What a full replacement involves, from tear-off to final inspection
- The contract and, where your city requires one, the permit come first.
- The crew removes the existing coverings down to the roof deck. The 2015 code says replacement includes that removal, except that an adhered ice barrier membrane already on the roof may stay under a second layer of membrane.
- The deck is inspected before anything covers it. Midland and Saginaw ask for photos of the bare deck.
- Ice barrier goes down along the eaves, then labeled underlayment that meets the code's listed standards.
- The new covering goes on, with rusted, damaged or deteriorated flashings replaced.
What a new roof costs in Michigan: estimates, not quotes
Our estimate for replacing a whole roof in Michigan is $6,225 to $15,400 per roof, tear-off included, which works out to $275 to $740 per square (100 square feet), installed. Both are a model, not a quote: published national cost ranges, adjusted for what Michigan roofers are paid, with a typical permit fee of $100 added to the per-roof figure. No Michigan roofing company we looked at published a price we could count, so none is shown.
The rows below the estimate are wages, which are pay and not price, and permit fees from city schedules we could read. Roof size moves the bill more than anything else, and the roof-size estimator in the repair or replace tool turns a footprint and a pitch into squares.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $6,225 to $15,400 per roof, tear-off included | Built from two national published ranges, adjusted by the Michigan roofer median wage ratio (1.07) plus a typical permit fee ($100). No Michigan roofing company price is shown, because none of the companies we looked at published a price we could count. |
| Estimated range per square, not a quote | $275 to $740 per square (100 square feet), installed | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan roofer median wage ratio (1.07). No Michigan roofing company price is shown, because none of the companies we looked at published a price we could count. |
| Roofer wage, Michigan median | $28.62 an hour | 25th to 75th percentile $23.02 to $37.56. What Michigan roofers are paid (BLS May 2025, read through O*NET OnLine), not what a company charges you. Medium confidence. |
| Roofer helper wage, Michigan median | $20.07 an hour | 25th to 75th percentile $18.50 to $23.86. A wage, not a price. Medium confidence. |
| Residential re-roofing permit, Grand Rapids | $66 | FY2027 fee schedule. |
| Roof or re-roof permit, Sterling Heights | $78, plus $56 application | Building permit application, 2026-27. |
| Roof permit, East Lansing | $60 application, plus $140 residential | Unclear whether the $140 includes the $60. |
| Re-roofing permit, Kalamazoo | $52 | 2026 fee schedule; other fees may add to it. |
| Roofing permit, Midland | Valuation is squares times $300; table starts at $78 for the first $1,000 | Whether the roofing fee uses this table is our inference. |
How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. It takes two published national ranges for this job (cost guides from third-party sites that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies them by Michigan's roofer median wage ratio to the US (1.07, BLS May 2025 data read through O*NET OnLine) and adds a typical permit fee ($100). The wage and permit rows in the table are what roofing workers are paid and what a city's own schedule charges, and neither is a price. We have not collected quotes, and we found no Michigan roofing company that publishes a price we could count. Full method. Prices as of Oct 19, 2026.
Re-cover, tear off or repair
The re-cover limits above decide whether a lighter option than tear-off exists. The repair or replace tool asks the questions that matter.
- The damage is confined and the deck and underlayment are sound.
- The base is water soaked or deteriorated, or it already has two or more layers.
- The covering is slate, clay or cement tile.
How many layers: when a re-cover is allowed in Michigan
A re-cover, meaning new roofing over old, is barred where the existing roof is water soaked or deteriorated, where it is slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile, or where it already has two or more applications of any type of roof covering. Our reading is that at most one existing layer may be roofed over, so a second layer in total is the limit and a third is never allowed. Southfield and Sterling Heights both state a two-layer maximum.
Under the same section, standing-seam style separate systems need no tear-off. The guide on layers of shingles in Michigan has the details.
Ice barrier along the eaves: what the code asks for
Michigan's table lists an ice barrier as required. The base 2015 International Residential Code text says it runs from the lowest edge of the roof to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line, and on slopes of 8:12 or steeper also at least 36 inches measured along the slope. It is two cemented layers of underlayment or a self-adhering polymer-modified bitumen sheet. We read no Michigan amendment to that wording, which makes the exact distances medium confidence. The code does not call for it across the whole roof.
The materials list in that section leaves out metal panels, so we would not tell you a standing-seam roof needs a code ice barrier. Rochester Hills asks for the 24 inches on all roofs. See ice dams and ice barrier under Michigan code.
Which code edition applies in 2026
Michigan's residential code is the 2015 edition. A Court of Claims order of July 7, 2025 stayed the rules adopting the 2021 code, and LARA says the 2015 versions remain in effect while it stands. See 2015 versus 2021 roofing code. The code's ground snow loads, which a designer converts to a roof figure, run from 20 pounds per square foot in Wayne County to 90 to 100 in Keweenaw.
Insurance terms that decide who pays for a new roof
DIFS defines replacement cost as the cost to replace or repair with materials of the same kind and quality, less your deductible, up to the limit. Actual cash value is the replacement cost at the time of loss minus depreciation, and on a replacement-cost policy the insurer pays only the depreciated value if you do not repair or replace.
Ordinance and law coverage, DIFS says, pays when a home cannot be rebuilt to its original condition because of changes in the local building codes, and the insurer will not pay for those upgrades without it. The standard limit is 10 percent of dwelling coverage. After hail or wind, a policy covers only the damaged portion of the roof, per DIFS.
