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Permitting Authorities / City of Port Huron - Building Inspection (Planning Department)

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Port Huron, MI?

Adopted code

City of Port Huron - Building Inspection (Planning Department)

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Port Huron, MI, issued by City of Port Huron - Building Inspection (Planning Department). Plan on a building permit for a reroof in Port Huron. The Building Inspection page lists "Roofs - house and/or garage" under "Building Permits Required for:", and the city's Building Permit Application asks, "If Roof circle all that apply: Tear-off / Ice / Shield / Felt / Drip Edge / Molding / Gutters." The page notes that "a homeowner may only pull permits in lieu of a licensed contractor if they are the registered legal homeowner, the home is the primary residence and they reside in the house," and that "Any property located in the Historic District must have approval from the Historic District Commission for any exterior work." Building permit fees ("New Fees adopted as of January 1, 2023") run $75 for $1 to $500 of work, "$110 for the first $2,000 plus $15 for each additional $1,000" up to $25,000, and "$455 for the first $25,000 plus $10 for each additional $1,000" up to $50,000. Applications go in person, by email or by mail to 100 McMorran Blvd, Attention: Building Department, Port Huron, MI 48060; payment is by check, money order or the city's online payment portal. Building Inspection phone: 810-984-9733.

Roof code checklist: Port Huron, MI

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYesporthuron.org2026-10-03
Repair permit thresholdPublishedporthuron.org2026-10-03
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-03
Deck & sheathingPublishedR905.2.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-03
Drip edgeYesR905.2.8.5codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-03
Ice & water shieldYesR905.1.2ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-03
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNoars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-03
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedSec. 10-31ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-03
Contractor license / registrationYeslegislature.mi.gov2026-10-03
Sales & use taxPublishedlegislature.mi.gov2026-10-03

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
City of Port Huron, Michigan
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
100 McMorran Boulevard, Port Huron, MI 48060
Contact
  • url: https://www.porthuron.org/government/departments/planning_department/building_inspection.php
  • phone: 810-984-9733
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: Port Huron keeps an Annual Registration Form for building contractors, which asks the contractor to "present your state license to permit clerk" and says "Permits will only be issued to the contractor applying for a permit or their qualifying licensee when authorized in writing on company letterhead by the contractor."
Permit process note
Plan on a building permit for a reroof in Port Huron. The Building Inspection page lists "Roofs - house and/or garage" under "Building Permits Required for:", and the city's Building Permit Application asks, "If Roof circle all that apply: Tear-off / Ice / Shield / Felt / Drip Edge / Molding / Gutters." The page notes that "a homeowner may only pull permits in lieu of a licensed contractor if they are the registered legal homeowner, the home is the primary residence and they reside in the house," and that "Any property located in the Historic District must have approval from the Historic District Commission for any exterior work." Building permit fees ("New Fees adopted as of January 1, 2023") run $75 for $1 to $500 of work, "$110 for the first $2,000 plus $15 for each additional $1,000" up to $25,000, and "$455 for the first $25,000 plus $10 for each additional $1,000" up to $50,000. Applications go in person, by email or by mail to 100 McMorran Blvd, Attention: Building Department, Port Huron, MI 48060; payment is by check, money order or the city's online payment portal. Building Inspection phone: 810-984-9733.
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 City of Port Huron as its own building code enforcer. Section 10-31 of the City Code says "the City assumes responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the state code throughout its corporate limits" and adopts the Michigan Building Code and the trade codes by reference, without naming an edition.
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). Locally, the city's building permit application lists "Drip Edge" among the roof items an applicant circles "all that apply"; it is a checklist, not a separate rule. Port Huron's own building ordinance, Chapter 10 of the City Code (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full (general provisions, the state construction code, swimming pools, transfer of ownership, non-owner-occupied certification, dangerous structures and vacant property registration) and states 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). Locally, the city's building permit application lists "Ice / Shield" among the roof items an applicant circles "all that apply." Port Huron's own building ordinance, Chapter 10 of the City Code (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full (general provisions, the state construction code, swimming pools, transfer of ownership, non-owner-occupied certification, dangerous structures and vacant property registration) and adds no ice barrier rule of its own. 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." Port Huron's own building ordinance, Chapter 10 of the City Code (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full (general provisions, the state construction code, swimming pools, transfer of ownership, non-owner-occupied certification, dangerous structures and vacant property registration); it adopts the state codes, and no UL 2218 or Class 4 impact requirement appears in it.
Repair permit threshold
The City of Port Huron's own words: its Building Inspection page, under "FAQ's - When Are Permits Needed?" and "Building Permits Required for:", lists "Roofs - house and/or garage"; it states no area, percentage or dollar floor below which roof work needs no permit. State law says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure" and does not define ordinary repairs. The city's pages do not say how it applies that to a small roof patch, so a patch job is a question for Building Inspection (810-984-9733) before work starts.
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." Port Huron's own building ordinance, Chapter 10 of the City Code (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full (general provisions, the state construction code, swimming pools, transfer of ownership, non-owner-occupied certification, dangerous structures and vacant property registration); it assumes enforcement of the state code and touches nothing in the reroofing section, so the state limit applies unchanged. The city's building permit application offers "Tear-off" among the roof items to circle and states 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). Port Huron's own building ordinance, Chapter 10 of the City Code (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full (general provisions, the state construction code, swimming pools, transfer of ownership, non-owner-occupied certification, dangerous structures and vacant property registration) and states 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." The City of Port Huron adds no sales tax of its own, so 6% is the whole rate on a job there.

