Permitting Authorities / Paw Paw Township - Zoning and Building Department (SAFEbuilt)
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of Paw Paw, MI?
Adopted code
Paw Paw Township - Zoning and Building Department (SAFEbuilt)
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Paw Paw, MI, issued by Paw Paw Township - Zoning and Building Department (SAFEbuilt). In Paw Paw Township the permit page says "Permits may be submitted to the Paw Paw Township Hall Treasurer's office or the drop box located to the right of the door at the front entrance on Gremps St." and sends "general zoning, building, and land development questions" to SAFEbuilt, 107 S. Capital Ave., P.O. Box 190, Athens, MI 49011, at 269-729-9244. The township also offers an online permit application through SAFEbuilt's Community Core system: the page says an applicant may request a login from SAFEbuilt, and that online credit card payments carry a 3% service fee, while checks go to Paw Paw Township, 114 N. Gremps St., Paw Paw, MI 49079. The SAFEbuilt building permit application lists roof work under the improvement types "Metal Roofing Only", "Roofing Re-Deck & Shingles" and "Roofing Shingles Only", asks for the contractor's builders licence number, "Workers Comp Insurance Carrier (or reason for exemption)" and an MESC number, gives an inspection scheduling line of 877-721-9266, and says "ISSUED PERMITS EXPIRE 180 DAYS FROM THE ISSUED DATE." Section 10-252 of the Code of Ordinances (Ord. No. 198, adopted 4-8-1993) sets residential building permit fees by valuation and says "An investigation fee will be charged for work started without a permit"; section 10-1 adds "an additional administrative fee of 50%" for work done without a permit. The form says the fee is calculated by the building inspector, so ask for the current fee. The township hall is open Monday through Wednesday, 8am to 3pm, and Thursday, 8am to 11am, at 269-657-4340. The Village of Paw Paw is a separate unit on the state's list and is not covered here.
Roof code checklist: Township of Paw Paw, MI
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 Paw Paw, Michigan
Address
114 N. Gremps Street, Paw Paw, MI 49079
Contact
- url: https://pawpawtownshipmi.gov/permits/
- phone: 269-729-9244
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: The SAFEbuilt building permit application asks for the contractor's builders licence number and expiration date, a federal employer ID number, "Workers Comp Insurance Carrier (or reason for exemption)" and an MESC number "(or reason for exemption)"; the township's permit page and Chapter 10 of its Code of Ordinances publish no contractor registration or licence of the township's own. This record does not decide whether a given roofer falls inside a state exemption.
Permit process note
In Paw Paw Township the permit page says "Permits may be submitted to the Paw Paw Township Hall Treasurer's office or the drop box located to the right of the door at the front entrance on Gremps St." and sends "general zoning, building, and land development questions" to SAFEbuilt, 107 S. Capital Ave., P.O. Box 190, Athens, MI 49011, at 269-729-9244. The township also offers an online permit application through SAFEbuilt's Community Core system: the page says an applicant may request a login from SAFEbuilt, and that online credit card payments carry a 3% service fee, while checks go to Paw Paw Township, 114 N. Gremps St., Paw Paw, MI 49079. The SAFEbuilt building permit application lists roof work under the improvement types "Metal Roofing Only", "Roofing Re-Deck & Shingles" and "Roofing Shingles Only", asks for the contractor's builders licence number, "Workers Comp Insurance Carrier (or reason for exemption)" and an MESC number, gives an inspection scheduling line of 877-721-9266, and says "ISSUED PERMITS EXPIRE 180 DAYS FROM THE ISSUED DATE." Section 10-252 of the Code of Ordinances (Ord. No. 198, adopted 4-8-1993) sets residential building permit fees by valuation and says "An investigation fee will be charged for work started without a permit"; section 10-1 adds "an additional administrative fee of 50%" for work done without a permit. The form says the fee is calculated by the building inspector, so ask for the current fee. The township hall is open Monday through Wednesday, 8am to 3pm, and Thursday, 8am to 11am, at 269-657-4340. The Village of Paw Paw is a separate unit on the state's list and is not covered here.
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." The State of Michigan's Statewide Jurisdiction List names the Township of Paw Paw as its own building code enforcer. Section 10-144 of the township's Code of Ordinances designates the township's building official as the enforcing agency "Pursuant to the provisions of the Michigan Building Code", and Article VIII (Ord. No. 281, adopted 7-11-2022) says the township "has assumed responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the State Construction Code"; neither names a residential code edition, and the township's permit page and building permit application name none.
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). Chapter 10 of the Paw Paw Township Code of Ordinances, the township's permit page and its building permit application were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge.
About drip edgeIce & 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). Chapter 10 of the Paw Paw Township Code of Ordinances, the township's permit page and its building permit application were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier.
About ice & water barrierImpact-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." Chapter 10 of the Paw Paw Township Code of Ordinances, the township's permit page and its building permit application were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
No size or cost threshold is published. The building permit application on the township's permit page, a SAFEbuilt form, asks the applicant to mark a type of improvement that includes "Metal Roofing Only", "Roofing Re-Deck & Shingles" and "Roofing Shingles Only", beside Siding Only, Interior Alteration/Remodel and Exterior Alteration/Remodel, and states no point below which roof work needs no permit. Section 10-1 of the township's Code of Ordinances requires a person who will "erect, alter, remodel, repair, remove or install any structure" to obtain a building permit first, and the form says "BUILDING PERMIT FEES ARE CALCULATED BY THE BUILDING INSPECTOR." 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. For a small roof repair, ask SAFEbuilt at 269-729-9244 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 own building ordinance, Chapter 10 of the Paw Paw Township Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations, Secs. 10-1 through 10-281, as posted on eCode360 with legislation through 06-12-2023), was read in full: it penalizes work without a permit, designates the enforcing agencies under the state construction code act, creates a construction board of appeals, sets dangerous building and anti-blight procedures and permit fees, and assumes enforcement of the State Construction Code; it has no reroofing provision and amends nothing in Section R908. The township's permit page and the SAFEbuilt building permit application 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). Chapter 10 of the Paw Paw Township Code of Ordinances, the township's permit page and its building permit application were read for a local rule and state nothing further on roof sheathing.
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 in Chapter 10 of the Paw Paw Township Code of Ordinances or on the township's permit page changes this.
Local roofing hub
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Related guides
Paw Paw Township's permit page sends zoning, building and land development questions to SAFEbuilt, the township's inspection and permit department in Athens, and takes permit applications at the township hall at 114 N. Gremps Street in Paw Paw. Section 10-275 of the township's Code of Ordinances says the township has assumed responsibility for administering and enforcing the State Construction Code, and the State of Michigan's jurisdiction list names the Township of Paw Paw as its own building code enforcer. Michigan's single state construction code applies, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.
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