What it actually takes to re-roof a house in University City — whether the city wants a permit, which code edition applies, who to call at the building department, and how old the housing here really is. No sales copy dressed up as local knowledge.
University City runs to about 5.88 square miles and roughly 35,065 people. It sits about 6 miles west of downtown St. Louis. There are around 18,019 housing units here, and every one of them has a roof with a clock on it. The community dates back to 1906.
We have not logged a completed roof in University City yet. We would rather say so than put a number on this page that is not real.
The typical home in University City dates to around the mid-1940s. A house of that vintage has usually been through two or three roofs. It is also old enough that what is under the shingles matters as much as the shingles: plank decking, older flashing details, and layers someone went over rather than tore off.
The city's population peaked at 51,249 in 1960 and declined afterward. Its southern half retains streetcar-suburb-era architecture from the early 20th century along Delmar Boulevard, while post-WWII development dominates the northern sections.
That includes Delmar Loop. Housing age and construction shift across University City, sometimes by decades within a few streets, which is why we look at the roof before we quote rather than after.
Incorporated in 1906 by Edward Gardner Lewis. The Delmar Loop–Parkview Gardens Historic District (NRHP-listed 1984) covers 84 acres and 289 contributing buildings, construction of which began in 1911 in Bungalow/Craftsman, Tudor Revival, and Georgian Revival styles.
Houses of this age in University City were sheathed with solid board decking rather than plywood, and boards move. Plank gaps open up, nails back out, and a shingle fastened into a gap has nothing holding it. We also expect original step and counter-flashing at chimneys and walls — often the real leak while the shingles look fine — and more than one house on a street like this has two or three roofs stacked on it because someone went over rather than tore off. That matters: layers hide the decking, add weight, and void most manufacturer warranties. If there is original slate or tile anywhere on the property, it wants a different conversation than an asphalt tear-off.
University City does not publish a clear answer either way on whether a like-for-like roof covering replacement needs a permit. We confirm it with the department before we start, every time, and we pull whatever is needed as part of the job. We would rather write that here than guess on your behalf.
University City enforces the 2018 IRC. City Code Section 500.030 adopts the International Residential Code, 2018 Edition, including Appendices E, F, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, S and T.
The department's own number was not retrievable from an official source when this page was built, so we are not printing one. University City does not publish the building official's name, so this page does not name one. Plenty of sites will show you one anyway. The department page is here.
Permitting is on us, not on you.
Unlike some states, Missouri does not assign each municipality its own wind and snow numbers — these are metro-wide.
| Criterion | Figure | What it drives |
|---|---|---|
| Ultimate design wind (Vult) | 115 mph | Fastener schedule and the manufacturer wind rating we specify |
| Nominal design wind (Vasd) | 89 mph (derived, not published locally) | The allowable-stress figure older specs quote |
| Ground snow load | 20 psf | Structure, and how much the eaves hold in a freeze-thaw |
| Frost depth | 30 in | Footings, not roof covering |
| Seismic design category | C residential / D commercial | Lateral bracing and structural connections — not shingles |
What each of these actually does to a roof, why New Madrid does not change how shingles go on, and the difference between the code minimum and the manufacturer minimum on nails per shingle, are all in the St. Louis roofing code guide.
University City borders St. Louis City, Olivette, Ladue and Northmoor. These are the ones we also cover, each with its own permit rule and code edition:
Elsewhere in St. Louis County we also cover:
Missouri sets none of this at state level, so a specification that was right one municipality over is not automatically right here.
| City | Permit for a re-roof | Adopted code | Building dept. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Affton | Yes | Not published | 314-615-5184 |
| Ballwin | Yes | 2015 I-Codes (2024 I-Codes proposed for 2026) | 636-227-2129 |
| Brentwood | Not published | 2024 IRC | 314-963-8602 |
| Chesterfield | Not published | 2015 IBC / 2015 IRC | 636-537-4000 |
| Clayton | Not published | 2021 IRC | 314-290-8463 |
| Creve Coeur | Not published | 2009 IRC | 314-872-2500 |
| Des Peres | Not published | 2018 I-Codes | 314-835-6100 |
| Ellisville | Not published | 2015 IRC | 636-227-9660 |
| Eureka | Not published | 2018 IRC | — |
| Florissant | Not published | 2021 IRC | 314-839-7648 |
| Kirkwood | Not published | 2021 IRC | 314-822-5823 |
| Manchester | Not published | Not published | 314-615-5184 |
| Maryland Heights | Yes | 2021 IRC | 314-291-6550 |
| Mehlville | Yes | Not published | 314-615-5184 |
| Oakville | Yes | Not published | 314-615-5184 |
| Richmond Heights | Not published | Not published | 314-646-7658 |
| Unincorporated St. Louis County | Yes | Not published | 314-615-5184 |
| Town and Country | Yes | 2018 I-Codes (2024 I-Codes pending) | 314-587-2820 |
| Webster Groves | Not published | 2015 IBC family | 314-963-5300 |
| Wildwood | Not published | Not published | — |
Free inspection, a written scope, and photos you keep either way.
University City does not publish a clear answer either way. We confirm it with the building department before starting and pull whatever is required.
University City enforces the 2018 IRC. City Code Section 500.030 adopts the International Residential Code, 2018 Edition, including Appendices E, F, H, J, K, M, N, O, Q, R, S and T.
The typical home in University City dates to around the mid-1940s, so most roofs here are on their second or third covering rather than their first. That figure is an ACS-derived median republished by housing-data services, not a survey of individual roofs.
It can. University City has Delmar Loop–Parkview Gardens Historic District. Inside a designated district, changing a visible roof material or colour can need preservation review before the permit is issued. Like-for-like replacement usually raises fewer questions, but we check before quoting.
Not yet. We have no completed roof logged in University City, and we would rather say so than put a number on this page that is not real.
Missouri has no state-level roofing contractor licence. Licensing and registration are imposed municipally, and several St. Louis metro cities require it. Illinois does licence roofers statewide, so a contractor working the Metro East needs an IDFPR roofing licence.
Permit and code details for University City come from the jurisdiction's own published pages and codified ordinances. Population, housing and neighbourhood detail come from census data and the sources below; housing-age figures are ACS-derived medians republished by housing-data services, so treat them as approximate. Sources: ecode360.com · ecode360.com · www.ucitymo.org · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · www.city-data.com. Municipal staffing, phone numbers and adopted code editions change — confirm with the jurisdiction before relying on anything here.