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Permitting Authorities / Charter Township of Ann Arbor - Building Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Charter Township of Ann Arbor, MI?

Adopted code

Charter Township of Ann Arbor - Building Department

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Charter Township of Ann Arbor, MI, issued by Charter Township of Ann Arbor - Building Department. In Ann Arbor Charter Township a reroof takes a building permit priced on its own line: the township's building permit fee schedule (dated 1/2026) lists "Re-roof over existing: $100.00" and "Tear-off Re-roof: $125.00", and the fee schedule the Board of Trustees approved on December 15, 2025 lists the same two amounts under "Miscellaneous Building Permit fees". The Residential Inspections sheet (dated 06/2026) gives a re-roof two inspections, "Rough (when wood is exposed)" and "Final", and adds that a "Building permit becomes invalid after six (6) months of inactivity." The Building Department says "Building permit applications and the accompanying documents must be submitted via email, mail or delivered to the office" and "It is required that HOA approvals are included with permit applications for exterior work or a letter from the property owner that the address is not in an HOA." It also says "Inspections must be called in or emailed to" the department "at least 24 hours in advance", and that contractors "must be registered with us before a permit application can be processed". The department is open Monday through Thursday, 8am to 12pm and 1pm to 4:30pm, and closed Friday, in the township hall at 3792 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105; the phone number is 734-663-3418, extension 1. The township's contractor notice limits construction activity to "8:00 AM -- 6:00 PM Monday through Friday unless necessity is established, and a special permit issued by the Ann Arbor Charter Township". Confirm the current fee with the department, because the two fee documents are dated 1/2026 and 12-15-2025.

Roof code checklist: Charter Township of Ann Arbor, MI

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYesannarbortownship.gov2026-10-12
Repair permit thresholdPublishedannarbortownship.gov2026-10-12
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-12
Deck & sheathingPublishedR905.2.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-12
Drip edgeYesR905.2.8.5codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-12
Ice & water shieldYesR905.1.2ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-12
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNoars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-12
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedSec. 14-26ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-12
Contractor license / registrationYeslegislature.mi.gov2026-10-12
Sales & use taxPublishedlegislature.mi.gov2026-10-12

Each row comes from the sourced record on this page; full wording is in the table below. "Not published" means no official source for that item was found when the record was last verified.

