Permitting Authorities / City of Richmond - Building Department
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Richmond, MI?
Adopted code
City of Richmond - Building Department
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Richmond, MI, issued by City of Richmond - Building Department. The City of Richmond Building Department's Permitting page, read October 12, 2026, says "Permits are required for just about any type of alteration, addition, or new work. Examples would be: renovations, demolitions, roof repairs or replacements, decks, swimming pools, sheds, fences, business signs and awnings, commercial occupancies, and other related activities." and "If you're not sure if you need a permit, call 586-727-7571 ext. 202 and we will help you." The department's FAQ, read the same day, answers the question about a new roof with "as long as you are only replacing the shingles. If there is a need to replace the wood on your roof, we ask that you file an application with the building department. If a permit is not needed, no fee will be charged." The two statements are undated and are not reconciled here. The department says "No work may be started until a permit is issued." and that building permits "take 7-10 days as they must be reviewed by the building official and the zoning official"; electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications "are processed at the time of application". The permit must be posted: "You are required to post your building permit in a window or other prominent place at the construction site." The city's FY 2026-27 building fee schedule, adopted June 16, 2026, has no roofing line: it prices residential additions and alterations at a $190.00 minimum plus $0.25 per sq. ft., charges $75.00 for each additional inspection and a $130.00 "Administration Fee - projects started without permit", and requires a $200.00 cash bond on alterations. The person who files for a permit requests each inspection with about 24 hours' notice, through the Building Clerk. The Building Department is at City Hall, 36725 Division Road, Richmond, MI 48062, 586-727-7571, extension 202; the city's website shows no online permit portal for building permits.
Roof code checklist: Richmond, 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 Richmond, Michigan
Address
36725 Division Road, Richmond, MI 48062
Contact
- url: https://www.cityofrichmond.net/134/Permitting
- phone: 586-727-7571
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
The City of Richmond Building Department's Permitting page, read October 12, 2026, says "Permits are required for just about any type of alteration, addition, or new work. Examples would be: renovations, demolitions, roof repairs or replacements, decks, swimming pools, sheds, fences, business signs and awnings, commercial occupancies, and other related activities." and "If you're not sure if you need a permit, call 586-727-7571 ext. 202 and we will help you." The department's FAQ, read the same day, answers the question about a new roof with "as long as you are only replacing the shingles. If there is a need to replace the wood on your roof, we ask that you file an application with the building department. If a permit is not needed, no fee will be charged." The two statements are undated and are not reconciled here. The department says "No work may be started until a permit is issued." and that building permits "take 7-10 days as they must be reviewed by the building official and the zoning official"; electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications "are processed at the time of application". The permit must be posted: "You are required to post your building permit in a window or other prominent place at the construction site." The city's FY 2026-27 building fee schedule, adopted June 16, 2026, has no roofing line: it prices residential additions and alterations at a $190.00 minimum plus $0.25 per sq. ft., charges $75.00 for each additional inspection and a $130.00 "Administration Fee - projects started without permit", and requires a $200.00 cash bond on alterations. The person who files for a permit requests each inspection with about 24 hours' notice, through the Building Clerk. The Building Department is at City Hall, 36725 Division Road, Richmond, MI 48062, 586-727-7571, extension 202; the city's website shows no online permit portal for building permits.
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 Richmond as its own building code enforcer. Section 18-26 of the city's Code of Ordinances provides that the state construction code "shall hereafter be enforced within the city" and names no residential code edition. The Building Department's Building Codes page says the city, "along with all municipalities within the State of Michigan", uses the state codes, and that "the 2015 Michigan Residential Code are enforced for permits issued on or after February 8, 2016." Section 18-216 adopts the 1993 BOCA National Property Maintenance Code, which is a property maintenance code and not a residential building code edition; that code's text was not read. (The Township of Richmond in Macomb County is a separate unit on the state list.)
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 18 of the City of Richmond Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), the Building Department's permitting, codes and inspections pages, its building permit application and its building fee schedule 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 18 of the City of Richmond Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), the Building Department's permitting, codes and inspections pages, its building permit application and its building fee schedule 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 18 of the City of Richmond Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), the Building Department's permitting, codes and inspections pages, its building permit application and its building fee schedule were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
The City of Richmond Building Department says two different things about a reroof, both read on its website on October 12, 2026 (the pages carry no date). Its Permitting page says "Permits are required for just about any type of alteration, addition, or new work. Examples would be: renovations, demolitions, roof repairs or replacements, decks, swimming pools, sheds, fences, business signs and awnings, commercial occupancies, and other related activities." Its FAQ asks "Do I need a permit if I am having a new roof put on?" and answers "as long as you are only replacing the shingles. If there is a need to replace the wood on your roof, we ask that you file an application with the building department. If a permit is not needed, no fee will be charged." Because the Permitting page lists roof replacement as permit work, the record publishes that a reroof needs a permit, and the FAQ line is quoted so a roofer on a shingles-only job sees it. 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. To settle a particular job, call the department at 586-727-7571, extension 202.
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, Chapter 18 of the City of Richmond Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), the city's building chapter, was read in full: it adopts the state construction code, creates the board of appeals, sets fees by resolution and adopts a property maintenance code with a few inserted dates and amounts; it has no reroofing provision and amends nothing in Section R908. The Building Department's pages and FAQ 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 18 of the City of Richmond Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), the Building Department's permitting, codes and inspections pages, its building permit application and its building fee schedule were read for a local rule and state nothing further on roof sheathing. The department's FAQ asks that an application be filed "If there is a need to replace the wood on your roof".
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 Richmond Building Department's pages or its fee schedule changes this.
Local roofing hub
More roof permit pages in Michigan
Related guides
The City of Richmond Building Department, at City Hall at 36725 Division Road in Richmond, issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits through its Building Clerk and part-time inspectors, and Chapter 18 of the city's Code of Ordinances provides that the city enforces the state construction code within its limits. The department's permitting page lists "roof repairs or replacements" among the work that needs a permit, while its FAQ says a reroof that only replaces shingles needs none. Michigan applies one residential code statewide, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.
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