The Roofing Book

Permitting Authorities / Charter Township of South Haven - Building Department (Michigan Township Services)

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Charter Township of South Haven, MI?

Adopted code

Charter Township of South Haven - Building Department (Michigan Township Services)

No, Charter Township of South Haven, MI does not require a permit for like-for-like roof replacement (Charter Township of South Haven - Building Department (Michigan Township Services)). In South Haven Charter Township the notice to the public says permits are required for dwelling "Alterations / remodel EXCEPT - shingles or siding," so a shingle reroof is outside the township's list. That is the township's stated practice: no enacted text names roof work either way, state law requires a permit "before construction of a building or structure" and says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure" without defining them, and this record does not decide whether the township's line is its reading of that relief. A job that goes beyond shingles is outside the notice's words, so call Michigan Township Services at 269-673-3239 before starting. Where a building permit is needed, the township's information sheet says to send Michigan Township Services, 111 Grand Street, Allegan, a complete application, a site plan, a zoning application, an agent authorization form if a builder pulls the permit, and three sets of plans; electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are separate. Zoning permits go through the township's zoning administrator at the township hall, 09761 Blue Star Memorial Highway, 269-637-3305. For inspections, the Michigan Township Services permit-holder sheet says "Requesting inspections - MUST be called in before 9am to get the same day," the permit "must be posted and visible from the road," and a "re-inspection fee of $50.00" is charged if the site is not ready or is inaccessible. The township's zoning fee schedule effective February 12, 2025 has no building permit fee; Ordinance No. 43 lets the township board set construction code fees by resolution, and no building fee schedule is posted on the township's page or on the Michigan Township Services page for the township, so ask the Building Department for the current fee.

