Step one: city or township?
The post office does not care about municipal boundaries. The 44256 ZIP code covers the City of Medina and miles of township land around it. The city itself takes in pieces of four townships: Lafayette, Medina, Montville and York. Everything outside the corporation limit is unincorporated township.
The Medina County Auditor's parcel record shows which taxing district a property is in. If it names the city, your roof goes through the City of Medina. If it names a township, building matters go through Medina County. The two offices are both in Medina, but they are separate governments with separate rules.
What does the City of Medina ask for?
The city's Building Department is part of the Community Development Department at 132 North Elmwood Avenue. Here is what its published materials say about roofs.
A roof permit, applied for online
The department states that building permit applications must be submitted through its online portal, and Roof is on the list of residential permit types. The city's fee schedule groups roof replacement and repair together.
A registered contractor
The city says contractors must obtain a certificate of registration from the Building Department before beginning any work in Medina. Its fee schedule, effective July 8, 2026, lists that registration at $100, valid for 365 days. Working without registering can bring a fine of up to the full fee again.
A modest fee
The same schedule lists $50 for roof replacement and repair on one-, two- and three-family homes. A 1 percent Ohio Board of Building Standards assessment is added to residential permit fees. Work begun before a required permit is issued can be fined up to 100 percent of the regular fee on top of the fee itself.
Roof guidelines
The city publishes a one-page set of roof guidelines. In summary:
- Tear off the old roof if it is water-soaked or too deteriorated to be a base for new roofing.
- Tear off where existing shingles are curled, or where the covering is wood shake, slate, clay or cement tile.
- Tear off whenever two or more layers are present.
- If rotted wood is found, call for an inspection before covering or replacing it.
- Install every roof covering according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- Run ice protection from the edge of the eave or soffit to at least 24 inches past the exterior wall line.
- Install underlayment and provide attic ventilation to code.
- Fasten asphalt shingles to a solidly sheathed deck.
- Flash every joint, change of slope and opening, using step flashing at vertical sidewalls.
Inspections with a day's notice
The guidelines ask for a call 24 hours in advance for the final inspection, and for the ice protection inspection if one is required. They add that covering up work without a required inspection may bring a penalty.
Historic review, for some addresses
Properties inside the Public Square Historic District, and designated local landmarks, also need a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic Preservation Board before exterior changes. That is a separate application through the planning office. The Public Square area page explains it.
Want the permit question answered for your address?
Send the street address and we will find out which office covers it.
What does Medina County ask for?
The Medina County Building Department is at 791 West Smith Road. It covers the unincorporated townships, including Medina Township and Montville Township. Brunswick, Medina and Wadsworth run their own building departments.
Digital applications
The county states that all permit applications are now digital. They go through its online permit portal.
Residential Code of Ohio
Under the Medina County Building Regulations, adopted November 25, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026, the department regulates one-, two- and three-family dwellings under the Residential Code of Ohio. The regulations say an owner or agent who intends to construct, alter or repair a building must first apply to the department and obtain the required approval.
No reroof line on the fee schedule
The county's residential fee schedule lists new construction, additions, alterations, chimneys, electrical and mechanical work. It does not name reroofing. We will not guess what that means for your job from a web page. The county office says whether a like-for-like shingle replacement at your address needs a permit, and that is confirmed before the work is scheduled.
Township zoning comes first when it applies
The county regulations require proof of compliance with township zoning before a building permit is issued. Medina Township's zoning office is at 3799 Huffman Road. Replacing shingles does not change a building's size or position, so zoning seldom comes into a roof job.
No contractor registration
The county's website says it no longer registers contractors.
Inspection requests by 3:00 pm
The permit holder must request an inspection no later than 3:00 pm on the business day before it is wanted.
How do the two compare?
| City of Medina | Medina County | |
|---|---|---|
| Office | 132 North Elmwood Avenue | 791 West Smith Road |
| Covers | Addresses inside the city | Unincorporated townships |
| Roof permit | Listed as its own residential permit type | Not named on the fee schedule; ask the office |
| Contractor registration | Required before work | No longer done |
| Application | Online portal | Online portal |
| Inspection notice | 24 hours ahead | By 3:00 pm the business day before |
What does this mean for your roof?
Mostly that the paperwork should be sorted before the dumpster arrives, and that it should not be your job to sort it. When you ask for a roof replacement quote in Medina, the office that covers your parcel is identified first, and where a permit is required it is in place before the old roof comes off. Rules and fees change, so treat everything above as a snapshot from November 10, 2026.
The permit fee is a small part of the total. What makes up the rest is on the Medina roof cost page, and the full scope of a Medina roof replacement is on the home page.