When a replacement cannot wait for the calendar
- The old covering is off and the deck is open to rain or snow with no cover on it. Ask the company in writing what it will do tonight.
- Water is entering the house during the job.
- An aging roof with no leaks: compare written estimates and read your policy first.
What to gather before you ask for estimates
- Find your declarations page and note whether roof losses settle at actual cash value or replacement cost, and whether you have ordinance and law coverage.
- Get written estimates, as DIFS advises, and ask each company what it will do about tear-off to the deck, the ice barrier, underlayment, flashing and the permit.
- Check each license number on LARA before you sign.
Permits for a new roof, city by city
Roofing is not on the state's exemption list, enforcement is local, and cities answer differently. Grand Rapids requires a permit. Sterling Heights requires one for a tear-off or a second layer. East Lansing has a separate roof permit. Kalamazoo uses a non-structural maintenance permit, and Portage requires none for shingle removal and replacement only.
For any other city, the building department decides. Our guide on permits for replacing a roof has more.
Before any work starts, ask for the license number and check it with your state's licensing board.
- Mich. Admin. Code R. 408.30505 Work exempt from permit (LII) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- LARA Statewide Jurisdiction List (PDF), Rev. 10/6/2026 Read Oct 19, 2026.
A tool for this job
Repair or replace, and what it costs
Michigan has no rule that settles repair versus replace by age or by percent of roof, so this tool does not give a verdict on that. It sorts what to ask a roofing company for, using the Michigan code on layers, tear-off and ice barrier, and it estimates your roof area in roofing squares. Once you have the area, the page shows our modeled range for a replacement, which is an estimate and not a quote. It runs in your browser and asks for nothing.
Open the toolQuestions people ask
How many layers of shingles can a Michigan roof have?
Under the 2015 code, a re-cover is barred where the existing roof already has two or more applications of roof covering, so a second layer in total is the limit. A replacement includes tear-off to the deck. Re-cover is also barred over a water-soaked or deteriorated roof.
Does Michigan require an ice barrier on a new roof?
Michigan's table says yes, along the eaves: from the lowest edge to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line. Slopes of 8:12 or steeper also need at least 36 inches along the slope. We rate the distances medium confidence.
Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Michigan?
It depends on your city: Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights require one, and Portage requires none for shingles only. Ask the building department before you sign.
What is the difference between actual cash value and replacement cost?
DIFS says replacement cost pays to replace with materials of the same kind and quality, and actual cash value is the replacement cost minus depreciation. Under replacement cost, if you do not repair or replace, the insurer pays only the depreciated value.
How long does a new roof last?
No government table gives a roof lifespan, and the chart we read is InterNACHI's, a trade association, through a summary. It lists 20 years for 3-tab asphalt, 30 for architectural asphalt and 40 to 80 for metal, as national figures.
- BLS May 2025 wages for roofers (SOC 47-2181), Michigan, as shown by O*NET OnLine Read Oct 19, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
- RooferMatch: how we estimate costs (editorial policy) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- BLS May 2025 wages for roofer helpers (SOC 47-3016), Michigan, as shown by O*NET OnLine Read Oct 19, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
- Re-Roofing or Re-Siding of Existing Residential Building Permit - City of Grand Rapids Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Building - City of Sterling Heights (FAQ) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- City of East Lansing, Building Information (+ /1539/Fees, /2367/Projects-Not-Requiring-a-Permit, /1979/Apply-for-a-Permit-Online) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- City of Kalamazoo, Apply for Non-Structural Maintenance Permit (read through a summary; confirm with the city) + 2026 CPED Fee Schedule PDF Read Oct 19, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.
- City of Midland, Application for Roofing/Siding Permit (form dated 1/1/23) + 2025 permit fee schedule https://www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/DocumentCenter/View/30913/2025-fee-schedule Read Oct 19, 2026.
- 2015 IRC Chapter 9, R908.3 Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Mich. Admin. Code R. 408.30516 Design criteria (LII) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Mich. Admin. Code R. 408.30500 - Applicable code (LII) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- LARA BCC Code Books Read Oct 19, 2026.
- LARA notice: 2021 Code Injunction, Residential Part 5 and Energy Part 10 (PDF) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Mich. Admin. Code R. 408.30515 Ground snow loads (LII) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DIFS: Your Guide to Homeowners Insurance for Michigan Consumers, p.8 Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DIFS: Tornado / Severe Storms Read Oct 19, 2026.
- DIFS: Disaster Preparedness and Insurance Recovery in Michigan Read Oct 19, 2026.
- City of Portage FAQ, Community Development - Building, Construction & Permits (same wording in the Tornado Response FAQs) Read Oct 19, 2026.
- List of items that require a Building Permit - City of Warren Read Oct 19, 2026.
- FAQ - Southfield Building Department Read Oct 19, 2026.
- Re-Roofing - Re-Shingle Only Requirements - City of Rochester Hills Read Oct 19, 2026.
- City of Saginaw Requirements for Obtaining Building Permits / Application for Building Permit; fee table https://www.saginaw-mi.com/DocumentCenter/View/103/Permit-Fee-Table-PDF Read Oct 19, 2026.
- InterNACHI Estimated Life Expectancy Read Oct 19, 2026. Confirm with the source before you rely on it.