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Permitting Authorities / Township of Rives - Building Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of Rives, MI?

Adopted code

Township of Rives - Building Department

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Rives, MI, issued by Township of Rives - Building Department. In Rives Township a reroof takes its own building permit: the Building Department's fee schedule (revised 5/9/2024) lists "ROOFING (re-roof)" at a "Minimum fee $300.00", which "Includes: Rough, ice/water guard and final inspections", and says all permits "are issued for 1 (one) year". The application for a building permit lists "Roof" among the types of improvement, and says "Contractors must complete an annual Contractor Registration with Rives Township before Permits can be issued". The schedule adds "$100.00 per inspection" for additional inspections and a "PENALTY FOR WORK STARTED WITHOUT A PERMIT" that is "subject to a maximum penalty equal to the original cost of the permit". The list of what to submit with a building permit application includes the building permit application, a building materials list for pole barns, decks and sheds only, and the contractor's license, workers comp, federal ID and MESC employer numbers. Permit forms are submitted to the Rives Township Offices, Building Department, 348 E. Main Street, Rives Junction, MI 49277; the Building Department's number is 517-569-3100, and the application gives extension 3. The building permit fee schedule was last revised 5/9/2024, so confirm the current fee with the department.

Roof code checklist: Township of Rives, MI

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYesrivestownshipmi.com2026-10-12
Repair permit thresholdPublishedrivestownshipmi.com2026-10-12
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-12
Deck & sheathingPublishedR905.2.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-12
Drip edgeYesR905.2.8.5codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-12
Ice & water shieldYesR905.1.2ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-12
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNoars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-12
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-12
Contractor license / registrationYeslegislature.mi.gov2026-10-12
Sales & use taxPublishedlegislature.mi.gov2026-10-12

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 Rives, Michigan
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
348 E. Main Street, Rives Junction, MI 49277
Contact
  • url: https://rivestownshipmi.com/forms-fees-permits-2/
  • phone: 517-569-3100
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • city_level: Rives Township requires registration of residential builders and of electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors on top of the state licence: "Contractors who are required to be licensed by the State of Michigan are also required to register with Rives Township." The contractor presents the state licence and a photo identification, submits workers compensation and liability insurance information, and pays a $35.00 registration fee; the registration expires with the state licence.
Permit process note
In Rives Township a reroof takes its own building permit: the Building Department's fee schedule (revised 5/9/2024) lists "ROOFING (re-roof)" at a "Minimum fee $300.00", which "Includes: Rough, ice/water guard and final inspections", and says all permits "are issued for 1 (one) year". The application for a building permit lists "Roof" among the types of improvement, and says "Contractors must complete an annual Contractor Registration with Rives Township before Permits can be issued". The schedule adds "$100.00 per inspection" for additional inspections and a "PENALTY FOR WORK STARTED WITHOUT A PERMIT" that is "subject to a maximum penalty equal to the original cost of the permit". The list of what to submit with a building permit application includes the building permit application, a building materials list for pole barns, decks and sheds only, and the contractor's license, workers comp, federal ID and MESC employer numbers. Permit forms are submitted to the Rives Township Offices, Building Department, 348 E. Main Street, Rives Junction, MI 49277; the Building Department's number is 517-569-3100, and the application gives extension 3. The building permit fee schedule was last revised 5/9/2024, so confirm the current fee with the department.
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 Rives as its own building code enforcer. Chapter 6 of the township's Code of Ordinances designates the township's Building Official as the enforcing agency to discharge the township's responsibilities under Act 230 of the Public Acts of 1972, and names no code edition; the township's building permit application says "All installations shall be in conformance with the Michigan Building Code" and names no edition either, and its zoning chapter refers to the "Rives Township Building Code" without 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). The Rives Township Building Department page of forms and fees, its building permit fee schedule, its building permit application and instructions, and Chapters 5, 6, 9 and 17 of its Code of Ordinances, were read for a local rule and state 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). The township's fee schedule lists an "ice/water guard" inspection within its "ROOFING (re-roof)" line, which confirms that ice barrier is checked on a township reroof permit; the township's Code of Ordinances, Chapters 5, 6, 9 and 17, state no separate local rule on it. 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." The Rives Township Building Department page of forms and fees, its building permit fee schedule, its building permit application and instructions, and Chapters 5, 6, 9 and 17 of its Code of Ordinances, were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
Rives Township treats a reroof as permit work and states no size or dollar point below which it needs none. Its building permit fee schedule, revised 5/9/2024, has a dedicated line "ROOFING (re-roof)" with a "Minimum fee $300.00", which "Includes: Rough, ice/water guard and final inspections", and its building permit application lists "Roof" among the types of improvement. The township's published pages say nothing about a repair that is smaller than a reroof. 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, and the township has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. For a small repair, call the Building Department at 517-569-3100 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, of the 22 chapters of the township's Code of Ordinances listed on its ordinances page, the four that touch buildings, Chapter 6 (Building Code Enforcement), Chapter 9 (Dangerous Buildings), Chapter 5 (Nuisances and Blight) and Chapter 17 (Zoning Ordinance), were read: Chapter 6 designates the enforcing agency and sets civil fines, and none of the four has a reroofing provision or amends anything in Section R908. The building permit application and fee schedule 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). The Rives Township Building Department page of forms and fees, its building permit fee schedule, its building permit application and instructions, and Chapters 5, 6, 9 and 17 of its Code of Ordinances, 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 Rives Township Building Department pages or in its fee schedule changes this.

