Permitting Authorities / Township of Backus - Building Permits (Houghton Lake Building Agency)
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of Backus, MI?
Adopted code
Township of Backus - Building Permits (Houghton Lake Building Agency)
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Backus, MI, issued by Township of Backus - Building Permits (Houghton Lake Building Agency). In the Township of Backus, building permits come from the Houghton Lake Building Agency, not from the township office. Backus Township Ordinance No. 4A, adopted August 7, 1995, provides that "the Houghton Lake Building Agency official of the township of Backus is hereby designated as the enforcing agency", and the agency says it is "a five township joint enforcement agency" of the townships of Denton, Lake, Roscommon, Markey and Backus and that "Building permits provided for in the State Construction Code Act shall be issued pursuant to applications filed with the Houghton Lake Building Agency". The agency's Forms page lists a "ROOF PERMIT" among its building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical applications, and the form is headed "ROOFING APPLICATION" with the agency's address and phone 989-422-3687; it asks for the project location and parcel number, the homeowner, the contractor with the builder license number and expiration date, and the applicant responsible for the fee. The agency's hours are Mon 8a-4p, Tues 8a-12p, Wed 8a-4p, Thurs 8a-12p and Fri 8a-4p. Inspections are done Mondays and Wednesdays on at least 24 hours' notice (989-422-3687), and the agency says "We encourage homeowners" not to pull permits when using another party to do the work. The agency's notice before obtaining a building permit lists a land use permit from the township, and Backus Township's Zoning Administrator issues that land use permit (989-709-6080); the township says it "applies to compliance with the Backus Township zoning ordinance". The agency posts no fee schedule for roofing on its site, and the roofing form prints no fee.
Roof code checklist: Township of Backus, MI
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
Township of Backus, Michigan
Address
1250 S Harrison Rd, Houghton Lake, MI 48629
Contact
- url: https://www.houghtonlakebuildingagency.com/
- phone: 989-422-3687
- email: [email protected]
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
In the Township of Backus, building permits come from the Houghton Lake Building Agency, not from the township office. Backus Township Ordinance No. 4A, adopted August 7, 1995, provides that "the Houghton Lake Building Agency official of the township of Backus is hereby designated as the enforcing agency", and the agency says it is "a five township joint enforcement agency" of the townships of Denton, Lake, Roscommon, Markey and Backus and that "Building permits provided for in the State Construction Code Act shall be issued pursuant to applications filed with the Houghton Lake Building Agency". The agency's Forms page lists a "ROOF PERMIT" among its building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical applications, and the form is headed "ROOFING APPLICATION" with the agency's address and phone 989-422-3687; it asks for the project location and parcel number, the homeowner, the contractor with the builder license number and expiration date, and the applicant responsible for the fee. The agency's hours are Mon 8a-4p, Tues 8a-12p, Wed 8a-4p, Thurs 8a-12p and Fri 8a-4p. Inspections are done Mondays and Wednesdays on at least 24 hours' notice (989-422-3687), and the agency says "We encourage homeowners" not to pull permits when using another party to do the work. The agency's notice before obtaining a building permit lists a land use permit from the township, and Backus Township's Zoning Administrator issues that land use permit (989-709-6080); the township says it "applies to compliance with the Backus Township zoning ordinance". The agency posts no fee schedule for roofing on its site, and the roofing form prints no fee.
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 Backus as a local building code enforcer. Backus Township Ordinance No. 4A, adopted August 7, 1995, designates the Houghton Lake Building Agency official as the township's enforcing agency under the state construction code act and names no edition. The agency's grounding-electrode handout cites "2023 National Electrical Code (NEC) 250.50 & MRC 2015", and its other permit forms name no older edition.
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). The Houghton Lake Building Agency's pages were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge.
About drip edgeIce & 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). The agency's pre-permit notice lists "Ice and water shield" among the cross-section details a drawing is to show, and states no ice barrier rule of its own.
About ice & water barrierImpact-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." The Houghton Lake Building Agency's pages and Backus Township's pages state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
The Houghton Lake Building Agency, the enforcing agency the Township of Backus designated, publishes a dedicated "ROOFING APPLICATION" among its permit forms, and states no exemption for any reroof. Backus Township's own land use permit application says "Building permit(s) must be obtained from the Houghton Lake Building Agency for structures over 200 square feet", a statement about new structures that does not mention roofing. 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.
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." The Houghton Lake Building Agency's Roofing Application and the township's pages state no layer rule. Backus Township's building-related ordinances (Ordinance No. 4 and No. 4A designating the agency; the plumbing, electrical and mechanical ordinances; and the dangerous buildings ordinance) were not read for a roofing provision.
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). The agency's pre-permit notice lists "Sheathing with clips (if required)" and "Felt paper/shingles" among the construction details a drawing is to show, and states no sheathing rule of its own.
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 Houghton Lake Building Agency's or Backus Township's pages changes this.
Local roofing hub
More roof permit pages in Michigan
Related guides
Backus Township, in Roscommon County, has designated the Houghton Lake Building Agency, a five-township joint enforcement agency, as its building code enforcing agency, and building permits for the township are issued by that agency at 1250 S Harrison Rd in Houghton Lake. The agency publishes a Roofing Application among its permit forms, and the township's own zoning office issues a separate land use permit. Michigan's single state construction code applies, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.
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