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Permitting Authorities / City of St. Clair - Building Department

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in St. Clair, MI?

Adopted code

City of St. Clair - Building Department

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in St. Clair, MI, issued by City of St. Clair - Building Department. In the City of St. Clair the Building Department page says it will "review building plans, issue building permits, mechanical permits, electrical permits, plumbing permits, and conduct inspections on work performed." and "Building permit fees are based on the value of the work being done; electrical, plumbing, and mechanical fees are listed on each application." The city's building permit application instructions say "Apply for a building permit BEFORE beginning any work. Please allow a minimum of 10 days for processing of permits." and "it is the applicant's responsibility to request all inspections at least 24 hours in advance." The application's type-of-improvement line lists new building, addition, alteration, demolition, moving and foundation only, has no reroof or repair box, and asks for the building cost; its contractor section asks for the contractor's employer ID, workers compensation carrier and MESC employer number. The city's fee schedule for fiscal year 2025-2026 (revised July 2026) lists no building permit fee line, so ask the department for the fee on a given job. The Building Department page lists a building inspector, who keeps office hours Monday and Wednesday 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm and Friday 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, and a building administrative assistant, available Monday to Thursday 7:30 am to 4:30 pm and Friday 7:30 am to 1:30 pm; both are reached at 810-329-7121. The city's website shows no online portal for building permits.

Roof code checklist: St. Clair, MI

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYescityofstclairmi.gov2026-10-12
Repair permit thresholdPublishedcityofstclairmi.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
City of St. Clair, Michigan
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
547 N. Carney Drive, St. Clair, MI 48079
Contact
  • url: https://cityofstclairmi.gov/building/
  • phone: 810-329-7121
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
In the City of St. Clair the Building Department page says it will "review building plans, issue building permits, mechanical permits, electrical permits, plumbing permits, and conduct inspections on work performed." and "Building permit fees are based on the value of the work being done; electrical, plumbing, and mechanical fees are listed on each application." The city's building permit application instructions say "Apply for a building permit BEFORE beginning any work. Please allow a minimum of 10 days for processing of permits." and "it is the applicant's responsibility to request all inspections at least 24 hours in advance." The application's type-of-improvement line lists new building, addition, alteration, demolition, moving and foundation only, has no reroof or repair box, and asks for the building cost; its contractor section asks for the contractor's employer ID, workers compensation carrier and MESC employer number. The city's fee schedule for fiscal year 2025-2026 (revised July 2026) lists no building permit fee line, so ask the department for the fee on a given job. The Building Department page lists a building inspector, who keeps office hours Monday and Wednesday 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm and Friday 11:30 am to 2:30 pm, and a building administrative assistant, available Monday to Thursday 7:30 am to 4:30 pm and Friday 7:30 am to 1:30 pm; both are reached at 810-329-7121. The city's website shows no online 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 St. Clair as its own building code enforcer. St. Clair's codified Code of Ordinances Sec. 14-26 (Ord. No. 1992-03, 5-4-92; Ord. No. 1995-01, 6-19-95; Ord. No. 1998-04, 7-6-98) adopts "the Uniform Building Code, Volumes 1, 2, and 3, as promulgated by the International Conference of Building Officials, 1997 edition"; 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. The city's Building Department page, read October 12, 2026, says "The Building Department is responsible to enforce the current codes adopted by the State of Michigan." The city's International Property Maintenance Code, 2024 Edition (Sec. 14-241) is a property maintenance code, not a dwelling code 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). Chapter 14 of the St. Clair Code of Ordinances and the Building Department page and building permit application were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge. St. Clair's codified Sec. 14-26 adopts the Uniform Building Code, 1997 edition; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state; the Building Department page says it enforces "the current codes adopted by the State of Michigan"; the Uniform Building Code, 1997 edition 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). Chapter 14 of the St. Clair Code of Ordinances and the Building Department page and building permit application were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier. St. Clair's codified Sec. 14-26 adopts the Uniform Building Code, 1997 edition; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state; the Building Department page says it enforces "the current codes adopted by the State of Michigan"; the Uniform Building Code, 1997 edition 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." Chapter 14 of the St. Clair Code of Ordinances and the Building Department page and building permit application were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
No size or cost threshold is published for roof work, and the city has published nothing on reroofing. The Building Department page, read October 12, 2026, says "Your home improvement project may require a permit – The Building Department is here to help. Always check to see if a permit is required for your project.", and says the department "oversees and inspects all construction, alterations, and building projects within the city." 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. Because the city names no roof work and only refers the reader to the Building Department, the general permit rule supplies the requirement and the record publishes that a reroof needs a permit. To settle a particular job, call the Building Department at 810-329-7121.
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 City of St. Clair's own building ordinance, Chapter 14 of the St. Clair Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations, codified through Ordinance 2025-01), was read in full, together with the city's recent ordinances on its ordinances page that touch building (2021-01 Dangerous Buildings, 2024-03 International Property Maintenance Code update and 2026-01 Administrative Code): none has a reroofing provision or amends Section R908, and the Building Department page and building permit application state no layer rule. St. Clair's codified Sec. 14-26 adopts the Uniform Building Code, 1997 edition; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state; the Building Department page says it enforces "the current codes adopted by the State of Michigan"; the Uniform Building Code, 1997 edition 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). Chapter 14 of the St. Clair Code of Ordinances and the Building Department page and building permit application were read for a local rule and state nothing further on roof sheathing. St. Clair's codified Sec. 14-26 adopts the Uniform Building Code, 1997 edition; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state; the Building Department page says it enforces "the current codes adopted by the State of Michigan"; the Uniform Building Code, 1997 edition 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 City of St. Clair Building Department page or its building permit application changes this.

