Kalkaska County - Construction Codes

Kalkaska County, Michigan (12 townships and the Village of Kalkaska on the county building program)

county

605 N. Birch Street, Kalkaska, MI 49646

Required

Required

Kalkaska County Construction Codes publishes nothing specific to roof work: its Construction Codes page, FAQ, building permit application, plan requirements sheet and handouts name no roofing line, no size or cost point and no reroof exemption. With the department silent on reroofs, 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 county has not applied that relief to roof work. Its Construction Codes page says "***ALL BUILDING PERMITS NEED TO GO THROUGH A PLAN REVIEW. PLEASE ALLOW UP TO 15 BUSINESS DAYS FOR YOUR BUILDING PERMIT TO BE PROCESSED." and "**INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL BE SENT BACK FOR COMPLETION". The Building Permit Application is a PDF form; the FAQ says "There isn't any permit fee information on this web site. Fees are calculated once you submit your plans to the Construction Codes office." and "The link for the pay from home option will be emailed to you once the permit packet has passed review and a price has been calculated." The page lists building inspections on Tuesdays and Thursdays only, and the office's notice reads "OFFICE HOURS AS OF 9-8-26 MONDAY-FRIDAY 7:30-4:30", while its Hours, Location page still prints "Monday - Friday, 8:00 am -5 pm". The office is in the Kalkaska County Government Admin Building at 605 N. Birch Street, Kalkaska, MI 49646, 231-258-3365 ext. 1; older handouts on the same page still print 890 Island Lake Road. The county's program covers the 12 townships and the Village of Kalkaska that LARA's list assigns to it.

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 the Village of Kalkaska to Kalkaska County. The county's Minimum Plan Requirements for Building Permit, a PDF file-dated October 31, 2024 and linked from its Construction Codes page, is headed "2015 MICHIGAN RESIDENTIAL CODE", and its wood deck requirements sheet, file-dated June 8, 2026, says "Construction of wood decks shall conform to the 2015 International Residential Code." The county's Suggested Building Practice handout, file-dated April 4, 2022 and linked from the same page, says "ALL OF THE SECTION NUMBERS COME FORM MRC2009/ RESIDENTIAL BOOK, UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED"; this directory has not read that text as a code adoption, and whether the handout reference has any effect today is not decided here. This record states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state construction code act applies throughout the state ("This act and the code apply throughout the state," MCL 125.1508a) and which LARA says remains in effect while the Court of Claims order of July 7, 2025 stands. Kalkaska County's Minimum Plan Requirements sheet, file-dated October 31, 2024, says "2015 MICHIGAN RESIDENTIAL CODE".

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 Kalkaska County Construction Codes page, forms and handouts state nothing further on drip edge. Kalkaska County's Suggested Building Practice handout cites MRC2009 section numbers; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which the county's Minimum Plan Requirements sheet, headed "2015 MICHIGAN RESIDENTIAL CODE", names; the MRC2009 handout text was not read (see adopted_code). 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 county's Suggested Building Practice handout asks for an ice guard from the eave edge to a point at least 24 inches inside the interior wall line of the residence, which matches the state rule; its pages and forms state nothing further on ice barrier. Kalkaska County's Suggested Building Practice handout cites MRC2009 section numbers; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which the county's Minimum Plan Requirements sheet, headed "2015 MICHIGAN RESIDENTIAL CODE", names; the MRC2009 handout text was not read (see adopted_code). 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 Kalkaska County Construction Codes page, forms and handouts state no impact rule.

Kalkaska County Construction Codes has published nothing on reroofs: its Construction Codes page, FAQ, building permit application, plan requirements sheet and handouts name no roofing line, no size or cost point and no reroof exemption. Its Application for Building Permit offers the work types "Alteration" and "Repair", gives "replace 5 exterior windows and 2 doors" as an example of work to describe, and its Construction Codes page says "ALL BUILDING PERMITS NEED TO GO THROUGH A PLAN REVIEW." 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 county has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. For a small repair, ask the department at 231-258-3365 ext. 1 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." The Kalkaska County Construction Codes page, forms and handouts state no layer rule of their own. The county's Planning, Zoning & Soil Erosion page lists a zoning ordinance and no building ordinance, so no county building ordinance was read for this record. Kalkaska County's Suggested Building Practice handout cites MRC2009 section numbers; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which the county's Minimum Plan Requirements sheet, headed "2015 MICHIGAN RESIDENTIAL CODE", names; the MRC2009 handout text was not read (see adopted_code).

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 county's Suggested Building Practice handout says "SHEATHING: Floor and roof - plywood, face grain to run perpendicular to supports." and its pages and forms state nothing further on roof decks or sheathing. Kalkaska County's Suggested Building Practice handout cites MRC2009 section numbers; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which the county's Minimum Plan Requirements sheet, headed "2015 MICHIGAN RESIDENTIAL CODE", names; the MRC2009 handout text was not read (see adopted_code).

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 Kalkaska County.