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Permitting Authorities / Township of Colon - Building Permits

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

Adopted code

Township of Colon - Building Permits

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Colon, MI, issued by Township of Colon - Building Permits. In Colon Township the building forms sit with SAFEbuilt: the township's Forms & Permits page says "For all forms and permits please click the link below to visit the Safebuilt Site," and sends ordinance questions to SAFEbuilt's Athens office, 107 S. Capital Avenue, Athens, (269) 729-9244, open Monday through Friday 8-4 and closed 12-1. Permit questions go to the township clerk or supervisor at (269) 432-3371, Monday through Thursday 9-3, at the township office, 132 N. Blackstone Avenue. The township's Permit List posts SAFEbuilt's Zoning Permit Application, which is a separate permit from the building permit. SAFEbuilt's Building Permit & Plans Examination Application lists "Roofing Re-Deck & Shingles" and "Roofing Shingles Only" as improvement types, asks for the contractor's builders license number, federal employer ID and workers compensation carrier "(or reason for exemption)", and says "BUILDING PERMIT FEES ARE CALCULATED BY THE BUILDING INSPECTOR." and "ISSUED PERMITS EXPIRE 180 DAYS FROM THE ISSUED DATE." SAFEbuilt's Athens page says inspections are scheduled by calling its Inspection Hotline, (877) 721-9266, and that inspections called in before 4:00pm are scheduled for the following business day. The application names no community, so confirm with the township office or SAFEbuilt that this is the form used for a reroof in the township. A roofer in the Village of Colon should use the village's own office, not the township's.

Roof code checklist: Township of Colon, MI

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYescolontownship.org2026-10-13
Repair permit thresholdPublishedcolontownship.org2026-10-13
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-13
Deck & sheathingPublishedR905.2.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-13
Drip edgeYesR905.2.8.5codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-13
Ice & water shieldYesR905.1.2ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-13
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNoars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-13
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-13
Contractor license / registrationYeslegislature.mi.gov2026-10-13
Sales & use taxPublishedlegislature.mi.gov2026-10-13

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 Colon, Michigan
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
132 N. Blackstone Avenue, Colon, MI 49040
Contact
  • url: https://www.colontownship.org/forms-permits
  • phone: 269-432-3371
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: The Colon Township website's Forms & Permits page states no contractor registration or licensing requirement of the township's own. SAFEbuilt's Building Permit application asks for the contractor's "Builders License #" and its expiration date.
Permit process note
In Colon Township the building forms sit with SAFEbuilt: the township's Forms & Permits page says "For all forms and permits please click the link below to visit the Safebuilt Site," and sends ordinance questions to SAFEbuilt's Athens office, 107 S. Capital Avenue, Athens, (269) 729-9244, open Monday through Friday 8-4 and closed 12-1. Permit questions go to the township clerk or supervisor at (269) 432-3371, Monday through Thursday 9-3, at the township office, 132 N. Blackstone Avenue. The township's Permit List posts SAFEbuilt's Zoning Permit Application, which is a separate permit from the building permit. SAFEbuilt's Building Permit & Plans Examination Application lists "Roofing Re-Deck & Shingles" and "Roofing Shingles Only" as improvement types, asks for the contractor's builders license number, federal employer ID and workers compensation carrier "(or reason for exemption)", and says "BUILDING PERMIT FEES ARE CALCULATED BY THE BUILDING INSPECTOR." and "ISSUED PERMITS EXPIRE 180 DAYS FROM THE ISSUED DATE." SAFEbuilt's Athens page says inspections are scheduled by calling its Inspection Hotline, (877) 721-9266, and that inspections called in before 4:00pm are scheduled for the following business day. The application names no community, so confirm with the township office or SAFEbuilt that this is the form used for a reroof in the township. A roofer in the Village of Colon should use the village's own office, not the township's.
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." Locally, the Colon Township website and its Forms & Permits page name no code edition and post no building code ordinance; the page sends ordinance questions to SAFEbuilt. SAFEbuilt's Residential Re-Roof guide for homeowners, published November 2020 and linked from its Athens office page, is headed "2015 MRC". LARA's Statewide Jurisdiction List names the Township of Colon as its own building code enforcer.
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 Colon Township website's Forms & Permits page, SAFEbuilt's Athens office page, its Building Permit application and its Residential Re-Roof guide were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge beyond what the state rule already requires; SAFEbuilt's guide lists drip edge around the roof perimeter among its re-roof requirements, which agrees with the state 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). The Colon Township website's Forms & Permits page, SAFEbuilt's Athens office page, its Building Permit application and its Residential Re-Roof guide were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier. 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 Colon Township website's Forms & Permits page, SAFEbuilt's Athens office page, its Building Permit application and its Residential Re-Roof guide were read for a local rule and state no impact rule.
Repair permit threshold
The Township of Colon posts no building ordinance, fee schedule or building permit page of its own: its Forms & Permits page says "For all forms and permits please click the link below to visit the Safebuilt Site." SAFEbuilt's Athens office page, which lists the permit applications used by the communities that office serves, posts a Building Permit & Plans Examination Application whose "Type of Improvement" boxes include "Metal Roofing Only", "Roofing Re-Deck & Shingles" and "Roofing Shingles Only". The application states no square, dollar or area point below which roof work needs no permit, and it names no community. SAFEbuilt's Residential Re-Roof guide for homeowners (published November 2020) opens with the question "Why do I need a permit to re-roof my house?" 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.
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, no township building ordinance or ordinance list was found on the Colon Township website, so no local layer rule was read and this record states no layer classification. SAFEbuilt's Residential Re-Roof guide for homeowners says "No more than two (2) layers are allowed upon completion of installation", and the Colon Township website and Forms & Permits page 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 Colon Township website's Forms & Permits page, SAFEbuilt's Athens office page, its Building Permit application and its Residential Re-Roof guide 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 Colon Township website or in SAFEbuilt's permit pages changes this.

