Do I need a permit for roof replacement in
Burien, WA?

You have a 2,400 sq. ft. ranch with original 1980s three-tab asphalt shingles (confirmed one layer). You're replacing with modern architectural shingles (same weight, same fastening schedule). No deck rot visible from the attic. Your contractor pulls the permit, listing you as owner and applicant. Burien's Building Department issues the permit OTC in one business day ($200 permit fee). Work begins; contractor calls Building Department to schedule in-progress deck inspection. Inspector shows up, checks fastening pattern (6 nails per shingle per IRC R905.2.8.1), confirms no rot, no water staining, approves to continue. Underlayment goes down (Type II synthetic, 6-inch overlap per IRC R908.2); ice-and-water shield extends 36 inches up from eave per local requirement; new shingles go on with correct fastening and ridge cap sealed. Flashing around two plumbing vents and one chimney are re-sealed with roofing cement and counter-flashing. Final inspection: inspector verifies all fastening, flashing, ridge detail, confirms gutters are clean and functional. Permit closed. Timeline: 12 days from permit to final. Cost: permit $200, roofing contractor ~$8,500–$12,000 (all-in labor and materials for architectural shingles + haul-away of old roof), no structural engineer needed.

You own a 1,800 sq. ft. home with a steep pitch (12:12) built in 1995. You assumed one layer of shingles when you called for quotes, but when your contractor does a roof inspection, he finds two layers (1995 original + 2005 overlay). Burien code prohibits a third layer (IRC R907.4), so tear-off is mandatory. You also want to upgrade to metal roofing because of the steep pitch and durability. This triggers two permitting issues: (1) tear-off requires a full permit with deck inspection, and (2) material change to metal requires a structural engineer's letter. Your contractor obtains an engineer's letter ($500) confirming the roof deck and framing can support the weight of standing-seam metal (easier than tile, usually approved). Permit application is submitted with engineer's letter, ice-and-water-shield detail showing 48-inch extension in valleys (local inspector standard for slopes over 10:12), and metal roofing spec (26-gauge standing-seam aluminum, 1.5 rib height, fastening per manufacturer spec). Permit is issued with a condition: deck inspection required before sheathing is recovered. Work begins; contractor tears off two layers (haul-away cost ~$1,200). Deck is exposed; rotting plywood found around one valley area (common in 1995 Burien homes with poor ventilation). Contractor replaces ~80 sq. ft. of decking and notes this on the in-progress inspection form. Inspector approves deck replacement as part of permitted work (no separate framing permit needed since it's integrated). Underlayment, ice-and-water-shield, and metal roofing installed. Final inspection confirms all flashing, fastening, and ridge detail per metal roofing standard. Permit closed. Timeline: 18 days from permit to final (includes engineer review and corrective deck work). Cost: permit ~$300, engineer letter $500, roofing contractor ~$14,000–$18,000 (two-layer tear-off, decking repair, metal install + flashing), total ~$15,000–$18,500.

You have a 1,600 sq. ft. home with an asphalt roof; a water stain appears in the master bedroom after a winter storm. You call your roofer for a site visit. Roofer inspects and finds that a section of flashing around a plumbing vent stack has failed, allowing water into about 8 squares (800 sq. ft.) on the north-facing slope — roughly 15% of total roof area. The shingles in that area are curled and deteriorating, but the deck is sound beneath. The roofer quotes a targeted repair: remove the damaged shingles in the affected area (tear-off the 8 squares only, not the whole roof), inspect and re-nail the underlying sheathing if needed, replace the vent flashing, apply new ice-and-water-shield around the flashing, and shingle the repair area with matching (or close-matching) asphalt shingles. This scope — under 25% of roof area, partial removal, no structural deck work — is exempt from permit requirements per IRC R903 repair exception and Burien's local code. The roofer does not pull a permit; the work is permitted as a repair. However, the roofer should still follow code (correct fastening, proper flashing, ice-and-water-shield) and the homeowner should photograph the repair for insurance purposes. Timeline: 2 days. Cost: roofer ~$2,500–$3,500 (labor, materials, haul for 8 squares of old shingles), no permit fee. Note: if during the repair the roofer discovers that the entire roof has two layers, the scope changes; they must stop work, notify the homeowner, and pull a full tear-off permit. This is rare but has happened in Burien, especially in homes from the 1990s-2000s cycle where roofs were overlaid without disclosure.