Jurisdiction
Charter Township of Ann Arbor, Michigan
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
3792 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Contact
  • url: https://annarbortownship.gov/departments/building/index.php
  • phone: 734-663-3418
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • city_level: Ann Arbor Charter Township requires registration on top of the state licence: "Contractors must be licensed by the state of Michigan and have liability insurance to do work in Ann Arbor Charter Township. Also, contractors must be registered with us before a permit application can be processed." Its Contractor Registration Form asks for the contractor license and driver's license ("actual copies required"), a certificate of liability insurance ("actual copies required"), workers compensation insurance if applicable, a federal employee I.D. number or the reason for exemption, and an MESC number or the reason for exemption.
Permit process note
In Ann Arbor Charter Township a reroof takes a building permit priced on its own line: the township's building permit fee schedule (dated 1/2026) lists "Re-roof over existing: $100.00" and "Tear-off Re-roof: $125.00", and the fee schedule the Board of Trustees approved on December 15, 2025 lists the same two amounts under "Miscellaneous Building Permit fees". The Residential Inspections sheet (dated 06/2026) gives a re-roof two inspections, "Rough (when wood is exposed)" and "Final", and adds that a "Building permit becomes invalid after six (6) months of inactivity." The Building Department says "Building permit applications and the accompanying documents must be submitted via email, mail or delivered to the office" and "It is required that HOA approvals are included with permit applications for exterior work or a letter from the property owner that the address is not in an HOA." It also says "Inspections must be called in or emailed to" the department "at least 24 hours in advance", and that contractors "must be registered with us before a permit application can be processed". The department is open Monday through Thursday, 8am to 12pm and 1pm to 4:30pm, and closed Friday, in the township hall at 3792 Pontiac Trail, Ann Arbor, MI 48105; the phone number is 734-663-3418, extension 1. The township's contractor notice limits construction activity to "8:00 AM -- 6:00 PM Monday through Friday unless necessity is established, and a special permit issued by the Ann Arbor Charter Township". Confirm the current fee with the department, because the two fee documents are dated 1/2026 and 12-15-2025.
Adopted code
2015 Michigan Residential Code. This is state law and it is the same in every Michigan city, village, township and county: the state construction code act says "This act and the code apply throughout the state," and the Michigan Residential Code rule adopts "the international residential code, 2015 edition" with the state amendments in R 408.30500 to R 408.30547g. A 2021 edition was filed with the secretary of state in 2025 but has not taken effect. On July 7, 2025 the Michigan Court of Claims entered a stipulated order in Home Builders Assoc et al. v LARA et al., and the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) says that while that order remains in place "the 2015 versions of the IRC and residential provisions of the IECC standards currently adopted, in part, by each rule set will remain valid and in effect." LARA's Statewide Jurisdiction List names the Township of Ann Arbor as its own building code enforcer, separately from the City of Ann Arbor. Section 14-26 of the township's Code of Ordinances designates the Township Building Official as "the enforcing agency to discharge the responsibilities of the Township under Public Act No. 230 of 1972" and names no code edition. The Building Department's page lists the codes the township follows under "Michigan Building Codes", with "2015 MI Residential Code" first; the same list names 2021 editions of the Michigan Building Code, the Michigan Energy Code and the Michigan Rehabilitation Code for Existing Buildings, and no other edition of the residential code. Section 34-36 of the township's flood chapter requires a mobile home foundation designed "in accordance with Section 1612 of the 2009 Michigan Building Code, or the successor to such section", which names no residential code edition; that text was not read, and this record states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code for the reasons above. Section 14-28 adopts Appendix G of the Michigan Building Code for flood hazard areas, and section 14-121 adopts the 2006 International Property Maintenance Code for residential rental structures.
Drip edge
Required — Required on asphalt shingle roofs by state law. Michigan makes no amendment to the drip edge rule of the 2015 International Residential Code, Section R905.2.8.5, which applies as published: "A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs." Segments overlap by at least 2 inches, the drip edge extends at least 1/4 inch below the roof sheathing and at least 2 inches back onto the deck, it is fastened at no more than 12 inches on center, and underlayment goes over it at the eaves and under it at the rakes. A reroof is held to the same rule, because "Materials and methods of application used for re-covering or replacing an existing roof covering shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 9" (R908.1). Chapter 14 of the Ann Arbor Charter Township Code of Ordinances and the Building Department's permit pages were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge. About drip edge
Ice & water shield
Required — Required everywhere in Michigan by state law. Michigan fills in the climatic design table of the 2015 code once for the whole state (Rule 516, Table R301.2(1)), and its ice barrier underlayment column reads Yes. The state footnote calls for Yes "for areas where the average daily temperature in January is 25 degrees Fahrenheit" or less, or where ice damming has caused damage. The base code then requires an ice barrier "for asphalt shingles, metal roof shingles, mineral-surfaced roll roofing, slate and slate-type shingles, wood shingles and wood shakes," running "from the lowest edges of all roof surfaces to a point not less than 24 inches (610 mm) inside the exterior wall line of the building" (R905.1.2). Detached accessory structures without conditioned floor area are exempt. On a tear-off, an existing ice barrier that is adhered to the deck may stay and be covered with an additional layer (R908.3, Exception). Chapter 14 of the Ann Arbor Charter Township Code of Ordinances and the Building Department's permit pages were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier. About ice & water barrier
Impact-resistant roofing
Not required — No impact-resistance requirement under state law. The 2015 Michigan Residential Code was searched in full and has no hail or impact rating rule for roof coverings: the words hail, impact and UL 2218 do not appear in it, and none of them appears in the roof assemblies chapter of the base 2015 International Residential Code either. Michigan applies one code statewide ("This act and the code apply throughout the state."), and the act gives the power to amend it to the state director, who adopts the model codes "with amendments, additions, or deletions as the director determines appropriate." Chapter 14 of the Ann Arbor Charter Township Code of Ordinances and the Building Department's permit pages were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
Ann Arbor Charter Township treats a reroof as permit work and states no size or dollar point below which it needs none. Its building permit fee schedule (dated 1/2026) lists miscellaneous permit fees of "Re-roof over existing: $100.00" and "Tear-off Re-roof: $125.00", the Board of Trustees fee schedule approved 12-15-2025 repeats both lines under "Miscellaneous Building Permit fees", and the Building Department's Residential Inspections sheet (dated 06/2026) lists a "RE-ROOF" inspection sequence of "Rough (when wood is exposed)" and "Final". The township's pages say nothing about a repair that is smaller than a reroof. Under state law: "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure." (MCL 125.1510), without a definition of ordinary repairs, and the township has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. For a small repair, call the Building Department at 734-663-3418 before starting.
Roof layer limit / recover
Two layers at most, under state law. Michigan builds one- and two-family homes to the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which adopts the 2015 International Residential Code and makes no amendment to its reroofing section, Section R908; the Michigan rule set was searched in full and R908 does not appear in it. The base section therefore applies as the International Code Council publishes it. Section R908.3.1.1 lists the conditions under which a new roof may not be laid over an existing one, and the third is "Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." One existing layer may be covered once; a roof that already carries two layers is torn off to the deck. The same section also bars covering a roof that is water soaked or too deteriorated to serve as a base, and covering "slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile." Locally, Chapter 14 (Buildings and Building Regulations) of the Ann Arbor Charter Township Code of Ordinances was read in full, and the township's Floods chapter (Chapter 34) and Fire Prevention chapter (Chapter 30) were searched for roofing text: Chapter 14 designates the enforcing agency, enforces Appendix G of the Michigan Building Code in flood hazard areas, deals with unsafe buildings and building numbers, and adopts a property maintenance code for residential rental structures, and none of them has a reroofing provision or amends anything in Section R908. The Building Department's pages state no layer rule; its fee schedule prices "Re-roof over existing" and "Tear-off Re-roof" as separate permits and gives no layer count.
Deck & sheathing requirements
State law, from the base code. Michigan makes no amendment to the roof sheathing section of the 2015 International Residential Code, Section R803, which does not appear in the Michigan rule set, so it applies as published. Lumber roof sheathing follows Table R803.1: over rafters or beams 24 inches apart it must be at least 5/8 inch net thick. Wood structural panels must be identified "for grade, bond classification and performance category by a grade mark or certificate of inspection issued by an approved agency," and their spans may not exceed "the values set forth in Table R503.2.1.1(1), or APA E30." For a shingle roof the base code adds that "Asphalt shingles shall be fastened to solidly sheathed decks" (R905.2.1), and on any reroof "The structural roof components shall be capable of supporting the roof covering system" (R908.2). Chapter 14 of the Ann Arbor Charter Township Code of Ordinances, its Floods and Fire Prevention chapters and the Building Department's permit pages were checked for a local rule and state nothing further on roof sheathing.
Sales & use tax
6%, statewide, with no local add-on. This is state law: the General Sales Tax Act sets the tax "equal to 6% of the gross proceeds of the business," the Use Tax Act sets "a total combined rate equal to 6%," and the Michigan Department of Treasury says "Michigan does not allow city or local units to impose sales tax." On a roofing job the roofer is the taxpayer on materials, because the Use Tax Act counts as a consumer "A person acquiring tangible personal property if engaged in the business of constructing, altering, repairing, or improving the real estate of others." Nothing on the Ann Arbor Charter Township Building Department page or in its fee schedules changes this.

