Do You Need a Permit to Replace a Roof in Michigan?

Yes. And in most of Macomb and Oakland County, you are not the one who can pull it.

That second part surprises people. Homeowners assume a permit is paperwork they could handle themselves if they wanted to save a fee. For roofing, it usually does not work that way — and understanding why tells you a good deal about how to judge the contractor standing in your driveway.

What the municipalities actually say

Permits in Michigan are issued by the city or township, not the county. There is no single Macomb County roofing permit. There is a Clinton Township permit, a Sterling Heights permit, a Macomb Township permit, and they differ.

Sterling Heights states it plainly: a permit is required to re-roof a house whether the job is a complete tear-off or simply adding a second layer. The city also notes that inspection fees are included in the permit fee, so the inspection is not an extra charge somewhere down the line.

Clinton Township publishes the number — a residential re-roof permit runs $110, with a $75 bond, and the application requires a copy of the applicant’s driver’s licence and builder’s licence. Their own FAQ answers the question “Do I need a building permit to replace my roof?” with a single word: yes.

Royal Oak does not have a separate roofing line. Roofing falls under residential alterations, charged at $12 per $1,000 of estimated construction cost with a $100 minimum.

Why you cannot pull it yourself

Michigan townships publishing roofing guidance put it directly: if you hire a licensed individual, the licence holder is required to pull the building permit, and the homeowner cannot.

The logic is straightforward. The permit attaches the work to a licensed party who is accountable for it. If the homeowner pulls the permit, the homeowner becomes the responsible party — which is exactly the arrangement an unlicensed contractor would prefer.

So if a contractor asks you to pull the permit yourself, that is worth a pause. It is not always sinister; some genuinely do not know. But the request points one of two directions, and both are worth asking about directly.

Which code applies right now

Michigan currently enforces the 2015 Michigan Residential Code. A 2021 update was filed to take effect in August 2025, but a court order in July 2025 enjoined the state from implementing it, and the 2015 provisions remain in force while that litigation continues. Sterling Heights’ published code list reflects this — residential is listed as 2015 while commercial and mechanical have moved to 2021.

For a homeowner this is mostly background. It matters if someone quotes you a code requirement that sounds new. Ask which code edition they are citing, and confirm with your building department.

What the inspector is looking for

Two things come up on nearly every Metro Detroit re-roof inspection.

Ice barrier. Macomb Township’s published re-roof requirements state that ice barrier must extend from the lowest edge of all roof surfaces to a point at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line. Clinton Township’s re-roof permit application says the same thing in the same terms. On a house with an overhang and a shallow pitch, a single 36-inch course frequently does not reach that line — a second course is needed. It is one of the most common places a cheap bid quietly saves money.

Layer count. Sterling Heights states only two layers of roofing may be applied. Michigan’s code bars re-covering where the existing roof already carries two or more applications. If your house is on its second layer, your next roof is a tear-off, and any estimate that proposes a third layer is proposing a failed inspection.

Macomb Township also specifies a minimum of 15 lb underlayment under asphalt shingles.

What about siding, windows and gutters?

This is where blanket answers go wrong. Macomb Township publishes separate permit requirement documents for re-roofs, decks, fences, additions, basements and pools — and siding, windows and gutters are not among them. Royal Oak has no separate line for them either; they fall under alterations if they need a permit at all.

The honest answer is that it varies by municipality and by scope. Replacing gutters is generally maintenance. Replacing siding may or may not require a permit depending on your city and whether sheathing is being altered. We confirm with the local building department for every job rather than assuming, and you should expect a contractor to do the same rather than tell you confidently that none is needed.

What happens if the work is done without one

The immediate consequence is usually nothing at all, which is precisely why unpermitted roofs get installed. The consequences arrive later.

• Selling the house. Unpermitted work surfaces during a sale and can delay or complicate closing.
• Insurance. If a storm claim follows, an unpermitted roof gives the insurer an argument you did not need to hand them.
• Nobody inspected it. The permit is the only point at which a neutral third party looks at your ice barrier and your layer count. Skip it and you are relying entirely on the contractor’s word about work you cannot see.
• The manufacturer’s warranty. Shingle warranties assume code-compliant installation.

What to ask before you sign

• Which municipality issues the permit for my address, and who pulls it?
• Is the permit fee included in your price or added to it?
• How many courses of ice barrier will you install, and how far inside the wall line?
• How many layers are on the roof now?
• What is your Michigan licence number? Verify it before work begins.

Roofing in Clinton Township

Clinton Township is the largest township in Macomb County and publishes some of the clearest re-roof requirements in the area — the permit fee, the bond, and the ice barrier line are all stated up front. That is useful, because you can check a contractor’s answers against the township’s own document before you commit.

See roofing in Clinton Township, or everything we handle in Clinton Township.

Ask us for your address

Tell us where the house is and we will tell you which department issues the permit, what it costs there, and what the inspector will look at. No obligation attached.

Get a free roof inspection, or read about residential roofing across Metro Detroit.

Sources: City of Sterling Heights Building Department FAQ and published code list; Charter Township of Clinton re-roof permit application and FAQ; Charter Township of Macomb residential re-roof requirements; City of Royal Oak residential building permit fee schedule; Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes notice on the 2021 code injunction.