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The Township of Colon's office at 132 N. Blackstone Avenue in Colon takes permit questions, and its Forms & Permits page sends applicants to SAFEbuilt, whose Athens office handles the township's building forms and ordinance questions. The State of Michigan's jurisdiction list names the Township as its own building code enforcer, and the Village of Colon is a separate government with its own office. 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 Colon, MI

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

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Colon, MI. The Township of Colon posts no building ordinance, fee schedule or building permit page of its own: its Forms & Permits page says "For all forms and permits please click the link below to visit the Safebuilt Site." SAFEbuilt's Athens office page, which lists the permit applications used by the communities that office serves, posts a Building Permit & Plans Examination Application whose "Type of Improvement" boxes include "Metal Roofing Only", "Roofing Re-Deck & Shingles" and "Roofing Shingles Only". The application states no square, dollar or area point below which roof work needs no permit, and it names no community. SAFEbuilt's Residential Re-Roof guide for homeowners (published November 2020) opens with the question "Why do I need a permit to re-roof my house?" 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.

Is ice & water shield required in Township of Colon, 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 Colon Township website's Forms & Permits page, SAFEbuilt's Athens office page, its Building Permit application and its Residential Re-Roof guide were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier.

Is drip edge required in Township of Colon, 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 Colon Township website's Forms & Permits page, SAFEbuilt's Athens office page, its Building Permit application and its Residential Re-Roof guide were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge beyond what the state rule already requires; SAFEbuilt's guide lists drip edge around the roof perimeter among its re-roof requirements, which agrees with the state rule.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Township of Colon, 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, no township building ordinance or ordinance list was found on the Colon Township website, so no local layer rule was read and this record states no layer classification. SAFEbuilt's Residential Re-Roof guide for homeowners says "No more than two (2) layers are allowed upon completion of installation", and the Colon Township website and Forms & Permits page state no layer rule.

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

Yes.

What building code does Township of Colon, 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." Locally, the Colon Township website and its Forms & Permits page name no code edition and post no building code ordinance; the page sends ordinance questions to SAFEbuilt. SAFEbuilt's Residential Re-Roof guide for homeowners, published November 2020 and linked from its Athens office page, is headed "2015 MRC". LARA's Statewide Jurisdiction List names the Township of Colon as its own building code enforcer.