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Permitting Authorities / Township of Berrien - Building/Zoning Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of Berrien, MI?

Adopted code

Township of Berrien - Building/Zoning Department

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Berrien, MI, issued by Township of Berrien - Building/Zoning Department. In Berrien Township a reroof is a listed permit: the fee resolution says "RE-ROOF PERMIT: All roofs $45.00 permit fee", and the Building/Zoning Department page lists the "General Building Permit Application -pools, roofs, sheds, pole barns, misc. (fillable form)". The application asks for the job address, the owner and the applicant or contractor, a class of work (new, addition, alteration, repair, move or other), a description of the work and its valuation, and says the work must be done "in accordance with the Michigan Building Code as enforced by Berrien Township" and not covered up until inspected by the Building Inspector. The fee resolution's building permit schedule starts at "$30.00 permit fee" for work valued from $1.00 to $500 and adds fees by valuation, with inspections outside normal business hours and re-inspections assessed at "$42.00/hour". The Building/Zoning Department page gives the building inspector's hours as "Monday, Wednesday, Friday 7:30am-9:30am" and the office phone as 269-461-6925; the township hall at 8916 M-140, Berrien Center, MI 49102 is open Monday to Thursday from 10:00AM to 4:00PM and closed Friday.

Roof code checklist: Township of Berrien, MI

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYesberrientownship.org2026-10-12
Repair permit thresholdPublishedberrientownship.org2026-10-12
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 codePublishedars.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
Township of Berrien, Berrien County, Michigan
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
8916 M-140, Berrien Center, MI 49102
Contact
  • url: https://www.berrientownship.org/index.php/departments/building-department/
  • phone: 269-461-6925
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: Berrien Township's building permit application asks the applicant for a residential builder licence number and its expiration date, and for workers compensation and general liability carriers or a reason none is required. The pages read do not describe a separate township contractor registration.
Permit process note
In Berrien Township a reroof is a listed permit: the fee resolution says "RE-ROOF PERMIT: All roofs $45.00 permit fee", and the Building/Zoning Department page lists the "General Building Permit Application -pools, roofs, sheds, pole barns, misc. (fillable form)". The application asks for the job address, the owner and the applicant or contractor, a class of work (new, addition, alteration, repair, move or other), a description of the work and its valuation, and says the work must be done "in accordance with the Michigan Building Code as enforced by Berrien Township" and not covered up until inspected by the Building Inspector. The fee resolution's building permit schedule starts at "$30.00 permit fee" for work valued from $1.00 to $500 and adds fees by valuation, with inspections outside normal business hours and re-inspections assessed at "$42.00/hour". The Building/Zoning Department page gives the building inspector's hours as "Monday, Wednesday, Friday 7:30am-9:30am" and the office phone as 269-461-6925; the township hall at 8916 M-140, Berrien Center, MI 49102 is open Monday to Thursday from 10:00AM to 4:00PM and closed Friday.
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 Berrien in Berrien County as its own building code enforcer. Berrien Township's codified Ordinance No. 33A, adopted January 13, 2004, carries the section heading "Adoption of the Michigan Residential Code, 2000 Edition"; this directory has not read that text, and whether the codified reference has any effect today is not decided here. This record states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state construction code act applies throughout the state ("This act and the code apply throughout the state," MCL 125.1508a) and which LARA says remains in effect while the Court of Claims order of July 7, 2025 stands. The Building/Zoning Department page lists "2015 Michigan Residential Code" under "CURRENT CODE GROUP AS OF MARCH 2021". Ordinance No. 34 (State Construction Code, adopted December 9, 2008) makes violations of the state construction code municipal civil infractions and names no 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 Building/Zoning Department page, general building permit application, 2025 fee resolution and the township's building ordinances (Ordinances No. 17, 18, 33A, 34 and 37) were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge. Berrien Township's codified Ordinance No. 33A adopts the "Michigan Residential Code, 2000 Edition"; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which the Building/Zoning Department page lists as the township's current residential code; the 2000 edition text was not read (see adopted_code). 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). The Building/Zoning Department page, general building permit application, 2025 fee resolution and the township's building ordinances (Ordinances No. 17, 18, 33A, 34 and 37) were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier. Berrien Township's codified Ordinance No. 33A adopts the "Michigan Residential Code, 2000 Edition"; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which the Building/Zoning Department page lists as the township's current residential code; the 2000 edition text was not read (see adopted_code). 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." The Building/Zoning Department page, general building permit application, 2025 fee resolution and the township's building ordinances (Ordinances No. 17, 18, 33A, 34 and 37) were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance. Berrien Township's codified Ordinance No. 33A adopts the "Michigan Residential Code, 2000 Edition"; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which the Building/Zoning Department page lists as the township's current residential code; the 2000 edition text was not read (see adopted_code).
Repair permit threshold
Berrien Township publishes no size, square or dollar point below which roof work needs no permit, and it has a roofing line of its own. Its fee resolution (Resolution 09-2025, adopted 3/11/2025) lists "RE-ROOF PERMIT: All roofs $45.00 permit fee" under its schedule of fees for zoning, and its Building/Zoning Department page names its general building permit application as the form for "pools, roofs, sheds, pole barns, misc." The township's pages and forms say nothing about a repair or small-job exemption for roofs. 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 roof repair of any size, ask the Building Department 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, the township's building ordinances listed on its ordinances page were read in full: Ordinance No. 17 (Dangerous or Unsafe Buildings), No. 18 (Floodplain Management), No. 33A (Construction Regulations and Housing), No. 34 (State Construction Code) and No. 37 (Property Maintenance, whose roof clause says "The roof and flashing shall be sound, tight and not have defects that admit rain, snow or rodents."). None has a reroofing provision, and none amends anything in Section R908. The township's zoning ordinances were not read. The Building/Zoning Department page, general building permit application and fee resolution state no layer rule. Berrien Township's codified Ordinance No. 33A adopts the "Michigan Residential Code, 2000 Edition"; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which the Building/Zoning Department page lists as the township's current residential code; the 2000 edition text was not read (see adopted_code).
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/Zoning Department page, general building permit application, 2025 fee resolution and the township's building ordinances (Ordinances No. 17, 18, 33A, 34 and 37) were read for a local rule and state nothing further on roof sheathing. Berrien Township's codified Ordinance No. 33A adopts the "Michigan Residential Code, 2000 Edition"; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which the Building/Zoning Department page lists as the township's current residential code; the 2000 edition text was not read (see adopted_code).
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 Berrien Township Building/Zoning Department page or fee resolution changes this.

