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Permitting Authorities / Morton Township - Building Department

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

Adopted code

Morton Township - Building Department

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Morton, MI, issued by Morton Township - Building Department. The township's published permit material says nothing specific about roof work: the Forms, Ordinances, and Maps page, the Residential Building Permit Application and the Building and Zoning Check List name no roofing line and no reroof exemption. With the township 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 township has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. The application is headed "MORTON TOWNSHIP BUILDING DEPARTMENT" and notes "SEPARATE APPLICATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED FOR ZONING PERMIT, PLUMBING, MECHANICAL, AND ELECTRICAL WORK PERMITS"; it requires "THE DOLLAR VALUATION OF PROPOSED PROJECT (REQUIRED)" and says "FINAL BUILDING INSPECTIONS ARE DONE ON MONDAY - THURSDAY." Its contractor line reads "MUST BE REGISTERED WITH MORTON TOWNSHIP OR WILL NOT ACCEPT". The township posts no building permit fee schedule: the application's last page is "RESERVED FOR PERMIT FEE CALCULATIONS AND BUILDING VALUES" and is blank, so ask the Building Department for the current fee. The township hall, at 290 W. Main Street, Mecosta, MI 49332, phone 231-972-7138, is open Monday to Thursday 8:00am to 4:30pm and Friday 8:00am to Noon. The Village of Mecosta is a separate building code unit on the state's list and is not covered by this record.

Roof code checklist: Township of Morton, MI

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYesBUILDING-APP-8-1-2023.pdf2026-10-12
Repair permit thresholdPublishedBUILDING-APP-8-1-2023.pdf2026-10-12
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 Morton, Michigan
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
290 West Main Street, Mecosta, MI 49332
Contact
  • url: https://mortontownship.org/forms-ordinances-maps/
  • phone: 231-972-7138
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: Morton Township requires registration of a contractor's licence before it issues permits. Its Application for Registration of Contractor's License says "The registration of your license or licenses must be on file before Morton Township can issue permits." and "It is necessary to enclose a copy of your current State License with your application."; the form lists builder, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and H.V.A.C. contractors and shows no registration fee. The building permit application's contractor line reads "MUST BE REGISTERED WITH MORTON TOWNSHIP OR WILL NOT ACCEPT".
Permit process note
The township's published permit material says nothing specific about roof work: the Forms, Ordinances, and Maps page, the Residential Building Permit Application and the Building and Zoning Check List name no roofing line and no reroof exemption. With the township 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 township has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. The application is headed "MORTON TOWNSHIP BUILDING DEPARTMENT" and notes "SEPARATE APPLICATIONS MUST BE COMPLETED FOR ZONING PERMIT, PLUMBING, MECHANICAL, AND ELECTRICAL WORK PERMITS"; it requires "THE DOLLAR VALUATION OF PROPOSED PROJECT (REQUIRED)" and says "FINAL BUILDING INSPECTIONS ARE DONE ON MONDAY - THURSDAY." Its contractor line reads "MUST BE REGISTERED WITH MORTON TOWNSHIP OR WILL NOT ACCEPT". The township posts no building permit fee schedule: the application's last page is "RESERVED FOR PERMIT FEE CALCULATIONS AND BUILDING VALUES" and is blank, so ask the Building Department for the current fee. The township hall, at 290 W. Main Street, Mecosta, MI 49332, phone 231-972-7138, is open Monday to Thursday 8:00am to 4:30pm and Friday 8:00am to Noon. The Village of Mecosta is a separate building code unit on the state's list and is not covered by this record.
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 Morton as its own building code enforcer, separately from the Village of Mecosta. The township's zoning ordinance (updated as of January 10, 2023) refers to the "Michigan Construction Code, as amended (Pub Act 230), as enforced by Morton Township", says "Michigan Residential Code requirements shall be adhered to (building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing)" for mini cabins, and defines its "Building Code" as "The current code or codes in effect in the Township", naming no edition. Its parking table for funeral parlors and assembly uses refers to capacity "authorized by the Uniform Building Code, etc.", a reference with no edition that is not a residential code. The township has published no ordinance adopting a building code and no statement of which edition it enforces.
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 township's Forms, Ordinances, and Maps page, its residential building permit application, its building and zoning checklist and its zoning ordinance were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge. 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 township's Forms, Ordinances, and Maps page, its residential building permit application, its building and zoning checklist and its zoning ordinance were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier. 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 township's Forms, Ordinances, and Maps page, its residential building permit application, its building and zoning checklist and its zoning ordinance state no impact rule.
Repair permit threshold
Morton Township has published nothing that applies a permit or an exemption to roof work: its Residential Building Permit Application, its Building and Zoning Check List for Building Construction and its Forms, Ordinances, and Maps page name no roofing line, no reroof exemption and no size or dollar point below which a repair needs no permit, and the application offers "REPAIR" and "ALTERATION" among its types of residential improvement without defining either. 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, and the township has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. For any roof work, large or small, call the Building Department at 231-972-7138 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, the township's Forms, Ordinances, and Maps page lists a cemetery ordinance, an emergency services cost recovery ordinance, a junk ordinance, a subdivision control ordinance, a zoning ordinance and site condominium regulations, and no building code ordinance, so no township building ordinance was read and no classification is declared here; the zoning ordinance was searched in full and has no reroofing provision, and the permit application and checklist state 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). The township's Forms, Ordinances, and Maps page, its residential building permit application, its building and zoning checklist and its zoning ordinance were read for a local rule and state nothing further on roof sheathing; the only roof statements are the zoning ordinance's requirement that "all dwellings shall meet or exceed all applicable roof snow load and strength requirements" and the new-construction checklist's line "Truss specifications (40 lb. Snow Loading in Morton Township)".
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 Morton Township Forms, Ordinances, and Maps page or in its permit application changes this.

