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Permitting Authorities / Charter Township of Brownstown - Building Department (Community Services)

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

Adopted code

Charter Township of Brownstown - Building Department (Community Services)

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Charter Township of Brownstown, MI, issued by Charter Township of Brownstown - Building Department (Community Services). Plan on a building permit for a reroof in Brownstown. The Building Department's FAQ lists "Roof replacement" under "What do I have to pull a permit for?" and its Building Permit Application (Feb 2026) offers "Roof Replacement" as a type of improvement. The application's Roof Permit Policy says the permit holder is "RESPONSIBLE TO ASSURE ICE GUARD INSPECTION IS COMPLETED BEFORE A FINAL INSPECTION WILL BE SCHEDULED," that a missed ice guard inspection costs "A $100 FEE" before the final can be scheduled, and that if the permit expires without inspections, "you will be charged $100 to re-open the permit and someone from your company will have to meet the inspector on site to open a section of the roof for inspection." The building fee schedule (5-11-26) charges a $50 non-refundable application fee and prices construction permits by cost, $100 for "Construction costs up to $1000" and "$100 + $11/add'l 1000" from $1,001 to $50,000; the re-inspection fee is $75 and failure to secure a permit costs $200 for a first offense. The FAQ advises homeowners to "Always, have your contractor pull permits." Permits can be applied for and paid online through BS&A. The department notes "No permits will be issued after 4:30 p.m." The Building Department is at 21313 Telegraph Rd., Brownstown, MI 48183, phone 734-675-0166, open Monday through Thursday, 7:00am to 5:00pm.

Roof code checklist: Charter Township of Brownstown, MI

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYesbrownstown-mi.org2026-10-03
Repair permit thresholdPublishedbrownstown-mi.org2026-10-03
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-03
Deck & sheathingPublishedR905.2.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-03
Drip edgeYesR905.2.8.5codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-03
Ice & water shieldYesR905.1.2ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-03
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNoars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-03
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedSec. 233.001ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-03
Contractor license / registrationYeslegislature.mi.gov2026-10-03
Sales & use taxPublishedlegislature.mi.gov2026-10-03

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 Brownstown, Michigan
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
21313 Telegraph Road, Brownstown, MI 48183
Contact
  • url: https://www.brownstown-mi.org/government/township_departments/community_services/building_department.php
  • phone: 734-675-0166
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: Brownstown licenses contractors itself. Section 220.014 of the Township's general ordinances says "It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to engage in the business of residential, commercial or industrial building contractor or subcontractor within the Township of Brownstown without first obtaining a license therefor to be issued by the Township," and defines a subcontractor as "any tradesman who takes a contract from a general contractor or other subcontractor including, but not limited to, masonry, carpentry, lathing, plastering, cement work, tile work, roofing materials, painting and waterproofing."
Permit process note
Plan on a building permit for a reroof in Brownstown. The Building Department's FAQ lists "Roof replacement" under "What do I have to pull a permit for?" and its Building Permit Application (Feb 2026) offers "Roof Replacement" as a type of improvement. The application's Roof Permit Policy says the permit holder is "RESPONSIBLE TO ASSURE ICE GUARD INSPECTION IS COMPLETED BEFORE A FINAL INSPECTION WILL BE SCHEDULED," that a missed ice guard inspection costs "A $100 FEE" before the final can be scheduled, and that if the permit expires without inspections, "you will be charged $100 to re-open the permit and someone from your company will have to meet the inspector on site to open a section of the roof for inspection." The building fee schedule (5-11-26) charges a $50 non-refundable application fee and prices construction permits by cost, $100 for "Construction costs up to $1000" and "$100 + $11/add'l 1000" from $1,001 to $50,000; the re-inspection fee is $75 and failure to secure a permit costs $200 for a first offense. The FAQ advises homeowners to "Always, have your contractor pull permits." Permits can be applied for and paid online through BS&A. The department notes "No permits will be issued after 4:30 p.m." The Building Department is at 21313 Telegraph Rd., Brownstown, MI 48183, phone 734-675-0166, open Monday through Thursday, 7:00am to 5:00pm.
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 Brownstown as its own building code enforcer. Section 233.001 of the Township's general ordinances (Ord. No. 229-11b, adopted April 18, 2005) designates the Building Official as the enforcing agency under the Michigan Residential Code, and the township "assumes responsibility for the administration and enforcement of said Act throughout its corporate limits," without naming an 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). Brownstown's own building ordinances, Parts 220 to 239 of the Township's general ordinances (construction requirements, the property maintenance code, the construction board of appeals, construction debris, moving buildings, and the parts naming the township the enforcing agency for each state code), were read in full and state nothing further on drip edge; the township's Roof Permit Policy states no drip edge rule. 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). Locally, the township's Roof Permit Policy makes the permit holder "RESPONSIBLE TO ASSURE ICE GUARD INSPECTION IS COMPLETED BEFORE A FINAL INSPECTION WILL BE SCHEDULED." Brownstown's own building ordinances, Parts 220 to 239 of the Township's general ordinances (construction requirements, the property maintenance code, the construction board of appeals, construction debris, moving buildings, and the parts naming the township the enforcing agency for each state code), were read in full and add no ice barrier rule of their own. 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." Brownstown's own building ordinances, Parts 220 to 239 of the Township's general ordinances (construction requirements, the property maintenance code, the construction board of appeals, construction debris, moving buildings, and the parts naming the township the enforcing agency for each state code), were read in full; they adopt the state codes, and no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in them.
Repair permit threshold
The Charter Township of Brownstown's own words: its residential building FAQ answers "What do I have to pull a permit for?" with a list that includes "Roof replacement," and its building permit application lists "Roof Replacement" as a type of improvement with a "Roof Permit Policy" page; it states no area, percentage or dollar floor below which roof work needs no permit. The same FAQ says "Non-structural repairs and renovations within a home, or replacement of existing fixtures do not require a permit," naming cabinets, counters, flooring, painting and awnings. State law says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure" and does not define ordinary repairs; a small roof patch is a question for the Building Department (734-675-0166) before work starts.
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." Brownstown's own building ordinances, Parts 220 to 239 of the Township's general ordinances (construction requirements, the property maintenance code, the construction board of appeals, construction debris, moving buildings, and the parts naming the township the enforcing agency for each state code), were read in full; none of them touches the reroofing section, so the state limit applies unchanged. The township's Roof Permit Policy states 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). Brownstown's own building ordinances, Parts 220 to 239 of the Township's general ordinances (construction requirements, the property maintenance code, the construction board of appeals, construction debris, moving buildings, and the parts naming the township the enforcing agency for each state code), were read in full 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." The Charter Township of Brownstown adds no sales tax of its own, so 6% is the whole rate on a job there.

