Roof permits in Michigan: what each city's building department says

What the state rule leaves out

Michigan’s amended version of section R105.2 of the residential code lists the work that does not need a building permit: small accessory structures, fences, retaining walls, sidewalks, painting and finish work, small pools, playground equipment, awnings and small decks. Roofing, re-roofing and roof repair are not on that list. That does not by itself say every shingle swap needs a permit, because the state leaves it to each local department to decide how the general permit requirement applies to a re-roof, so “the state doesn’t require one” is not an answer you can rely on.

As of Oct 19, 2026 LARA still lists the 2015 Michigan Residential Code for houses, and a court order stopped the 2021 replacement from taking effect. That may change, so check LARA before you rely on it; we cover the difference in the 2015 versus 2021 roofing code guide.

Why the answer changes at the city line

LARA’s Statewide Jurisdiction List, revised October 6, 2026, shows which level of government enforces the building code in each place. Detroit, Grand Rapids, Warren, Flint, Ann Arbor, Lansing, Kalamazoo, Saginaw, Midland and Portage are all marked local for building, so a roofing permit there comes from the city’s own department. Some small townships are enforced by the county or the state instead, so a township address is worth a phone call before you assume anything.

A contractor who says “no permit” in one town and pulls one in the next may be right both times.

What the city pages say

The table below comes from the building department pages and forms we read for the cities in our research set, dated October 2026 where the page carries a date. Where a row says medium, we read the rule through an application form or a fee schedule rather than a plain sentence saying a permit is required, so confirm it with the city before you rely on it. Each figure is the amount printed on the page we read, and fee schedules get revised.

City	What the page says	Fee as printed	Confidence
Grand Rapids	A residential building permit is needed to re-roof; plans uploaded through ePlan Room	$66 residential re-roofing	high
Sterling Heights	A permit is needed for a complete tear-off or for adding a second layer	$78 for roof or re-roof, plus a $56 application fee	high
Southfield	A permit is needed even to re-roof over a single layer	Not found	high
Warren	“Roofs - house and/or garage” is on the list of permits required, no plans; work without a permit may draw fines up to $1,000	Not found	high
East Lansing	A separate roof permit covers a new roof or re-roofing	$60 application fee, $140 residential	high
Rochester Hills	A re-shingle requirements guide applies; final inspection required	$100 application fee, plus plan review	high
Farmington Hills	“Roofing” is listed as needing a building permit	$100 for the first $1,000 of value, then $9 per $1,000	high
Saginaw	A roofing permit section requires open-roof photos and a final inspection	$75 for the first $1,000, then $13 per added $1,000	high
Lincoln Park	The application has a roof replacement box	$115 for the first $1,000, then $10 per $1,000	high
Kentwood	Re-roof permits are applied for online	Not found	high
Taylor	Roofing is listed among work that needs a permit	Not read	high
Midland	A dedicated roofing and siding permit application	Valuation is squares times $300; table starts at $78	high
Portage	No permit to remove and replace shingles only	Not applicable	high
Kalamazoo	A non-structural maintenance permit covers re-roofing	$52	medium
Troy	Roofing is a building permit item applied for online	General building fee, $90 under $1,000	medium
Flint	A reroofing or residing permit line exists in the fee schedule	$140 under $5,000 with one inspection	medium
Westland	The permit application lists roof as a project type	$100 minimum plus $100 administration fee	medium

A few rows carry detail worth knowing. Sterling Heights says only two layers may go on a roof and that a complete tear-off needs an ice and snow shield on the decking. Rochester Hills requires an open roof inspection, at an extra fee, if more than 10 percent of the sheathing is replaced. Midland asks for photographs of the roof deck, the ice and water shield, the underlayment, the vent openings and the flashing before they are covered, and the permit is void if work does not start within 180 days. Southfield accepts an open roof affidavit in place of the open roof inspection. Saginaw wants photos of the bare deck emailed after tear-off and again once the underlayment is down.

The Portage entry is the one that surprises people: its FAQ says a permit is required if you replace more than four sheets of decking or any structural component, and then says no permit is required to remove and replace shingles only. If your contractor opens the deck and finds rot, the answer can change mid-job, so ask Portage before the tear-off.

Kalamazoo’s page does not say who may pull the permit or what plans it wants, and the fee schedule shows other application fees that may or may not add to the $52. Flint’s table was read from a flattened PDF, so the split between the $140 and the per-thousand charge deserves a call.

Cities where we did not find a re-roof rule

We could not find a re-roofing permit rule for Detroit, Lansing or Roseville. Detroit and Lansing both enforce the building code locally, which tells you where to ask but not what the answer is. We have not read the page for any city outside the table, so the building department is the only source for those.

Who may pull the permit

Where the pages say, a homeowner can pull a roofing permit for their own house if they do the work themselves. Grand Rapids asks the applicant to be the owner-occupant or a licensed residential builder, or to hold written authorization from a license holder. Kentwood’s FAQ says an owner may obtain a permit for work at their own property without being licensed, while work on someone else’s residence needs a licensed builder to pull it. Portage and Southfield say much the same.

For a contractor, the state rule matters: roofing is a craft of the residential maintenance and alteration license, and work of $600 or more on one project needs it, unless you are the owner on your own home. Without one, the contractor faces a civil fine of $5,000 to $25,000 and cannot sue you or place a lien. The practical check is to ask for the license number and look it up on LARA; our guide on how to check a roofer’s license walks through it.

Contractor registration and paperwork

Several cities want the contractor on file before the permit moves. Rochester Hills asks contractors to register first for $30. Westland lists a $15 registration for a state-licensed contractor. Lincoln Park requires a notarized registration, and says only the contractor and the names listed on it may obtain permits. Midland wants a registration form before any permit is granted and a license number on the application. Sterling Heights asks for the contractor license, workers’ compensation and MESC information, and a homeowner signs an affidavit. Taylor requires a copy of the construction contract.

Insurance and bonds are a separate question. We found no state rule requiring either for roofing contractors, so asking to see the certificates is advice, not a legal requirement.

What to ask the building department

Call the department that covers your address and ask four things: whether a shingles-only re-roof needs a permit there, what it costs and whether that sits on top of an application fee, who can pull it (you or only the contractor), and which inspections they run, including whether they want open-roof photos. Write down the name of the person who answered and the date. If your contractor says no permit is needed, ask them to put that in writing, and compare it against the department’s answer. If you are comparing bids for a roof replacement, ask each company to say whether the price includes the permit fee.