Do I Need a Permit to Replace My Roof in Littleton, CO?

This is the most common question we get, and most of the answers online are either generic national advice or describe a version of Littleton's policy that has since been revised. So here is the current position, with the source linked.

The short answer

Yes. The City of Littleton requires a permit before work starts on any asphalt shingle, metal or clay/concrete tile roof replacement. Work covering 100 square feet or less in aggregate is classed as a repair. Anything above that is a replacement and needs a permit.

The governing document is Policy #24-001, Roof Covering Installation and Inspection Requirements, issued by the City of Littleton Building Division. It is currently on its 5th revision, dated May 21, 2026.

That revision date matters. The policy has been revised six times since it was enacted in 2020. A good deal of roofing content about Littleton on the web is describing an earlier version.

Repair or replacement: the 100 square foot line

Littleton is unusually precise about this, and the precision works in your favor.

Removal or replacement of equal to or less than one square — 100 square feet — in aggregate is a repair. Removal or replacement greater than one square is a roof replacement for the purposes of determining which code applies.

Note the word aggregate. Three separate 40 square foot patches add up to 120 square feet, which is a replacement, not three repairs.

There is also a trap in the other direction. If the roof covering itself did not require a permit, but the area of sheathing needing to be installed or replaced is large enough to require one, a roof permit must still be obtained.

What the permit application actually requires

This is where Littleton differs from a lot of jurisdictions, and where applications get bounced.

Littleton's adopted design criteria, set out in City Code Title 4, Chapter 1 amending IRC Table R301.2 (Climatic and Geographic Design Criteria), are:

Ground snow load

40 psf, non-reducible

Ultimate design wind speed

136 mph

Materials have to be listed and approved for wind resistance to match:

And here is the part that catches people:

You cannot decide the shingle later. The product has to be selected, and its paperwork assembled, before the application goes in. In practice this eliminates the cheapest three-tab products from the conversation entirely.

If the property sits inside a designated Wildland Urban Interface hazard zone, additional requirements may apply.

The three things that delay a Littleton roof permit

1. Solar panels

This is the biggest one, and almost nobody writes about it.

If city records, or other evidence the building official considers appropriate, show the structure has a photovoltaic assembly, the roof permit is delayed until a solar contractor licensed by the city obtains a permit to remove and replace the system.

Your roofer cannot short-cut this. A roofing contractor who removes the array themselves can trigger a stop work order or a municipal summons. If you have solar, start this conversation weeks before you want the roof done.

2. Incomplete wind documentation

Covered above. It is the most common avoidable cause of a rejected application.

3. Discovering sheathing after issue

If the need for sheathing installation is discovered after the permit has been issued, and sheathing was not indicated on the permit, the permit has to be amended.

Since nobody can see the deck through the roof, this happens regularly on older homes. It is manageable if your contractor expects it. It is a multi-day stall if they do not.

During the job

• The permit must be displayed visible from the street. Not in the van, not in a folder.
• Inspections will not be completed unless a valid permit is on site in a visible, accessible location.
• Full tear-off to deck. No overlays on asphalt, metal or tile.
• If sheathing is replaced, a Building Division inspection of the sheathing fastening is required before underlayment or covering goes on.

Closing the permit

A final roof inspection is required to complete and close the permit. Two practical requirements trip people up:

• An OSHA-compliant ladder extending three feet above the roof eave must be provided and secured at the time of inspection.
• Permission is required if the inspector must pass through a fence or enter the rear yard. Inspectors will not enter rear yards when pets are present.

An open permit does not go away. It surfaces when you sell, and resolving it years later, after the contractor has moved on, is considerably harder than passing an inspection on the day.

Are you actually in Littleton?

Everything above applies inside City of Littleton limits. A Littleton mailing address does not guarantee that.

The city states that USPS applies the name "Littleton" to communities across three counties, incorporated and unincorporated. Only ZIP 80120 is completely within city limits; 80121 is partially; 80122 to 80130 are partially or completely outside.

If you are outside, your permit comes from Arapahoe County, Douglas County, Jefferson County or a separate town, each with its own rules. Douglas County works to the 2021 codes where Littleton is on 2024. Centennial requires a mid-roof inspection that Littleton does not. Jefferson County wants its mid-roof between 10 and 25 percent complete.

Work out which authority covers you →

Where to check

• Permit Center: 303-795-3751
• Email: permits@littletonco.gov
• Portal: eTRAKiT
• Policy: Roofing Requirements

Or call us on (720) 894-1857 and we will tell you what applies to your address.