Permitting Authorities / City of Sylvan Lake - Building Department (Bloomfield Township Building Division)
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Sylvan Lake, MI?
Adopted code
City of Sylvan Lake - Building Department (Bloomfield Township Building Division)
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Sylvan Lake, MI, issued by City of Sylvan Lake - Building Department (Bloomfield Township Building Division). In Sylvan Lake a reroof is a construction permit, applied for and obtained from the Bloomfield Township Building Division, not at city hall: the city's Building Department page says "Building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits will be applied for and obtained at the Bloomfield Township Building Department. Sylvan Lake City Hall will not accept these applications." The city's FAQ lists "roof" among improvements that "may only require construction permits", and adds "If only a Construction permit(s) is required, you may go directly to Bloomfield Township to apply for the necessary permits." Bloomfield Township says its "Minor Home Projects" can be applied for online and "These projects include items such as window replacements, siding, roofing, and basement water management system." The Building Division is at 4200 Telegraph Road (mailing address P.O. Box 489, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303-0489), phone 248-433-7715, open Monday through Thursday 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The city says "Bloomfield Township will collect the fees for construction permits" and sends fee questions to the township, so ask the Building Division for the current fee. The city's FAQ adds "Inspections are required for all permitted work".
Roof code checklist: Sylvan Lake, MI
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 Sylvan Lake, Michigan
Address
1820 Inverness, Sylvan Lake, MI 48320
Contact
- url: https://www.sylvanlake.org/residents/your_home/building_department/
- phone: 248-433-7715
Roofing permit required
Required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
In Sylvan Lake a reroof is a construction permit, applied for and obtained from the Bloomfield Township Building Division, not at city hall: the city's Building Department page says "Building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits will be applied for and obtained at the Bloomfield Township Building Department. Sylvan Lake City Hall will not accept these applications." The city's FAQ lists "roof" among improvements that "may only require construction permits", and adds "If only a Construction permit(s) is required, you may go directly to Bloomfield Township to apply for the necessary permits." Bloomfield Township says its "Minor Home Projects" can be applied for online and "These projects include items such as window replacements, siding, roofing, and basement water management system." The Building Division is at 4200 Telegraph Road (mailing address P.O. Box 489, Bloomfield Hills, MI 48303-0489), phone 248-433-7715, open Monday through Thursday 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The city says "Bloomfield Township will collect the fees for construction permits" and sends fee questions to the township, so ask the Building Division for the current fee. The city's FAQ adds "Inspections are required for all permitted work".
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 Sylvan Lake as its own building code enforcer. Section 14-31 of the city's Code of Ordinances designates "the Building Official of the City of Sylvan Lake" as the enforcing agency, and Section 14-32 requires building work to follow "the provisions of the state code", naming no edition. The city's Building Department page says it "contracts with Bloomfield Township to supply Building Department services."
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 Sylvan Lake Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), the city's Building Department page and its permit FAQ were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge.
About drip edgeIce & 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 Sylvan Lake Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), the city's Building Department page and its permit FAQ were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier.
About ice & water barrierImpact-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 Sylvan Lake Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), the city's Building Department page and its permit FAQ were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
The City of Sylvan Lake names roof work as construction-permit work and publishes no size line below which a roof job needs no permit. Its permit FAQ, answering "Which permit(s) do I need?", says "Some improvements may only require construction permits; interior remodeling, new windows, roof, siding, furnace, or water heater." The construction permits are issued by the Bloomfield Township Building Division, whose Permit Information page lists "Roofs" among the jobs that need a permit. The city code makes it "unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to install, alter, maintain, service or repair building materials in or on any building, structure or part thereof" without a permit (Section 14-35). 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.
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 14 of the Sylvan Lake Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations) was read in full: it designates the enforcing agency, requires a permit for building work, sets fees by council resolution, adopts a property maintenance code and an electrical, mechanical and plumbing code article, and has no reroofing provision and amends nothing in Section R908. The city's Building Department page, its permit FAQ and the Bloomfield Township Permit Information page 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 14 of the Sylvan Lake Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), the city's Building Department page and its permit FAQ 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 Sylvan Lake's Building Department page or in Chapter 14 of its Code of Ordinances changes this.
Local roofing hub
More roof permit pages in Michigan
Related guides
The City of Sylvan Lake, whose city hall is at 1820 Inverness, contracts with Bloomfield Township to supply Building Department services: building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits are applied for and issued at the Bloomfield Township Building Division at 4200 Telegraph Road, while Sylvan Lake City Hall takes zoning permits. Section 14-31 of the city's Code of Ordinances designates the city's Building Official as the enforcing agency under the state construction code act. Michigan's single state construction code applies, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.
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Roofing questions: Sylvan Lake, MI
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Sylvan Lake, MI?
Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Sylvan Lake, MI. The City of Sylvan Lake names roof work as construction-permit work and publishes no size line below which a roof job needs no permit. Its permit FAQ, answering "Which permit(s) do I need?", says "Some improvements may only require construction permits; interior remodeling, new windows, roof, siding, furnace, or water heater." The construction permits are issued by the Bloomfield Township Building Division, whose Permit Information page lists "Roofs" among the jobs that need a permit. The city code makes it "unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to install, alter, maintain, service or repair building materials in or on any building, structure or part thereof" without a permit (Section 14-35). 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.
Is ice & water shield required in Sylvan Lake, 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 Sylvan Lake Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), the city's Building Department page and its permit FAQ were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier.
Is drip edge required in Sylvan Lake, 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 Sylvan Lake Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations), the city's Building Department page and its permit FAQ were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge.
Can you roof over an existing roof in Sylvan Lake, 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 14 of the Sylvan Lake Code of Ordinances (Buildings and Building Regulations) was read in full: it designates the enforcing agency, requires a permit for building work, sets fees by council resolution, adopts a property maintenance code and an electrical, mechanical and plumbing code article, and has no reroofing provision and amends nothing in Section R908. The city's Building Department page, its permit FAQ and the Bloomfield Township Permit Information page state no layer rule.
Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Sylvan Lake, MI?
Yes.
What building code does Sylvan Lake, 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 Sylvan Lake as its own building code enforcer. Section 14-31 of the city's Code of Ordinances designates "the Building Official of the City of Sylvan Lake" as the enforcing agency, and Section 14-32 requires building work to follow "the provisions of the state code", naming no edition. The city's Building Department page says it "contracts with Bloomfield Township to supply Building Department services."