Charter Township of Washington - Building Department

Charter Township of Washington, Michigan (Macomb County)

city

57900 Van Dyke, Washington, MI 48094

Required

Required

A reroof in the Charter Township of Washington needs a township building permit: the Building Department page says "Included in these requirements are roofs", the Permit Requirements sheet lists "Roofs, re-roofs", and the building permit application has a "ROOF PERMITS ONLY" section that asks for the number of squares. The department page says "AS OF JULY 2ND, 2026, ALL BUILDING/TRADE PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS MUST BE REQUESTED ONLINE BS&A", and the contractor registration form says "Registration must be completed before applying for permits as required by Washington Township." The department says "Next-Day Inspection Requests must be submitted by 3:00 PM" and "The minimum/base permit fee includes one inspection. Additional inspections have a $70.00 fee per inspection". The pages read publish no roofing fee schedule, so ask the department for the current permit fee. The department is at 57900 Van Dyke, Washington, MI 48094 (586-786-0018), open 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The department says the permit holder is responsible for subdivision restrictions and easements: "The authorization of a permit by the Building Department shall not be construed as authority to violate any easement or subdivision restrictions."

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 Washington as its own building code enforcer. The township Building Department's "Codes Currently in Effect" sheet (file dated 2-9-26) lists "Residential: 2015 Michigan Residential Code- Effective April 20, 2017". The township's codified Construction Code Ordinance (Part 160, Ord. No. 78) provides that "the Michigan Construction Code as promulgated by the Michigan Construction Code Commission which is currently and hereafter in effect is hereby adopted as the applicable Construction Code for the Township of Washington." Part 161 of the township's Compilation of Ordinances, Construction Code Ordinance II, adopts the BOCA National Property Maintenance Code of 1996 by reference, and the text of that maintenance code was not read for this record. The preamble of Part 161 describes the ordinance as one "to adopt by reference the BOCA Basic Housing Property Maintenance Code and the One and Two Family Dwelling Code", its operative section adopts only the property maintenance code, and no edition of a one and two family dwelling code is named.

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 Charter Township of Washington's Building Department page, permit requirements, building permit application and codified construction code ordinance were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge. About drip edge

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 Charter Township of Washington's Building Department page, permit requirements, building permit application and codified construction code ordinance were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier. About ice & water barrier

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 Charter Township of Washington's Building Department page, permit requirements, building permit application and codified construction code ordinance were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.

The Charter Township of Washington's Building Department page says "Permits are required for all new construction for commercial and residential projects. Included in these requirements are roofs, interior remodels, additions, accessory buildings, decks", and its Permit Requirements sheet lists "Roofs, re-roofs" under "Activities Requiring Permits". Its building permit application has a section headed "ROOF PERMITS ONLY" that asks for the number of squares. The township publishes no size, cost or area threshold for roof work. 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.

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 own construction ordinances, Part 160 (Construction Code Ordinance) and Part 161 (Construction Code Ordinance II) of the Charter Township of Washington Compilation of Ordinances, were read in full: they adopt the Michigan Construction Code, create a construction board of appeals, designate the Building Department as the enforcing agency, leave fees to a board schedule, and adopt the BOCA National Property Maintenance Code of 1996 by reference; they contain no reroofing provision and amend nothing in Section R908. The township's flood damage prevention, dangerous buildings, blight and fire prevention ordinances were searched for roofing text and none concerns re-covering a roof or the number of roof layers. The Building Department's pages state no layer rule.

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 Charter Township of Washington's Building Department page, permit requirements, building permit application and codified construction code ordinance were read for a local rule and state nothing further on roof sheathing.

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 Charter Township of Washington's Building Department page changes this.