Oceana County - Building Department

Oceana County, Michigan (1 city, 6 villages and 13 townships on the county building program)

county

3986 N Oceana Drive, Hart, MI 49420

Required

Required

The Oceana County Building Department has published nothing on reroofs. Its page says it "issues building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits for residential and commercial structures within the county" and that "Building permit applications will not be processed if sent through email", so a building permit application goes in person or by U.S. mail with the site address, parcel number and driving directions that its page calls "MANDATORY". Its building fee schedule, effective May 8th 2025, prices one- and two-family dwellings by square foot, with "Minimum Fee is $75.00" and no roofing line, and lists a renewal at $175.00 and an after-the-fact permit fee schedule. The building permit application checklist asks for plans, a site plan, a zoning permit or waiver and other approvals, and its sheet says the department "is open between the hours of 8 a.m. - 12 noon and 1 p.m. - 3:30p.m. Monday through Friday, except holidays". Its page says "Permits are good for 6 months" and "An issued permit will be cancelled when no inspection is requested and conducted within 180 days of the date of issuance or the date of a previous inspection." The office is at 3986 N Oceana Dr., Hart, MI 49420, (231) 873-5355, with a posted lunch closing from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. The page says Newfield and Otto Townships and Grant Township "handle their own building permits"; the state's jurisdiction list assigns those three to local enforcement and shows the county issuing Grant Township's electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits.

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 1 city, 6 villages and 13 townships of Oceana County to the county; Grant, Newfield and Otto Townships are listed as enforcing for themselves. The Oceana County Building Department's page, read October 11, 2026, has a "Current Codes" table that lists "2015 Michigan Residential Building" with an effective date of "February 8, 2016", alongside the 2021 Michigan Building Code, and its building permit application says "We agree to conform to the State of Michigan Building Codes."

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 Oceana County Building Department page, its building permit application, fee schedule and "When You Want To Build, Remodel or Demo" sheet were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge. 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 Oceana County Building Department page, its building permit application, fee schedule and "When You Want To Build, Remodel or Demo" sheet were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier. 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 Oceana County Building Department page, its building permit application, fee schedule and "When You Want To Build, Remodel or Demo" sheet state no impact rule.

The Oceana County Building Department publishes no size, square or dollar point below which roof work needs no permit, and its building fee schedule, building permit application and "When You Want To Build, Remodel or Demo" sheet name no roofing work. Its Work Exempt from Permits page says "To view examples of work, exempt from permits, follow the links below" and links to Section R105.2 of the 2015 Michigan Residential Code at a code publisher's website. Michigan's own version of that section (Rule 505) says "Building permits shall not be required for any of the following" and lists accessory structures of 200 square feet or less, fences, retaining walls, water tanks, sidewalks and driveways, finish work such as painting and carpeting, prefabricated pools, playground equipment, window awnings and small detached decks, and it names no roofing. 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. For a small roof repair, ask the department (231-873-5355) 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." Locally, the Oceana County Building Department page, building permit application, fee schedule and "When You Want To Build, Remodel or Demo" sheet state no layer rule, and no county building ordinance was read for this record.

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 Oceana County Building Department page, its building permit application, fee schedule and "When You Want To Build, Remodel or Demo" sheet were read for a local rule and state nothing further on roof decks or sheathing.

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 Oceana County.