The basics
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Manatee County?
Manatee County issues roof permits through its Accela online portal and inspects a reroof in stages, from the dry-in to the final. The city offices in Bradenton and Palmetto run their own.
A permit is the county's record that someone checked your roof while it was open. The inspector looks at the parts you cannot see once the shingles, tile or metal go on: the underlayment (the water barrier over the wood), the flashing, and the nailing. That is why Manatee County's roof inspection sheet warns that a reroof permit with no sheathing inspection may be disapproved at final, and the roof covering may have to come off so the inspector can see the deck. Sheathing is the plywood or boards under the roof covering.
Who does the paperwork. Your roofer applies and calls for each inspection. Ask who is pulling the permit and ask for the permit number before work starts. You will use that number to look the job up later. It also helps to verify the roofer's Florida license first, because the permit goes in that license holder's name.
Where it happens. Manatee County has three permit offices that matter to a homeowner. The county handles homes in unincorporated areas. The City of Bradenton and the City of Palmetto handle homes inside their own limits. Coastline is based in Palmetto and works mainly in Manatee County, so we see all three. Pick the office by the address, not by the mailing city.
When. The permit comes before the tear-off, not after. The statewide rules behind it are in our Florida roof permit guide. This page covers what Manatee County and its two cities say on their own websites, as of November 2026.
