City of Mishawaka, Indiana - Building Department

City of Mishawaka, Indiana

city

100 Lincolnway West, Mishawaka, IN 46544

Required

Required

Permits are issued by the City of Mishawaka Building Department at City Hall, 100 Lincolnway West, Mishawaka, IN 46544, on (574) 258-1607, open Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.; the Building Commissioner is Bo Hundt. The department describes its own work as handling "contractor licenses and building permits", issuing and tracking "all building permits", and inspecting "all construction projects built within the city limits". A reroof is filed on the Application for Residential Building Permit, which asks for the project address, the scope of work, the homeowner's name, the contractor and the total estimated value that sets the fee. The contractor pulls the permit where a contractor is doing the work: the City's own answer to "Who needs to obtain the permit?" is "If a contractor is doing the work, they need to obtain the permit. If the homeowner is doing the work, he/she can obtain the permit." A building permit is valid for one year from issue and construction must begin within six months or the permit becomes invalid; if work stops and restarts after that, "a new permit must be purchased based upon the cost to finish the project." CHECK THE HISTORIC DISTRICT BEFORE QUOTING A COLOUR CHANGE. Under Municipal Code Sec. 125-56 a certificate of appropriateness "must be issued by the historic preservation commission before an improvement location permit, demolition permit, building permit or moving permit is issued for, or work is begun on" - within all areas of the historic district or conservation district - "a conspicuous change in the exterior appearance of historic buildings by addition, construction, alteration, or maintenance involving exterior color changes". Applications go to the department of city planning, cost $10.00 and must be filed "at least two weeks prior to the regularly scheduled commission meeting", so a district job needs that lead time in the schedule; roof shape is one of the commission's visual compatibility factors - "The roof shape of a building must be visually compatible with the buildings to which it is visually related." KNOW WHICH DESK THE JOB IS ON. Mishawaka runs its own department for addresses inside the city limits, and the South Bend / St. Joseph County Building Department, which covers "the City of South Bend and St. Joseph County, with some exceptions", sends Mishawaka work back the other way: its published jurisdiction notice states that "3 or 4 digit addresses in Mishawaka, New Carlisle, Walkerton have their own Building Dept."

STATE-SET, AND THE CITY'S OWN ADOPTION FLOATS FORWARD WITH IT. Mishawaka writes no residential building code of its own. Mishawaka Municipal Code Sec. 101-24(a) provides: "Building rules of the state fire prevention and building safety commission as set out in the following Articles of Title 675 of the Indiana Administrative Code are hereby incorporated by reference in this article, and shall include later amendments to those articles as the same are published in the state register or the Indiana Administrative Code with effective dates as fixed therein," and the list that follows includes "Article 14, One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code. Indiana Residential Code (675 IAC 14-4.3)." The residential rule in force today is 675 IAC 14-4.4, the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, which incorporates by reference "that certain document being titled the 2018 International Residential Code for One and Two Family Dwellings, first printing August 2017, published by the International Code Council," filed November 26, 2019 and formally readopted November 18, 2025; 675 IAC 14-4.3, the rule number the ordinance names, is the repealed 2005 edition. The ordinance carries itself forward by its own words, and Indiana law says the same: IC 22-13-2-3(b) provides that a local reference to the rules "by citation to the Indiana Administrative Code (IAC), shall be construed to include all amendments as of the date that the reference is written and any later amendments to that provision, unless accompanied by a reference to a specific edition or supplement to the Indiana Administrative Code." Under IC 22-13-2-3(a)(2) the commission's rules take precedence over any local ordinance covering the same subject matter, and (c) provides that "A city, town, or county may not adopt an ordinance that conflicts with or includes more stringent or detailed requirements than the commission's rules," so no Indiana city can be on a different residential edition. READ THE CITY'S PUBLISHED CODE LIST WITH CARE: the City's Building Codes web page still describes the Indiana Residential Code as based on the "2003 International Residential Code (5th printing) with Indiana amendments," effective April 5, 2008 and amended April 15, 2012. That page is the City's summary of the state's codes rather than an enacted local instrument - its own opening line says the rules "have been set forth by the State of Indiana and adopted by the City of Mishawaka" - and it has not been brought up to date. The Mishawaka Municipal Code as published online is codified through Ordinance No. 5932, enacted May 5, 2025.