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The City of Port Huron's Building Inspection office, in the Planning Department at 100 McMorran Boulevard, issues building permits and inspects the work in the city, and it lists roofs on houses and garages among the work that needs a building permit. LARA's Statewide Jurisdiction List names the City of Port Huron as its own building code enforcer. Michigan applies one residential code statewide, the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, so the roofing rules below are state law that the city enforces.

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Sources

Roofing questions: Port Huron, MI

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Port Huron, MI?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Port Huron, MI. The City of Port Huron's own words: its Building Inspection page, under "FAQ's - When Are Permits Needed?" and "Building Permits Required for:", lists "Roofs - house and/or garage"; it states no area, percentage or dollar floor below which roof work needs no permit. State law says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure" and does not define ordinary repairs. The city's pages do not say how it applies that to a small roof patch, so a patch job is a question for Building Inspection (810-984-9733) before work starts.

Is ice & water shield required in Port Huron, 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). Locally, the city's building permit application lists "Ice / Shield" among the roof items an applicant circles "all that apply." Port Huron's own building ordinance, Chapter 10 of the City Code (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full (general provisions, the state construction code, swimming pools, transfer of ownership, non-owner-occupied certification, dangerous structures and vacant property registration) and adds no ice barrier rule of its own.

Is drip edge required in Port Huron, 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). Locally, the city's building permit application lists "Drip Edge" among the roof items an applicant circles "all that apply"; it is a checklist, not a separate rule. Port Huron's own building ordinance, Chapter 10 of the City Code (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full (general provisions, the state construction code, swimming pools, transfer of ownership, non-owner-occupied certification, dangerous structures and vacant property registration) and states nothing further on drip edge.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Port Huron, 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." Port Huron's own building ordinance, Chapter 10 of the City Code (Buildings and Building Regulations), was read in full (general provisions, the state construction code, swimming pools, transfer of ownership, non-owner-occupied certification, dangerous structures and vacant property registration); it assumes enforcement of the state code and touches nothing in the reroofing section, so the state limit applies unchanged. The city's building permit application offers "Tear-off" among the roof items to circle and states no layer rule.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Port Huron, MI?

Yes.

What building code does Port Huron, 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 City of Port Huron as its own building code enforcer. Section 10-31 of the City Code says "the City assumes responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the state code throughout its corporate limits" and adopts the Michigan Building Code and the trade codes by reference, without naming an edition.