Updated September 2026
Roofing permits and code on the Oceanside coast
Parksville Roofing works in compliance with local rules across Parksville, Qualicum Beach, and the Regional District of Nanaimo. The RDN does not require a building permit for a re-roof as long as we are not changing anything structural. Inside Qualicum Beach the Town's bylaw does not exempt roofing outright, so we confirm it with the building department. Either way we build your roof to the BC Building Code, permit or no permit.
Two questions get mixed up all the time: do you need a permit, and what does the roof have to be built to? They come from different places. On this coast the first answer is usually no, and the second is always the code.
Permit rules are similar across coverings, but building code requirements differ. We detail the rules for our most common system under Asphalt shingle roofing.
What the Regional District of Nanaimo actually says
The RDN publishes two lists: work that requires a building permit, and work that does not. Roofing appears on the second, in these words — "Roofing repairs or replacements (providing that no structural changes are made)".
The permit list includes making alterations, additions or repairs to an existing building or structure, and making interior structural renovations. A re-roof that changes the roof line, alters or replaces rafters or trusses, or cuts a new opening is not a covering replacement any more. Sheathing swapped like for like is repair. Changing what holds the sheathing up needs a permit.
Installing solar panels appears on the permit list in its own right, which matters wherever a re-roof and a solar install are being planned as one job.
Is the permit answer the same in Qualicum Beach?
The Town of Qualicum Beach works from Building Bylaw No. 903, 2024. The exemption list at Section 3.3 does not name roofing at all. What it does include is "repair and maintenance of lawfully-conforming structures where the level of life safety and building performance shall not be decreased below the level that already exists, exclusive of structural alterations and remediation as a result of a previous deficiency".
A like-for-like re-roof sits comfortably inside it. A re-roof that alters structure, or that remedies a previous deficiency, is expressly outside it.
The City of Parksville administers its own Building Bylaw No. 1387. The City manages its own permit exemption list. We confirm permit requirements directly with the City of Parksville building department during our initial site assessment before scheduling any work.
| Location | Building authority | Does the bylaw name roofing? |
|---|---|---|
| Parksville | City of Parksville, Building Bylaw No. 1387 | Confirmed with the City building department as part of the assessment |
| Qualicum Beach | Town of Qualicum Beach, Building Bylaw No. 903, 2024 | No — covered by a general repair and maintenance clause at Section 3.3 |
| Errington, Coombs, Nanoose Bay, French Creek and other electoral areas | Regional District of Nanaimo | Yes — roofing repairs or replacements, provided no structural changes |
Does skipping the permit mean skipping the code?
A roof needing no permit still has to be built to Part 9.
Table 9.26.3.1 sets a minimum slope for every covering: 1 in 3 for asphalt shingles in normal application, 1 in 6 for the low-slope method, 1 in 4 for profiled metal roofing, and 1 in 50 for modified bituminous membrane. Article 9.26.6.1 sets acceptable underlay, and 9.26.6.2 sets head and end laps at not less than 50 mm, overlapping eave protection by at least 100 mm.
Article 9.19.1.2 sets unobstructed vent area at not less than 1/300 of the insulated ceiling area, rising to 1/150 below a 1-in-6 slope or where the roof is framed with roof joists, distributed on opposite sides of the building with at least 25 per cent of the area at the top of the space and 25 per cent at the bottom.
None of that becomes discretionary because no permit was pulled.
Does the eave protection clause apply here?
Article 9.26.5.1 requires eave protection running from the edge of the roof at least 900 mm up the slope, to a line not less than 300 mm inside the inner face of the exterior wall. The same article then lists what is exempt: unheated garages, carports and porches; roofs where the overhang exceeds 900 mm measured along the roof slope; roofs of asphalt shingles installed in accordance with Subsection 9.26.8; roofs at a slope of 1 in 1.5 or greater; and regions with 3,500 or fewer degree-days.
Appendix C of the code lists Parksville at 3,200 degree-days and Qualicum Beach at 3,200. The degree-day exemption applies across this part of Vancouver Island, and asphalt shingle roofs qualify for a separate code exemption.
Building code sets a minimum standard, but we aim higher on every job. Eave and valley membrane is still worth having on an exposed lot, and Appendix C gives the reason: a one-day design rain of 91 mm for Parksville and 96 mm for Qualicum Beach.
| Requirement | Code reference | Figure |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum slope, asphalt shingles, normal application | Table 9.26.3.1 | 1 in 3 |
| Minimum slope, asphalt shingles, low-slope method | Table 9.26.3.1 | 1 in 6 |
| Minimum slope, profiled metal roofing | Table 9.26.3.1 | 1 in 4 |
| Modified bituminous membrane, permitted range | Table 9.26.3.1 | 1 in 50 to 1 in 4 |
| Underlay head and end lap | Article 9.26.6.2 | Not less than 50 mm |
| Underlay overlap onto eave protection | Article 9.26.6.2 | At least 100 mm |
| Eave protection extent, where required | Article 9.26.5.1 | 900 mm up the slope, 300 mm inside the wall |
| Roof space vent area | Article 9.19.1.2 | 1/300 of insulated ceiling area |
| Roof space vent area, below a 1-in-6 slope | Article 9.19.1.2 | 1/150 of insulated ceiling area |
| Vent distribution | Article 9.19.1.2 | At least 25 per cent high and 25 per cent low, opposite sides |
Code figures are from the BC Building Code, Division B, Part 9. Bylaw positions are from the Regional District of Nanaimo's published permit lists and Town of Qualicum Beach Building Bylaw No. 903, 2024.
Who is allowed to do the work
Our roofers are Red Seal certified — that is three years, nearly 5,000 hours on the tools and 15 weeks of classroom training.
We carry WorkSafeBC coverage and liability insurance, and we are happy to send you a clearance letter before we start.
How we determine which rules apply to your roof
Identify the authority
A property sits either inside a municipality, Parksville or Qualicum Beach, or in a Regional District of Nanaimo electoral area. That decides which bylaw governs before anything else.
Establish whether structure changes
Covering, sheathing and flashing replaced like for like is repair. Altered rafters or trusses, a changed roof line, a new opening or a new dormer is not.
Check that specific bylaw
The RDN names roofing explicitly, while Qualicum Beach relies on a general repair clause. We confirm Parksville permit rules directly with the City building department during our assessment.
Build to the code either way
Section 9.26 for the covering and Section 9.19 for the roof space, whether or not a permit is issued.
Whether a permit applies is a five-minute question. Whether the roof was built to Section 9.19 and Section 9.26 matters for years afterward. Request a free assessment and we will answer both questions for your property in writing.