Permitting Authorities / Richmond Township (Macomb County) - Building Department
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of Richmond, MI?
Adopted code
Richmond Township (Macomb County) - Building Department
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Richmond, MI, issued by Richmond Township (Macomb County) - Building Department. The Richmond Township Building Department publishes nothing specific to roof work: its Building Permits page, its Application for Building Permit and Plan Examination (revised 01/30/2025) and its building permit fee sheet name no roofing line, no reroof exemption and no size or cost point. With the department 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 department has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. The township's page lists the permits it requires as for "alterations" and other work "regulated by the building code and local ordinance", and tells anyone unsure to call (586) 727-8998. The application says "NO WORK CAN BE DONE ON ANY SITE FOR BUILDING until a building permit is issued" and carries the state notice that Section 23a of the State Construction Code Act "prohibits a person from conspiring to circumvent the licensing requirements of this state relating to persons who are to perform work on a residential building or residential structure"; it asks the contractor for a "Builders License Number". Once an application is submitted, the page says "the building official will do a plan review and determine the fees". The only building permit fee sheet linked, headed "EFFECTIVE 3-14-19", prices a home, an accessory building, garage or addition, pools, ponds, porches and decks, and demolition, with an inspection fee of $50.00 and a re-inspection fee of $50.00, and has no roofing line; it is dated 2019, so confirm the current fee with the department. To schedule an inspection the page says the contractor or homeowner "should call the office to schedule the inspection" with "24-48 hour notice". The township office, at 34900 School Section Road, Richmond, MI 48062, is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and closed Wednesday and Friday; its number is (586) 727-8998.
Roof code checklist: Township of 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
Township of Richmond, Macomb County, Michigan
Address
34900 School Section Road, Richmond, MI 48062
Contact
- url: https://www.richmondtwp.org/departments_offices/building/index.php
- phone: 586-727-8998
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
The Richmond Township Building Department publishes nothing specific to roof work: its Building Permits page, its Application for Building Permit and Plan Examination (revised 01/30/2025) and its building permit fee sheet name no roofing line, no reroof exemption and no size or cost point. With the department 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 department has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. The township's page lists the permits it requires as for "alterations" and other work "regulated by the building code and local ordinance", and tells anyone unsure to call (586) 727-8998. The application says "NO WORK CAN BE DONE ON ANY SITE FOR BUILDING until a building permit is issued" and carries the state notice that Section 23a of the State Construction Code Act "prohibits a person from conspiring to circumvent the licensing requirements of this state relating to persons who are to perform work on a residential building or residential structure"; it asks the contractor for a "Builders License Number". Once an application is submitted, the page says "the building official will do a plan review and determine the fees". The only building permit fee sheet linked, headed "EFFECTIVE 3-14-19", prices a home, an accessory building, garage or addition, pools, ponds, porches and decks, and demolition, with an inspection fee of $50.00 and a re-inspection fee of $50.00, and has no roofing line; it is dated 2019, so confirm the current fee with the department. To schedule an inspection the page says the contractor or homeowner "should call the office to schedule the inspection" with "24-48 hour notice". The township office, at 34900 School Section Road, Richmond, MI 48062, is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and closed Wednesday and Friday; its number is (586) 727-8998.
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 Township of Richmond in Macomb County as its own building code enforcer. The township's Building Permits page says "The township complies with Township Zoning Ordinance and the Michigan Building Code" and its application says all work shall be installed "in accordance with Michigan Building Code"; neither names an edition year or a residential code edition, and no building code ordinance was found on the township's website, so this record states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code for the reasons above.
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). The Richmond Township Building Permits page, building permit application and fee sheet 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). The Richmond Township Building Permits page, building permit application and fee sheet 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." The Richmond Township Building Permits page, building permit application and fee sheet were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
Richmond Township's Building Department publishes no roofing line, no reroof exemption and no size, square or dollar point below which roof work needs no permit. Its Building Permits page says "Permits are required for any new building construction (residential or commercial), additions, alterations, demolition, garages, pole barns, decks, sheds (over 200 sq. ft.)" and other work "regulated by the building code and local ordinance", and "Contact the Building Department at (586) 727-8998 if you are unsure if a building permit is required for any type of work to be done in the township."; its Application for Building Permit and Plan Examination (revised 01/30/2025) lists "Alteration" and "Repair" among the types of improvement and names no roofing, and its building permit fee sheet carries no roofing line. 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 the Building Department 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, no building ordinance was found on the township's website, and its Building Permits page, building permit application and fee sheet state no layer rule; no codified building chapter was found, so no local building ordinance was read for Section R908.
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). The Richmond Township Building Permits page, building permit application and fee sheet 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 Richmond Township Building Permits page changes this.
Local roofing hub
More roof permit pages in Michigan
Related guides
Richmond Township's Building Department, at the township office at 34900 School Section Road in Richmond, takes building permit applications, reviews plans and sets the fees, and the State of Michigan's jurisdiction list names the Township 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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