Chippewa County - Building Department

Chippewa County, Michigan (1 village and 15 townships on the county building program)

county

319 Court Street, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783

Required

Required

The Chippewa County Building Department has published nothing specific to roof work. Its page says "Permits shall be obtained and posted prior to starting work.", its FAQ says "Work SHALL NOT START until the application been filed with the State of Michigan", and 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 department has not applied that relief to roof work. On its page the department says "Building Permits are issued by State of MI LARA" and "Building Permits, Electrical , Mechanical , and Plumbing permits are done by the State of Michigan", and its FAQ says "Permits and Payments are handled online through Michigan LARA"; the page says county building permit applications have been handled through the State of Michigan LARA website since September 28, 2026, and that online payment for permits through the county was suspended on September 23, 2026 for the change. LARA's Statewide Jurisdiction List keeps Chippewa County on the county building program and states "BCC is providing building plan review, permit and inspection services effective September 28, 2026 until November 28, 2026." The FAQ says "The Building Department office is temporarily vacant. All inquiries may be directed to the State's Regional Inspector", and inspections are requested by calling the assigned Regional Inspector with the permit number. The state building permit application (form BCC-324) says "Building work shall not be started until the permit has been issued by the Bureau of Construction Codes", that "The first $100.00 of an application is non-refundable", and that the inspector responds to an inspection request within two business days to schedule the inspection. The FAQ adds that if work "will be covered up at some point then usually you will need a rough and final inspection." The department's page also lists site plan review and application forms approved by the township zoning administrations and its building inspector, and its permit checklist lists the township zoning contacts, the county health department for wells and septic, and the Equalization Department at 319 Court Street, Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 for addressing. The county building program covers the Village of De Tour and 15 townships on LARA's list; the City of Sault Ste. Marie and Pickford Township enforce for themselves and are not covered here. The department's web pages publish no street address or office hours.

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 assigns building code enforcement in the Village of De Tour and 15 townships to Chippewa County. The Chippewa County Building Department's page names "Section 106.1 of the Michigan Building Code" and no residential code edition, and the Codified Ordinances of Chippewa County (read in full, 27 pages, ordinances 74-1, 94-1, 1996-4, 07-01, 07-02, 07-03, 97-1, 94-2, 14-01 and 01-1) adopt no building or residential code.

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 Chippewa County Building Department pages and the Codified Ordinances of Chippewa County (read in full) were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge. About drip edge

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 Chippewa County Building Department pages and the Codified Ordinances of Chippewa County (read in full) were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier. About ice & water barrier

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 Chippewa County Building Department pages and the Codified Ordinances of Chippewa County state no impact rule.

No size or cost threshold is published. The Chippewa County Building Department says "Permits shall be obtained and posted prior to starting work." and its FAQ says "Work SHALL NOT START until the application been filed with the State of Michigan". Its pages, permit checklist and the state building permit application it links name no roofing work and state no size, square or dollar point below which roof repair needs no 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, ask the department's State Regional Inspector (231-360-7386) before starting.

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 Codified Ordinances of Chippewa County (read in full, 27 pages) cover junk yards and junk vehicles, parental responsibility, addressing, jail contraband, legal-fee and prosecution-cost reimbursement and off-road vehicles; they have no building or reroofing provision, and the Building Department pages state no layer rule. Nothing local amends Section R908.

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 Chippewa County Building Department pages and the Codified Ordinances of Chippewa County (read in full) were read for a local rule and state nothing further on roof decks or sheathing.

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 same 6% applies throughout Chippewa County.