Permitting Authorities / Charter Township of Georgetown - Building and Zoning Department
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Charter Township of Georgetown, MI?
Adopted code
Charter Township of Georgetown - Building and Zoning Department
No, Charter Township of Georgetown, MI does not require a permit for like-for-like roof replacement (Charter Township of Georgetown - Building and Zoning Department). Georgetown Township's guide "Do I Need A Building Permit?" lists "Roof Shingles" under "No Paperwork Needed" ("Replacing Any of the Following:") and "Roof Truss Work" under "Building Permit AND/OR Zoning" paperwork, and tells readers with further questions to call the township office at 616-457-2340. The state construction code act requires that "before construction of a building or structure" the owner or the owner's agent "shall submit an application in writing to the appropriate enforcing agency for a building permit," and says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure." (MCL 125.1510), without defining ordinary repairs or capping them. No enacted text read for this record names roof work either way: the township's building chapter, Chapter 10 of its Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full and has no permit section of its own and no amendment to the state code's permit rules (it takes up enforcement of the state codes "as such codes may be amended from time to time"); the Michigan Residential Code's permit-exemption list, Section R105.2 as the state rewrites it, names no roof work; and the township's 2025 fee list has no roofing line. The no-permit line is the township's stated practice; this record does not decide whether it is the township's reading of the ordinary-repairs exemption. The township has published no fee line or form box for roofing. Where a permit is needed, the Residential Projects application is filed on paper at the township office ("We do not accept online/email submissions of this application. Physical copies must be submitted to the Township office."); the Zoning Department reviews it for zoning, then "will forward your application to PCI (Professional Code Inspections)," and "PCI will contact you to pick up your permit" at its office at 1913 Baldwin St, Jenison, 616-667-8803. The township says building code questions "are best directed to PCI". The township office is open Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM; the Building and Zoning Department's phone is 616-457-2340.
Roof code checklist: Charter Township of Georgetown, 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
Charter Township of Georgetown, Michigan
Address
1515 Baldwin Street, Jenison, MI 49428
Contact
- url: https://georgetown-mi.gov/172/Building-Zoning-Department
- phone: 616-457-2340
Roofing permit required
Not required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
Georgetown Township's guide "Do I Need A Building Permit?" lists "Roof Shingles" under "No Paperwork Needed" ("Replacing Any of the Following:") and "Roof Truss Work" under "Building Permit AND/OR Zoning" paperwork, and tells readers with further questions to call the township office at 616-457-2340. The state construction code act requires that "before construction of a building or structure" the owner or the owner's agent "shall submit an application in writing to the appropriate enforcing agency for a building permit," and says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure." (MCL 125.1510), without defining ordinary repairs or capping them. No enacted text read for this record names roof work either way: the township's building chapter, Chapter 10 of its Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full and has no permit section of its own and no amendment to the state code's permit rules (it takes up enforcement of the state codes "as such codes may be amended from time to time"); the Michigan Residential Code's permit-exemption list, Section R105.2 as the state rewrites it, names no roof work; and the township's 2025 fee list has no roofing line. The no-permit line is the township's stated practice; this record does not decide whether it is the township's reading of the ordinary-repairs exemption. The township has published no fee line or form box for roofing. Where a permit is needed, the Residential Projects application is filed on paper at the township office ("We do not accept online/email submissions of this application. Physical copies must be submitted to the Township office."); the Zoning Department reviews it for zoning, then "will forward your application to PCI (Professional Code Inspections)," and "PCI will contact you to pick up your permit" at its office at 1913 Baldwin St, Jenison, 616-667-8803. The township says building code questions "are best directed to PCI". The township office is open Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM; the Building and Zoning Department's phone is 616-457-2340.
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 Georgetown as its own building code enforcer, and the township contracts with Professional Code Inspections for building inspections. The township's Building and Zoning Department page, permit guide and residential permit application name no code edition; Chapter 10 of the township's Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations) was read in full: Section 10-2 says the township "hereby assumes responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the Act, and the building, electrical and mechanical codes promulgated thereunder, as such codes may be amended from time to time," and the chapter names no 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). Georgetown Township's Building and Zoning Department page, its permit guide and its residential building permit application were read and state nothing further on this point.
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). Georgetown Township's Building and Zoning Department page, its permit guide and its residential building permit application were read and state nothing further on this point.
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." Georgetown Township's Building and Zoning Department page, its permit guide and its residential building permit application were read and state nothing further on this point.
