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Permitting Authorities / City of St. Joseph - Building Inspection Department

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

Adopted code

City of St. Joseph - Building Inspection Department

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in St. Joseph, MI, issued by City of St. Joseph - Building Inspection Department. A reroof in St. Joseph is permit work. The city's Building Inspection Department says "Building Permits must be obtained before starting any construction, remodeling, mechanical, electrical, or plumbing work." and that administratively complete applications "are typically issued within 7 days". Its application packet says "Building permit fees may be obtained from the City of St. Joseph Building Department or by calling (269) 983-1212" and "If you submit your building permit application and plans without money, your application will be put on hold until we receive the building permit fees." The city's Building Permit Fee Schedule is priced by construction value, from $54 for work valued up to $500. The handout says "Working without a building permit subjects you to a penalty of two times the permit fee and work stoppage until the permit is issued", and its memo on re-use of materials says "For roof replacements: Section 908.5 of the MRC is clear that: Existing slate, clay or cement tile shall be permitted for reinstallation, EXCEPT that damaged, cracked or broken slate or tile shall not be installed." and "ANY RE-USE OF MATERIALS MUST FIRST BE APPROVED BY THE BUILDING OFFICIAL." The department is at City Hall, 700 Broad Street, St. Joseph, MI 49085, phone (269) 983-1212. Read October 11, 2026.

Roof code checklist: St. Joseph, MI

ItemAnswerCode citeSourceVerified
Permit to replace a roofYessjcity.com2026-10-11
Repair permit thresholdPublishedsjcity.com2026-10-11
Layer limit / roof-overPublishedR908.3.1.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-11
Deck & sheathingPublishedR905.2.1codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-11
Drip edgeYesR905.2.8.5codes.iccsafe.org2026-10-11
Ice & water shieldYesR905.1.2ars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-11
Mid-roof inspectionNot published
Impact-resistant (Class 4) roofingNoars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-11
Wind design criteriaNot published
Adopted codePublishedars.apps.lara.state.mi.us2026-10-11
Contractor license / registrationYeslegislature.mi.gov2026-10-11
Sales & use taxPublishedlegislature.mi.gov2026-10-11

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. Joseph, Michigan
Jurisdiction type
city
Address
700 Broad Street, St. Joseph, MI 49085
Contact
  • url: https://www.sjcity.com/616/Building-Inspections
  • phone: 269-983-1212
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Registration details
  • state_level: Michigan licenses residential maintenance and alteration contractors under the Occupational Code, and that licence "includes the following crafts and trades" among which it names roofing (MCL 339.2404(3)); "A person shall not engage in or attempt to engage in the practice of an occupation regulated under this act" without the licence (MCL 339.601(1)). MCL 339.2403 lists who may work without one, including a project whose "aggregate contract price for the labor, material, and any other items for the undertaking or project is less than $600.00". This record does not decide whether a given roofer falls inside an exemption.
Permit process note
A reroof in St. Joseph is permit work. The city's Building Inspection Department says "Building Permits must be obtained before starting any construction, remodeling, mechanical, electrical, or plumbing work." and that administratively complete applications "are typically issued within 7 days". Its application packet says "Building permit fees may be obtained from the City of St. Joseph Building Department or by calling (269) 983-1212" and "If you submit your building permit application and plans without money, your application will be put on hold until we receive the building permit fees." The city's Building Permit Fee Schedule is priced by construction value, from $54 for work valued up to $500. The handout says "Working without a building permit subjects you to a penalty of two times the permit fee and work stoppage until the permit is issued", and its memo on re-use of materials says "For roof replacements: Section 908.5 of the MRC is clear that: Existing slate, clay or cement tile shall be permitted for reinstallation, EXCEPT that damaged, cracked or broken slate or tile shall not be installed." and "ANY RE-USE OF MATERIALS MUST FIRST BE APPROVED BY THE BUILDING OFFICIAL." The department is at City Hall, 700 Broad Street, St. Joseph, MI 49085, phone (269) 983-1212. Read October 11, 2026.
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. Joseph as its own building code enforcer. Sec. 8-86 of the city's Code of Ordinances provides that the city "assumes responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the state construction code throughout its corporate limits", and Sec. 8-87 provides that "the building official of the City of St. Joseph is designated as the enforcing agency"; neither names an edition. The city's Adopted Building Codes page, read October 11, 2026, says "The State of Michigan requires all jurisdictions, including the City of St. Joseph, to enforce the following code editions:" and lists "2015 Michigan Residential Code effective February 8, 2016".
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 8 of the City of St. Joseph Code of Ordinances, the Building Inspections pages, the application packet, the fee schedule and the re-use of materials memo 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). Chapter 8 of the City of St. Joseph Code of Ordinances, the Building Inspections pages, the application packet, the fee schedule and the re-use of materials memo 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." Chapter 8 of the City of St. Joseph Code of Ordinances, the Building Inspections pages, the application packet, the fee schedule and the re-use of materials memo were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
St. Joseph publishes no size, square or dollar point below which re-roofing needs no permit. Its building permit application packet says "A building permit is usually required for: new buildings, additions, decks, garages, fences, fireplaces, pools, water heaters, basement furnishings, kitchen expansions, re-roofing, electrical systems, plumbing systems, heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems", and opens "Call first! Many home improvement projects require a building permit". The city's "Don't Forget Your Building Permit" handout says "Cosmetic improvements, such as painting, wallpapering, carpeting or new flooring, and trim work do not require permits. All other work is generally required to have a permit." Under state law, "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 "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 city has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. For a small patch, ask the Building Inspection Department (269-983-1212) 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, Chapter 8 of the City of St. Joseph Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), codified through the ordinance of April 6, 2026, was read in full, Articles I to VIII, Sec. 8-1 through Sec. 8-140: it covers appeals, variances, fees, the electrical and plumbing codes, the administration of the state construction code, a property maintenance code, dangerous buildings and flood hazard areas; it has no reroofing provision and amends nothing in Section R908. The Building Inspections pages, the application packet, the fee schedule and the re-use of materials memo 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). Chapter 8 of the City of St. Joseph Code of Ordinances, the Building Inspections pages, the application packet, the fee schedule and the re-use of materials memo 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 City of St. Joseph Building Inspections pages changes this.

