New Hampshire permit guide
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in New Hampshire?
Yes. Re-roofing and roof replacement are not among the projects the state building code exempts from a permit, the town issues the permit under RSA 155-A, and the statute makes the contractor responsible for meeting the code. Here is what the code reaches on a roof job, when the energy code comes in, and what applies in a town that issues no permit at all.
The rule that applies to every trade
New Hampshire has one building code for the whole state. Under RSA 155-A the State Building Code, the 2024 International Residential Code for one- and two-family homes and the 2023 National Electrical Code, each with New Hampshire amendments, applies in every city and town, and a permit is required before work covered by the code begins. What differs from town to town is the office that issues it: the state leaves permits, inspections and fees to each municipality, which is why each town page on this site starts with that town's building department.
Who applies is more open than in some states. The code lets the owner or the owner's authorized agent apply for a building permit, and New Hampshire issues no statewide general contractor licence. The trades are another matter: electrical installations need a licensed electrician, and gas fitting and plumbing need a licence from the Mechanical Licensing Board, in each case with a permit and inspection. The statute is explicit that the contractor is responsible for meeting the code, so the usual arrangement is that the contractor doing the work pulls the permit under their own licence.
Sources: RSA 155-A, New Hampshire Building Code (gc.nh.gov); NH Division of Fire Safety: State Building Code; International Residential Code 2024, Chapter 1 (ICC); OPLC: the licensing boards; RSA 319-C, Electricians (gc.nh.gov); RSA 153:27–36, plumbers and fuel gas fitters (gc.nh.gov).
Which code applies, and who issues the permit
The code is set at state level. The State Building Code Review Board recommends code updates and reviews the New Hampshire amendments, and the Division of Fire Safety publishes the adopted editions: from 1 July 2026, the 2024 International Residential Code and the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code, each with New Hampshire amendments, and the 2023 National Electrical Code. During the concurrence period to 31 December 2026 an application may follow either the 2021 or the 2024 codes, but not a mix of the two; from 1 January 2027 every application is under the new codes, and the edition in effect when the town receives the application governs the job to the end.
Enforcement is local, and it is the town's choice. RSA 155-A reserves permits, certificates of occupancy and fees to cities, towns, counties and village districts; a municipality that enforces the code adopts an ordinance, a building official who issues permits and inspects, a fee schedule, a building code board of appeals, that the Building Code Review Board must confirm, and local amendments may not be less stringent than the state code, may not touch its technical requirements and, since 1 July 2026, are limited to administrative matters. A few towns issue no building permit at all: Epsom has adopted no building codes and issues only a zoning permit, Wilmot has no building inspector, and Thornton issues a zoning compliance permit with no inspections. The state code applies in those towns all the same, and the contractor is responsible for meeting it.
The three towns have their own pages: Epsom, Wilmot and Thornton.
Sources: NH Division of Fire Safety: State Building Code; NH Division of Fire Safety: State Building Code Review Board; RSA 155-A, New Hampshire Building Code (gc.nh.gov); Town of Epsom: Zoning Compliance; Town of Wilmot: Planning Board; Town of Thornton: Zoning Compliance & Enforcement.
Roofing in New Hampshire
Re-roofing and roof replacement are not among the projects the code exempts from a permit, so in your town treat a roof job as permitted work: the code requires a permit to alter or repair a building, and its ordinary-repairs exception is written for minor work, not for stripping and replacing the weather envelope. The town issues the permit under the state code, and the statute makes the contractor responsible for meeting it.
The code has requirements for roof coverings, underlayment and ice barrier that the inspector checks against, and New Hampshire adopts them with its own amendments: the 2024 edition from 1 July 2026, with permits accepted under either the 2021 or the 2024 code until the end of 2026. Rather than quote them here, ask your building department what it inspects for on a re-roof; the contractor pulling the permit is expected to know.
The energy code can enter a re-roof. Under the 2018 IECC with New Hampshire amendments a roof repair is a repair and a roof re-cover is exempt from the alteration rules, but where a roof has no insulation in the cavity and the sheathing is exposed during reroofing, insulation must be added above or below the sheathing: so a tear-off on an uninsulated roof brings the energy code into the permit.
Sources: International Residential Code 2024, Chapter 1 (ICC); RSA 155-A, New Hampshire Building Code (gc.nh.gov); NH Division of Fire Safety: State Building Code; 2018 IECC with New Hampshire amendments, Chapter 5: existing buildings (ICC).
NHSaves rebates
NHSaves has no roofing rebate on its residential list. Its Home Energy Performance program does cover insulation, air sealing and other approved energy efficiency updates, after an energy audit for which the online Home Heating Index tool checks eligibility: relevant when a tear-off exposes an uninsulated roof deck and the energy code calls for insulation. Ask your utility, Eversource, Liberty, Unitil or the New Hampshire Electric Co-op, before the roof comes off; the permit and the rebate are separate paperwork.
Sources: NHSaves: energy audits and weatherization (Home Energy Performance).
Questions homeowners ask
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in your town?
Yes. Re-roofing is not exempt under the New Hampshire building code, so your town will expect a building permit before the work starts, and the contractor is responsible under RSA 155-A for meeting the code's roofing requirements.
How long is a building permit good for in New Hampshire?
Under the International Residential Code as adopted by New Hampshire (section R105.5), a permit becomes invalid if the work has not started within 180 days of issue, or if more than 180 days pass between inspections once work has begun; the building official may grant written extensions of up to 180 days at a time. An application that is filed but not pursued is treated as abandoned after 180 days.
Are building permits public record, and how do I look one up for an address in your town?
Yes, permits are public records. Ask the building department in your town how to search by address, or check the town's online portal if it has one.
Can a homeowner pull their own permit in New Hampshire?
Often, yes. The code lets the owner apply for the building permit, and New Hampshire's licensing statutes let the owner-occupant of a single-family home do their own electrical installations and, in an existing single-family primary residence, their own fuel gas fitting: still under a permit, to code and with the town's inspection. A licence is required for anyone else doing that work. Most homeowners still let the contractor pull the permit, because the statute makes the contractor responsible for meeting the code on the work they do.
What happens if work is done without a permit?
The town can order the work stopped, opened up for inspection, corrected or removed, and the code provides penalties for building or altering without a permit. Unpermitted work also surfaces at sale, when a buyer's attorney searches the permit history. It is far cheaper to permit it the first time.
Related New Hampshire permit guides
- Do you need a permit to replace a furnace, boiler or AC in New Hampshire?
- Do you need a permit to replace windows in New Hampshire?
- Do you need a permit to replace siding in New Hampshire?
Looking for your town's building department, permit portal and recent filings? Find it on the New Hampshire town pages.