Colorado Springs enforces the 2021 IRC through the 2023 Pikes Peak Regional Building Code, and you need a PPRBD permit for any roof repair or replacement over 100 square feet. New asphalt shingles go on only after every existing layer is removed, and an ice barrier is required only where the home sits at 7,000 feet or higher.
General information, read from the official sources listed below on 2026-10-28. Codes and local policies change, so confirm the rules for your address with the building department before work starts.
Colorado Springs (PPRBD) roof code data table
| Item | Colorado Springs (PPRBD) |
|---|---|
| Adopted IRC edition | 2021 IRC, adopted by reference in the 2023 Pikes Peak Regional Building Code (RBC303.3). Source: 2023 Pikes Peak Regional Building Code, 2nd printing (Table R301.2, p. 65) |
| Adopted IBC edition | 2021 IBC (2023 PPRBC). Source: 2023 Pikes Peak Regional Building Code, 2nd printing (Table R301.2, p. 65) |
| Adoption or effective date | Not fully verified: The code read is the 2023 PPRBC, 2nd printing dated 6.30.26. Its adoption date is not printed in the text read. Source: 2023 Pikes Peak Regional Building Code, 2nd printing (Table R301.2, p. 65) |
| Roofing amendments and local policies | Class A minimum roof covering on one- and two-family dwellings, solid wood products excluded; Class B on accessory structures. The rule also applies when a roof is fully recovered or replaced (RBC303.4.66.1). Drip edge at eaves and rakes. No asphalt shingles below 2:12. Source: PPRBD Reroof Guidelines, rev. 03/05/2024 |
| Ice barrier rule | Required only where the grade plane is at or above 7,000 ft (Table R301.2, footnote d). It runs from the eave to at least 24 in inside the exterior wall line. The permit receipt lists the property elevation. Source: PPRBD Reroof Guidelines, rev. 03/05/2024 |
| Ground snow load | Below 7,000 ft: 43 psf ground, 30 psf flat roof. At or above 7,000 ft: 57 psf ground, 40 psf flat roof. Source: 2023 Pikes Peak Regional Building Code, 2nd printing (Table R301.2, p. 65) |
| Design wind speed | 130 mph Vult (ASCE 7-16), Exposure C minimum; special wind region: yes. Source: 2023 Pikes Peak Regional Building Code, 2nd printing (Table R301.2, p. 65) |
| Reroof permit trigger | Any repair or replacement over 100 sq ft, whether a contractor or the homeowner does the work (PPRBC 105.2.1, item 14). Stocking materials on the driveway or roof before the permit is issued brings a triple permit fee and a stop work order. Source: PPRBD Reroof Guidelines, rev. 03/05/2024 |
| Layers allowed | One. All existing layers must come off before new asphalt shingles (reroof guide, citing IRC R908.3). Source: PPRBD Reroof Guidelines, rev. 03/05/2024 |
| Wildfire / WUI code status | Not fully verified: Not addressed in the PPRBD reroof guide. Not stated in the sources read for this page. Ask the building department. |
| Inspection requirements | No mid-roof inspection for typical asphalt or direct-to-deck metal shingles. Tile roofs need a dry-in inspection once underlayment, battens and flashing are in, before any tile is stocked on the roof. Source: PPRBD Reroof Guidelines, rev. 03/05/2024 |
| Permitting office | Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, 2880 International Cir., Colorado Springs, CO 80910. Phone 719-327-2880. Source: PPRBD code downloads |
What it means for a homeowner reroofing in Colorado Springs (PPRBD)
For a PPRBD reroof, the number that matters most is on your permit receipt: the elevation. Below 7,000 feet, the regional code does not call for an ice barrier and the design ground snow load is 43 psf. At 7,000 feet and up, both change, so a Black Forest or upper-Monument roof can need more underlayment than a central Colorado Springs roof of the same size.
The full tear-off rule means a second layer is never an option for asphalt in El Paso County. If the decking underneath is old plank sheathing with gaps wider than about half an inch, PPRBD wants it re-decked with 7/16 in OSB or overlaid with at least 3/8 in CDX or OSB. That is the line item most likely to change a reroof budget after tear-off.
Owner-occupants may pull their own permit for their primary residence. Anyone else doing reroofs over 100 square feet needs a PPRBD license. A homeowner who pulls a permit for someone else takes on the inspection and the liability.
Common inspection failures in Colorado Springs (PPRBD)
These are items the building department's own code or handouts say it checks or rejects. No public data ranks how often each one fails, so the order means nothing.
- Shingles installed over an old layer instead of a full tear-off.
- Bundles delivered before the permit was issued (triple fee and stop work).
- Roofer repairs B-vent connections; only the cap, collar and jack are allowed, and the pipe itself goes to a licensed HVAC contractor.
- Plank decking gaps over 1/2 in left open instead of re-decked or overlaid.
- Missing drip edge at rakes as well as eaves.
- No ice barrier on a home at 7,000 feet or above.
- Solar panels taken off without the separate detach-and-reset permit.
Steps to permit a reroof in Colorado Springs (PPRBD)
- Find your elevation (it prints on the permit receipt) to know whether an ice barrier and the higher snow load apply.
- Confirm the contractor holds a current PPRBD license, or pull an owner-occupant permit if you will do the work yourself.
- Get the permit before any material is delivered.
- If you have solar, schedule the detach-and-reset permit first.
- After tear-off, inspect the decking and price re-decking if plank gaps exceed 1/2 in.
Related pages
- El Paso County roofing
- Colorado Springs roofing codes: permits and contractor registration explained
- Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code on a reroof
- Roof replacement
- Roof repair
- Hail damage repair
- Free roof inspection
- Compare roof codes by jurisdiction
Hail history by ZIP in Colorado Springs (PPRBD): 80132 (Monument), 80808 (Ellicott), 80817 (Fountain), 80829 (Manitou Springs), 80831 (Colorado Springs), 80833 (Unincorporated El Paso County), 80864 (Unincorporated El Paso County), 80903 (Colorado Springs), 80904 (Colorado Springs), 80906 (Colorado Springs), 80907 (Colorado Springs), 80908 (Black Forest), 80909 (Colorado Springs), 80910 (Colorado Springs), 80911 (Security-Widefield), 80915 (Cimarron Hills), 80916 (Colorado Springs), 80917 (Colorado Springs), 80918 (Colorado Springs), 80919 (Colorado Springs), 80920 (Colorado Springs), 80921 (Colorado Springs), 80922 (Colorado Springs), 80923 (Colorado Springs), 80924 (Colorado Springs), 80928 (Fountain)
Sources
- 2023 Pikes Peak Regional Building Code, 2nd printing (Table R301.2, p. 65)
- PPRBD Reroof Guidelines, rev. 03/05/2024
- PPRBD code downloads
Compiled by Integrity Roofing and Painting, roofing Colorado homes since 1990 (36 years in business). We are an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with 650+ Google reviews, and our repair scopes follow the local code and the manufacturer's installation and warranty requirements. We do not issue permits or rule on code; the building department does.
