladder, and your roofing project will be complete.
J&K Roofing will leave a helpful note, so you know what to expect with this part of the process.
Unfortunately, we never know when exactly an inspection will take place, which is why it’s important to leave the ladder up and let your roofing contractor take it down once the inspection is complete.
We’re Ready to Start Your Project
The permitting and inspection process is only one crucial piece of your roofing project—there are plenty of other factors involved. No matter how extensive your roofing needs may be, J&K Roofing is ready to tackle them.
Call us today at 303-425-7531 or reach out to us on our website to get your roofing project underway!