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The Building Department of Ann Arbor Charter Township, inside the township hall at 3792 Pontiac Trail, issues building permits for the township and posts a fee schedule that prices re-roofs on their own lines, "Re-roof over existing" and "Tear-off Re-roof". The City of Ann Arbor is a separate unit on the state's list, and the Village of Barton Hills inside the township is not covered by this record. Michigan applies one residential code statewide, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.

Working an insurance claim in Charter Township of Ann Arbor, MI? Everything on this page (drip edge, ice & water shield, inspections, Class 4 rules) formatted as a claim-ready evidence pack: verbatim ordinance quotes, code section cites, verification dates, and official source links, ready to attach to a supplement. See a real sample pack (PDF, 4 pages, free).

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Sources

Roofing questions: Charter Township of Ann Arbor, MI

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Charter Township of Ann Arbor, MI?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Charter Township of Ann Arbor, MI. Ann Arbor Charter Township treats a reroof as permit work and states no size or dollar point below which it needs none. Its building permit fee schedule (dated 1/2026) lists miscellaneous permit fees of "Re-roof over existing: $100.00" and "Tear-off Re-roof: $125.00", the Board of Trustees fee schedule approved 12-15-2025 repeats both lines under "Miscellaneous Building Permit fees", and the Building Department's Residential Inspections sheet (dated 06/2026) lists a "RE-ROOF" inspection sequence of "Rough (when wood is exposed)" and "Final". The township's pages say nothing about a repair that is smaller than a reroof. Under state law: "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure." (MCL 125.1510), without a definition of ordinary repairs, and the township has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. For a small repair, call the Building Department at 734-663-3418 before starting.

Is ice & water shield required in Charter Township of Ann Arbor, MI?