Roof code checklist: Charter Township of South Haven, MI

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofNosouthhaventwp.com2026-10-12
Repair permit thresholdPublishedR105.2southhaventwp.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
Charter Township of South Haven, Michigan
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
111 Grand Street, Allegan, MI 49010
Contact
  • url: https://www.michigantownshipservices.org/south-haven-township
  • phone: 269-673-3239
Roofing permit required
Not required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • city_level: Michigan Township Services, which runs South Haven Charter Township's building department, posts a Contractor License Registration Form with a "Registration Fee - $10.00 per licensing cycle (payable to: MTS)" and the instruction "A copy of your state contractor license(s) must be included when submitting this application." The township's own pages do not say whether the registration is required before a permit is issued.
Permit process note
In South Haven Charter Township the notice to the public says permits are required for dwelling "Alterations / remodel EXCEPT - shingles or siding," so a shingle reroof is outside the township's list. That is the township's stated practice: no enacted text names roof work either way, state law requires a permit "before construction of a building or structure" and says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure" without defining them, and this record does not decide whether the township's line is its reading of that relief. A job that goes beyond shingles is outside the notice's words, so call Michigan Township Services at 269-673-3239 before starting. Where a building permit is needed, the township's information sheet says to send Michigan Township Services, 111 Grand Street, Allegan, a complete application, a site plan, a zoning application, an agent authorization form if a builder pulls the permit, and three sets of plans; electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are separate. Zoning permits go through the township's zoning administrator at the township hall, 09761 Blue Star Memorial Highway, 269-637-3305. For inspections, the Michigan Township Services permit-holder sheet says "Requesting inspections - MUST be called in before 9am to get the same day," the permit "must be posted and visible from the road," and a "re-inspection fee of $50.00" is charged if the site is not ready or is inaccessible. The township's zoning fee schedule effective February 12, 2025 has no building permit fee; Ordinance No. 43 lets the township board set construction code fees by resolution, and no building fee schedule is posted on the township's page or on the Michigan Township Services page for the township, so ask the Building Department for the current fee.
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." The township's own instruments name no edition. South Haven Charter Township's Ordinance No. 43, adopted February 14, 1996, assumes the township's enforcement of the state construction code act and adopts the State Construction Code "currently in effect and as same may from time to time be modified or amended," and its flood damage prevention ordinance refers to "the current Michigan Residential Code." The permit-holder tips sheet of Michigan Township Services, the township's Building Department, says "The code sections cited are Michigan Residential Code 2015 (effective Feb 8, 2016)." The township's notice to the public and permit forms name no code edition. The township also keeps a fire prevention ordinance for the BOCA National Fire Prevention Code, which is not a dwelling code.
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 township's Forms & Permits page, its notice to the public, Ordinance No. 43 and the other building ordinances on its list 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 Forms & Permits page, its notice to the public, Ordinance No. 43 and the other building ordinances on its list were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier. 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 township's Forms & Permits page, its notice to the public, Ordinance No. 43 and the other building ordinances on its list state no impact rule.
Repair permit threshold
South Haven Charter Township's own notice to the public leaves shingle work off its permit list. The township's "Notice to the Public" is headed "PERMITS ARE REQUIRED FOR" and lists, under Dwellings, "Alterations / remodel EXCEPT - shingles or siding"; it names Michigan Township Services in Allegan as the township's Building Department. The notice is linked from the township's Forms & Permits page, which was read on October 12, 2026, and the file carries no date of its own. The township's building permit information sheet, building permit application and zoning fee schedule effective February 12, 2025 were also read, and none has a roofing line, permit type or form. No enacted text names roof work either way. Ordinance No. 43 "assumes responsibility for the administration and enforcement of portions of said Act within its political boundaries" and adopts the state construction code "as same may from time to time be modified or amended," and the township has adopted no building code text of its own. State law requires that "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," and also says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure" without defining ordinary repairs or capping them by size or cost. Michigan's list of work exempt from permit (Section R105.2 of the residential code, as Michigan amends it) names no roof work. The no-permit line is the township's stated practice; this record does not decide whether it is the township's reading of the ordinary-repairs clause, and it applies only to the work the notice names, shingles. For any other roof work, ask the Building Department at 269-673-3239 before starting. Ordinance No. 43 makes a violation of the ordinance or the adopted state code "a misdemeanor punishable upon conviction by a fine not to exceed $500.00, plus costs, and/or imprisonment" of up to 90 days.
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 township's building instruments were read in full: Ordinance No. 43 (State Construction Code), Ordinance No. 40 and its amendment No. 117 (Dangerous Buildings), Ordinances No. 11, 101, 102 and 156 (flood damage prevention and floodplain management), Ordinances No. 12 and 13 (electrical and mechanical codes), No. 150 (plumbing), No. 14, 63 and 123 (blight), No. 38 (building numbering), No. 30 (mobile homes) and No. 44 (fire prevention). None has a reroofing provision and none amends anything in Section R908. The township's remaining general law ordinances (franchises, traffic, liquor, taxes and the like) are not building instruments and were not read, and neither were the zoning ordinance articles. The township's notice and permit papers 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 township's Forms & Permits page, its notice to the public, Ordinance No. 43 and the other building ordinances on its list 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 South Haven Charter Township Forms & Permits page changes this.

Local roofing hub

Roofing in South Haven Township, MichiganCity hub

More roof permit pages in Michigan

Charter Township of Springfield (Oakland County), MIRoof permit Charter Township of St. Joseph, MIRoof permit Charter Township of Superior, MIRoof permit Charter Township of Tallmadge, MIRoof permit Charter Township of Texas, MIRoof permit Roofing in MichiganState hub

Related guides

Denver-Metro Roofing Permits Filing a Hail Insurance Claim Colorado Hail Season Prep Hiring a Contractor

South Haven Charter Township in Van Buren County has its building permits, plan review and inspections handled by Michigan Township Services of Allegan, which the township's notice to the public names as its Building Department; the township hall is at 09761 Blue Star Memorial Highway in South Haven, and zoning permits go through the township's zoning administrator. The City of South Haven is a separate municipality. Michigan applies one residential code statewide, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.

