Permitting Authorities / City of Portland - Building Permits
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Portland, MI?
Adopted code
City of Portland - Building Permits
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Portland, MI, issued by City of Portland - Building Permits. The City of Portland publishes nothing specific to roof work: its Building, Trade & Zoning Permits page, its Building Permit Application and its Zoning Compliance Form name no roofing line, no reroof exemption and no size or cost point. With the city 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 city has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. Chapter 8, Section 8-19 of the Code of Ordinances says "the building official is hereby designated as the enforcing agency to discharge the responsibilities of the city under the act," and Section 8-20 says fees under the state construction code are "as currently established or as hereafter adopted by resolution of the city council from time to time." The city has contracted its building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing inspection and permit administration to Municipal Inspection Services of Grand Ledge, (517) 622-8822, and its permit page says to visit that firm's website "to apply for a permit, schedule an inspection, and more." No building permit fee schedule is posted on the city's permit page, so ask Municipal Inspection Services for the current fee. Payments are made at Portland City Hall, 259 Kent Street, Portland, MI 48875, or by phone at 517-647-3205; the city's main number is 517-647-7531.
Roof code checklist: Portland, 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
City of Portland, Ionia County, Michigan
Address
259 Kent Street, Portland, MI 48875
Contact
- url: https://www.portland-michigan.org/315/Building-Trade-Zoning-Permits
- phone: 517-622-8822
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
The City of Portland publishes nothing specific to roof work: its Building, Trade & Zoning Permits page, its Building Permit Application and its Zoning Compliance Form name no roofing line, no reroof exemption and no size or cost point. With the city 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 city has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. Chapter 8, Section 8-19 of the Code of Ordinances says "the building official is hereby designated as the enforcing agency to discharge the responsibilities of the city under the act," and Section 8-20 says fees under the state construction code are "as currently established or as hereafter adopted by resolution of the city council from time to time." The city has contracted its building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing inspection and permit administration to Municipal Inspection Services of Grand Ledge, (517) 622-8822, and its permit page says to visit that firm's website "to apply for a permit, schedule an inspection, and more." No building permit fee schedule is posted on the city's permit page, so ask Municipal Inspection Services for the current fee. Payments are made at Portland City Hall, 259 Kent Street, Portland, MI 48875, or by phone at 517-647-3205; the city's main number is 517-647-7531.
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 Portland in Ionia County as its own building code enforcer. Locally, Chapter 8, Article II of the city's Code of Ordinances (codified through Ordinance No. 194E, effective June 15, 2023) provides in Section 8-19 that "the city assumes responsibility for the administration and enforcement of said act and the state construction code throughout its corporate limits" and names no edition; Section 8-47 refers to "the Michigan Residential Code" and "the Michigan Building Code" in the floodplain article without an edition year, and Section 8-155 adopts the International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 edition. No older dwelling code edition is named in Chapter 8, and the city'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 8 of the City of Portland Code of Ordinances, the permit page and the 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 8 of the City of Portland Code of Ordinances, the permit page and the 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 8 of the City of Portland Code of Ordinances, the permit page and the Building Permit Application were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
The City of Portland publishes no roofing line, no reroof exemption and no size, square or dollar point below which roof work needs no permit. Its Building, Trade & Zoning Permits page says "The City of Portland has contracted with Municipal Inspection Services in Grand Ledge to supply trained, State certified building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing inspectors and permit administration."; its Building Permit Application, "Administered by Municipal Inspection Services Inc.", lists types of improvement (new building, addition, alteration, repair, wrecking, relocation and similar) and no roofing line, and Chapter 8 of the city's Code of Ordinances, Section 8-48, says "No person, firm or corporation shall erect, construct, enlarge or improve any building or structure in the city or cause the same to be done without first obtaining a separate building permit for each such building or structure." 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 reroof or a small roof repair, call Municipal Inspection Services at (517) 622-8822 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 city's own building ordinance, Chapter 8 of the Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations, Sections 8-1 through 8-156, codified through Ordinance No. 194E, effective June 15, 2023), was read in full: it designates the building official as the enforcing agency, sets state construction code fees by council resolution, regulates floodplain construction, regulates dangerous buildings and adopts the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code; it has no reroofing provision and amends nothing in Section R908. The city's permit page and 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 8 of the City of Portland Code of Ordinances, the permit page and the 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 on the City of Portland permit page or in Chapter 8 of its Code of Ordinances changes this.
Local roofing hub
Roof permits nearby: Ionia County
More roof permit pages in Michigan
Related guides
The City of Portland, in Ionia County, has contracted with Municipal Inspection Services of Grand Ledge for State certified building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing inspectors and permit administration, and posts the building permit application on its Building, Trade & Zoning Permits page; Section 8-19 of its Code of Ordinances designates the building official as its enforcing agency. The State of Michigan's jurisdiction list names the City 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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Roofing questions: Portland, MI
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Portland, MI?
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Portland, MI. The City of Portland publishes no roofing line, no reroof exemption and no size, square or dollar point below which roof work needs no permit. Its Building, Trade & Zoning Permits page says "The City of Portland has contracted with Municipal Inspection Services in Grand Ledge to supply trained, State certified building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing inspectors and permit administration."; its Building Permit Application, "Administered by Municipal Inspection Services Inc.", lists types of improvement (new building, addition, alteration, repair, wrecking, relocation and similar) and no roofing line, and Chapter 8 of the city's Code of Ordinances, Section 8-48, says "No person, firm or corporation shall erect, construct, enlarge or improve any building or structure in the city or cause the same to be done without first obtaining a separate building permit for each such building or structure." 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 reroof or a small roof repair, call Municipal Inspection Services at (517) 622-8822 before starting.
Is ice & water shield required in Portland, 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). Chapter 8 of the City of Portland Code of Ordinances, the permit page and the Building Permit Application were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier.
Is drip edge required in Portland, 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). Chapter 8 of the City of Portland Code of Ordinances, the permit page and the Building Permit Application were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge.
Can you roof over an existing roof in Portland, 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 city's own building ordinance, Chapter 8 of the Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations, Sections 8-1 through 8-156, codified through Ordinance No. 194E, effective June 15, 2023), was read in full: it designates the building official as the enforcing agency, sets state construction code fees by council resolution, regulates floodplain construction, regulates dangerous buildings and adopts the 2018 International Property Maintenance Code; it has no reroofing provision and amends nothing in Section R908. The city's permit page and Building Permit Application state no layer rule.
Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Portland, MI?
Yes.
What building code does Portland, 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 Portland in Ionia County as its own building code enforcer. Locally, Chapter 8, Article II of the city's Code of Ordinances (codified through Ordinance No. 194E, effective June 15, 2023) provides in Section 8-19 that "the city assumes responsibility for the administration and enforcement of said act and the state construction code throughout its corporate limits" and names no edition; Section 8-47 refers to "the Michigan Residential Code" and "the Michigan Building Code" in the floodplain article without an edition year, and Section 8-155 adopts the International Property Maintenance Code, 2018 edition. No older dwelling code edition is named in Chapter 8, and the city's permit page and Building Permit Application name none.