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Permitting Authorities / Township of Spencer - Building Department

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

Adopted code

Township of Spencer - Building Department

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Spencer, MI, issued by Township of Spencer - Building Department. Spencer Township has published nothing that names roof work either way: its Building Department page, building permit application and checklist, deck permit application, contractor registration form and General Ordinances have no roofing line, and the township posts no building fee schedule. 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, so ask the Building Department before you start. The township's building permit application checklist, which is written around new construction, says "Truss drawings and Septic and Well Approval before any application may be made" and "Zoning Applications must be submitted with building application." Its contractor registration form says "Only registered licensed contractors can obtain permits," and "Homeowners can obtain a Homeowner Permit for a single-family dwelling in which he lives or is about to occupy for not less than one year." The township says "To schedule Building inspections call 616-401-3927"; the township office is at 14960 Meddler Avenue NE in Gowen, phone (616) 984-0035, and its Building page lists Tuesday and Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Wednesday 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Roof code checklist: Township of Spencer, MI

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYesspencertwpmi.gov2026-10-12
Repair permit thresholdPublishedlegislature.mi.gov2026-10-12
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 Spencer, Michigan
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
14960 Meddler Avenue NE, Gowen, MI 49326
Contact
  • url: https://spencertwpmi.gov/building/
  • phone: 616-984-0035
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
Spencer Township has published nothing that names roof work either way: its Building Department page, building permit application and checklist, deck permit application, contractor registration form and General Ordinances have no roofing line, and the township posts no building fee schedule. 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, so ask the Building Department before you start. The township's building permit application checklist, which is written around new construction, says "Truss drawings and Septic and Well Approval before any application may be made" and "Zoning Applications must be submitted with building application." Its contractor registration form says "Only registered licensed contractors can obtain permits," and "Homeowners can obtain a Homeowner Permit for a single-family dwelling in which he lives or is about to occupy for not less than one year." The township says "To schedule Building inspections call 616-401-3927"; the township office is at 14960 Meddler Avenue NE in Gowen, phone (616) 984-0035, and its Building page lists Tuesday and Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Wednesday 8:30 a.m. to noon.
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 Spencer as its own building code enforcer. Spencer Township's codified BOCA Building Code Ordinance Sec. 1 (Ord. No. 6-33-17-86; amended by Ord. Nos. 94-17 and 07-002) adopts "BOCA Basic Building Code 1984" in the sentence "Spencer Township hereby adopts the Michigan State Construction Code being the BOCA Basic Building Code 1984 together with all additions, amendments and deletions thereof as adopted by the State Construction Code Commission"; this directory has not read that text, and whether the codified reference has any effect today is not decided here. This record states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state construction code act applies throughout the state ("This act and the code apply throughout the state," MCL 125.1508a) and which LARA says remains in effect while the Court of Claims order of July 7, 2025 stands. Spencer Township's codified Sec. 1 takes the code "together with all additions, amendments and deletions thereof as adopted by the State Construction Code Commission"; its Building Department page, building permit application and contractor registration form, read October 12, 2026, name no edition of any 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 Building Department page, building permit application, deck permit application, contractor registration form and General Ordinances (compiled through May 2026) were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge. Spencer Township's codified BOCA Building Code Ordinance Sec. 1 adopts BOCA Basic Building Code 1984; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which Spencer Township's Sec. 1 reaches through "all additions, amendments and deletions thereof as adopted by the State Construction Code Commission"; the BOCA Basic Building Code 1984 text was not read (see adopted_code). 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 Building Department page, building permit application, deck permit application, contractor registration form and General Ordinances (compiled through May 2026) were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier. Spencer Township's codified BOCA Building Code Ordinance Sec. 1 adopts BOCA Basic Building Code 1984; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which Spencer Township's Sec. 1 reaches through "all additions, amendments and deletions thereof as adopted by the State Construction Code Commission"; the BOCA Basic Building Code 1984 text was not read (see adopted_code). 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 Building Department page, building permit application, deck permit application, contractor registration form and General Ordinances (compiled through May 2026) were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
Spencer Township publishes no size or dollar line below which roof work needs no permit. 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 says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure." (MCL 125.1510) without defining ordinary repairs. The township's Building Department page, its building permit application, its deck permit application, its contractor registration form and its General Ordinances (compiled through May 2026) were read and do not apply that relief to roof work or name roof work either way. The township's contractor registration form states the general rule: "Permit is required prior to commencement of work."
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 ordinances in its General Ordinances (compiled through May 2026) were read in full: the BOCA Building Code Ordinance and the three companion code ordinances for plumbing, electrical and mechanical work, the Dangerous Buildings Ordinance, the Construction Board of Appeals Ordinance and the Housing Law of Michigan Ordinance; none has a reroofing provision and none amends Section R908. The township's zoning ordinance was searched and has no rule on reroofing or roof coverings. The township's permit applications state no layer rule. Spencer Township's codified BOCA Building Code Ordinance Sec. 1 adopts BOCA Basic Building Code 1984; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which Spencer Township's Sec. 1 reaches through "all additions, amendments and deletions thereof as adopted by the State Construction Code Commission"; the BOCA Basic Building Code 1984 text was not read (see adopted_code).
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 Building Department page, building permit application, deck permit application, contractor registration form and General Ordinances (compiled through May 2026) were read for a local rule and state nothing further on roof sheathing. Spencer Township's codified BOCA Building Code Ordinance Sec. 1 adopts BOCA Basic Building Code 1984; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which Spencer Township's Sec. 1 reaches through "all additions, amendments and deletions thereof as adopted by the State Construction Code Commission"; the BOCA Basic Building Code 1984 text was not read (see adopted_code).
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 Spencer Township Building Department page, its permit applications or its contractor registration form changes this.

