The roof rises two inches for every twelve inches of horizontal run. Pierce County's reroof exemption applies to homes and garages with roofs steeper than that.

Do I need a permit to reroof my Spanaway house?

Often not, if the roof is steeper than 2:12 and coverings total 7.5 pounds per square foot or less. Sheathing replacement is not exempt. Confirm with Pierce County.

Can I put shingles on my flat carport?

No. Below 2:12, shingles let water back up under the courses. A membrane like TPO is the right material for that slope.

Is Spanaway inside the City of Tacoma?

No. Spanaway is unincorporated Pierce County south of Tacoma's city limits, so county rules apply rather than the City of Tacoma's.

What should Spanaway homeowners look for after a big wind?

Look at gable edges, ridge cap and any flat sections from the ground. Shingle pieces in the yard or a lifted membrane seam mean it is time to call.

Spanaway reroofs, and why the 2:12 slope line matters on county jobs

Spanaway is unincorporated Pierce County just south of Parkland, close to McChord. Two things shape our work here: the county's slope rule for reroofs and the wind off open ground.

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Measuring a carport roof pitch in Spanaway

Short answer

Spanaway is unincorporated Pierce County, so a reroof here follows the county rule: no building permit for a home or garage roof steeper than 2:12, provided the coverings total 7.5 pounds per square foot or less. That slope line is the detail worth checking on porch roofs, carports and shallow additions.

Where the 2:12 line falls on a typical house

A 2:12 pitch means the roof rises two inches for every twelve inches it runs. Most main roofs on houses are steeper than that, so a straightforward shingle reroof on the main house usually fits the county exemption. The question is what else is attached.

Porch roofs, carports, patio covers and shed-style additions are often much flatter. If part of your roof sits at 2:12 or below, the exemption language does not describe it, and the material choice changes too. Shingles need slope to shed water; flatter sections need a membrane such as TPO or modified bitumen.

Before quoting, we measure the pitch of each roof plane and tell you which ones meet the 2:12 line. If any part falls below it, we recommend confirming permit needs with Pierce County before work starts rather than assuming.

Wind across the open ground near McChord

In the December 2006 Hanukkah Eve windstorm, gusts reached 69 mph at McChord, just west of Spanaway, and PSE lost 80,000 customers in Pierce County. Open ground lets wind gather speed before it meets the first row of houses.

Wind works on edges. After a storm, look at the rake edges of each gable, the ridge cap and the flat sections we just mentioned, where a membrane seam can lift if it was never fully welded. If something is flapping or water is getting in, call any hour. We will tarp the opening first and plan the full repair once the wind drops.

35,476 residents and no city hall: who to call

Spanaway had 35,476 residents in the 2020 census, but it is not a city. Permits and code questions go to Pierce County, and the county's rules for reroofs apply here just as they do in Parkland, Frederickson and Graham.

The county exemption also stops at sheathing: replacing roof decking is not exempt. If a tear-off turns up rotted boards, that part of the job may need a permit even when the shingle work did not. We look from the attic before quoting so there are fewer surprises, and we tell you what we find before any decking comes off.