Permitting Authorities / Township of Whitehall (Muskegon County) - Building Permits (White Lake Area Building Inspection Department)
Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Township of Whitehall, MI?
Adopted code
Township of Whitehall (Muskegon County) - Building Permits (White Lake Area Building Inspection Department)
No, Township of Whitehall, MI does not require a permit for like-for-like roof replacement (Township of Whitehall (Muskegon County) - Building Permits (White Lake Area Building Inspection Department)). In Whitehall Township, a roof-shingle job is on the building department's no-permit list: the White Lake Area Building Inspection Board's brochure, posted on the township's Building Department forms page, lists "Roof shingles" under "ITEMS NOT REQUIRING BUILDING PERMITS", names no other roof covering, and sets no area or dollar limit; it lists "All Structural Changes" among the items that need a permit. The Montague Building Inspection Department page says "As of January 1, 2018, Whitehall Township has joined the White Lake Area Building Inspection Department", and the township's Zoning / Building page lists the "White Lake Area Building Inspection Department" for building permits. The Board's "Repair & Replacement Expenditures" form (7.1.2019) says it "shall be filled out and returned to the City's Assessor before any repair and/or replacement of exterior doors, windows, roof, and/or siding not requiring a building permit". No enacted text names roof work either way: Section 1202 of Article 12 of the township's General Ordinance says only that the township "enforces the applicable building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical provisions of the State Construction Code", and the titles of the General Ordinance's other articles listed on the township's site (among them water, sewer, aquifer protection, dangerous buildings, garbage, noise, rental registration and the enforcement officer) name no building permit section, and those articles were not opened; 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 also says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure." (MCL 125.1510) without defining ordinary repairs or capping them by size or cost. Michigan's list of work exempt from permit (Section R105.2 of the residential code, as Michigan amends it by Rule 505) names no roof work, and the township adopts no local amendment to it. The Board's fee schedule (effective July 1, 2019) has no roofing line, and the building permit application has no roofing box. The no-permit line for roof shingles is the department's stated practice; this record does not decide whether it is the department's reading of the ordinary-repairs clause. The brochure says "Building permits DO NOT cover changes or installation of" electrical, mechanical and plumbing work that is part of a project, and "These are covered by separate permits." Zoning approval is separate: the township's Zoning Administrator is listed on its Zoning / Building page at 231-894-9088 ext 33, and the brochure marks zoning approval for additions, porches, decks and garages but not for roof shingles. The brochure says "Feel free to contact the Inspection Department at Montague City Hall at 8778 Ferry Street in Montague if you have questions." The department's permit coordinator keeps office hours Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, and the building inspector keeps Tuesday office hours from 2:00 to 5:00 pm; call 231-893-1155.
Roof code checklist: Township of Whitehall, 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
Township of Whitehall, Muskegon County, Michigan
Address
8778 Ferry Street, Montague, MI 49437
Contact
- url: https://whitehalltwp.org/building-department-forms/
- phone: 231-893-1155
Roofing permit required
Not required
Contractor registration required
Required
Permit process note
In Whitehall Township, a roof-shingle job is on the building department's no-permit list: the White Lake Area Building Inspection Board's brochure, posted on the township's Building Department forms page, lists "Roof shingles" under "ITEMS NOT REQUIRING BUILDING PERMITS", names no other roof covering, and sets no area or dollar limit; it lists "All Structural Changes" among the items that need a permit. The Montague Building Inspection Department page says "As of January 1, 2018, Whitehall Township has joined the White Lake Area Building Inspection Department", and the township's Zoning / Building page lists the "White Lake Area Building Inspection Department" for building permits. The Board's "Repair & Replacement Expenditures" form (7.1.2019) says it "shall be filled out and returned to the City's Assessor before any repair and/or replacement of exterior doors, windows, roof, and/or siding not requiring a building permit". No enacted text names roof work either way: Section 1202 of Article 12 of the township's General Ordinance says only that the township "enforces the applicable building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical provisions of the State Construction Code", and the titles of the General Ordinance's other articles listed on the township's site (among them water, sewer, aquifer protection, dangerous buildings, garbage, noise, rental registration and the enforcement officer) name no building permit section, and those articles were not opened; 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 also says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure." (MCL 125.1510) without defining ordinary repairs or capping them by size or cost. Michigan's list of work exempt from permit (Section R105.2 of the residential code, as Michigan amends it by Rule 505) names no roof work, and the township adopts no local amendment to it. The Board's fee schedule (effective July 1, 2019) has no roofing line, and the building permit application has no roofing box. The no-permit line for roof shingles is the department's stated practice; this record does not decide whether it is the department's reading of the ordinary-repairs clause. The brochure says "Building permits DO NOT cover changes or installation of" electrical, mechanical and plumbing work that is part of a project, and "These are covered by separate permits." Zoning approval is separate: the township's Zoning Administrator is listed on its Zoning / Building page at 231-894-9088 ext 33, and the brochure marks zoning approval for additions, porches, decks and garages but not for roof shingles. The brochure says "Feel free to contact the Inspection Department at Montague City Hall at 8778 Ferry Street in Montague if you have questions." The department's permit coordinator keeps office hours Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, and the building inspector keeps Tuesday office hours from 2:00 to 5:00 pm; call 231-893-1155.
