Permitting Authorities / City of Ironwood - Building Department
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Ironwood, MI?
Adopted code
City of Ironwood - Building Department
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Ironwood, MI, issued by City of Ironwood - Building Department. The City of Ironwood Building Department's page, read October 12, 2026, says it "issues building permits and performs plan review for construction of all new buildings, garages, alterations, swimming pools, demolitions of buildings, and sundry repairs (replacement of siding, roofing, windows, decks, etc..)" and "A building permit must be obtained prior to starting a construction project." The city's fee schedule for fiscal year 2026-2027 prices "Sundry repairs, remodeling and alterations (limited to replacement of windows, doors, roof, siding) under $1,000.00 cost (materials and labor)" at $60.00, and the same work costing $1,000 to $20,000 at $60.00, rising by cost to $175.00 over $100,000; it also lists "*Construction without permit (plus permit fee)" at $100.00+. The page adds "The fee for the permit is determined on the type of project." and "The permit fee will be increased per Ordinance of City of Ironwood for starting jobs without first obtaining a building permit." It says "Electrical, plumbing, and heating permits are obtained through the State of Michigan." The page lists the Building Inspector at 906-932-5050, extension 115, at 213 S. Marquette St., Ironwood, MI 49938, and its design criteria list includes "Ice Shield Underlayment is Required". The city's permit application is posted on its Documents page.
Roof code checklist: Ironwood, 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
City of Ironwood, Michigan
Address
213 S. Marquette St., Ironwood, MI 49938
Contact
- url: https://ironwoodmi.gov/building/
- phone: 906-932-5050
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
The City of Ironwood Building Department's page, read October 12, 2026, says it "issues building permits and performs plan review for construction of all new buildings, garages, alterations, swimming pools, demolitions of buildings, and sundry repairs (replacement of siding, roofing, windows, decks, etc..)" and "A building permit must be obtained prior to starting a construction project." The city's fee schedule for fiscal year 2026-2027 prices "Sundry repairs, remodeling and alterations (limited to replacement of windows, doors, roof, siding) under $1,000.00 cost (materials and labor)" at $60.00, and the same work costing $1,000 to $20,000 at $60.00, rising by cost to $175.00 over $100,000; it also lists "*Construction without permit (plus permit fee)" at $100.00+. The page adds "The fee for the permit is determined on the type of project." and "The permit fee will be increased per Ordinance of City of Ironwood for starting jobs without first obtaining a building permit." It says "Electrical, plumbing, and heating permits are obtained through the State of Michigan." The page lists the Building Inspector at 906-932-5050, extension 115, at 213 S. Marquette St., Ironwood, MI 49938, and its design criteria list includes "Ice Shield Underlayment is Required". The city's permit application is posted on its Documents page.
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." The City of Ironwood's Building Department page, read October 12, 2026, lists the codes the city enforces and says "Michigan Residential Code, 2015 Edition. Used for one and two family dwelling construction." Section 10-19 of the city's Code of Ordinances provides that the State Construction Code Act "shall be enforced within the city by the city" and names no edition, and LARA's Statewide Jurisdiction List names the City of Ironwood 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). Chapter 10 of the City of Ironwood Code of Ordinances and the Building Department's page were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge.
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). The Building Department's page, read October 12, 2026, lists "Ice Shield Underlayment is Required" among the city's climatic and geographic design criteria, which agrees with the state rule, and Chapter 10 of the City of Ironwood Code of Ordinances states nothing further on ice barrier.
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." Chapter 10 of the City of Ironwood Code of Ordinances and the Building Department's page were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
The City of Ironwood Building Department says it "issues building permits and performs plan review for construction of all new buildings, garages, alterations, swimming pools, demolitions of buildings, and sundry repairs (replacement of siding, roofing, windows, decks, etc..)" and "A building permit must be obtained prior to starting a construction project." Its fee schedule for fiscal year 2026-2027 has a dedicated line for "Sundry repairs, remodeling and alterations (limited to replacement of windows, doors, roof, siding)", charged by the cost of materials and labor. The page states no dollar, area or ordinary-repair threshold below which roof work 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.
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, Chapter 10 of the City of Ironwood Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations, Sections 10-1 through 10-531, in the city's current codification) was read in full on October 12, 2026: it provides for enforcement of the state construction code, sets fees by resolution, contains a housing code, and regulates the moving and wrecking of buildings and outdoor furnaces; it has no reroofing provision and amends nothing in Section R908. The Building Department's page, which still points to the building chapter by its former number, Chapter 7, states 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). Chapter 10 of the City of Ironwood Code of Ordinances and the Building Department's page 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 City of Ironwood Building Department page or in its fee schedule changes this.
Local roofing hub
More roof permit pages in Michigan
Related guides
The City of Ironwood's Building Department, at 213 S. Marquette St. in Ironwood, issues building permits and performs plan review for new buildings, alterations, swimming pools, demolitions and sundry repairs that include replacement of roofing, and Section 10-19 of the city's Code of Ordinances provides that the city enforces the State Construction Code Act within its limits. The department's page lists the 2015 Michigan Residential Code as the code it enforces for one and two family dwellings. Michigan applies one residential code statewide, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.
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