When Garland requires a roofing permit
The City of Garland requires a permit once the value of the roof work reaches $2,000 or more. Below that, a small repair can go ahead without one. Any full replacement in Garland is going to clear $2,000, so a re-roof needs a permit.
The re-roofing permit fee is $175, which breaks down as a $140 permit fee plus a $35 processing fee. On a full replacement that is a rounding error against the job, which is why a contractor trying to talk you out of pulling one is telling you something about how they work.
Garland also asks for one of two documents with the application: a copy of the executed contract for the repair or replacement, or the insurance adjuster's scope if the work is a claim.
Your roofer has to be registered with the City
This is the part most homeowners never hear about. Garland requires roofing contractors to register with the city's Building Inspection Department as a General Contractor. Roofing is grouped in with fence, foundation repair, demolition and concrete work under that same registration.
To register, a roofer has to supply the owner's or principal's driver's license and a certificate of insurance listing the City of Garland, 200 N Fifth Street, Garland, TX 75040, as an additional insured.
Texas does not license roofing contractors at the state level. There is no state roofing license to check. City registration is one of the few hard, verifiable credentials a Garland homeowner can actually confirm, which makes it worth asking about by name.
Rules that change what your roof can be
Two layers of shingles, not three
Under the 2015 International Residential Code as Garland applies it, a roof is allowed up to two layers of shingles. If your roof already has two and someone wants to lay a third, that is not permitted work. The existing layers have to come off and the roof starts over. If a quote proposes an overlay, count your layers first.
Changing the pitch
If the project changes the pitch of the roof, Garland wants detailed plans submitted with the permit application, clearly showing the proposed change.
Changing the material
Switching materials requires a permit and a conversation with the city about documentation. For metal specifically, Garland requires 26 gauge or better, and you have to provide the manufacturer specifications on the material. Worth knowing before you fall in love with a cheaper panel. Our metal roofing page covers what we install.
What happens if the work goes in without a permit
Unpermitted roof work can surface years later, usually at the worst moment: during a sale, during an appraisal, or when an insurer asks questions after the next storm. There is no inspection record showing the work was done to code, which puts the burden back on you.
It also removes the one independent check on the job. A permitted re-roof gets looked at by someone who does not work for the roofer.
Questions to ask before the crew shows up
- Are you registered with the City of Garland as a General Contractor?
- Are you pulling the permit, or am I?
- How many layers are on my roof right now?
- Does the quote include the $175 permit fee, or is that added later?
- Can I see the certificate of insurance you filed with the city?
A roofer who works in Garland regularly can answer all five without checking. One who cannot is either new to the city or planning to skip the permit.
We pull the permit and handle the paperwork
Benchmark Roofing and Construction has worked out of the same Garland office since 2008, and permits are part of what we do on a replacement. If you want to know what your specific roof needs, whether it is a $700 repair with no permit or a full replacement, we will come look for free and tell you straight. We work across Garland and the surrounding Dallas County cities.
Permit requirements and fees are current as of August 2026 and come from the City of Garland's Re-Roofing and contractor registration pages. Confirm current requirements with the City of Garland Development & Permitting Center at 200 N. Fifth St. before your project.