The Short Answer
Michigan houses are governed by the code in force when the work was permitted. Today that is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, effective 8 February 2016; a 2021-based update has been paused by a court order since July 2025. An older roof built to an earlier code can remain as it is, but under Section R102.7.1 any repair must meet the requirements for new work, without forcing the rest of the roof up to current code.
Key Points
- Michigan's construction code act dates to 1972, but until a 1999 amendment local governments could opt out of the state code and enforce a national model code instead.
- The residential code has been based on the International Residential Code since the early 2000s; the current edition is the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.
- Since a 2012 amendment, Michigan updates its residential code at most every three years and at least every six, which is why it skipped the 2012 and 2018 editions.
- The 2021-based update was due 29 August 2025, but a Court of Claims order keeps the 2015 code in effect while builders' lawsuits continue.
- Codes are not retroactive: an older roof can stay as built, but new repair work must meet today's rules.
Five Eras of Michigan Building Rules
The dates below come from the Michigan Compiled Laws, LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes and the court docket. They are the milestones that decide which rules a Michigan roof was built under. A roof's era depends on when it was installed and permitted, not on when the house was built, so a 1950s house with a 2017 roof sits in the current era.
1973 to 1999: The State Code Arrives, With a Local Option
1972 PA 230
The Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act took effect 1 January 1973. Until the 1999 amendment, a city or township could exempt itself from the state code and enforce a nationally recognized model code instead, so rules varied from town to town.
1999 to the Early 2000s: One Code for the Whole State
1999 PA 245
The 1999 amendment, effective 28 December 1999, added Section 8a: "This act and the code apply throughout the state." Local governments that had enforced their own model code had to choose between enforcing the state code or handing enforcement to the county or the state.
Early 2000s to 2016: Michigan Residential Codes Based on the IRC
2003 and 2009 editions
Michigan issued residential codes based on the International Residential Code, including a 2003 edition and the 2009 Michigan Residential Code that the 2012 amendment to the act names directly.
8 February 2016 to Today: The 2015 Michigan Residential Code
Current
LARA lists the 2015 Michigan Residential Code as the current code, effective 8 February 2016. It is the 2015 IRC with Michigan amendments.
The 2021 Update: Adopted, Then Paused
In court
A residential code based on the 2021 IRC was set to take effect 29 August 2025. A 7 July 2025 stipulated order in the Court of Claims stops LARA from implementing it while the case continues.
When Each Town Could Pick Its Own Code
For roughly its first quarter century, Michigan's construction code act allowed local choice. Section 8a of the act, added in 1999, still describes the system it replaced: governmental subdivisions that were "administering and enforcing a nationally recognized model code other than the code established by the commission" were sent a notice of intent form, and those that had "elected to exempt" themselves could reverse that election. Some communities enforced the state code, some enforced a national model code of the era, and some did little enforcement at all.
For a homeowner, the practical effect is uncertainty. A roof installed in the 1980s or 1990s may have been inspected under a model code, under the state code, or not at all, and permit records from that period may be thin or missing. Many houses from that era have since been reroofed, which moves the roof into a later code era even when the walls and framing are older.
The national codes themselves were consolidating at the same time. The preface to the 2015 Michigan Residential Code explains that the first International Residential Code, published in 2000, came out of an effort started in 1996 by the three regional code groups (BOCA, ICBO and SBCCI) together with the National Association of Home Builders. It drew on the 1998 International One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code and the regional model codes then in use.
How Michigan Decides When to Update
The International Code Council publishes a new residential code every three years. Michigan does not automatically follow. A 2012 amendment to the construction code act, effective 28 March 2013, rewrote Section 125.1504 so that, beginning with the 2015 national cycle, the director of LARA updates all chapters of the residential code "not less frequently than once every 6 years or more frequently than once every 3 years."
The statute also sets a process. Within 200 days after a new IRC is published, LARA must hold a public meeting in Lansing on whether to update, and then issue a written determination. That is why Michigan went from the 2009 code straight to the 2015 code, skipped the 2018 edition, and tried to adopt the 2021 edition next.