Required — STATE-GOVERNED, NOT CITY-SET, and unconditional. Mishawaka cannot vary it: IC 22-13-2-3(c) bars a city, town or county from an ordinance that conflicts with or includes more stringent or detailed requirements than the state commission's rules. The operative text is published first-hand by the Indiana State Building Commissioner, on Indiana Department of Homeland Security letterhead, in the ice and water shield memo of February 25, 2020, which reproduces 2018 IRC R905.2.8.5 in full: "A drip edge shall be provided at eaves and rake edges of shingle roofs. Adjacent segments of drip edge shall be overlapped not less than 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edges shall extend not less than ¼ inch (6.4 mm) below the roof sheathing and extend up back onto the roof deck not less than 2 inches (51 mm). Drip edges shall be mechanically fastened to the rood deck at not more than 12 inches (305 mm) o.c. with fasteners as specified in Section R905.2.5 Underlayment shall be installed over the drip edge along eaves and under the drip edge along rake edges." The word "rood" in that passage is a typo carried in the memo as printed, for "roof deck"; the reading is not in doubt. Indiana amends R905.2.8 only by deleting the word "approved" (675 IAC 14-4.4-86) and does not touch R905.2.8.5, so this text governs as written. About drip edge

Required — REQUIRED IN ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, AND THIS IS THE INDIANA FIELD MOST OFTEN GOT WRONG BY ASSUMING A STATEWIDE ANSWER. Indiana deletes the model IRC Table R301.2(1) and substitutes its own table at 675 IAC 14-4.4-5 with a separate row for each of the 92 counties. Reading across the St. Joseph County row to the column headed "Ice Shield Underlayment Required", the entry is "Yes". Twenty-seven northern counties carry Yes and the other sixty-five carry No, so an answer brought over from an Indianapolis or Carmel job would be wrong here. Mishawaka lies wholly within St. Joseph County. The same row gives a 30 psf ground snow load, a 36-inch foundation depth and a 1 degree F winter design temperature. The Indiana State Building Commissioner has published what this means for a roof, on Indiana Department of Homeland Security letterhead, reproducing the code text in full: "R905.1.2 Ice barriers. In areas where there has been a history of ice forming along the eaves causing a backup of water as designated in Table R301.2(1), an ice barrier shall be installed for asphalt shingles, metal roof shingles, mineral-surfaced roll roofing, slate and slate-type shingles, wood shingles and wood shakes. The ice barrier shall consist of not fewer than two layers of underlayment cemented together, or a self-adhering polymer-modified bitumen sheet shall be used in place of normal underlayment and extend 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. On roofs with slope equal to or greater than eight units vertical in 12 units horizontal (67-percent slope), the ice barrier shall also be applied not less than 36 inches (914 mm) measured along the roof slope from the eave edge of the building. Exception: Detached accessory structures not containing conditioned floor area." The same memo draws the line between the two kinds of Indiana county: "there are specific counties in which it is always required (per Table R301.2(1)), and specific counties in which it is required only when the roofing manufacturer's written installation instructions require it (per Sections R903.1, R904.1 and R905.1)." St. Joseph is one of the always-required counties. Mishawaka adds nothing to this and could not: IC 22-13-2-3(c) bars a local ordinance more stringent or detailed than the state commission's rules. About ice & water barrier

