Roofing in Henrietta Township, 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 Henrietta as its own building code enforcer. Ordinance No. 10 of the township, adopted September 9, 1974, designates "the building official of the Township of Henrietta" as "the enforcing agency to discharge the responsibilities of the Township of Henrietta under Act 230 of the Public Acts of 1972" and names no code edition; the township's Floodplain Management ordinance, adopted January 12, 2011, names no residential code edition; it enforces Appendix G of the Michigan Building Code; it also adopts a flood insurance study dated 2010. The township's building permit application says "AUTHORITY: P.A. 230 OF 1972, as amended" and asks for a "Michigan Uniform Energy Code Compliance Form", and its zoning ordinance (revised through May 2026) requires a dwelling to comply with "the Henrietta Township Building Code" without an edition; the township has published no statement of which residential code edition it enforces. Ordinance No. 11 was adopted April 14, 1975; it adopts a plumbing code that it calls "the BOCA Basic Plumbing Code, 1907 edition", a plumbing code reference that this record does not apply to the roofing fields. 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 township's published permit material says nothing specific about roof work: the Building Department page, the Building Permit Information sheet and the building permit application name no roofing line and no reroof exemption. With the township silent on reroofs, the state's general permit rule applies: "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." The same section says "A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure," without defining ordinary repairs, and the township has published nothing applying that relief to roof work. The Building Department says "Building permit fees are based on square footage and will be determined once the permit is approved", with a fee of "$85.00 per inspection" listed for each of the electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspections, and "Inspectors have 72 hours to answer an inspection request." The Building Permit Information sheet asks for the building permit application, the property description and a copy of the deed, an address application, two sets of house plans, a site plan, and the contractor's "License #, Workers Comp #, Federal I.D. #, MESC Employer #" as picture copies. Applications go by email to the address printed on the Building Department page, or by mail to Henrietta Township, 11732 Bunkerhill Rd., Pleasant Lake, MI 49272. The township office is open Monday through Thursday, 9:00am to 5:00pm, and closed Fridays; the phone number is 517-769-6925.