One quirk helps contractors and homeowners. When Michigan is on the six-year cycle, the same section says materials and methods allowed by an interim edition of the IRC (for example 2018) are authorized throughout the state and "shall be permitted, but shall not be mandated" by a building official. An official may require that anyone using such a method follow all of that interim edition's requirements for it.
Roof Rules That Differ From One Edition to the Next
Most of the basics of a shingle roof have been stable for decades: shingles on a solid deck, a minimum slope, nailing, flashing at walls and chimneys, and a limit of two roof layers. The details are what shift, and they explain why older roofs sometimes fall short of what an inspector or adjuster expects today.
Comparing the 2012 International Residential Code with the 2015 Michigan code shows the kind of change that matters. In 2012, the ice barrier rule required membrane from the eave to 24 inches inside the exterior wall line. The 2015 code kept that and added a second minimum: on roofs of 8:12 or steeper, the ice barrier must also run at least 36 inches up the slope from the eave. Because Michigan skipped the 2012 edition, that steep-slope rule arrived here with the 2015 code in February 2016.
Section numbers moved too. In the 2012 IRC the ice barrier was Section R905.2.7.1 and reroofing was Section R907. In the 2015 code they are R905.1.2 and R908. Older city handouts and contractor paperwork sometimes still cite the old numbers, which is a common source of confusion when someone quotes "the code" at you. The rule to apply is the one in the edition in force when the work is done.
Ice barrier at the eaves
What Michigan's code requires today, how far the membrane must reach, and how it plays out on a repair.
Ice barrier rulesCurrent code rules for repairs
The 2015 code's chapter 9 rules that apply when a roof is repaired: underlayment, fasteners, flashing and reroofing.
Code rules for repairsWhy Michigan Is Still on the 2015 Code
LARA adopted rules that would base the residential code and its energy chapter on the 2021 IRC and 2021 International Energy Conservation Code, effective 29 August 2025. In June 2025 the Home Builders Association of Michigan sued LARA in the Court of Claims; the Michigan Manufactured Housing Association is the other plaintiff in the two cases, which the court handles together. The builders' association said its arguments were that LARA broke the state law requiring energy code changes to pay back in seven years or better, violated the Administrative Procedures Act, and broke the construction code act's requirement for a single, complete residential code book.
On 7 July 2025 the court entered a stipulated order. LARA's notice says the order temporarily prevents it from "taking additional steps necessary to apply or implement" the two rule sets, and that while the order remains in place the 2015 versions "will remain valid and in effect." The case is still open. A second stipulated order dated 17 June 2026 pushed discovery and mediation to 12 November 2026, dispositive motions to 14 December 2026, and the pretrial conference to January 2027, and states that it is not a final order.
For roofs, the practical result is simple: as of October 2026, the 2015 Michigan Residential Code governs. If the case ends and the 2021 code takes effect, it will apply to work permitted after its effective date, not to roofs already built. Check LARA's construction code rules page if you are reading this later.
Why an Older Roof Can Be Legal but Below Today's Standard
Building codes are not retroactive. Section R102.7 of the 2015 Michigan Residential Code says the legal occupancy of any structure existing on the date the code was adopted may continue without change, except where the code specifically says otherwise or where the building official considers it necessary for the general safety and welfare of occupants and the public. A roof installed correctly under an earlier code does not become illegal because the code changed.
That is why "not to current code" in an inspection report is a description, not an accusation. It may mean the roof lacks a feature that is required today, such as drip edge along the rakes or membrane at the eaves of a steep slope. It does not, by itself, mean the roof was installed wrong or that anyone must fix it now. Whether it matters depends on the roof's condition, the buyer's or insurer's expectations, and what work is coming next.
The exception is safety. R102.7 itself keeps the building official's power to act where the general safety and welfare of occupants and the public require it, and a roof that is structurally failing or letting water into the house is a repair problem whatever code it was built under.