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The Township of Rives Building Department, at the township offices at 348 E. Main Street in Rives Junction, issues building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and demolition permits for the township in Jackson County, and has its own contractor registration. Its building permit fee schedule has a separate "ROOFING (re-roof)" line. Michigan applies one residential code statewide, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.

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Sources

Roofing questions: Township of Rives, MI

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of Rives, MI?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Rives, MI. Rives Township treats a reroof as permit work and states no size or dollar point below which it needs none. Its building permit fee schedule, revised 5/9/2024, has a dedicated line "ROOFING (re-roof)" with a "Minimum fee $300.00", which "Includes: Rough, ice/water guard and final inspections", and its building permit application lists "Roof" among the types of improvement. The township's published pages say nothing about a repair that is smaller than a reroof. 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, and the township has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. For a small repair, call the Building Department at 517-569-3100 before starting.

Is ice & water shield required in Township of Rives, 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). The township's fee schedule lists an "ice/water guard" inspection within its "ROOFING (re-roof)" line, which confirms that ice barrier is checked on a township reroof permit; the township's Code of Ordinances, Chapters 5, 6, 9 and 17, state no separate local rule on it.

Is drip edge required in Township of Rives, 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). The Rives Township Building Department page of forms and fees, its building permit fee schedule, its building permit application and instructions, and Chapters 5, 6, 9 and 17 of its Code of Ordinances, were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Township of Rives, 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, of the 22 chapters of the township's Code of Ordinances listed on its ordinances page, the four that touch buildings, Chapter 6 (Building Code Enforcement), Chapter 9 (Dangerous Buildings), Chapter 5 (Nuisances and Blight) and Chapter 17 (Zoning Ordinance), were read: Chapter 6 designates the enforcing agency and sets civil fines, and none of the four has a reroofing provision or amends anything in Section R908. The building permit application and fee schedule state no layer rule.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Township of Rives, MI?

Yes.

What building code does Township of Rives, 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 Township of Rives as its own building code enforcer. Chapter 6 of the township's Code of Ordinances designates the township's Building Official as the enforcing agency to discharge the township's responsibilities under Act 230 of the Public Acts of 1972, and names no code edition; the township's building permit application says "All installations shall be in conformance with the Michigan Building Code" and names no edition either, and its zoning chapter refers to the "Rives Township Building Code" without an edition.