Pikes Peak Regional Building Department is the governing jurisdiction for building codes in Colorado Springs, CO. Additionally, PPRBD is the overseer of building codes for El Paso County. Permits and inspections are required for the benefit of homeowners and our community. It’s important for roofing contractors to meet a minimum set of standards to produce a reasonable product. It is of our opinion that the roofing codes in El Paso county are minimum standards that must be met. We recommend that every roofing company in Colorado Springs exceed the building code standards to produce a far superior product rather than the minimum standards. Pikes Peak Regional Building Department serves everyone in El Paso County, Palmer Lake, Monument, Manitou Springs, Green Mountain Falls, Fountain and Colorado Springs. A roof inspector from PPRBD will perform a roof inspection after the roof is installed.
Roof Permit is Required
Every roof repair or install that is over one hundred square feet requires a roofing permit. A homeowner can obtain a permit, but in order to do this you will have to meet the following requirements:
- A homeowner must live at the property.
- The work must be performed and completed by the homeowner.
- You will have to have a working knowledge of the roofing codes.
- Your work will have to pass the roof inspection
- It is illegal for a homeowner to acquire a roofing permit for someone else. This is particularly dangerous for a property owner for you could be held financially responsible for any injuries and certainly responsible for the quality of the work.
Every contractor that has experience in roofing Colorado Springs residential properties fully understands the necessity of acquiring a roofing permit. The good news is that the permits typically cost around $140. At one time I considered this to be expensive, but now I realize that with all of the work that PPRB has to perform for the inspection this expense is fair and reasonable. The following listed information are some of the requirements necessary for a Colorado roofer to acquire a permit in Colorado Springs, Colorado:
- The roofing contractor must possess a valid roofing license for the state of Colorado and PPRBD. You can check the preceding link to see if your roofing contractor is register to work in Colorado Springs.
- This roofing company must go through a vetting process.
- This Colorado roofing contractor has to be registered with Pikes Peak Regional Building Department.
- This roofer must be in good standing with PPRBD.
- Every contractor that is roofing Colorado Springs residential properties must annually update their license with PPRBD.
- Roof permits are not required to be posted at the property.
What Happens if a Permit is not Acquired?
- The project will be stopped.
- Stocking of roofing materials is considered the start of a roof project.
- A financial penalty will occur.
- The fine for not obtaining a permit may be three times the expense of the original permit.
- The sale of the home may be negatively impacted by not obtaining a roof permit.
- At the time of the sale of the home the property owner would be responsible to pay the fine and than the roof will be inspected. The roof will have to pass inspection before the sale of the home. All areas that the roof has failed on the inspection will have to be corrected and a re-inspection ordered.
Class A Fire Rated Roofing Materials are Required in Colorado Springs
Underwriter’s Laboratory standard test and measurements have developed testing procedures for rating roofing materials. The good news is that Class A fire rated roof standards are designed to be effective in a severe fire test. With all of the homes in our heavily forested areas it only makes sense to require Class A products. No longer are we allowed to install new wood shake or wood shingles on roofs in Colorado Springs. There are few exceptions to this rule, but overall everyone will not be allowed to install a product that is not Class A. Wood shakes and shingle repairs on an existing residential property can perform a roof repair that totals no more than twenty five percent of the overall roofing surface in a twelve month period. This prevents someone from replacing their entire roof by doing weekly roof repairs that would ultimately culminate in a total wood shake or wood shingle replacement.
Accessory Structures Require Class B Fire Rated Roofs
Detached sheds, garages and barns that are not livable space may install a class B fire rated roof. Please consult with PPRBD to make sure this is still in effect before you allow a Colorado roofer to install a Class B roof on any structure.
Ice and Water Shield Required on Homes that are Above 7000′ Elevation
Because of the threat and reasonable expectation of ice dams and snow loads on roofs that are in elevations higher then 7000′ ice and water shield must be installed. This water proof underlayment is to be installed beginning at the perimeter of the roofs’ eave. The eave is typically where a gutter is installed. The ice and water shield starting at the eave must be installed sufficiently to where it effectively covers to an invisible vertical line that would be two feet to the exterior wall line of the building. (If the property has a history of ice damming and heavy snow loads additional coverage of water proof underlayment would be recommended.)
3-Tab Shingles
- May 1 – October 31 PPRB allows installation of light weight 3-tab shingles weighing less than 240 pounds per square.
- Heavy weight 240# class and heavier 3-tab shingles can be installed year around.
- Of reasonable concern and rightly so is the necessity of warmer days to activate the self sealing adhesive strips, therefore these laws are in effect to protect the public.
Only 1-layer of Roofing Material Allowed
Re-roofing guidelines to the 2009 International Code with RBC Amendments allow for only one layer of roofing materials. The PPRBD code states that new asphalt roof coverings shall not be installed without first removing all existing layers of roof coverings on residential homes.
Roof slope between 2/12 and 4/12 Require Special Attention
- Traditional requirement is for two layers of ASTM D226 asphalt saturated organic roofing felt installed half lapped or double lapped, please consult manufacturers’ installation procedure for low slope requirement. It’s critical that the half lap is installed correctly to prevent moisture damage, therefore I suggest that you look at the proper installation diagrams before installing.
- Roofers in Colorado Springs need to consult with PPRBD before installing ice and water shield on these slopes. Approval would be needed before installing IWS.
Asphalt Shingles are NOT Permitted on roof less than 2/12
Any roof slope less than a 2/12 pitch requires installation procedures for flat roofs. If installing an asphaltic modified bitumen roof system a fire rated deck installation may be required. Every roof system must meet Type A fire rating, therefore a sub base of Dens deck or similar material may be needed. Please be sure to do some research before installing the incorrect product that may place someone in jeopardy.
Crickets are NOT Required
Crickets are not required on re-roof projects, however they are required for new construction.
Roof Deck
Some of the older properties in Colorado Springs have spaced planking as the roofing substrate. Code permits gaps between boards to not exceed 1/4″. Code states that 716″ OSB or 3/8″ CDX sheathing is to be installed on existing planking. There are multiple shingle manufacturers of shingles that have stricter guide lines. Integrity Roofing and Painting recommends the more restrictive guidelines, as does International Residential Code and the state that the more restrictive installation shall govern. Certainteed shingles require that any boards are of a nominal thickness of 1″ with a maximum of 6′ wide recommended.
Valleys
Pikes Peak Regional Building Department allows for both open and closed valleys to be utilized in roofing systems.
Roofing Nails
PPRBD guidelines state 4 corrosion resistant nails are required per shingle. Please consult with current guidelines before installing only 4 nails per shingle. Nails are required to penetrate a minimum of 3/4″ into roof sheathing. We recommend 6-nails per shingle for every jurisdiction.
Confirm Licensing for Roofing Companies in Colorado Springs
Pikes Peak Regional Building Department website link to confirm if your prospective roofer in Colorado Springs has proper credentials to provide roofing services in this community.
Licensed Colorado Springs, CO Roofing Company
Integrity Roofing and Painting, LLC is a licensed and trusted provider for roofing Colorado Springs residential properties. We are a Certified Master Roofing Company for Certainteed and look forward to working with you. Integrity Roofing and Painting, LLC makes roof replacements easy! Contact us for your roofing needs in Colorado Springs, CO. We can be reached at (719) 488-2800.