The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Kalamazoo Area Building Authority (KABA), enforcing agency for Comstock Charter Township

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

Adopted code

Kalamazoo Area Building Authority (KABA), enforcing agency for Comstock Charter Township

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Charter Township of Comstock, MI, issued by Kalamazoo Area Building Authority (KABA), enforcing agency for Comstock Charter Township. Plan on a building permit for a reroof in Comstock Township. Township ordinance 184.003 says the "Kalamazoo Area Building Authority ("KABA") is hereby designated as the enforcing agency" for the township, and KABA's building permit application lists Re-Roofing among its permit types, beside "Roof Repair" "When structural work or sheathing is needed". The application states its authority as 1972 PA 230 and says completion is "Mandatory to obtain permit". Fees are set by KABA's Board of Directors by resolution under township ordinance 184.004; KABA's current fee schedule is effective October 1, 2024. A homeowner occupying the dwelling may pull the permit, though KABA says "we recommend a contractor obtain the permit." Applications can be filed online or at the KABA office, 2322 Nazareth Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49048, 269-216-9511, open Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm.

Roof code checklist: Charter Township of Comstock, MI

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYesBuilding-Appfillable.pdf2026-10-03
Repair permit thresholdPublishedlegislature.mi.gov2026-10-03
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 codePublishedars.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 Comstock, Michigan
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
2322 Nazareth Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49048
Contact
  • url: https://kaba-mi.org/
  • phone: 269-216-9511
Permit portal
Permit portal
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: KABA's building permit application asks for the "Licensee Name and #" and its expiration date; neither KABA's pages read for this record nor the township ordinance sets a separate contractor registration.
Permit process note
Plan on a building permit for a reroof in Comstock Township. Township ordinance 184.003 says the "Kalamazoo Area Building Authority ("KABA") is hereby designated as the enforcing agency" for the township, and KABA's building permit application lists Re-Roofing among its permit types, beside "Roof Repair" "When structural work or sheathing is needed". The application states its authority as 1972 PA 230 and says completion is "Mandatory to obtain permit". Fees are set by KABA's Board of Directors by resolution under township ordinance 184.004; KABA's current fee schedule is effective October 1, 2024. A homeowner occupying the dwelling may pull the permit, though KABA says "we recommend a contractor obtain the permit." Applications can be filed online or at the KABA office, 2322 Nazareth Road, Kalamazoo, MI 49048, 269-216-9511, open Monday through Friday 8am to 5pm.
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 lists the Township of Comstock as a local enforcer, and the township's State Construction Code Ordinance (Ordinance 457, as amended by Ordinance 539 in 2024) assumes enforcement of "the State Construction Code adopted thereunder as the same is currently in effect" and designates KABA as the enforcing agency.
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). Comstock's State Construction Code Ordinance (Ordinance 457, codified at 184.000, read in full) states nothing further on drip edge. 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). Comstock's State Construction Code Ordinance (Ordinance 457, codified at 184.000, read in full) states 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." Comstock's State Construction Code Ordinance (Ordinance 457, codified at 184.000, read in full) states nothing further on roof coverings; no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in it.
Repair permit threshold
KABA publishes no size or dollar line below which roof work in Comstock needs no permit. State law requires that "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" (MCL 125.1510(1)), defines construction to mean "the construction, erection, reconstruction, alteration, conversion, demolition, repair, moving, or equipping of buildings or structures" (MCL 125.1502a(n)), and says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure." (MCL 125.1510(7)) without defining ordinary repairs; the permit exemptions in the Michigan Residential Code name no roofing. KABA's building permit application lists Re-Roofing among its permit types, beside a separate item for "Roof Repair" "When structural work or sheathing is needed", so plan on a permit for any reroof in Comstock Township.
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." Comstock's own building ordinance, the State Construction Code Ordinance (Ordinance 457, codified at 184.000), was read in full: it assumes enforcement of the state code, designates KABA, and sets up fees and a board of appeals, and nothing in it touches the reroofing section, so the state limit applies unchanged.
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). Comstock's State Construction Code Ordinance (Ordinance 457, codified at 184.000, read in full) states nothing further on roof sheathing; KABA's permit application lists "Roof Repair" "When structural work or sheathing is needed" as its own permit item.
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." Comstock Township adds no sales tax of its own, so 6% is the whole rate on a job there.

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Comstock Charter Township has designated the Kalamazoo Area Building Authority (KABA), at 2322 Nazareth Road in Kalamazoo, as the enforcing agency for the state construction code; KABA issues building and trade permits and inspects construction in the township. KABA's building permit application has a Re-Roofing box. Michigan applies one residential code statewide, so the roofing rules below are state law that KABA enforces in Comstock.

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Sources

Roofing questions: Charter Township of Comstock, MI

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

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Charter Township of Comstock, MI. KABA publishes no size or dollar line below which roof work in Comstock needs no permit. State law requires that "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" (MCL 125.1510(1)), defines construction to mean "the construction, erection, reconstruction, alteration, conversion, demolition, repair, moving, or equipping of buildings or structures" (MCL 125.1502a(n)), and says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure." (MCL 125.1510(7)) without defining ordinary repairs; the permit exemptions in the Michigan Residential Code name no roofing. KABA's building permit application lists Re-Roofing among its permit types, beside a separate item for "Roof Repair" "When structural work or sheathing is needed", so plan on a permit for any reroof in Comstock Township.

Is ice & water shield required in Charter Township of Comstock, 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). Comstock's State Construction Code Ordinance (Ordinance 457, codified at 184.000, read in full) states nothing further on ice barrier.

Is drip edge required in Charter Township of Comstock, 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). Comstock's State Construction Code Ordinance (Ordinance 457, codified at 184.000, read in full) states nothing further on drip edge.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Charter Township of Comstock, 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." Comstock's own building ordinance, the State Construction Code Ordinance (Ordinance 457, codified at 184.000), was read in full: it assumes enforcement of the state code, designates KABA, and sets up fees and a board of appeals, and nothing in it touches the reroofing section, so the state limit applies unchanged.

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

Yes.

What building code does Charter Township of Comstock, 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 lists the Township of Comstock as a local enforcer, and the township's State Construction Code Ordinance (Ordinance 457, as amended by Ordinance 539 in 2024) assumes enforcement of "the State Construction Code adopted thereunder as the same is currently in effect" and designates KABA as the enforcing agency.