Repair permit threshold
Replacing roof shingles needs no permit, in Georgetown Township's own published words, and roof truss work does. The township's guide "Do I Need A Building Permit?" lists "Roof Shingles" under "No Paperwork Needed", among the items in "Replacing Any of the Following:", and lists "Roof Truss Work" under "Building Permit AND/OR Zoning" paperwork. The guide does not say whether replacing decking or sheathing falls under either line, and it says "If you have further questions, please email us" or "call our office: 616-457-2340." The state construction code act requires that "before construction of a building or structure" the owner or the owner's agent "shall submit an application in writing to the appropriate enforcing agency for a building permit," and says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure." (MCL 125.1510), without defining ordinary repairs or capping them. No enacted text read for this record names roof work either way: the township's building chapter, Chapter 10 of its Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full and has no permit section of its own and no amendment to the state code's permit rules (it takes up enforcement of the state codes "as such codes may be amended from time to time"); the Michigan Residential Code's permit-exemption list, Section R105.2 as the state rewrites it, names no roof work; and the township's 2025 fee list has no roofing line. The no-permit line is the township's stated practice; this record does not decide whether it is the township's reading of the ordinary-repairs exemption.
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 township's building chapter, Chapter 10 of the Code of Ordinances of the Charter Township of Georgetown (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full: it takes up enforcement of the state construction code, sets up a construction board of appeals, registers electricians, adopts the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code, and regulates completion of exterior features, moving of buildings, sidewalks and floodplain management; it has no reroofing provision and amends nothing in Section R908. The township's Building and Zoning Department page, permit guide and residential permit application state no layer rule either.
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). Georgetown Township's Building and Zoning Department page, its permit guide and its residential building permit application were read and state nothing further on this point.
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 Georgetown Township's Building and Zoning Department page or its 2025 fee list changes this.
Local roofing hub
More roof permit pages in Michigan
Related guides
Georgetown Charter Township's Building and Zoning Department, at the township office at 1515 Baldwin Street in Jenison, reviews residential building permit applications for zoning and forwards them to Professional Code Inspections (PCI), which the township contracts for building inspections and which issues the permit. The township's own permit guide lists replacing roof shingles under No Paperwork Needed and roof truss work under building permit work. Michigan's single state construction code applies, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.
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Roofing questions: Charter Township of Georgetown, MI
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Charter Township of Georgetown, MI?
No, Charter Township of Georgetown, MI does not require a permit to replace a roof. Replacing roof shingles needs no permit, in Georgetown Township's own published words, and roof truss work does. The township's guide "Do I Need A Building Permit?" lists "Roof Shingles" under "No Paperwork Needed", among the items in "Replacing Any of the Following:", and lists "Roof Truss Work" under "Building Permit AND/OR Zoning" paperwork. The guide does not say whether replacing decking or sheathing falls under either line, and it says "If you have further questions, please email us" or "call our office: 616-457-2340." The state construction code act requires that "before construction of a building or structure" the owner or the owner's agent "shall submit an application in writing to the appropriate enforcing agency for a building permit," and says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure." (MCL 125.1510), without defining ordinary repairs or capping them. No enacted text read for this record names roof work either way: the township's building chapter, Chapter 10 of its Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full and has no permit section of its own and no amendment to the state code's permit rules (it takes up enforcement of the state codes "as such codes may be amended from time to time"); the Michigan Residential Code's permit-exemption list, Section R105.2 as the state rewrites it, names no roof work; and the township's 2025 fee list has no roofing line. The no-permit line is the township's stated practice; this record does not decide whether it is the township's reading of the ordinary-repairs exemption.
Is ice & water shield required in Charter Township of Georgetown, 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). Georgetown Township's Building and Zoning Department page, its permit guide and its residential building permit application were read and state nothing further on this point.
Is drip edge required in Charter Township of Georgetown, 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). Georgetown Township's Building and Zoning Department page, its permit guide and its residential building permit application were read and state nothing further on this point.
Can you roof over an existing roof in Charter Township of Georgetown, 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, the township's building chapter, Chapter 10 of the Code of Ordinances of the Charter Township of Georgetown (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full: it takes up enforcement of the state construction code, sets up a construction board of appeals, registers electricians, adopts the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code, and regulates completion of exterior features, moving of buildings, sidewalks and floodplain management; it has no reroofing provision and amends nothing in Section R908. The township's Building and Zoning Department page, permit guide and residential permit application state no layer rule either.
Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Charter Township of Georgetown, MI?
Yes.
What building code does Charter Township of Georgetown, 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 Georgetown as its own building code enforcer, and the township contracts with Professional Code Inspections for building inspections. The township's Building and Zoning Department page, permit guide and residential permit application name no code edition; Chapter 10 of the township's Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations) was read in full: Section 10-2 says the township "hereby assumes responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the Act, and the building, electrical and mechanical codes promulgated thereunder, as such codes may be amended from time to time," and the chapter names no dwelling code edition.