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Morton Township's Building Department, at the township hall at 290 West Main Street in Mecosta (Mecosta County), takes residential, commercial, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, demolition and other permit applications, and the township's own building official and zoning official are listed on its Department List. LARA's Statewide Jurisdiction List names the Township of Morton as its own building code enforcer, separately from the Village of Mecosta. Michigan applies one residential code statewide, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.

Working an insurance claim in Township of Morton, MI? Everything on this page (drip edge, ice & water shield, inspections, Class 4 rules) formatted as a claim-ready evidence pack: verbatim ordinance quotes, code section cites, verification dates, and official source links, ready to attach to a supplement. See a real sample pack (PDF, 4 pages, free).

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Sources

Roofing questions: Township of Morton, MI

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

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Morton, MI. Morton Township has published nothing that applies a permit or an exemption to roof work: its Residential Building Permit Application, its Building and Zoning Check List for Building Construction and its Forms, Ordinances, and Maps page name no roofing line, no reroof exemption and no size or dollar point below which a repair needs no permit, and the application offers "REPAIR" and "ALTERATION" among its types of residential improvement without defining either. 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, and the township has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. For any roof work, large or small, call the Building Department at 231-972-7138 before starting.

Is ice & water shield required in Township of Morton, 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 township's Forms, Ordinances, and Maps page, its residential building permit application, its building and zoning checklist and its zoning ordinance were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier.

Is drip edge required in Township of Morton, 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 township's Forms, Ordinances, and Maps page, its residential building permit application, its building and zoning checklist and its zoning ordinance were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Township of Morton, 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, the township's Forms, Ordinances, and Maps page lists a cemetery ordinance, an emergency services cost recovery ordinance, a junk ordinance, a subdivision control ordinance, a zoning ordinance and site condominium regulations, and no building code ordinance, so no township building ordinance was read and no classification is declared here; the zoning ordinance was searched in full and has no reroofing provision, and the permit application and checklist state no layer rule.

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

Yes.

What building code does Township of Morton, 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 Morton as its own building code enforcer, separately from the Village of Mecosta. The township's zoning ordinance (updated as of January 10, 2023) refers to the "Michigan Construction Code, as amended (Pub Act 230), as enforced by Morton Township", says "Michigan Residential Code requirements shall be adhered to (building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing)" for mini cabins, and defines its "Building Code" as "The current code or codes in effect in the Township", naming no edition. Its parking table for funeral parlors and assembly uses refers to capacity "authorized by the Uniform Building Code, etc.", a reference with no edition that is not a residential code. The township has published no ordinance adopting a building code and no statement of which edition it enforces.