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Roofing in Kentwood, Michigan

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Kentwood, MI, issued by City of Kentwood - Inspections Department. Plan on a re-roof permit in Kentwood. The Inspections Department's fee schedule (effective February 4, 2025) lists "Residential Re-roof - No plan review fee, includes 1 inspection" at $100, and its How to Apply page lists "Commercial and Residential Re-Roof Projects" among the permits that can be applied for online through BS&A Online; the permits page says "You can apply for electrical, mechanical, plumbing and roofing permits online." Contractors using BS&A for the first time in Kentwood need a Web PIN from the office. The department's FAQ says of the building code "Are there local amendments to the building code? No. State Law no longer allows local jurisdictions to amend the building code." Inspections are booked by the permit holder, who "should call 24 hours prior to inspection"; the building inspection line is 616.554.0702. The Inspections Department is at City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave SE, Kentwood, MI 49508 (mail: PO Box 8848, Kentwood, MI 49518), main phone 616.554.0700. This hub aggregates roofing permit and contractor-registration requirements for Kentwood, Michigan, along with sourced roofing material references — every fact linked to its directory record.

Roofing permits & building code in Kentwood

Roofing permit and contractor-licensing rules in Kentwood are set locally by City of Kentwood - Inspections Department. Michigan licenses residential roofers at the state level — the Occupational Code’s residential maintenance and alteration contractor licence names roofing among its trades, with exemptions that include a job whose whole contract price is under $600 — and some cities add a local contractor registration on top, while the Michigan Residential Code applies throughout the state, so a city, village, township or county enforces the state code rather than writing its own roofing rules — always confirm the current requirements with the authority before starting work.

Roofing permit
Required
Contractor registration
Required
Adopted building 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 City of Kentwood as its own building code enforcer. The Inspections Department's FAQ lists the 2015 Michigan Residential Code among the codes it enforces and says "State Law no longer allows local jurisdictions to amend the building code." City Code Section 74-31 says "The city assumes responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the state construction code" without naming an edition.
Registration details
  • state_level: Michigan licenses residential maintenance and alteration contractors under the Occupational Code, and that licence "includes the following crafts and trades" among which it names roofing (MCL 339.2404(3)); "A person shall not engage in or attempt to engage in the practice of an occupation regulated under this act" without the licence (MCL 339.601(1)). MCL 339.2403 lists who may work without one, including a project whose "aggregate contract price for the labor, material, and any other items for the undertaking or project is less than $600.00". This record does not decide whether a given roofer falls inside an exemption.
  • city_level: Kentwood registers electrical, plumbing and mechanical licences (its forms include an "Application for Registration - Electrical License" and matching plumbing and mechanical forms); it publishes no registration for roofing contractors, and City Code Chapter 74 (read in full) sets no roofing contractor licence of its own.
Permit process
Plan on a re-roof permit in Kentwood. The Inspections Department's fee schedule (effective February 4, 2025) lists "Residential Re-roof - No plan review fee, includes 1 inspection" at $100, and its How to Apply page lists "Commercial and Residential Re-Roof Projects" among the permits that can be applied for online through BS&A Online; the permits page says "You can apply for electrical, mechanical, plumbing and roofing permits online." Contractors using BS&A for the first time in Kentwood need a Web PIN from the office. The department's FAQ says of the building code "Are there local amendments to the building code? No. State Law no longer allows local jurisdictions to amend the building code." Inspections are booked by the permit holder, who "should call 24 hours prior to inspection"; the building inspection line is 616.554.0702. The Inspections Department is at City Hall, 4900 Breton Ave SE, Kentwood, MI 49508 (mail: PO Box 8848, Kentwood, MI 49518), main phone 616.554.0700.
Portal
Permit portal

View the full Kentwood permitting authority record →

Roofing materials for Kentwood

Compare roofing material families — service life, weight, cost band, and durability — for a Kentwood reroof. Every material entry in the directory carries a cited, dated source.

Start with all roofing materials or the asphalt vs. metal vs. tile comparison.

Local permitting authority

City of Kentwood - Inspections Departmentcity

Roofing guides

Class 4 Impact-Resistant ShinglesGuide Asphalt vs. Metal vs. TileGuide Wind & Fire RatingsGuide

Sources