The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / City of Bay City - Building Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Bay City, MI?

Adopted code

City of Bay City - Building Department

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Bay City, MI, issued by City of Bay City - Building Department. Plan on a building permit for a re-roof in Bay City. The Building Department lists a "Residential Roof Permit Fee Schedule" among its permits and fees, and its Residential Roofing Fee Schedule ("FEES FOR RESIDENTIAL ROOFS ONLY") sets the fee by cost of construction, with a note of a "Building Permit Base Fee of $25.00"; from $2,000 to $25,000 the fee is "$91.41 For First $2,000 Plus $19.36 Each Additional" thousand. The department adds: "Properties located within the historic districts may require approval from the Bay City Historic District Commission." Applications, the building permit fee schedule and a contractor registration form are on the department's Applications & Forms page. The Building Department is at City Hall, 301 Washington Avenue, Suite 211, Bay City; City Hall hours are 8 am to 5 pm. Call 989-894-8162.

Roof code checklist: Bay City, MI

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYesbaycitymi.gov2026-10-03
Repair permit thresholdPublishedbaycitymi.gov2026-10-03
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-02
Deck & sheathingPublishedR905.2.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-02
Drip edgeYesR905.2.8.5codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-02
Ice & water shieldYesR905.1.2ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-02
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNoars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-02
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedSec. 26-41ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-02
Contractor license / registrationYeslegislature.mi.gov2026-10-02
Sales & use taxPublishedlegislature.mi.gov2026-10-02

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
City of Bay City, Michigan
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
301 Washington Avenue, Suite 211, Bay City, MI 48708
Contact
  • url: https://www.baycitymi.gov/158/Building-Department
  • phone: 989-894-8162
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • state_level: Michigan licenses residential maintenance and alteration contractors under the Occupational Code, and that licence "includes the following crafts and trades" among which it names roofing (MCL 339.2404(3)); "A person shall not engage in or attempt to engage in the practice of an occupation regulated under this act" without the licence (MCL 339.601(1)). MCL 339.2403 lists who may work without one, including a project whose "aggregate contract price for the labor, material, and any other items for the undertaking or project is less than $600.00". This record does not decide whether a given roofer falls inside an exemption.
  • city_level: Bay City sets no roofing contractor licence of its own; the Building Department's Applications & Forms page lists a Contractor Registration form. City Code Chapter 26 (read in full) sets no roofing contractor licence.
Permit process note
Plan on a building permit for a re-roof in Bay City. The Building Department lists a "Residential Roof Permit Fee Schedule" among its permits and fees, and its Residential Roofing Fee Schedule ("FEES FOR RESIDENTIAL ROOFS ONLY") sets the fee by cost of construction, with a note of a "Building Permit Base Fee of $25.00"; from $2,000 to $25,000 the fee is "$91.41 For First $2,000 Plus $19.36 Each Additional" thousand. The department adds: "Properties located within the historic districts may require approval from the Bay City Historic District Commission." Applications, the building permit fee schedule and a contractor registration form are on the department's Applications & Forms page. The Building Department is at City Hall, 301 Washington Avenue, Suite 211, Bay City; City Hall hours are 8 am to 5 pm. Call 989-894-8162.
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 City of Bay City as its own building code enforcer, and City Code Section 26-41 designates the city's building official as the enforcing agency under the Michigan Residential Code without naming an edition. City Code Chapter 26 (Buildings and Building Regulations) was read in full; its only residential code text supplies flood hazard content for Table R 301.2(1) of the Michigan Residential Code.
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). Bay City's building ordinance, City Code Chapter 26 (read in full), states 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). Bay City's building ordinance, City Code Chapter 26 (read in full), states 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." Bay City's building ordinance, City Code Chapter 26 (read in full), adds no roof-covering rule; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in it.
Repair permit threshold
Bay City prices residential roofs as their own permit type, with no size or cost threshold: its Residential Roofing Fee Schedule is headed "FEES FOR RESIDENTIAL ROOFS ONLY" and starts at a $31.02 permit fee for a cost of construction "Up to $500.00". The department's Do I Need a Permit page names no roof work among projects exempt from a permit. Under state law "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure", and the act does not define ordinary repairs; for a small patch, ask the Building Department (989-894-8162) 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." Bay City's own building ordinance, City Code Chapter 26 (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full: it establishes the building department, designates the enforcing agency for each state code, sets penalties, and adopts and amends a property maintenance code, and it touches nothing in the reroofing section, so the state limit applies unchanged.
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). Bay City's building ordinance, City Code Chapter 26 (read in full), states 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." The City of Bay City adds no sales tax of its own, so 6% is the whole rate on a job there.

Local roofing hub

Roofing in Bay City, MichiganCity hub

More roof permit pages in Michigan

Benton Charter Township - Building DepartmentRoof permit Birmingham, MIRoof permit Cadillac, MIRoof permit Charter Township of Bangor - Building & Zoning DepartmentRoof permit Charter Township of Bath, MIRoof permit Roofing in MichiganState hub

Related guides

Denver-Metro Roofing Permits Filing a Hail Insurance Claim Colorado Hail Season Prep Hiring a Contractor

The Bay City Building Department, at City Hall at 301 Washington Avenue, issues building permits in the city and inspects the work; it publishes a separate Residential Roofing Fee Schedule for roof permits. Michigan applies one residential code statewide, so the roofing rules below are state law; the city enforces them and sets its own permit fees.

Working an insurance claim in Bay City, 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).

Code items like drip edge and ice & water shield are what adjusters ask you to document.

Buy this jurisdiction's pack: $12 Delivered by email within minutes.

Questions about the Bay City, MI pack?

Not ready to buy, or need a different jurisdiction? Tell us and we’ll reply directly.

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Sources

Roofing questions: Bay City, MI

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Bay City, MI?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Bay City, MI. Bay City prices residential roofs as their own permit type, with no size or cost threshold: its Residential Roofing Fee Schedule is headed "FEES FOR RESIDENTIAL ROOFS ONLY" and starts at a $31.02 permit fee for a cost of construction "Up to $500.00". The department's Do I Need a Permit page names no roof work among projects exempt from a permit. Under state law "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure", and the act does not define ordinary repairs; for a small patch, ask the Building Department (989-894-8162) before starting.

Is ice & water shield required in Bay City, 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). Bay City's building ordinance, City Code Chapter 26 (read in full), states nothing further on ice barrier.

Is drip edge required in Bay City, 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). Bay City's building ordinance, City Code Chapter 26 (read in full), states nothing further on drip edge.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Bay City, 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." Bay City's own building ordinance, City Code Chapter 26 (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full: it establishes the building department, designates the enforcing agency for each state code, sets penalties, and adopts and amends a property maintenance code, and it touches nothing in the reroofing section, so the state limit applies unchanged.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Bay City, MI?

Yes.

What building code does Bay City, 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 City of Bay City as its own building code enforcer, and City Code Section 26-41 designates the city's building official as the enforcing agency under the Michigan Residential Code without naming an edition. City Code Chapter 26 (Buildings and Building Regulations) was read in full; its only residential code text supplies flood hazard content for Table R 301.2(1) of the Michigan Residential Code.