Permitting Authorities / Jefferson Township - Building Permits
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of Jefferson, MI?
Adopted code
Jefferson Township - Building Permits
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Jefferson, MI, issued by Jefferson Township - Building Permits. Jefferson Township publishes nothing specific to roof work in its building permit materials. Its Forms page lists a "Building Permit Application", and the township's Zoning Ordinance, Section 2.2(C)(3), says a zoning permit is not required for "The repair and/or replacement of exterior building features such as siding, roofing, windows and similar features" and that "A building permit may be necessary for such alterations pursuant to the Building Code." Section 2.6 adds that construction needs a zoning permit and, "where required by state law", a building permit from the Building Inspector. With the township referring reroofs to the building code and silent on them in its permit materials, the state's general permit rule applies: "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." The same section says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure," without defining ordinary repairs, and the township has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. The township posts no building permit fee schedule; ask for the current fee. Its home page says "The township does not have office hours at the building" and that the Clerk sets appointments on request, with the Township Hall line at 269-445-3941.
Roof code checklist: Township of Jefferson, 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
Township of Jefferson, Cass County, Michigan
Address
24725 Jefferson Center Street, Cassopolis, MI 49031
Contact
- url: https://www.jeffersontownshiponline.org/forms
- phone: 269-445-3941
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.
Permit process note
Jefferson Township publishes nothing specific to roof work in its building permit materials. Its Forms page lists a "Building Permit Application", and the township's Zoning Ordinance, Section 2.2(C)(3), says a zoning permit is not required for "The repair and/or replacement of exterior building features such as siding, roofing, windows and similar features" and that "A building permit may be necessary for such alterations pursuant to the Building Code." Section 2.6 adds that construction needs a zoning permit and, "where required by state law", a building permit from the Building Inspector. With the township referring reroofs to the building code and silent on them in its permit materials, the state's general permit rule applies: "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." The same section says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure," without defining ordinary repairs, and the township has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. The township posts no building permit fee schedule; ask for the current fee. Its home page says "The township does not have office hours at the building" and that the Clerk sets appointments on request, with the Township Hall line at 269-445-3941.
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 Township of Jefferson in Cass County as its own building code enforcer. The township's Zoning Ordinance, Ordinance No. 01-24, refers to the "Building Code" and the "Construction Code" and names no edition, its posted Construction Board of Appeals rules refer to the "MICHIGAN BUILDING CODE" and name no edition, and the township posts no building code ordinance, so this record states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code for the reasons above.
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). Jefferson Township's Forms page, Building Permit Application and Zoning Ordinance 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). Jefferson Township's Forms page, Building Permit Application and Zoning Ordinance were read for a local rule and state 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." Jefferson Township's Forms page, Building Permit Application and Zoning Ordinance were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
Jefferson Township publishes nothing on reroofs in its building permit materials. Its Forms page lists a "Building Permit Application" with electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications, and the posted building permit application (a scanned form headed Building Permit Application for Jefferson Township) has a repair or replacement type of project with no roofing box. The township's Zoning Ordinance, Section 2.2(C)(3), exempts from the zoning permit "The repair and/or replacement of exterior building features such as siding, roofing, windows and similar features" and adds "A building permit may be necessary for such alterations pursuant to the Building Code." The township posts no building fee schedule or roofing statement. 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. The township has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. Call the Township Hall at 269-445-3941 before a reroof or a small roof repair.
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 posts no building code or building ordinance; its Zoning Ordinance was searched for roofing, shingle and building code text and has no reroofing provision, so this record declares no classification.
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). Jefferson Township's Forms page, Building Permit Application and Zoning Ordinance 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 Jefferson Township pages changes this.
Local roofing hub
Roof permits nearby: Cass County
Related guides
Jefferson Township, in Cass County, takes building permit applications at the Township Hall, 24725 Jefferson Center Street in Cassopolis, and posts building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permit applications and a Construction Board of Appeals application on its Forms page. The township does not keep office hours at the hall and sets appointments with its Clerk. The State of Michigan's jurisdiction list names the Township as its own building code enforcer, and for houses Michigan applies the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.
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