What a Repair Has to Meet Now
The rule for work on an existing house is Section R102.7.1. Additions, alterations or repairs to any structure shall conform to the requirements for a new structure without requiring the existing structure to comply with all of the requirements of the code. They also shall not cause an existing structure to become unsafe or adversely affect the performance of the building.
Read together, R102.7 and R102.7.1 give a two-part answer. The new work is held to today's code. The old work around it is not dragged up to code just because you repaired something nearby. A section rebuilt at the eave should get today's ice barrier and drip edge; the other three slopes of a 1998 roof can stay as they are.
Reroofing is where the old roof finally meets the new code in full. Section R908 requires re-cover and replacement materials and methods to comply with chapter 9, caps a roof at two layers (R908.3.1.1), and requires rusted, damaged or deteriorated flashings, edgings and vents to be replaced (R908.5). Stellar won't warranty a shingle overlay and talks people out of them. Whether a large repair has become reroofing is a local call, so ask the building department before the work starts.
Permits for roof repairs
What Michigan law says about permits for ordinary repairs, reroofing and structural work.
Permit guideHow to Find Out Which Rules Your Roof Was Built Under
- Step 1
Pin Down the Install Date
Look for the contractor's invoice, warranty registration or closing paperwork. The roof's age, not the house's, sets the code era.
- Step 2
Ask the Building Department for Permit Records
A reroof permit shows the date and often the inspections. LARA's statewide jurisdiction list tells you whether your city, county or the state issued permits for your address. Records from before 1999 may be incomplete.
- Step 3
Match the Date to the Era
Roofs permitted on or after 8 February 2016 fall under the 2015 Michigan Residential Code. Earlier roofs fall under an earlier edition or, before 1999, possibly a local model code.
- Step 4
Have the Roof Itself Checked
Code era tells you what was required, not what was actually installed. A roofer can confirm what is at the eaves, rakes and flashings, and photograph it.
- Step 5
Keep It All Together
Dates, permits, photos and warranty papers help with insurance claims, inspections and a future sale.
Michigan Residential Code Milestones That Affect Roofs
| Date | What happened | Why it matters for a roof |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jan 1973 | State construction code act takes effect (1972 PA 230) | Statewide code exists, but towns can opt out |
| 28 Dec 1999 | 1999 PA 245: act and code apply throughout the state | Local model codes phased out |
| 2000 | First International Residential Code published | Basis for later Michigan residential codes |
| 2000s | Michigan residential codes based on the 2003 and 2009 IRC | Roofs from this period follow those editions |
| 28 Mar 2013 | 2012 PA 504: residential code updated every 3 to 6 years | Michigan skips the 2012 and 2018 editions |
| 8 Feb 2016 | 2015 Michigan Residential Code takes effect | Current rules, including the 8:12 ice barrier minimum |
| 7 Jul 2025 | Court order pauses the 2021-based code | 2015 code stays in effect |
| 17 Jun 2026 | Second stipulated order extends the case schedule | Motions due December 2026; pretrial set for January 2027 |
Sources: MCL 125.1504 and 125.1508a with history notes, LARA Bureau of Construction Codes, Court of Claims Nos. 25-000105-MZ and 25-000106-MZ. Confirm current status with LARA.
Not Sure What Your Older Roof Needs?
A free inspection shows what is actually on your roof today and what a repair would need to meet now, so you can decide between a targeted fix and bigger work.
Related Guides
Michigan Residential Code Rules for Roof Repairs
The current chapter 9 rules that apply to repairs.
Learn MoreMichigan's Ice Barrier Requirement
What the code requires at the eaves and how far it must reach.
Learn MoreFixing Roof Items From a Home Inspection
What is urgent, what is cosmetic, and how to get a roofer's answer quickly.
Learn MoreRepair vs. Replace Your Roof
How to weigh a repair against a new roof.
Learn MoreQuestions We Hear
Do I have to bring my whole roof up to code if I repair part of it?
Not under the code's general rule. Section R102.7.1 of the 2015 Michigan Residential Code says repairs must meet the requirements for new work without requiring the existing structure to comply with all of the code. The repaired area should meet today's rules; the rest of the roof can stay as built, unless it is unsafe. Your building department decides how this applies to a specific job.