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The City of St. Joseph's Building Inspection Department, at City Hall, 700 Broad Street, issues building permits, and its application packet lists re-roofing among the work that usually needs one. Sec. 8-87 of the city's Code of Ordinances designates the building official as the enforcing agency under the state construction code act, and the State of Michigan's jurisdiction list names the City as its own building code enforcer. Michigan's single state construction code applies, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.

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Sources

Roofing questions: St. Joseph, MI

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

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in St. Joseph, MI. St. Joseph publishes no size, square or dollar point below which re-roofing needs no permit. Its building permit application packet says "A building permit is usually required for: new buildings, additions, decks, garages, fences, fireplaces, pools, water heaters, basement furnishings, kitchen expansions, re-roofing, electrical systems, plumbing systems, heating, ventilating and air-conditioning systems", and opens "Call first! Many home improvement projects require a building permit". The city's "Don't Forget Your Building Permit" handout says "Cosmetic improvements, such as painting, wallpapering, carpeting or new flooring, and trim work do not require permits. All other work is generally required to have a permit." Under state law, "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 "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 city has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. For a small patch, ask the Building Inspection Department (269-983-1212) before starting.

Is ice & water shield required in St. Joseph, 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 8 of the City of St. Joseph Code of Ordinances, the Building Inspections pages, the application packet, the fee schedule and the re-use of materials memo were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier.

Is drip edge required in St. Joseph, 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 8 of the City of St. Joseph Code of Ordinances, the Building Inspections pages, the application packet, the fee schedule and the re-use of materials memo were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge.

Can you roof over an existing roof in St. Joseph, 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, Chapter 8 of the City of St. Joseph Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), codified through the ordinance of April 6, 2026, was read in full, Articles I to VIII, Sec. 8-1 through Sec. 8-140: it covers appeals, variances, fees, the electrical and plumbing codes, the administration of the state construction code, a property maintenance code, dangerous buildings and flood hazard areas; it has no reroofing provision and amends nothing in Section R908. The Building Inspections pages, the application packet, the fee schedule and the re-use of materials memo state no layer rule.

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

Yes.

What building code does St. Joseph, 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. Joseph as its own building code enforcer. Sec. 8-86 of the city's Code of Ordinances provides that the city "assumes responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the state construction code throughout its corporate limits", and Sec. 8-87 provides that "the building official of the City of St. Joseph is designated as the enforcing agency"; neither names an edition. The city's Adopted Building Codes page, read October 11, 2026, says "The State of Michigan requires all jurisdictions, including the City of St. Joseph, to enforce the following code editions:" and lists "2015 Michigan Residential Code effective February 8, 2016".