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Permitting Authorities / Liberty Township - Building Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of Liberty, MI?

Adopted code

Liberty Township - Building Department

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Liberty, MI, issued by Liberty Township - Building Department. A reroof in Liberty Township starts with the township's Roofing Permit Application, which asks for the job address, the owner, the contractor's builder's license number, insurance and employer numbers, the estimated construction value and square footage, and a "Description of Where Roofing is Being Installed". The form states "Inspection Fee: $100.00" and "(Includes a $20.00 Administration Fee)", and warns "If decking, Ice Protection, Underlayment and Flashing is concealed before inspection, the person responsible for concealing the Decking, Ice Protection, Underlayment and Flashing shall be responsible for all costs resulting from uncovering and replacing the covering material." The township's Forms page says "Most all residential and commercial projects will require permits, inspections and approvals." Its Planning and Zoning page says of the zoning permit "Zoning permits are only needed when a new structure or addition is being built.", so a reroof does not start with a zoning permit. Its payment page says "Before paying for a permit, please call (517) 529-4374 to confirm the number of inspections needed and the correct amount due." The state's general permit rule is the base: "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's Building Permit Application is the state form and also says "$100 Per Inspection" and "(Includes a $20 Admin. Fee)". The township office is at 101 W. Liberty Road, Clarklake, MI 49234, open Monday and Thursday from 8 am to 4 pm, at (517) 529-4374; the township lists a building inspector, an electrical inspector, a mechanical inspector and a plumbing inspector on its Planning and Zoning page.

Roof code checklist: Township of Liberty, MI

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYeslibertytwp.us2026-10-12
Repair permit thresholdPublishedlibertytwp.us2026-10-12
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-12
Deck & sheathingPublishedR905.2.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-12
Drip edgeYesR905.2.8.5codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-12
Ice & water shieldYesR905.1.2ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-12
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNoars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-12
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-12
Contractor license / registrationYeslegislature.mi.gov2026-10-12
Sales & use taxPublishedlegislature.mi.gov2026-10-12

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 Liberty, Jackson County, Michigan
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
101 W. Liberty Road, Clarklake, MI 49234
Contact
  • url: https://www.libertytwp.us/planning.html
  • phone: 517-529-4374
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.
  • city_level: Liberty Township's Forms page says of its Contractor Registration "Contractors must file this in order to pull any building, electrical, mechanical or plumbing permits for their projects. This must be filed annually (from date of registration to one year from that date). There is an annual fee of $10." The Annual Contractor Registration Form states "Annual Registration Fee: $10.00" and says "Please Present Your State License to Permit Clerk", and it asks for the contractor's workers compensation carrier and a federal ID.
Permit process note
A reroof in Liberty Township starts with the township's Roofing Permit Application, which asks for the job address, the owner, the contractor's builder's license number, insurance and employer numbers, the estimated construction value and square footage, and a "Description of Where Roofing is Being Installed". The form states "Inspection Fee: $100.00" and "(Includes a $20.00 Administration Fee)", and warns "If decking, Ice Protection, Underlayment and Flashing is concealed before inspection, the person responsible for concealing the Decking, Ice Protection, Underlayment and Flashing shall be responsible for all costs resulting from uncovering and replacing the covering material." The township's Forms page says "Most all residential and commercial projects will require permits, inspections and approvals." Its Planning and Zoning page says of the zoning permit "Zoning permits are only needed when a new structure or addition is being built.", so a reroof does not start with a zoning permit. Its payment page says "Before paying for a permit, please call (517) 529-4374 to confirm the number of inspections needed and the correct amount due." The state's general permit rule is the base: "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's Building Permit Application is the state form and also says "$100 Per Inspection" and "(Includes a $20 Admin. Fee)". The township office is at 101 W. Liberty Road, Clarklake, MI 49234, open Monday and Thursday from 8 am to 4 pm, at (517) 529-4374; the township lists a building inspector, an electrical inspector, a mechanical inspector and a plumbing inspector on its Planning and Zoning 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." LARA's Statewide Jurisdiction List names the Township of Liberty in Jackson County as its own building code enforcer. Liberty Township's Roofing Permit Application, which carries no date, is headed "2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code"; this directory has not read that text, and whether that 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. Liberty Township has published no statement naming the edition it enforces; its Zoning Ordinance (Revised Version April, 2009) refers to "the Township Building Code" and to "the Building code" without an edition, its Forms page posts a Zoning Ordinance and a Land Division Ordinance and no building ordinance, and its Building Permit Application is the state form with a township header that names no edition. A swimming pool handout on its Forms page is Appendix G of the 2009 Michigan Residential Code, which says its provisions "are not mandatory unless specifically referenced in the adopting ordinance."
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). The Liberty Township Roofing Permit Application, Building Permit Application, Planning and Zoning page and Zoning Ordinance were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge. Liberty Township's Roofing Permit Application names the 2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state; Liberty Township has published no statement naming the edition it enforces; the 2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code text was not read (see adopted_code). About drip edge
Ice & 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 Liberty Township Roofing Permit Application, Building Permit Application, Planning and Zoning page and Zoning Ordinance were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier. Liberty Township's Roofing Permit Application names the 2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state; Liberty Township has published no statement naming the edition it enforces; the 2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code text was not read (see adopted_code). About ice & water barrier
Impact-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." The Liberty Township Roofing Permit Application, Building Permit Application, Planning and Zoning page and Zoning Ordinance were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
Liberty Township has a permit application for roofing alone: its Forms page lists a "Roofing Permit Application" among its permit forms, and the form, headed "2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code", carries "Inspection Fee: $100.00" and "(Includes a $20.00 Administration Fee)" and asks for the estimated construction value, the square footage and a "Description of Where Roofing is Being Installed". The township publishes no size, square or dollar point below which roof work needs no permit, and no reroof exemption. Its Forms page says "Most all residential and commercial projects will require permits, inspections and approvals." 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. A full reroof has an application of its own at the township, so plan on a roofing permit and call the township office at (517) 529-4374 before starting.
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, no building ordinance was found: the township's Forms page posts a Zoning Ordinance and a Land Division Ordinance and no building ordinance, and the posted Zoning Ordinance (Revised Version April, 2009) was searched and has no roofing or shingle provision, so no classification is declared. The Roofing Permit Application states no layer rule. Liberty Township's Roofing Permit Application names the 2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state; Liberty Township has published no statement naming the edition it enforces; the 2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code text was not read (see adopted_code).
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). The Liberty Township Roofing Permit Application, Building Permit Application, Planning and Zoning page and Zoning Ordinance were read for a local rule and state nothing further on roof sheathing. Liberty Township's Roofing Permit Application names the 2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state; Liberty Township has published no statement naming the edition it enforces; the 2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code text was not read (see adopted_code).
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 Liberty Township Roofing Permit Application or Planning and Zoning page changes this.