What building code is Michigan using in 2026?
For houses, the 2015 Michigan Residential Code, effective 8 February 2016. LARA adopted a 2021-based update effective 29 August 2025, but a July 2025 Court of Claims stipulated order paused it, and LARA says the 2015 versions remain valid and in effect while the order stands. As of a June 2026 order, the case was scheduled into 2027.
Is a roof that is not to current code illegal?
No. Codes apply to work done while they are in effect. Section R102.7 lets existing structures continue without change except where the code specifically says otherwise or a building official finds it necessary for safety. A roof that met the code when installed is not a violation because the code later changed, though it may lack features buyers or insurers now expect.
Why did Michigan skip the 2018 residential code?
Because of a 2012 amendment to the construction code act. Starting with the 2015 national cycle, Michigan updates the residential code at most every three years and at least every six, after a public meeting and a written decision by LARA. Michigan moved from the 2015 code toward the 2021 edition, and the act lets builders use methods from interim editions such as 2018 without requiring them.
Where can I find out when my roof was permitted?
Ask the building department that enforces the code at your address. LARA's statewide jurisdiction list shows whether that is your city or township, the county, or the state Bureau of Construction Codes. Permit records usually show the date, the contractor and inspections. Records from before the late 1990s, when local rules varied, may be incomplete.
What This Page Cites
- Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act, MCL 125.1504 (code contents, update cycle, interim editions) with history, Michigan Legislature (https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-125-1504), accessed October 2026
- Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act, MCL 125.1508a (applicability throughout the state) with history and compiler's notes, Michigan Legislature (https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-125-1508a), accessed October 2026
- Code Books (2015 Michigan Residential Code, effective February 8, 2016), LARA Bureau of Construction Codes (https://www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/bcc/rules-acts/codes/code-books), accessed October 2026
- 2021 Code Injunction notice, Residential Part 5 and Energy Part 10, LARA Bureau of Construction Codes (https://www.michigan.gov/lara/-/media/Project/Websites/lara/bcc-media/ASD/2021-Code-Injunction-Residential-Part-5-and-Energy-Part-10.pdf), accessed October 2026
- Home Builders Association of Michigan v Brown, Court of Claims Nos. 25-000105-MZ and 25-000106-MZ, Second Stipulated Order to Adjourn Discovery Deadline and Other Dates (June 17, 2026), Michigan Courts (https://www.courts.michigan.gov/4a78d2/siteassets/case-documents/uploads/coc/2025/25-000106-mz/2026-06-17-25-000106-mz-36-order-20260617-25-105-and-106-mz-stip-order.pdf), accessed October 2026
- Is a New Michigan Residential Code (MRC) Going into Effect on August 29th?, Home Builders Association of Michigan, 5 July 2025 (https://members.hbaofmichigan.com/capitol-update/Details/is-a-new-michigan-residential-code-mrc-going-into-effect-on-august-29th-276142), accessed October 2026
- Michigan Residential Code, 2003 (ICC MI-IRC-2003), based on the 2003 International Residential Code, ANSI Webstore listing (https://webstore.ansi.org/standards/icc/iccmiirc2003), accessed October 2026
- 2015 Michigan Residential Code, Preface (development of the International Residential Code), International Code Council (https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/MIRC2015P2/preface), accessed October 2026
- 2015 Michigan Residential Code, Chapter 1 Scope and Administration, Sections R102.7 and R102.7.1, International Code Council (https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/MIRC2015P2/chapter-1-scope-and-administration), accessed October 2026
- 2015 Michigan Residential Code, Chapter 9 Roof Assemblies, Sections R905.1.2, R908.1, R908.3.1.1 and R908.5, International Code Council (https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/MIRC2015P2/chapter-9-roof-assemblies), accessed October 2026
- 2012 International Residential Code, Chapter 9 Roof Assemblies, Sections R905.2.7.1, R905.2.8.5 and R907, International Code Council (https://codes.iccsafe.org/content/IRC2012/chapter-9-roof-assemblies), accessed October 2026