Working an insurance claim in Charter Township of South Haven, MI? Everything on this page (drip edge, ice & water shield, inspections, Class 4 rules) formatted as a claim-ready evidence pack: verbatim ordinance quotes, code section cites, verification dates, and official source links, ready to attach to a supplement. See a real sample pack (PDF, 4 pages, free).

Code items like drip edge and ice & water shield are what adjusters ask you to document.

Buy this jurisdiction's pack: $12 Delivered by email within minutes. Digital download: all sales are final once delivered, except for a failed delivery, a defective file, a duplicate purchase, or a pack materially different from its description. See Section 6 of our Terms of Use.

Questions about the Charter Township of South Haven, MI pack?

Not ready to buy, or need a different jurisdiction? Tell us and we’ll reply directly.

By submitting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Sources

Roofing questions: Charter Township of South Haven, MI

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Charter Township of South Haven, MI?

No, Charter Township of South Haven, MI does not require a permit to replace a roof. South Haven Charter Township's own notice to the public leaves shingle work off its permit list. The township's "Notice to the Public" is headed "PERMITS ARE REQUIRED FOR" and lists, under Dwellings, "Alterations / remodel EXCEPT - shingles or siding"; it names Michigan Township Services in Allegan as the township's Building Department. The notice is linked from the township's Forms & Permits page, which was read on October 12, 2026, and the file carries no date of its own. The township's building permit information sheet, building permit application and zoning fee schedule effective February 12, 2025 were also read, and none has a roofing line, permit type or form. No enacted text names roof work either way. Ordinance No. 43 "assumes responsibility for the administration and enforcement of portions of said Act within its political boundaries" and adopts the state construction code "as same may from time to time be modified or amended," and the township has adopted no building code text of its own. State law requires that "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," and also says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure" without defining ordinary repairs or capping them by size or cost. Michigan's list of work exempt from permit (Section R105.2 of the residential code, as Michigan amends it) names no roof work. The no-permit line is the township's stated practice; this record does not decide whether it is the township's reading of the ordinary-repairs clause, and it applies only to the work the notice names, shingles. For any other roof work, ask the Building Department at 269-673-3239 before starting. Ordinance No. 43 makes a violation of the ordinance or the adopted state code "a misdemeanor punishable upon conviction by a fine not to exceed $500.00, plus costs, and/or imprisonment" of up to 90 days.

Is ice & water shield required in Charter Township of South Haven, 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 Forms & Permits page, its notice to the public, Ordinance No. 43 and the other building ordinances on its list were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier.

Is drip edge required in Charter Township of South Haven, 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 township's Forms & Permits page, its notice to the public, Ordinance No. 43 and the other building ordinances on its list were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Charter Township of South Haven, 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 township's building instruments were read in full: Ordinance No. 43 (State Construction Code), Ordinance No. 40 and its amendment No. 117 (Dangerous Buildings), Ordinances No. 11, 101, 102 and 156 (flood damage prevention and floodplain management), Ordinances No. 12 and 13 (electrical and mechanical codes), No. 150 (plumbing), No. 14, 63 and 123 (blight), No. 38 (building numbering), No. 30 (mobile homes) and No. 44 (fire prevention). None has a reroofing provision and none amends anything in Section R908. The township's remaining general law ordinances (franchises, traffic, liquor, taxes and the like) are not building instruments and were not read, and neither were the zoning ordinance articles. The township's notice and permit papers state no layer rule.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Charter Township of South Haven, MI?

Yes.

What building code does Charter Township of South Haven, 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." The township's own instruments name no edition. South Haven Charter Township's Ordinance No. 43, adopted February 14, 1996, assumes the township's enforcement of the state construction code act and adopts the State Construction Code "currently in effect and as same may from time to time be modified or amended," and its flood damage prevention ordinance refers to "the current Michigan Residential Code." The permit-holder tips sheet of Michigan Township Services, the township's Building Department, says "The code sections cited are Michigan Residential Code 2015 (effective Feb 8, 2016)." The township's notice to the public and permit forms name no code edition. The township also keeps a fire prevention ordinance for the BOCA National Fire Prevention Code, which is not a dwelling code.