Codes, Standards, and Jobsite Safety Compliance
Code framework
Roofing falls under the residential code (IRC Chapter 9) or the commercial code (IBC Chapter 15), plus referenced standards: ASTM specifications for shingles, underlayment, and modified bitumen; UL classifications for fire, wind, and impact; and manufacturer installation instructions, which are enforceable when referenced. Key code items include minimum slope per product, underlayment requirements, ice barrier where required, flashing heights, attic ventilation, and fastening schedules. Work usually requires a permit and inspections at deck, underlayment, and final stages.
Safety
Fall protection is required at 6 ft in construction. On roofs, that means guardrails, personal fall-arrest systems with proper anchorage, or a compliant warning line and safety monitor combination for low-slope work - never just careful walking. Ladders extend at least 3 ft above the landing and sit at about a 4:1 angle, secured at the top. Roof jacks and staging must be set on solid decking, not cantilevered over a weak spot. Provide roof anchors, and never tie off to a vent pipe or gutter.
Hot work with torches and kettles needs a permit, a fire watch during and after the work, a charged extinguisher, and clearance from combustibles. Nail guns need contact-trip triggers, eye protection, and hoses kept off walking surfaces. Also plan for heat exposure, silica dust from tear-off, and safe handling of heavy bundles.
Traps
Questions that set fall protection at 10 ft, or that allow warning lines on a steep roof. Warning lines belong on low-slope roofs, not steep ones.
Worked example
Eave height 10 ft with a 6:12 slope exceeds the 6 ft trigger, so personal fall arrest or guardrails are required before anyone steps on the roof.