Tampa roof permits are required for a re-roof, and which office issues one depends on whether the house is inside the City of Tampa, in unincorporated Hillsborough County, or across the bay in Pinellas.
City of Tampa
Inside the City of Tampa, roof work over 500 square feet needs a permit from the Construction Services Division at 2555 E. Hanna Ave., (813) 274-3100 option 1, filed through Accela Citizen Access. Inspections are virtual: a dry-in inspection, required for tile roofs, and a final. On non-tile roofs, contractors can upload a mitigation attestation in place of the dry-in visit.
Unincorporated Hillsborough County
In unincorporated Hillsborough County, Development Services at 601 E. Kennedy Blvd., (813) 272-5600, issues roof permits through HillsGovHub. Inspections are a progress check and a final, and a Roof Mitigation Verification Statement uploaded in HillsGovHub can stand in for the progress check. Temple Terrace, St. Petersburg, Clearwater and most Pinellas cities run their own building departments.
Design Wind Speed
Under the 2023 Florida Building Code wind map (8th edition, in force until the 9th edition takes effect December 31, 2026), the 140 mph line runs through Hillsborough a few miles east of downtown. By our reading of the official map, downtown Tampa and Davis Islands sit around 141 mph, South Tampa around 142, Brandon around 139 and the Pinellas beaches around 145 to 147. Confirm your address on the ASCE Hazard Tool or with the building department. Anywhere at 140 mph or more is in the wind-borne debris region, which matters for the re-roof rules below.
What the Code Adds on a Re-Roof
When the roof covering on a wood deck is replaced, the 2023 Florida Building Code requires a secondary water barrier. Homes in the wind-borne debris region valued at $300,000 or more can also need roof-to-wall connections improved, capped at 15% of the re-roof cost. Much of the city, including downtown, South Tampa and Davis Islands, falls in that region. Hillsborough's re-roof checklist applies these mitigation rules when more than 25% of a roof is replaced in 12 months.
Licenses
Roofing in Florida needs a state roofing license: a certified roofing contractor (CCC) can work anywhere in the state, a registered one (RC) only where the license was issued. Florida law also requires the license number on a contractor's ads, bids and contracts. Look up any number on the DBPR's free license search.
The roofing contractor pulls Tampa roof permits for you. Call (813) 680-5909 for a metal roofer in Tampa.
Sources: City of Tampa Construction Services, City of Tampa permit FAQ, City of Tampa roofing inspections, Hillsborough County Development Services, Hillsborough re-roof inspections, Pinellas County building departments, Florida 2023 wind speed map, Hillsborough, ASCE Hazard Tool, Florida Building Code, Existing Building, 2023, sections 706.7 and 706.8, Florida DBPR license search, Florida Statutes 489.119.