Roof permit steps at the Stow Building Department

A roof replacement in Stow needs a permit. The city's Residential Permit Guide lists roofing among the kinds of work that require one, alongside siding, decks and additions. This post lays out the steps as the city publishes them. Fees and rules can change, so treat this as a map and confirm the details with the department before you rely on them.

Where is the Stow Building Department?

At 3760 Darrow Road, which is State Route 91, in the city building. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Most of the work no longer needs a trip to the counter. The city runs an online portal where forms, permit applications, inspection requests and contractor registrations are all handled, and you can reach it from the Building and Engineering page on stowohio.gov.

Step 1: Who applies for the roofing permit?

The city's guide says the property owner or occupant may take out a permit. Otherwise a registered contractor does. Two points follow from that. First, contractors must be registered with the City of Stow, so it is fair to ask any roofer whether that registration is current. Second, the guide states that the permit holder is legally responsible for the work. If a roofer asks you to pull the permit in your own name, understand what you are taking on.

Step 2: What goes into the application?

The application runs through the portal. Have the basics ready before you start:

• The property address and the owner's name.
• The contractor's name.
• The scope: a full tear-off, how many layers are coming off, and what is going back on.
• The size of the roof in squares. One square is 100 square feet.
• The value of the job. The guide says residential fees range from fixed amounts to fees based on estimated value or square footage.

The State of Ohio adds a 1 percent surcharge to residential permit fees.

Step 3: Why wait for approval before tear-off?

Because the penalty is steep. The guide says that if work starts before a permit is obtained, the charge is the original fee plus an additional 300 percent. It also says documents submitted for permits generally take three to five working days to clear the city's departments. Build that into the schedule.

Step 4: How long is a Stow permit good for?

Work has to begin within six months of the permit being issued. The guide adds that a permit becomes void if progress stops for six months or more. A re-roof is a one or two day job, so this seldom matters, but it can if you get a permit in autumn and then decide to wait for spring. Ask the department before you let one sit.

Step 5: How are inspections requested?

Through the same portal, at any hour, or by phone. Stow's building department offers same-day inspections when the request is in before 9 a.m. A request made later than that is handled the next day. Ask the department which inspections your roofing permit carries, and keep the approved record with your house papers when the job is closed.

What is different in Munroe Falls and Silver Lake?

Both border Stow, and both are separate municipalities. Munroe Falls is the unusual case. Since July 1, 2012, the City of Stow has issued building permits for Munroe Falls, so the same portal applies. Munroe Falls asks for its own zoning approval first, and Stow will not issue a building permit there without proof of it. Silver Lake is a village with its own code, and its rules should be confirmed with the village directly. More on both is on the page about roofing in Munroe Falls and Silver Lake.

Why is a permit worth having?

The guide gives three reasons, and they hold up. Each phase of permitted work is checked against code. If something is wrong, the inspector can say how to correct it. And work done without a permit can leave the homeowner legally liable and out of pocket. A permit also leaves a dated public record of the new roof, which helps when you sell.

What does Stow's guide say about design conditions?

The same guide lists the climate figures that building in Stow is designed around: a 20 pound ground snow load, a 90 mph wind speed, severe weathering and a 36 inch frost line. The first three bear on a roof. They are part of why ice and water shield, sealed starter strips and correct nailing are not extras here. The page on architectural shingles for Stow roofs explains how shingle wind ratings compare to that 90 mph figure.

How does the permit fit into a Stow Ohio Roofing job?

It sits between the written quote and the install date. The owner inspects the roof himself, you get a photo report the same day, and if the roof is due you get one written price good for a year. Once you say yes, the permit comes next, and tear-off waits until it is issued. The full sequence is on the page about how a roof replacement works in Stow. To see what is included in the job itself, go back to asphalt shingle roof replacement for Stow homes.