Penticton permits
Re-roofing permits in Penticton, Kaleden and Okanagan Falls
Inside the City of Penticton, Building Bulletin 13-01 puts a re-roof on a single or two-family home that does not alter the dead loads or slope of the roof on its list of work without a permit; changing the pitch, adding weight or adding dormers and skylights does need one. Kaleden and Okanagan Falls sit outside the city, where the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) runs building inspection. We confirm the requirement for each address at the estimate.
Reviewed by Scott Plumptree, Director of Marketing, The Interlock Group · Updated October 24, 2026
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City permits
City of Penticton, Building Bulletin 13-01 (revised February 28, 2019)
City of Penticton
City re-roof wording
"Re-roof for Single & Two family dwellings that do not alter the dead loads or slope of the existing roof structure" — not required
City of Penticton, Bulletin 13-01
Kaleden
RDOS Electoral Area "I" building inspection
rdos.bc.ca
Okanagan Falls
RDOS Electoral Area "D" until it becomes the District of Okanagan Falls on November 6, 2026
rdos.bc.ca; Wikipedia, Okanagan Falls
RDOS office
101 Martin Street, Penticton; 250-492-0237
rdos.bc.ca
What the City of Penticton's bulletin says
The City publishes Building Bulletin 13-01, "When are permits required?", for single and two-family properties. It is dated January 30, 2012 and was revised February 28, 2019.
Under work that does not need a permit, it lists a "Re-roof for Single & Two family dwellings that do not alter the dead loads or slope of the existing roof structure". Read plainly, a new roof on the same slope, at no more weight than the old one, falls on that list. The bulletin does not cover apartments, commercial buildings or strata complexes, so those go to the City's building department directly.
When a Penticton roof job needs a City permit
The same bulletin puts these on the permit side. Its own example of added dead load is going from shakes to shingles, so the City is looking at what the roof weighs, not just what it looks like. Interlock® aluminum panels weigh roughly 2 to 3.5 kg per m², but the City makes the call, not us.
- "Changing the pitch of an existing roof or increasing dead loads (i.e. shakes to shingles)"
- "Construct roofing with structural work (i.e. adding new dormers, skylights)"
- Changes to load-bearing walls and other structural components
- A deck higher than 600 mm and attached to the house, or one supporting a roof that carries a snow load
Kaleden and Okanagan Falls: the Regional District
Outside city limits, the RDOS building bylaw service area takes in Area "I" (Kaleden, St. Andrew's, Twin Lakes, Highway 3A) and Area "D" (Carmi, Skaha Lake East, Okanagan Falls, Vaseaux Lake).
For houses with one or two units, the Regional District's FAQ lets non-structural work go ahead without a permit and gives re-covering an existing roof as one example, on the condition that the envelope of the house is left alone. Structural repairs and alterations need a permit there too. Applications go to the RDOS office at 101 Martin Street in Penticton, weekdays 8:30 am to 4:30 pm.
Okanagan Falls becomes its own municipality
Letters patent were issued on June 24, 2026, and the District of Okanagan Falls becomes British Columbia's 162nd municipality on November 6, 2026. The province has said it is working with the regional district on the handover, but the pages we read do not say which office will take building permit applications after that date.
For an Okanagan Falls roof booked after November 6, we check with the new District and with the RDOS before any work starts.
How we handle permits on Penticton-area roofs
At the estimate we look at the existing roofing, the slope, the framing and any skylights, and note whether the job changes any of them. We confirm the requirement for each address with the City, the RDOS or the new District, and pull any permit the job needs. For a townhouse or condo, strata approval is a separate step from the building permit.
Penticton questions, answered
Does going from cedar shakes to a metal roof need a Penticton permit?
The bulletin's example of adding dead load is shakes to shingles, which is a heavier roof. It doesn't say anything either way about going lighter. Aluminum panels weigh roughly 2 to 3.5 kg per m², but if your house is in the city we put the question to the City of Penticton before we book.
Who do I call about a building permit in Kaleden?
Kaleden is in RDOS Electoral Area "I", so it's the Regional District's building inspection department: 250-492-0237, or toll-free 1-877-610-3737, at 101 Martin Street in Penticton. The City of Penticton does not issue permits there.
Can I add a skylight while the old roof is off?
Inside the city, the bulletin lists adding new skylights as roofing with structural work, which needs a permit. Swapping an existing skylight for one the same size, with no structural change, is on its no-permit list. Tell us at the estimate so the permit is in place before the crew arrives.
Sources for this Penticton guide
- City of Penticton — Building Bulletin 13-01, When are permits required?
- Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen — Building Inspection FAQ
- Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen — Building Inspection Service Areas
- Wikipedia — Okanagan Falls (incorporation)
- National Newswatch — B.C.'s newest municipality of Okanagan Falls to be incorporated in November (June 24, 2026)
Product specifications are the manufacturer's (Interlock Roofing). Install counts are from our own job book. Reviewed by Scott Plumptree, October 24, 2026.
More Penticton roofing pages
Planning a new roof in Penticton?
A fixed price in writing after one visit, on Zoom or at your home. Most BC homeowners choose Zoom. Interlock Metal Roofing (BC) Ltd. · 9969 River Way, Delta, BC V4G 1M8
