Permitting Authorities / Bedford Charter Township - Building and Zoning Administrator
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Charter Township of Bedford (Calhoun County), MI?
Adopted code
Bedford Charter Township - Building and Zoning Administrator
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Charter Township of Bedford (Calhoun County), MI, issued by Bedford Charter Township - Building and Zoning Administrator. Bedford Charter Township has published nothing that names roof work either way: its Building and Zoning Administrator page, its forms list, its building permit application and its Building Ordinance have no roofing line. With the department silent on reroofs, the state's general permit rule applies: "before construction of a building or structure, the owner, or the owner's builder, architect, engineer, or agent, shall submit an application in writing to the appropriate enforcing agency for a building permit." The same section says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure," without defining ordinary repairs, and the township has not applied that relief to roof work. The Building and Zoning Administrator is at the township hall, 115 S. Uldriks Drive, Battle Creek, (269) 965-9096, and the township hall is open "Monday-Thursday 7:30 - 4:30 PM" and closed Friday. The township's application says "SEPARATE APPLICATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED FOR: PLUMBING, MECHANICAL, AND ELECTRICAL WORK", asks the contractor for a builder's license number, and lists a "WORK WITHOUT PERMIT FEE ($150)". Section 5 of the Building Ordinance says fees are paid "in accordance with the schedule of building permit fees adopted by the Charter Township of Bedford"; no schedule is posted on the township site, so ask the department for the current fee. Section 8 of that ordinance sends appeals to the Area Metropolitan Services Agency (AMSA) Building Board of Appeals.
Roof code checklist: Charter Township of Bedford (Calhoun County), 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
Charter Township of Bedford (Calhoun County), Michigan
Address
115 S. Uldriks Drive, Battle Creek, MI 49037
Contact
- url: https://www.bedfordchartertwpmi.gov/building_and_zoning_administrator.php
- phone: 269-965-9096
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
Bedford Charter Township has published nothing that names roof work either way: its Building and Zoning Administrator page, its forms list, its building permit application and its Building Ordinance have no roofing line. With the department silent on reroofs, the state's general permit rule applies: "before construction of a building or structure, the owner, or the owner's builder, architect, engineer, or agent, shall submit an application in writing to the appropriate enforcing agency for a building permit." The same section says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure," without defining ordinary repairs, and the township has not applied that relief to roof work. The Building and Zoning Administrator is at the township hall, 115 S. Uldriks Drive, Battle Creek, (269) 965-9096, and the township hall is open "Monday-Thursday 7:30 - 4:30 PM" and closed Friday. The township's application says "SEPARATE APPLICATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED FOR: PLUMBING, MECHANICAL, AND ELECTRICAL WORK", asks the contractor for a builder's license number, and lists a "WORK WITHOUT PERMIT FEE ($150)". Section 5 of the Building Ordinance says fees are paid "in accordance with the schedule of building permit fees adopted by the Charter Township of Bedford"; no schedule is posted on the township site, so ask the department for the current fee. Section 8 of that ordinance sends appeals to the Area Metropolitan Services Agency (AMSA) Building Board of Appeals.
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 Charter Township of Bedford as its own building code enforcer. The township's Building Ordinance (Ordinance 9/10/87/49, adopted September 10, 1987 and amended in 2001) designates the Building Code Official as the enforcing agency and adopts by reference "the latest edition of the BOCA Basic/National Building Code, as published by the Building Officials and Code Administrators International, Inc., as approved, adopted and amended by the State of Michigan, Bureau of Construction Codes". The BOCA code was not read for this record. The township's Construction Code Ordinance of 1974, its Floodplain Management ordinance and its Property Maintenance ordinance, which adopts the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code, name no residential code edition, and neither the Building and Zoning Administrator page nor the building permit application, revised 7/1/2025, names one.
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 Building and Zoning Administrator page, the building permit application and the township's building ordinances 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 Building and Zoning Administrator page, the building permit application and the township's building ordinances were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier.
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 Building and Zoning Administrator page, the building permit application and the township's building ordinances were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
Bedford Charter Township's Building and Zoning Administrator page and its Building Permit Application (revised 7/1/2025) say nothing about reroofs: the application's types of improvement are general ones such as new building, addition, alteration and repair, and the township posts no building fee schedule. 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.
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, the township's Building Ordinance, Construction Code Ordinance, Floodplain Management ordinance and Property Maintenance ordinance were read in full, and its Dangerous Buildings, Electrical, Mechanical and Plumbing ordinances were searched for roofing text; none has a reroofing provision or amends anything in Section R908. The Building and Zoning Administrator page and the building permit application state no layer rule.
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 Building and Zoning Administrator page, the building permit application and the township's building ordinances were read 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 Bedford Charter Township Building and Zoning Administrator page changes this.
Local roofing hub
More roof permit pages in Michigan
Related guides
Bedford Charter Township's Building and Zoning Administrator, at the township hall at 115 S. Uldriks Drive in Battle Creek, handles building permits for the township, whose Building Ordinance designates the township's Building Code Official as the enforcing agency under the state construction code act. The State of Michigan's jurisdiction list names the Township as its own building code enforcer. Michigan's single state construction code applies, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.
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