Roofing in Sandstone Township (Jackson 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 Sandstone in Jackson County as its own building code enforcer. Sandstone Charter Township's codified Ordinance No. 4A (adopted December 14, 1987), an amendment to Ordinance No. 4, adopts by reference "the Building Officials and Code Administration basic building code, commonly known as BOCA, the 1987 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 township's Ordinance No. 2021-1, "STATE CONSTRUCTION CODE ORDINANCE" (the posted copy is dated 2021 and prints no adoption day), adopts by reference the State Construction Code Act "and the building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical codes promulgated thereunder, as amended to the date of the enactment of this article, as well as all future amendments and revisions to said Act and the Codes promulgated thereunder when such amendments and revisions are promulgated and take effect", and designates the Charter Township of Sandstone Building Department as the enforcing agency.

In Sandstone Charter Township a reroof is permit work on the township's own application: its building permit application, which the Building page links as the "Building Permit Application Packet", lists "REPLACE ROOF" as a type of improvement next to "ALTERATION" and "REPAIR". The state's general rule is the same: "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's pages do not apply that relief to roofs. The Building page says "If using a contractor, a photocopy of their builder's license with number is required." and directs questions to the Zoning Coordinator / Building Inspector at (517) 937-8205. The application asks for a description of the work and an estimated construction cost, carries a line "FEE ENCLOSED $" and prints "NO OCCUPANCY PERMITS WILL BE ISSUED OR PERSONS ALLOWED TO MOVE ON THE PREMISES UNTIL FINAL APPROVAL HAS BEEN RECEIVED FOR ALL BUILDING, MECHANICAL, PLUMBING, AND/OR ELECTRICAL WORK PERFORMED ON THE PREMISIS". No building permit fee schedule is posted on the Building page, so ask the township for the current fee. The township office, at 7940 County Farm Rd, Parma, MI 49269, is "Open Monday - Friday, 9am - 4pm" and its number is (517) 784-4712.