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The Charter Township of Brownstown's Building Department, at 21313 Telegraph Road, arranges and approves construction permits and inspections in the township, and its FAQ lists roof replacement among the work that needs a permit. LARA's Statewide Jurisdiction List names the Charter Township of Brownstown as its own building code enforcer. Michigan applies one residential code statewide, the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, so the roofing rules below are state law that the township enforces.

Working an insurance claim in Charter Township of Brownstown, 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 Brownstown, MI

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

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Charter Township of Brownstown, MI. The Charter Township of Brownstown's own words: its residential building FAQ answers "What do I have to pull a permit for?" with a list that includes "Roof replacement," and its building permit application lists "Roof Replacement" as a type of improvement with a "Roof Permit Policy" page; it states no area, percentage or dollar floor below which roof work needs no permit. The same FAQ says "Non-structural repairs and renovations within a home, or replacement of existing fixtures do not require a permit," naming cabinets, counters, flooring, painting and awnings. State law says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure" and does not define ordinary repairs; a small roof patch is a question for the Building Department (734-675-0166) before work starts.

Is ice & water shield required in Charter Township of Brownstown, 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). Locally, the township's Roof Permit Policy makes the permit holder "RESPONSIBLE TO ASSURE ICE GUARD INSPECTION IS COMPLETED BEFORE A FINAL INSPECTION WILL BE SCHEDULED." Brownstown's own building ordinances, Parts 220 to 239 of the Township's general ordinances (construction requirements, the property maintenance code, the construction board of appeals, construction debris, moving buildings, and the parts naming the township the enforcing agency for each state code), were read in full and add no ice barrier rule of their own.

Is drip edge required in Charter Township of Brownstown, 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). Brownstown's own building ordinances, Parts 220 to 239 of the Township's general ordinances (construction requirements, the property maintenance code, the construction board of appeals, construction debris, moving buildings, and the parts naming the township the enforcing agency for each state code), were read in full and state nothing further on drip edge; the township's Roof Permit Policy states no drip edge rule.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Charter Township of Brownstown, 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." Brownstown's own building ordinances, Parts 220 to 239 of the Township's general ordinances (construction requirements, the property maintenance code, the construction board of appeals, construction debris, moving buildings, and the parts naming the township the enforcing agency for each state code), were read in full; none of them touches the reroofing section, so the state limit applies unchanged. The township's Roof Permit Policy states no layer rule.

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

Yes.

What building code does Charter Township of Brownstown, 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 Charter Township of Brownstown as its own building code enforcer. Section 233.001 of the Township's general ordinances (Ord. No. 229-11b, adopted April 18, 2005) designates the Building Official as the enforcing agency under the Michigan Residential Code, and the township "assumes responsibility for the administration and enforcement of said Act throughout its corporate limits," without naming an edition.