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 Whitehall in Muskegon County as its own building code enforcer. The White Lake Area Building Inspection Board's brochure, which the township posts on its Building Department forms page and which carries the footer date 1/1/18, answers "What codes are enforced by the White Lake Area Building Inspection Board (WLABIB)?" with a list that includes the "2015 Michigan Residential Code", which agrees with the state edition. Section 1202 of Article 12 of the township's General Ordinance provides that the township "enforces the applicable building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical provisions of the State Construction Code" and names no edition; Section 1203 separately adopts the 2009 International Fire 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). Article 12 of the township's General Ordinance and the Board's brochure, fee schedule and building permit application 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). Article 12 of the township's General Ordinance and the Board's brochure, fee schedule and building permit application 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." Article 12 of the township's General Ordinance and the Board's brochure, fee schedule and building permit application were read for a local rule and state nothing further on impact resistance.
Repair permit threshold
The White Lake Area Building Inspection Board's brochure, posted by Whitehall Township on its Building Department forms page as "Building Dept Brochure" (the posted file is named 2024-04-04 and carries the footer date 1/1/18; read live on the page on October 15, 2026), lists "Roof shingles" under "ITEMS NOT REQUIRING BUILDING PERMITS". The same brochure lists "All Structural Changes" among the items that need a permit. The Board's residential form "Repair & Replacement Expenditures" (dated 7.1.2019) says it "shall be filled out and returned to the City's Assessor before any repair and/or replacement of exterior doors, windows, roof, and/or siding not requiring a building permit" and gives the example "replacing shingles with metal roof, partial roof replacement"; the form is addressed to the City of Montague's assessor. The brochure sets no area or dollar limit on the shingle line and names no other roof covering. No enacted text names roof work either way: Section 1202 of Article 12 of the township's General Ordinance says only that the township "enforces the applicable building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical provisions of the State Construction Code", and the titles of the General Ordinance's other articles listed on the township's site (among them water, sewer, aquifer protection, dangerous buildings, garbage, noise, rental registration and the enforcement officer) name no building permit section, and those articles were not opened; 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 also says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure." (MCL 125.1510) without defining ordinary repairs or capping them by size or cost. Michigan's list of work exempt from permit (Section R105.2 of the residential code, as Michigan amends it by Rule 505) names no roof work, and the township adopts no local amendment to it. The Board's fee schedule (effective July 1, 2019) has no roofing line, and the building permit application has no roofing box. The no-permit line for roof shingles is the department's stated practice; this record does not decide whether it is the department's reading of the ordinary-repairs clause. Questions go to the Inspection Department at 231-893-1155.
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, Article 12 of the township's General Ordinance (Adoption and Enforcement of Construction and Fire Codes) is its one building-code instrument and was read in full: it provides that the township "enforces the applicable building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical provisions of the State Construction Code" and separately adopts the 2009 International Fire Code, and it has no reroofing provision and amends nothing in Section R908. Article 7 of the General Ordinance (Dangerous or Dilapidated Buildings or Premises) was captured as a scan and not read. The Board's brochure, fee schedule and building permit application 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). Article 12 of the township's General Ordinance and the Board's brochure, fee schedule and building permit application 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." The township's Building Department forms page, Article 12 of its General Ordinance, and the Board's brochure and fee schedule were read and change nothing about sales tax.
Local roofing hub
Roof permits nearby: Muskegon County
More roof permit pages in Michigan
Related guides
Building permits for Whitehall Township in Muskegon County are issued by the White Lake Area Building Inspection Department, based at Montague City Hall at 8778 Ferry Street in Montague, which Whitehall Township joined on January 1, 2018; the township's own Zoning / Building page lists that department for building permits. The township hall is at 7644 Durham Road in Whitehall and handles zoning. Michigan applies one residential code statewide, and for houses that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.
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