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Berrien Township's Building/Zoning Department, at the township hall at 8916 M-140 in Berrien Center, issues building permits through a township building inspector and posts a general building permit application for "pools, roofs, sheds, pole barns, misc." and a fee resolution that lists a re-roof permit. The department page lists the 2015 Michigan Residential Code as the township's current residential code. Michigan's single state construction code applies, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.

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Sources

Roofing questions: Township of Berrien, MI

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of Berrien, MI?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Berrien, MI. Berrien Township publishes no size, square or dollar point below which roof work needs no permit, and it has a roofing line of its own. Its fee resolution (Resolution 09-2025, adopted 3/11/2025) lists "RE-ROOF PERMIT: All roofs $45.00 permit fee" under its schedule of fees for zoning, and its Building/Zoning Department page names its general building permit application as the form for "pools, roofs, sheds, pole barns, misc." The township's pages and forms say nothing about a repair or small-job exemption for roofs. 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 roof repair of any size, ask the Building Department before starting.

Is ice & water shield required in Township of Berrien, 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). The Building/Zoning Department page, general building permit application, 2025 fee resolution and the township's building ordinances (Ordinances No. 17, 18, 33A, 34 and 37) were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier. Berrien Township's codified Ordinance No. 33A adopts the "Michigan Residential Code, 2000 Edition"; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which the Building/Zoning Department page lists as the township's current residential code; the 2000 edition text was not read (see adopted_code).

Is drip edge required in Township of Berrien, 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). The Building/Zoning Department page, general building permit application, 2025 fee resolution and the township's building ordinances (Ordinances No. 17, 18, 33A, 34 and 37) were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge. Berrien Township's codified Ordinance No. 33A adopts the "Michigan Residential Code, 2000 Edition"; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which the Building/Zoning Department page lists as the township's current residential code; the 2000 edition text was not read (see adopted_code).

Can you roof over an existing roof in Township of Berrien, 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, the township's building ordinances listed on its ordinances page were read in full: Ordinance No. 17 (Dangerous or Unsafe Buildings), No. 18 (Floodplain Management), No. 33A (Construction Regulations and Housing), No. 34 (State Construction Code) and No. 37 (Property Maintenance, whose roof clause says "The roof and flashing shall be sound, tight and not have defects that admit rain, snow or rodents."). None has a reroofing provision, and none amends anything in Section R908. The township's zoning ordinances were not read. The Building/Zoning Department page, general building permit application and fee resolution state no layer rule. Berrien Township's codified Ordinance No. 33A adopts the "Michigan Residential Code, 2000 Edition"; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which the Building/Zoning Department page lists as the township's current residential code; the 2000 edition text was not read (see adopted_code).

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Township of Berrien, MI?

Yes.

What building code does Township of Berrien, 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 Berrien in Berrien County as its own building code enforcer. Berrien Township's codified Ordinance No. 33A, adopted January 13, 2004, carries the section heading "Adoption of the Michigan Residential Code, 2000 Edition"; this directory has not read that text, and whether the codified reference has any effect today is not decided here. This record states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state construction code act applies throughout the state ("This act and the code apply throughout the state," MCL 125.1508a) and which LARA says remains in effect while the Court of Claims order of July 7, 2025 stands. The Building/Zoning Department page lists "2015 Michigan Residential Code" under "CURRENT CODE GROUP AS OF MARCH 2021". Ordinance No. 34 (State Construction Code, adopted December 9, 2008) makes violations of the state construction code municipal civil infractions and names no edition.