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Spencer Township in Kent County runs a Building Department out of the township hall at 14960 Meddler Avenue NE in Gowen, with a building inspector and separate electrical and mechanical and plumbing inspectors, and its building permit application is submitted to the township. The township's General Ordinances designate "The building inspector's office of Spencer Township" as the enforcing agency under the state construction code act, 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.

Working an insurance claim in Township of Spencer, 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).

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Sources

Roofing questions: Township of Spencer, MI

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

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Township of Spencer, MI. Spencer Township publishes no size or dollar line below which roof work needs no permit. 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 says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure." (MCL 125.1510) without defining ordinary repairs. The township's Building Department page, its building permit application, its deck permit application, its contractor registration form and its General Ordinances (compiled through May 2026) were read and do not apply that relief to roof work or name roof work either way. The township's contractor registration form states the general rule: "Permit is required prior to commencement of work."

Is ice & water shield required in Township of Spencer, 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 Building Department page, building permit application, deck permit application, contractor registration form and General Ordinances (compiled through May 2026) were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier. Spencer Township's codified BOCA Building Code Ordinance Sec. 1 adopts BOCA Basic Building Code 1984; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which Spencer Township's Sec. 1 reaches through "all additions, amendments and deletions thereof as adopted by the State Construction Code Commission"; the BOCA Basic Building Code 1984 text was not read (see adopted_code).

Is drip edge required in Township of Spencer, 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 Building Department page, building permit application, deck permit application, contractor registration form and General Ordinances (compiled through May 2026) were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge. Spencer Township's codified BOCA Building Code Ordinance Sec. 1 adopts BOCA Basic Building Code 1984; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which Spencer Township's Sec. 1 reaches through "all additions, amendments and deletions thereof as adopted by the State Construction Code Commission"; the BOCA Basic Building Code 1984 text was not read (see adopted_code).

Can you roof over an existing roof in Township of Spencer, 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 ordinances in its General Ordinances (compiled through May 2026) were read in full: the BOCA Building Code Ordinance and the three companion code ordinances for plumbing, electrical and mechanical work, the Dangerous Buildings Ordinance, the Construction Board of Appeals Ordinance and the Housing Law of Michigan Ordinance; none has a reroofing provision and none amends Section R908. The township's zoning ordinance was searched and has no rule on reroofing or roof coverings. The township's permit applications state no layer rule. Spencer Township's codified BOCA Building Code Ordinance Sec. 1 adopts BOCA Basic Building Code 1984; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state and which Spencer Township's Sec. 1 reaches through "all additions, amendments and deletions thereof as adopted by the State Construction Code Commission"; the BOCA Basic Building Code 1984 text was not read (see adopted_code).

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

Yes.

What building code does Township of Spencer, 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 Spencer as its own building code enforcer. Spencer Township's codified BOCA Building Code Ordinance Sec. 1 (Ord. No. 6-33-17-86; amended by Ord. Nos. 94-17 and 07-002) adopts "BOCA Basic Building Code 1984" in the sentence "Spencer Township hereby adopts the Michigan State Construction Code being the BOCA Basic Building Code 1984 together with all additions, amendments and deletions thereof as adopted by the State Construction Code Commission"; this directory has not read that text, and whether the codified reference has any effect today is not decided here. This record states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state construction code act applies throughout the state ("This act and the code apply throughout the state," MCL 125.1508a) and which LARA says remains in effect while the Court of Claims order of July 7, 2025 stands. Spencer Township's codified Sec. 1 takes the code "together with all additions, amendments and deletions thereof as adopted by the State Construction Code Commission"; its Building Department page, building permit application and contractor registration form, read October 12, 2026, name no edition of any code.