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The City of St. Clair Building Department, at 547 N. Carney Drive in St. Clair, St. Clair County, reviews plans, issues building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits and inspects construction, alterations and building projects within the city. Chapter 14 of the city's Code of Ordinances makes the building department the enforcing agency and designates the city administrator of planning, zoning and building as the building official, and the State of Michigan's jurisdiction list names the City of St. Clair as its own building code enforcer. This record covers the city of St. Clair, not St. Clair Township or St. Clair Shores. Michigan's single state construction code applies, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.

Working an insurance claim in St. Clair, 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.

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Sources

Roofing questions: St. Clair, MI

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in St. Clair, MI?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in St. Clair, MI. No size or cost threshold is published for roof work, and the city has published nothing on reroofing. The Building Department page, read October 12, 2026, says "Your home improvement project may require a permit – The Building Department is here to help. Always check to see if a permit is required for your project.", and says the department "oversees and inspects all construction, alterations, and building projects within the city." 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. Because the city names no roof work and only refers the reader to the Building Department, the general permit rule supplies the requirement and the record publishes that a reroof needs a permit. To settle a particular job, call the Building Department at 810-329-7121.

Is ice & water shield required in St. Clair, 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). Chapter 14 of the St. Clair Code of Ordinances and the Building Department page and building permit application were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier. St. Clair's codified Sec. 14-26 adopts the Uniform Building Code, 1997 edition; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state; the Building Department page says it enforces "the current codes adopted by the State of Michigan"; the Uniform Building Code, 1997 edition text was not read (see adopted_code).

Is drip edge required in St. Clair, 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). Chapter 14 of the St. Clair Code of Ordinances and the Building Department page and building permit application were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge. St. Clair's codified Sec. 14-26 adopts the Uniform Building Code, 1997 edition; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state; the Building Department page says it enforces "the current codes adopted by the State of Michigan"; the Uniform Building Code, 1997 edition text was not read (see adopted_code).

Can you roof over an existing roof in St. Clair, 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 City of St. Clair's own building ordinance, Chapter 14 of the St. Clair Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations, codified through Ordinance 2025-01), was read in full, together with the city's recent ordinances on its ordinances page that touch building (2021-01 Dangerous Buildings, 2024-03 International Property Maintenance Code update and 2026-01 Administrative Code): none has a reroofing provision or amends Section R908, and the Building Department page and building permit application state no layer rule. St. Clair's codified Sec. 14-26 adopts the Uniform Building Code, 1997 edition; this field states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state act applies throughout the state; the Building Department page says it enforces "the current codes adopted by the State of Michigan"; the Uniform Building Code, 1997 edition text was not read (see adopted_code).

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in St. Clair, MI?

Yes.

What building code does St. Clair, 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 City of St. Clair as its own building code enforcer. St. Clair's codified Code of Ordinances Sec. 14-26 (Ord. No. 1992-03, 5-4-92; Ord. No. 1995-01, 6-19-95; Ord. No. 1998-04, 7-6-98) adopts "the Uniform Building Code, Volumes 1, 2, and 3, as promulgated by the International Conference of Building Officials, 1997 edition"; 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. The city's Building Department page, read October 12, 2026, says "The Building Department is responsible to enforce the current codes adopted by the State of Michigan." The city's International Property Maintenance Code, 2024 Edition (Sec. 14-241) is a property maintenance code, not a dwelling code edition.