Not required — No mid-roof or in-progress roofing inspection is prescribed. The only inspection provision in the City's building article is Sec. 101-29, and it sets no stages at all: "After the issuance of any building permit, the building commissioner shall make, or cause to be made, inspections of the work being done as are necessary to ensure full compliance with the provisions of this division and the terms of the permit." The City's own published answer to "What kinds of inspections are needed?" names them without any roofing stage: "Depends on the type of permit, but the basic inspections include: footings, framing, electric service, rough electric, underground plumbing, rough plumbing, HVAC, and final building, plumbing, electric and HVAC." The residential permit application prices re-inspections at two stages only, "Rough--$50.00" and "Final----$100.00". ONE RULE A REROOF CAN STILL RUN INTO: Sec. 101-29(a) closes "No work performed under any permit issued under this article shall be closed or covered without such inspection and final approval to close or cover," so where the permitted work includes replacing sheathing or structural members, settle with the Building Department when it wants to see the deck before it is covered. Inspections are booked by telephone on (574) 258-1607: "You can call between 7:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. to schedule for that day or any time thereafter for the next day," and "unless it is an exterior inspection someone must be there to let the inspector in the home or building."

Not required — No impact-resistance requirement applies. 675 IAC 14-4.4, the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, makes four amendments touching the model code's roofing chapter and none of them concerns impact: 14-4.4-84 deletes the last sentence of R902.4 on rooftop-mounted photovoltaic panel systems, 14-4.4-85 deletes the word "approved" from R905.2.6 on asphalt shingle attachment, 14-4.4-86 deletes the word "approved" from R905.2.8 on flashing, and 14-4.4-87 deletes the word "printed" from R905.2.8.4 on other flashing. The rule states no UL 2218, Class 4, Class IV or FM 4473 requirement anywhere. On the local side, Chapter 101 of the Mishawaka Municipal Code, Buildings and Building Regulations, was read across all five of its articles and states no roof covering requirement of any kind, impact or otherwise; its single mention of a roof is a clearance rule for electrical service risers. Mishawaka could not impose one in any event: IC 22-13-2-3(c) bars a city, town or county from adopting an ordinance more stringent or detailed than the state commission's rules. WATCH THE WORD "CLASS" IN INDIANA PAPERWORK: the state's roofing guidance is headed for "Class 2 construction", which is Indiana's structure class for one- and two-family dwellings and their outbuildings under IC 22-12-1-5, not a fire, wind or impact rating. An insurer's premium discount for an impact-rated shingle is a private contract term, not a code requirement.

A PERMIT IS REQUIRED ONCE THE WORK IS WORTH MORE THAN $300.00, and a reroof sits squarely inside the triggering language. Mishawaka Municipal Code Sec. 101-25, headed "Permit required", provides: "A permit shall be obtained before beginning in construction, alteration, repair, or demolition of any building or structure in the city, the cost of which exceeds $300.00, or before beginning any other work in the city as described by the various categories of permitted work set forth in section 101-27(a)-(h), hereinafter, using forms furnished by the building commissioner." Sec. 101-23 sets the article's reach at "the construction, alterations, repair, use, occupancy, maintenance, and additions to all buildings and structures, other than fences, in the city." The City gives the same figure in its own words on its FAQ page, answering "When do I need a permit?" with "To construct, enlarge, alter, repair, demolish or replace structural elements and it is valued over $300.00"; the work it lists under "When don't I need a permit?" is "Painting, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, countertops, landscaping and similar work," and roofing appears nowhere in it. DO NOT READ THE FEE TABLE AS THE THRESHOLD. The Application for Residential Building Permit effective January 1, 2026 opens its brackets at "150 - 5,000 = $ 50.00" and runs by total estimated value to "190,001 - 200,000 = $650.00", after which "For costs greater than $200,000 fees are $650.00 + $25.00 per $10,000.00 thereafter." That $150 is the bottom of a fee bracket; the permit requirement itself is the ordinance's $300.00. Two further money items to price in. An after-the-fact permit costs treble: "FOR BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED AND OBTAINED AFTER THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE WORK FOR WHICH SUCH A PERMIT IS REQUIRED, A FEE EQUIVALENT TO THREE (3) TIMES THE NORMAL FEE WILL BE LEVIED." And a homeowner doing the work instead of hiring a contractor must post a cash bond: Sec. 101-27(h) requires one where the estimated construction cost "equals or exceeds $5,000.00" - $500.00 for a project between $5,000.00 and $8,000.00, and $1,000.00 at $8,001.00 or more - by certified check held by the city controller until the building commissioner is satisfied the work is finished and code compliant. Re-inspections are charged at "Rough--$50.00" and "Final----$100.00".