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Liberty Township's building permits are handled through the township office at 101 W. Liberty Road in Clarklake, which posts a Roofing Permit Application of its own, asks applicants to call before paying a permit fee, and lists a building inspector alongside electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspectors. Michigan's single state construction code applies, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.

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Sources

Roofing questions: Township of Liberty, MI

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of Liberty, MI?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Liberty, MI. Liberty Township has a permit application for roofing alone: its Forms page lists a "Roofing Permit Application" among its permit forms, and the form, headed "2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code", carries "Inspection Fee: $100.00" and "(Includes a $20.00 Administration Fee)" and asks for the estimated construction value, the square footage and a "Description of Where Roofing is Being Installed". The township publishes no size, square or dollar point below which roof work needs no permit, and no reroof exemption. Its Forms page says "Most all residential and commercial projects will require permits, inspections and approvals." 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. A full reroof has an application of its own at the township, so plan on a roofing permit and call the township office at (517) 529-4374 before starting.

Is ice & water shield required in Township of Liberty, 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). The Liberty Township Roofing Permit Application, Building Permit Application, Planning and Zoning page and Zoning Ordinance were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier. Liberty Township's Roofing Permit Application names the 2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state; Liberty Township has published no statement naming the edition it enforces; the 2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code text was not read (see adopted_code).

Is drip edge required in Township of Liberty, 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). The Liberty Township Roofing Permit Application, Building Permit Application, Planning and Zoning page and Zoning Ordinance were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge. Liberty Township's Roofing Permit Application names the 2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state; Liberty Township has published no statement naming the edition it enforces; the 2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code text was not read (see adopted_code).

Can you roof over an existing roof in Township of Liberty, 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, no building ordinance was found: the township's Forms page posts a Zoning Ordinance and a Land Division Ordinance and no building ordinance, and the posted Zoning Ordinance (Revised Version April, 2009) was searched and has no roofing or shingle provision, so no classification is declared. The Roofing Permit Application states no layer rule. Liberty Township's Roofing Permit Application names the 2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state; Liberty Township has published no statement naming the edition it enforces; the 2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code text was not read (see adopted_code).

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Township of Liberty, MI?

Yes.

What building code does Township of Liberty, 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 Township of Liberty in Jackson County as its own building code enforcer. Liberty Township's Roofing Permit Application, which carries no date, is headed "2012 Michigan Building/Residential Code"; this directory has not read that text, and whether that 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. Liberty Township has published no statement naming the edition it enforces; its Zoning Ordinance (Revised Version April, 2009) refers to "the Township Building Code" and to "the Building code" without an edition, its Forms page posts a Zoning Ordinance and a Land Division Ordinance and no building ordinance, and its Building Permit Application is the state form with a township header that names no edition. A swimming pool handout on its Forms page is Appendix G of the 2009 Michigan Residential Code, which says its provisions "are not mandatory unless specifically referenced in the adopting ordinance."