Roofing in Spencer 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 Spencer as its own building code enforcer. Spencer Township's codified BOCA Building Code Ordinance Sec. 1 (Ord. No. 6-33-17-86; amended by Ord. Nos. 94-17 and 07-002) adopts "BOCA Basic Building Code 1984" in the sentence "Spencer Township hereby adopts the Michigan State Construction Code being the BOCA Basic Building Code 1984 together with all additions, amendments and deletions thereof as adopted by the State Construction Code Commission"; 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. Spencer Township's codified Sec. 1 takes the code "together with all additions, amendments and deletions thereof as adopted by the State Construction Code Commission"; its Building Department page, building permit application and contractor registration form, read October 12, 2026, name no edition of any code.

Spencer Township has published nothing that names roof work either way: its Building Department page, building permit application and checklist, deck permit application, contractor registration form and General Ordinances have no roofing line, and the township posts no building fee schedule. With the department 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 department has published nothing applying that relief to roof work, so ask the Building Department before you start. The township's building permit application checklist, which is written around new construction, says "Truss drawings and Septic and Well Approval before any application may be made" and "Zoning Applications must be submitted with building application." Its contractor registration form says "Only registered licensed contractors can obtain permits," and "Homeowners can obtain a Homeowner Permit for a single-family dwelling in which he lives or is about to occupy for not less than one year." The township says "To schedule Building inspections call 616-401-3927"; the township office is at 14960 Meddler Avenue NE in Gowen, phone (616) 984-0035, and its Building page lists Tuesday and Thursday 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. and Wednesday 8:30 a.m. to noon.