Roof replacement, repair and storm damage in all 3 jurisdictions we cover in Franklin County, each with its own page: the local permit rule, the code edition it enforces and the building department's number. Of the county's 46,312 homes, 73% were built before 2000 — past the usual 25-year life of a roof — and the median year built is 1984.
We list a building official's name only where the jurisdiction publishes one — 0 of 3 here do. We list a permit answer only where the jurisdiction states one — 0 of 3 here do, and 0 of those clearly require a permit. Everything else is left blank on purpose.
Franklin County, town by town
Each line is a summary of that town's own page.
Pacific — 3,218 homes, median built 1985, 5% before 1940; code edition not published; re-roof permit: not published; no official named.
Union — 5,399 homes, median built 1996, 8% before 1940; code: 2021 IRC; re-roof permit: not published; no official named.
Washington — 6,889 homes, median built 1978, 17% before 1940; code: 2021 IRC; re-roof permit: not published; no official named.
Homes across Franklin County: the Census numbers
Built before 2000
73%
33,690 homes
Median year built
1984
10% built before 1940
Built 2000 or later
27%
12,622 homes
Owner-occupied
77%
76% detached houses
Franklin County has 46,312 homes in the Census count, with a median year built of 1984. 10% were built before 1940, 44% before 1980 and 27% in 2000 or later; the single biggest decade was the 2000s, with 7,478 homes (16%). 76% of homes are single-family detached houses and 77% of occupied homes are owner-occupied; the count includes 4,160 mobile homes.
Missouri's Department of Commerce and Insurance puts the useful life of a roof at usually about 25 years. On that yardstick, 33,690 homes across Franklin County (73%) were built before 2000 and have outlived at least one roof, and 13,353 (29%) predate 1970. The 7,478 homes from the 2000s are where first replacements are coming up now.
Across the 3 places we cover here with their own Census figures, Washington has the oldest housing (17% before 1940) and Union the newest (44% built in 2000 or later). Washington is the largest, at 6,889 homes, and Union has the highest share of renters (39%), where the roof is more often a landlord's decision.
Figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020–2024 5-year estimates (tables B25001, B25003, B25024, B25034, B25035). Survey estimates carry margins of error, widest in the smallest places. Census table.
Hail reports in Franklin County, 2016–2025
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center logged 41 reports of hail 1 inch or larger in Franklin County from 2016 through 2025, on 21 days. 12 were 1.75 inches or larger, and 6 of those reached 2 inches; the largest, 3 inches, fell on April 15, 2023. The busiest single day was May 16, 2025, with 9 reports.
Year
Reports
2016
5
2017
1
2018
1
2019
4
2020
0
2021
0
2022
4
2023
7
2024
5
2025
14
Counted within 5 miles of each town’s center, Washington has the most reports (12) and Union the fewest (3). Each town’s own page lists its latest dates. Reports come from spotters and the public, so busier places log more of them.
Why the city matters more than the county
Missouri has no statewide residential building code: each city adopts an edition by ordinance, and in unincorporated areas the county's code applies. Across the 3 jurisdictions we cover in Franklin County, that adds up to 1 edition in force:
2021 IRC: Union, Washington
Pacific publishes no edition we could read. Ask before work starts which one the roof will be inspected against.
The design figures are the same across the metro (115 mph ultimate design wind, 20 psf ground snow), so the local difference is the code edition and the permit route. What each figure does to a roof is in our St. Louis roofing code guide.
Common questions about roofing across Franklin County
Do I need a permit to replace a roof in Franklin County?
It depends on the city, not the county. Of the 3 jurisdictions we cover across Franklin County, 3 publish no answer either way. Each city page says which applies and links the building department.
Which building codes are in force across Franklin County?
Across Franklin County the jurisdictions we cover enforce 1 different edition: the 2021 IRC in Union, Washington. 1 publishes no edition we could read. The edition in force is the one your roof is inspected against.
How old are the houses across Franklin County?
The Census Bureau's 2020–2024 estimates put the median year built across Franklin County at 1984, with 10% of its 46,312 homes built before 1940 and 27% in 2000 or later. 73% were built before 2000, so most have had at least one new roof already.
Does a roofer need a license in Franklin County?
Missouri has no state roofing license; licensing and registration are set city by city. We found no published registration requirement among the cities we cover in Franklin County, which is not the same as none, so ask the city before work starts.
Which Franklin County jurisdictions name their building official?
None of the 3 jurisdictions we cover here publishes the building official's name. Where a name is published, it is on that city's page with the department's own number.
Town rules from each jurisdiction's own pages, researched 2026-09-09; housing, Census ACS 2020–2024; hail, NOAA Storm Prediction Center. Sources: data.census.gov · www.spc.noaa.gov · www.stlpr.org. Rules and staff change; check with the jurisdiction.
Free roof inspection
Roofing anywhere in Franklin County
Free inspection, a written scope, and photos you keep either way.
