Roofing in Sturgis Township (St. Joseph County), Michigan

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 Sturgis as its own building code enforcer. The township's Zoning Ordinance (adopted April 2, 2009, current through Ordinance No. 2016-1) carries its floodplain ordinance, which designates an inspection firm as the township's enforcing agency under the state construction code act and refers to the Michigan Residential Code without naming an edition; the township's 2024 building permit application names no code edition.

Sturgis Township's Zoning Ordinance exempts from the building permit work "confined to repairs and restoration of existing buildings and structures, such as replacing existing roofing", where it "does not include the repair or restoration of existing structural elements" and makes no electrical, plumbing, heating or air conditioning changes, and also where "The proposed work does not include any structural elements" (Section 4.03). The same ordinance counts "any substantial change in the roof" as a structural change, without defining substantial, and Section 4.03(B) leaves work not covered by the section to the building inspector, who "shall rule on the need for a building permit." The permit rules read for this record were Section 4.03, the township's posted ordinance list and its 2024 building permit application, which lists New building, Addition, Alteration, Repair and other types of improvement and no roofing type; no fee schedule is posted. The application asks for proof of ownership, a site plan, drawings and an estimated cost, and says it is the applicant's responsibility "to call for all required inspections before any electrical, plumbing, mechanical or structural work is concealed or covered." Permit applications are on the township's Applications-Permits page; the township office at 26015 West U.S. 12, Sturgis, MI 49091 keeps clerk and treasurer hours only, and the building inspector's published line is 269-816-4951.