115 mph. Indiana replaces the model IRC Table R301.2(1) with its own county-by-county table at 675 IAC 14-4.4-5, which opens "Delete TABLE R301.2(1) and the corresponding footnotes and substitute to read as follows." Mishawaka lies wholly within St. Joseph County, whose row gives a wind speed of 115 MPH, seismic design category A, a 30 psf ground snow load, a 36-inch foundation depth and a 1 degree F winter design temperature. All 92 Indiana counties carry the same 115 mph figure, and Mishawaka cannot raise or lower it: IC 22-13-2-3(c) bars a city, town or county from adopting an ordinance that conflicts with or includes more stringent or detailed requirements than the state commission's rules. Wind exposure category remains a site-by-site determination made under the residential code rather than a city or state setting.

NO LOCAL LAYER RULE, AND NONE IS POSSIBLE. Mishawaka's residential code is the state's: 675 IAC 14-4.4, the 2020 Indiana Residential Code, which incorporates the 2018 International Residential Code. That rule runs to 245 numbered sections, and its only amendments touching the model roofing chapter are four word deletions - the last sentence of R902.4 on rooftop-mounted photovoltaic systems, the word "approved" in R905.2.6 on asphalt shingle attachment and in R905.2.8 on flashing, and the word "printed" in R905.2.8.4 on other flashing. It makes no amendment at all to the model code's reroofing and roof recover section, which does not appear in the Indiana rule. So the base International Residential Code rule on recovering an existing roof applies here exactly as published, changed by neither the state nor the City. On the local side, Chapter 101 of the Mishawaka Municipal Code, Buildings and Building Regulations, was read across all five of its articles and states no layer limit, no tear-off trigger and no roof covering rule of any kind. Mishawaka could not add one: IC 22-13-2-3(c) bars a city, town or county from adopting an ordinance that conflicts with or includes more stringent or detailed requirements than the state commission's rules. A roofer planning an overlay should confirm the existing layer count against the adopted International Residential Code with the Building Department before quoting.

7.00% statewide, with no county or city add-on in Mishawaka or St. Joseph County. Indiana levies one state sales tax rate; the Department of Revenue's own page listing what Indiana taxes at county level - innkeeper's tax, food and beverage tax and local income tax - closes with the sentence "The sales tax for the entire State of Indiana is 7%." The county-level tax St. Joseph County does levy is an income tax, not a sales tax, so there is no local percentage to add to a materials invoice. WHO PAYS IT DEPENDS ON THE SHAPE OF THE CONTRACT, NOT ON THE ROOF. Indiana Department of Revenue Sales Tax Information Bulletin #60 (March 2024) names roofing in its own definition of a contractor and then splits on contract form. A "Time and Material Contract" is one "in which the cost of construction material and the cost of labor or other charges are stated separately"; a contractor working under one "is a retail merchant that is selling the construction material that it incorporates into real property, and must be registered with the department and collect sales tax on the material portion of their contracts," and may buy the material exempt for resale. A contractor working under any other form, such as a lump sum, is not a retail merchant: they "must pay sales or use tax on their construction material" and "do not collect sales tax from their customers." On labour the bulletin adds: "Installation charges separately stated on an invoice are not included in gross retail income." The bulletin is Department guidance and says of itself that information bulletins are not binding on the department or the taxpayer, so a roofer should settle their own contract form with an accountant.