Roofing in Berrien Township (Berrien County), Michigan

Required

Required

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 Berrien in Berrien County as its own building code enforcer. Berrien Township's codified Ordinance No. 33A, adopted January 13, 2004, carries the section heading "Adoption of the Michigan Residential Code, 2000 Edition"; this directory has not read that text, and whether the codified reference has any effect today is not decided here. This record states the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, which the state construction code act applies throughout the state ("This act and the code apply throughout the state," MCL 125.1508a) and which LARA says remains in effect while the Court of Claims order of July 7, 2025 stands. The Building/Zoning Department page lists "2015 Michigan Residential Code" under "CURRENT CODE GROUP AS OF MARCH 2021". Ordinance No. 34 (State Construction Code, adopted December 9, 2008) makes violations of the state construction code municipal civil infractions and names no edition.

In Berrien Township a reroof is a listed permit: the fee resolution says "RE-ROOF PERMIT: All roofs $45.00 permit fee", and the Building/Zoning Department page lists the "General Building Permit Application -pools, roofs, sheds, pole barns, misc. (fillable form)". The application asks for the job address, the owner and the applicant or contractor, a class of work (new, addition, alteration, repair, move or other), a description of the work and its valuation, and says the work must be done "in accordance with the Michigan Building Code as enforced by Berrien Township" and not covered up until inspected by the Building Inspector. The fee resolution's building permit schedule starts at "$30.00 permit fee" for work valued from $1.00 to $500 and adds fees by valuation, with inspections outside normal business hours and re-inspections assessed at "$42.00/hour". The Building/Zoning Department page gives the building inspector's hours as "Monday, Wednesday, Friday 7:30am-9:30am" and the office phone as 269-461-6925; the township hall at 8916 M-140, Berrien Center, MI 49102 is open Monday to Thursday from 10:00AM to 4:00PM and closed Friday.