Permitting Authorities / Chelsea Area Construction Agency - Building Permits for the City of Chelsea
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Chelsea, MI?
Adopted code
Chelsea Area Construction Agency - Building Permits for the City of Chelsea
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Chelsea, MI, issued by Chelsea Area Construction Agency - Building Permits for the City of Chelsea. In the City of Chelsea the building permit comes from the Chelsea Area Construction Agency, not from city hall: the city's Forms & Permits page says "The City of Chelsea has adopted the Michigan Building Codes and those codes are administered and enforced by the Chelsea Area Construction Agency (C.A.C.A.)." and "Property owners within the City must obtain a zoning permit for structural changes prior to contacting C.A.C.A. for a building permit." The Agency's FAQ answers "Do I need a building permit for a roofing job, siding replacement, or a window replacement?" with "Yes, after contacting your township, print out an Instant Building Permit App and submit it.", and its Permits & Applications page lists "roofing" among the work that requires a permit. The record does not decide whether a reroof counts as a "structural change" for the city's zoning permit, so a roofer inside the city should ask Chelsea Planning & Zoning (734-475-1771, option 5, City Offices at 305 S. Main St., Suite 100) whether a zoning permit is needed and then apply to the Agency for the building permit. The Agency's FAQ says "Under normal circumstances, the permit can be issued the next business day." and that the inspector can usually do an inspection "the next business day"; its inspection schedule lists building inspections Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 11:30, by calling 734-475-4420. Its fee schedule (footer "CACA Fee Schedule 2.24.2025") charges a residential building permit $120.00 plus "$7.00 per thousand or fraction thereof over $10,000" of estimated construction cost, a $30.00 application fee, and, "In the event that construction activities have begun prior to the issuance of a permit, the applicant is subject to working without a permit fee of $100.00 Residential/$130.00 Commercial." The Agency's FAQ says it accepts cash or check, while its home page says "Credit and Debit Cards now Accepted." Separate applications are needed for plumbing, mechanical and electrical work. Inside a historic district the city's own code adds a separate step: "A permit shall be obtained before any work affecting the exterior appearance of a resource is performed within a historic district", while "Nothing in this article shall be construed to prevent ordinary maintenance or repair of a resource within a historic district"; the record does not decide which roof jobs that reaches. The Agency is at 12172 Jackson Road, Dexter, MI 48130, open Monday to Thursday 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM and Friday 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and it also covers Dexter, Lima, Lyndon and Sylvan Townships.
Roof code checklist: Chelsea, 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
City of Chelsea, Michigan
Address
12172 Jackson Road, Dexter, MI 48130
Contact
- url: https://cacagency.org/
- phone: 734-475-4420
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
In the City of Chelsea the building permit comes from the Chelsea Area Construction Agency, not from city hall: the city's Forms & Permits page says "The City of Chelsea has adopted the Michigan Building Codes and those codes are administered and enforced by the Chelsea Area Construction Agency (C.A.C.A.)." and "Property owners within the City must obtain a zoning permit for structural changes prior to contacting C.A.C.A. for a building permit." The Agency's FAQ answers "Do I need a building permit for a roofing job, siding replacement, or a window replacement?" with "Yes, after contacting your township, print out an Instant Building Permit App and submit it.", and its Permits & Applications page lists "roofing" among the work that requires a permit. The record does not decide whether a reroof counts as a "structural change" for the city's zoning permit, so a roofer inside the city should ask Chelsea Planning & Zoning (734-475-1771, option 5, City Offices at 305 S. Main St., Suite 100) whether a zoning permit is needed and then apply to the Agency for the building permit. The Agency's FAQ says "Under normal circumstances, the permit can be issued the next business day." and that the inspector can usually do an inspection "the next business day"; its inspection schedule lists building inspections Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 11:30, by calling 734-475-4420. Its fee schedule (footer "CACA Fee Schedule 2.24.2025") charges a residential building permit $120.00 plus "$7.00 per thousand or fraction thereof over $10,000" of estimated construction cost, a $30.00 application fee, and, "In the event that construction activities have begun prior to the issuance of a permit, the applicant is subject to working without a permit fee of $100.00 Residential/$130.00 Commercial." The Agency's FAQ says it accepts cash or check, while its home page says "Credit and Debit Cards now Accepted." Separate applications are needed for plumbing, mechanical and electrical work. Inside a historic district the city's own code adds a separate step: "A permit shall be obtained before any work affecting the exterior appearance of a resource is performed within a historic district", while "Nothing in this article shall be construed to prevent ordinary maintenance or repair of a resource within a historic district"; the record does not decide which roof jobs that reaches. The Agency is at 12172 Jackson Road, Dexter, MI 48130, open Monday to Thursday 7:00 AM to 3:30 PM and Friday 7:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and it also covers Dexter, Lima, Lyndon and Sylvan Townships.
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." The State of Michigan's Statewide Jurisdiction List names the City of Chelsea as its own building code enforcer. Section 6-19 of the city's Code of Ordinances designates the city manager and designees as the building official and the enforcing agency under the state construction code act and names no edition; the city's Forms & Permits page says the city "has adopted the Michigan Building Codes" administered by the Chelsea Area Construction Agency, and the Agency's home page says its members "have adopted the Michigan Building Codes", and neither names an edition. The city's code and the Agency's pages, fee schedule and application name no older dwelling code 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). Chapter 6 of the City of Chelsea Code of Ordinances and the Chelsea Area Construction 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). Chapter 6 of the City of Chelsea Code of Ordinances and the Chelsea Area Construction Agency's pages 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." Chapter 6 of the City of Chelsea Code of Ordinances and the Chelsea Area Construction Agency's pages were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
No size or cost threshold is published for roof work. The Chelsea Area Construction Agency's Permits & Applications page, read October 12, 2026, says "Construction activities that require a permit include, but are not limited to, new building construction, additions, renovations and alterations of existing buildings, demolitions, decks, swimming pools & hot tubs, siding, roofing, replacement windows and out buildings." and "For clarification please contact the City or Township where the building project will occur." Its FAQ asks "Do I need a building permit for a roofing job, siding replacement, or a window replacement?" and answers "Yes, after contacting your township, print out an Instant Building Permit App and submit it." The City of Chelsea's Forms & Permits page adds that "Property owners within the City must obtain a zoning permit for structural changes prior to contacting C.A.C.A. for a building permit." 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. For a small roof repair, call the Agency at 734-475-4420 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 city's building chapter, Chapter 6 of the City of Chelsea Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full: it designates the enforcing agency (Sec. 6-19), leaves fees to council resolution (Sec. 6-20), regulates historic districts (Article III) and dangerous buildings (Article IV), and has no reroofing provision and amends nothing in Section R908. The Agency's pages, fee schedule and 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). Chapter 6 of the City of Chelsea Code of Ordinances and the Chelsea Area Construction Agency's pages 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 Chelsea Area Construction Agency's pages or the City of Chelsea's building pages changes this.
Local roofing hub
More roof permit pages in Michigan
Related guides
Building permits for the City of Chelsea, in Washtenaw County, are issued by the Chelsea Area Construction Agency, a governmental agency at 12172 Jackson Road in Dexter that was established in 2000 by an inter-local agreement among the City of Chelsea and the Townships of Dexter, Lima, Lyndon and Sylvan. The City of Chelsea's own Forms & Permits page says the Michigan Building Codes are "administered and enforced by the Chelsea Area Construction Agency", the State of Michigan's jurisdiction list names the City of Chelsea as its own building code enforcer, and a property owner in the city gets a zoning permit from the city before applying to the Agency. Michigan's single state construction code applies, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.
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