Yes. Required everywhere in Michigan by state law. Michigan fills in the climatic design table of the 2015 code once for the whole state (Rule 516, Table R301.2(1)), and its ice barrier underlayment column reads Yes. The state footnote calls for Yes "for areas where the average daily temperature in January is 25 degrees Fahrenheit" or less, or where ice damming has caused damage. The base code then requires an ice barrier "for asphalt shingles, metal roof shingles, mineral-surfaced roll roofing, slate and slate-type shingles, wood shingles and wood shakes," running "from the lowest edges of all roof surfaces to a point not less than 24 inches (610 mm) inside the exterior wall line of the building" (R905.1.2). Detached accessory structures without conditioned floor area are exempt. On a tear-off, an existing ice barrier that is adhered to the deck may stay and be covered with an additional layer (R908.3, Exception). Chapter 14 of the Ann Arbor Charter Township Code of Ordinances and the Building Department's permit pages were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier.

Is drip edge required in Charter Township of Ann Arbor, MI?

Yes. Required on asphalt shingle roofs by state law. Michigan makes no amendment to the drip edge rule of the 2015 International Residential Code, Section R905.2.8.5, which applies as published: "A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs." Segments overlap by at least 2 inches, the drip edge extends at least 1/4 inch below the roof sheathing and at least 2 inches back onto the deck, it is fastened at no more than 12 inches on center, and underlayment goes over it at the eaves and under it at the rakes. A reroof is held to the same rule, because "Materials and methods of application used for re-covering or replacing an existing roof covering shall comply with the requirements of Chapter 9" (R908.1). Chapter 14 of the Ann Arbor Charter Township Code of Ordinances and the Building Department's permit pages were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Charter Township of Ann Arbor, MI?

Two layers at most, under state law. Michigan builds one- and two-family homes to the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which adopts the 2015 International Residential Code and makes no amendment to its reroofing section, Section R908; the Michigan rule set was searched in full and R908 does not appear in it. The base section therefore applies as the International Code Council publishes it. Section R908.3.1.1 lists the conditions under which a new roof may not be laid over an existing one, and the third is "Where the existing roof has two or more applications of any type of roof covering." One existing layer may be covered once; a roof that already carries two layers is torn off to the deck. The same section also bars covering a roof that is water soaked or too deteriorated to serve as a base, and covering "slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile." Locally, Chapter 14 (Buildings and Building Regulations) of the Ann Arbor Charter Township Code of Ordinances was read in full, and the township's Floods chapter (Chapter 34) and Fire Prevention chapter (Chapter 30) were searched for roofing text: Chapter 14 designates the enforcing agency, enforces Appendix G of the Michigan Building Code in flood hazard areas, deals with unsafe buildings and building numbers, and adopts a property maintenance code for residential rental structures, and none of them has a reroofing provision or amends anything in Section R908. The Building Department's pages state no layer rule; its fee schedule prices "Re-roof over existing" and "Tear-off Re-roof" as separate permits and gives no layer count.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Charter Township of Ann Arbor, MI?

Yes.

What building code does Charter Township of Ann Arbor, MI use?

2015 Michigan Residential Code. This is state law and it is the same in every Michigan city, village, township and county: the state construction code act says "This act and the code apply throughout the state," and the Michigan Residential Code rule adopts "the international residential code, 2015 edition" with the state amendments in R 408.30500 to R 408.30547g. A 2021 edition was filed with the secretary of state in 2025 but has not taken effect. On July 7, 2025 the Michigan Court of Claims entered a stipulated order in Home Builders Assoc et al. v LARA et al., and the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) says that while that order remains in place "the 2015 versions of the IRC and residential provisions of the IECC standards currently adopted, in part, by each rule set will remain valid and in effect." LARA's Statewide Jurisdiction List names the Township of Ann Arbor as its own building code enforcer, separately from the City of Ann Arbor. Section 14-26 of the township's Code of Ordinances designates the Township Building Official as "the enforcing agency to discharge the responsibilities of the Township under Public Act No. 230 of 1972" and names no code edition. The Building Department's page lists the codes the township follows under "Michigan Building Codes", with "2015 MI Residential Code" first; the same list names 2021 editions of the Michigan Building Code, the Michigan Energy Code and the Michigan Rehabilitation Code for Existing Buildings, and no other edition of the residential code. Section 34-36 of the township's flood chapter requires a mobile home foundation designed "in accordance with Section 1612 of the 2009 Michigan Building Code, or the successor to such section", which names no residential code edition; that text was not read, and this record states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code for the reasons above. Section 14-28 adopts Appendix G of the Michigan Building Code for flood hazard areas, and section 14-121 adopts the 2006 International Property Maintenance Code for residential rental structures.