• Shed regulations are in place for Lewis County, Washington.winter shed image by Paul Coskery from Fotolia.com
  
  In all construction, public safety is a concern. This extends to the roof of a shed. Nobody wants a roof collapsing because of improper construction. To ensure this does not happen, proper forethought must be in place, along with a good knowledge base of carpentry or construction. In Lewis County, Washington, the building department oversees the roof requirements of sheds. Since Washington state is in the snow belt, the roof must withstand snow loading, so it doesn't collapse under the weight of the snow.
  
  

Permitting Size Criteria

• According to the Lewis County Community Development, if your shed's floor space occupies more than 120 square feet, you need a permit to build. A floor that measures 10 feet by 12 feet has 120 square feet. A floor that measures 8 feet by 15 feet is also 120 square feet. Square footage is length times width. If you feel your shed does not need to be as big as 120 square feet, a smaller shed does not need a permit.
  
  

Permitting Legal Criteria

• The legal criteria for permitting is extensive. First, you must submit blueprints to the Lewis County Building Division. Some of the information required on the application are the lot or parcel number and a plat of the proposed location of the shed. A plat is an overhead view of the land, as if flying over it on a helicopter. On the plat, dimensions must be drawn in, to comply with setback restrictions. Another feature that must be drawn is the location of any bodies of water, and where the septic tank is. An arrow pointing North must be on the plat. If you will have a contractor install your shed, the contractor's name and address must be on the application. If an architect designs the shed and location, you must present the name of the firm as well. After submission, expect a two- to four-week wait for a reply. If the division finds any deficiencies on the prints, you must correct them and resubmit the prints for approval. You cannot build without a permit.
  
  

Roof Support Design

• The roof support design itself should be strong enough to support snow loads, which involves a variety of factors. The trussing or beam supports under the roof must be sufficiently strong to support loads. Second, you must determine the size and spacing of the framing members. A qualified architect can help you design the building before submitting the prints to the building department.
  
  

Roof Slope

• Building professionals at North Conway Builders recommend a roof slope of at least 5 /12 for snow areas. For metal roofs, professionals recommend a pitch of 8 /12. This means that for roofs in snow areas, for every 12 inches of roof run, the roof rises five inches, and a metal roof should rise eight inches for every 12 inches of roof run. If the roof is any shallower, the snow will not run off. This may result in excessive loading, causing the roof of the shed to collapse. A professional carpenter or architect can help you with designing the final slope on the prints, so the prints will pass the permitting process.