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Roofing in Lowell Township, Michigan

Yes, a permit is required to replace a roof in Lowell Township, MI, issued by Charter Township of Lowell - Building Department. In Lowell Charter Township a reroof starts with the township's zoning compliance form, which has a "Roof/Reroof" box among its project types and is headed "MUST BE COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED FOR ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION", and goes on to a building permit from Cascade Inspection Services: the Building Department page says "Lowell Charter Township contracts with Cascade Township Building department for Building, Electrical, Mechanical, and Plumbing permits and necessary inspections." and "Building Permits are issued by Cascade Inspections Services once Zoning Compliance has been approved." Cascade's Building Inspections page answers "Is a building permit required for roofing or siding?" with "Yes. You will need to fill out a roofing/siding worksheet and a Building Permit application." Its Roofing/Siding Worksheet asks for the type of covering, the number of squares, roof pitch, underlayment, ice barrier, the "# of layers currently on roof" and "Will you be tearing off?", and says "Please call for inspection when the job is complete." and "Any structural changes or replacing sheathing will require additional drawings detailing location and specifications." Cascade's undated training handout "Building Permit Process" lists "Small normal repairs" among the "Work exempt from permit" and defines no repairs. The township offers three ways to submit: an online upload, an in-person drop-off at the township hall, or through Cascade Township. Cascade Inspection Services is at 5920 Tahoe Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, open Monday to Thursday 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, on 616-949-3765, and the township hall line is 616-897-7600. Lowell Charter Township's fee schedule (revised 03.11.2026) lists no building permit fee and Cascade's application form leaves the fee blocks blank, so ask the office for the current fee. The township's Zoning Ordinance Section 4.10 requires a building permit for "all new construction and all major improvements to existing structures" and names no roofing. This hub aggregates roofing permit and contractor-registration requirements for Lowell Township, Michigan, along with sourced roofing material references — every fact linked to its directory record.

Roofing permits & building code in Lowell Township

Roofing permit and contractor-licensing rules in Lowell Township are set locally by Charter Township of Lowell - Building 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." Lowell Charter Township contracts with Cascade Charter Township's Cascade Inspection Services for building permits and inspections, and Cascade's "Currently Adopted Codes -- State of Michigan" list (file dated 031224) names the "2015 Michigan Residential Code" with its 2/8/16 effective date. Cascade's undated training handouts "Building Permit Process" and "Common Residential Code Violations" carry the heading "2009 Michigan Residential Code"; this directory has not read the 2009 text, and whether that heading 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. Lowell Charter Township's website posts a Zoning Ordinance and a recently adopted solar ordinance and no building ordinance, and its zoning compliance form names no code edition.
Registration details
  • city_level: Cascade Inspection Services' Contractor Registration form says "This form must be completed by all contractors before applying for a permit.", states that the registration covers the jurisdictions it services including Lowell Township, asks for a copy of the contractor's license, and lists an "Included $15.00 FEE". Lowell Charter Township's own pages name no separate township contractor registration. This record does not decide whether a given roofer falls inside a state exemption.
  • 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.
Permit process
In Lowell Charter Township a reroof starts with the township's zoning compliance form, which has a "Roof/Reroof" box among its project types and is headed "MUST BE COMPLETED AND SUBMITTED FOR ALL NEW CONSTRUCTION", and goes on to a building permit from Cascade Inspection Services: the Building Department page says "Lowell Charter Township contracts with Cascade Township Building department for Building, Electrical, Mechanical, and Plumbing permits and necessary inspections." and "Building Permits are issued by Cascade Inspections Services once Zoning Compliance has been approved." Cascade's Building Inspections page answers "Is a building permit required for roofing or siding?" with "Yes. You will need to fill out a roofing/siding worksheet and a Building Permit application." Its Roofing/Siding Worksheet asks for the type of covering, the number of squares, roof pitch, underlayment, ice barrier, the "# of layers currently on roof" and "Will you be tearing off?", and says "Please call for inspection when the job is complete." and "Any structural changes or replacing sheathing will require additional drawings detailing location and specifications." Cascade's undated training handout "Building Permit Process" lists "Small normal repairs" among the "Work exempt from permit" and defines no repairs. The township offers three ways to submit: an online upload, an in-person drop-off at the township hall, or through Cascade Township. Cascade Inspection Services is at 5920 Tahoe Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, open Monday to Thursday 7:00 AM to 4:00 PM and Friday 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, on 616-949-3765, and the township hall line is 616-897-7600. Lowell Charter Township's fee schedule (revised 03.11.2026) lists no building permit fee and Cascade's application form leaves the fee blocks blank, so ask the office for the current fee. The township's Zoning Ordinance Section 4.10 requires a building permit for "all new construction and all major improvements to existing structures" and names no roofing.
Portal
Permit portal

View the full Lowell Township permitting authority record →

Roofing materials for Lowell Township

Compare roofing material families — service life, weight, cost band, and durability — for a Lowell Township 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

Charter Township of Lowell - Building Departmentcity

Roofing guides

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

Sources