Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Yale, MI?

Roofing questions: Yale, MI

Do you need a permit to replace a roof in Yale, MI?

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Yale, MI. The City of Yale has published nothing that applies a permit rule to roof work: its Permits page lists a Building Permit among six documents, and its building permit packet, read October 15, 2026, asks the applicant to check a type of improvement (including repair and alteration) and names no roofing type. Its Ordinance 120 says "the building official of the City of Yale is hereby designated as the enforcing agency to discharge the responsibilities of the City of Yale", and the posted ordinances name no exemption for ordinary repairs. Under state law, the state construction code act says "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 defining ordinary repairs or capping them by size or cost. The packet directs questions to the City's building official, and the City does not say which roof work counts as an ordinary repair.

Is ice & water shield required in Yale, 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). The City of Yale's permits page, building permit packet and ordinance list were read for a local rule and state nothing further on ice barrier.

Is drip edge required in Yale, 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). The City of Yale's permits page, building permit packet and ordinance list were read for a local rule and state nothing further on drip edge.

Can you roof over an existing roof in Yale, 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's Permits page and building permit packet state no layer rule. The City's ordinance list names State Construction Code Ordinances 120, 121, 132 and 172, but the text of Ordinance 172 is not in the compilation the City posts, so the City's building ordinances were not all read and no classification is stated for this record.

Do roofing contractors need a license or registration in Yale, MI?

Yes.

What building code does Yale, 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 Yale as its own building code enforcer. Ordinance 120 of the City's ordinances says "the building official of the City of Yale is hereby designated as the enforcing agency to discharge the responsibilities of the City of Yale" and names no code edition; Ordinance 121 names a 1970 plumbing code and Ordinance 132 names the Michigan Mechanical Code, which are not dwelling codes. The Permits page and the building permit packet name no code edition.