Grand Traverse County - Building Department

Grand Traverse County, Michigan (12 townships and 2 villages on the county building program)

county

2650 LaFranier Road, Traverse City, MI 49686

Required

Required

The Grand Traverse County Building Department says "All building permits require a plan review" and, for the projects it lists, "Each project may be different and you can always call the Office at 231-995-6044 to get clarification." It also says "Most projects also require a Land Use Permit from your township" and that "Each township has their own set of regulations." Applications, plans, fee payment and inspection requests go through the county's online permit and inspection portal, EPIC GT; its Construction Code page says "Estimated wait for Plan Review: Minimum of 2 weeks". The fee schedule says "The minimum building permit fee is $165 which includes one inspection." and lists an additional inspection at $55 and work started without a permit at $55; it prices no roofing item separately. The building permit application has a "Repair" box among its types of improvement and a line for the contractor's builders license number. The county serves the units LARA assigns to it; its Building Permit Process page says "If your project is in Garfield Township, then you will obtain your building permit from them", and its List of Townships names the City of Traverse City as a separate unit. The office is at 2650 LaFranier Road, Traverse City, MI 49686, (231) 995-6044; its FAQ gives office hours of 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

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 12 townships and 2 villages to Grand Traverse County. The county's Construction Code Enforcing Agency Ordinance (Ordinance No. 4, effective 11/27/2021) designates the county's enforcing agency under the State Construction Code Act and names no code edition. The Building Department's Construction Code page, read October 10, 2026, says "We are using the 2021 Michigan Building Code, 2021 Rehabilitation Code for Existing Buildings, 2021 Michigan Energy Code, 2021 Michigan Residential Code, 2023 Michigan Electrical Code, 2021 Michigan Mechanical Code, and 2021 Michigan Plumbing Code." and, in the next paragraph, "The 2015 Michigan Residential Code and the 2015 Residential Energy Code will remain in effect until further notice." The department's plan requirements sheet is headed "2015 MICHIGAN RESIDENTIAL BUILDING CODE PLAN REQUIREMENTS". This record states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code for the reasons above.

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 Grand Traverse County Building Department pages read for this record (Construction Code, Building Permit Process, Fee Schedule, FAQs) and the county's Construction Code Enforcing Agency Ordinance 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 Grand Traverse County Building Department pages read for this record (Construction Code, Building Permit Process, Fee Schedule, FAQs) and the county's Construction Code Enforcing Agency Ordinance 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 Grand Traverse County Building Department pages and its Construction Code Enforcing Agency Ordinance state no impact rule.

The Grand Traverse County Building Department's pages read for this record (its Construction Code, Building Permit Process, Fee Schedule and FAQ pages) publish nothing on reroofing and no size, square or dollar point below which roof work needs no permit. They say "All building permits require a plan review." and "Each project may be different and you can always call the Office at 231-995-6044 to get clarification." Its fee schedule has no roofing line. The state part: Michigan's construction code act says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure" and does not define ordinary repairs. For a small repair or a reroof, ask the Building Department (231-995-6044) 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 county's only building ordinance, the Construction Code Enforcing Agency Ordinance (Ordinance No. 4, read in full, 3 pages), designates the enforcing agency and a Building Code Board of Appeals and has no roofing provision; the county's ordinance index lists no other building ordinance, and the Building Department pages read for this record 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 Grand Traverse County Building Department pages read for this record (Construction Code, Building Permit Process, Fee Schedule, FAQs) and the county's Construction Code Enforcing Agency Ordinance 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 Grand Traverse County.