Metal roof installation in Michigan: what the code says and what to ask

What a metal roof installation involves, from the deck up

For Michigan houses the code is still the 2015 Michigan Residential Code: as of Oct 19, 2026 LARA still lists that edition after a court order stopped the 2021 rule set, and this may change, so check LARA before you rely on it. The code treats metal panels and metal roof shingles separately, and underlayment under either must meet a listed ASTM standard and carry a label.

Two choices set the scope: whether the old covering comes off, and what goes between the deck and the metal. A written quote should name both and the panel maker whose instructions apply.

What a metal roof costs in Michigan: the evidence so far

Our estimate for a metal roof in Michigan is $6,950 to $49,500 per roof, or $455 to $1,975 per square (100 square feet), installed. The band is wide because the one published national range it starts from covers corrugated and standing seam panels and roofs of very different sizes. It is a model, not a quote: that range adjusted for what Michigan roofers are paid, with a typical permit fee of $100 added to the per-roof figure. The Michigan roofing companies we looked at did not publish a price we could count, so none is shown.

The rows below the estimate are wages, which are pay and not price, and the permit fees that city schedules publish.

How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. It takes one published national range for this job (a cost guide from a third-party site that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies it by Michigan's roofer median wage ratio to the US (1.07, BLS May 2025 data read through O*NET OnLine) and adds a typical permit fee ($100).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.

Repair a metal roof or replace the covering

No Michigan source gives an age or percentage at which to replace a roof, so we give none; the code does set two limits on what a replacement can be.

Ice barrier and metal roofing under the Michigan code

Michigan's amended design table says an ice barrier underlayment is required, and R905.1.2 covers the eaves only: from the eave edge to at least 24 inches inside the exterior wall line, and on slopes of 8:12 or steeper at least 36 inches along the slope. That is base 2015 code text with no Michigan amendment we found, so confirm with your building department.

The section lists asphalt shingles, metal roof shingles, mineral-surfaced roll roofing, slate, wood shingles and shakes. Metal panels do not appear on it, so we do not say a code ice barrier is required under standing-seam metal. A city may still ask: Midland's permit application wants photos of the ice and water shield and underlayment. See the ice dam and ice barrier guide.

Metal over shingles, metal over shake, or down to the deck

Under the 2015 code a replacement means removing coverings down to the deck, and section R908.3.1 allows a new covering over an existing one if it follows the manufacturer's approved instructions; the base text says separate standing-seam style systems need no tear-off and metal may go over existing wood shake.

A re-cover is barred over a water-soaked or deteriorated roof, over slate, clay, cement or asbestos-cement tile, and where the roof already has two or more applications. A quote for metal over your shingles should name the section and the maker's instructions. The shingle layers guide covers the limit.

Snow load: what Michigan's county table gives you

Table R301.2(5) sets ground snow load by county in pounds per square foot: Wayne 20, Oakland and Macomb 25, Kent and Saginaw 35, Marquette 70, Keweenaw 90 to 100. That is snow on the ground; a designer works out the roof load, so the table does not rate a panel system.

Ask the installer in writing what snow load the system was designed for and where sliding snow will land. The county snow load guide lists the rest.

IBHS roof criteria and ENERGY STAR cool roofs, read with care

IBHS, a research body funded by insurers, runs the FORTIFIED Roof program: wider drip edge, fully adhered starter strip, sealed roof deck, wind-rated covers. Its claim that sealing deck seams cuts water intrusion by up to 95 percent comes from its own page (medium confidence); ask your insurer what it recognizes.

ENERGY STAR says cool roofs, with high solar reflectance and thermal emittance, save more in hot, sunny climates; if a seller says a panel carries its label, ask for the product listing.

How long metal roofing lasts, and whether a tax credit applies

No government table gives roof lifespans. InterNACHI's chart, a trade association's and one we have not confirmed on its source page, gives 40 to 80 years for metal roofing, as a national figure no installer should promise.

The federal 25C credit ended for property placed in service after Dec 31, 2025, and the IRS pages we cite name insulation, doors, windows and skylights, not roofs.

When a metal roof problem is an emergency

What to check from the ground and inside before you call

1. From the ground, use binoculars or your phone's zoom along the ridge, edges and trim for lifted, bent or missing metal, and photograph what you see with the date.
2. Inside, check the ceilings and attic for stains, wet insulation or daylight, and photograph those too.
3. Note the panel maker and any earlier roof paperwork, and do not climb up to look closer.

Permits and licensing for a metal roof in Michigan

Michigan's permit exemption list does not include roofing and enforcement is local. Grand Rapids requires a residential building permit to re-roof, with the applicant an owner-occupant or a licensed residential builder. Kalamazoo uses a non-structural maintenance permit. Elsewhere the building department decides, so call it first: Grand Rapids, Midland.

Roofing is a craft on the residential maintenance and alteration license, and work of $600 or more needs one unless you are the owner on your own home. An unlicensed contractor faces a civil fine of $5,000 to $25,000 and cannot sue for payment or file a lien. Check the license number on the LARA lookup, and ask for proof of liability insurance and workers' compensation too; that is our advice, not a Michigan rule we can cite.

Before any work starts, ask for the license number and check it with your state's licensing board.

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Questions people ask

Keep reading

Guides

• What Michigan's code says about ice barrier and ice dams
• How many layers of shingles a Michigan roof can have
• Michigan ground snow loads by county, and what they mean for a roof
• How long a roof lasts in Michigan, and what we can and cannot source
• How to check a Michigan roofer's license on LARA, and what to do if the work goes wrong

Related services

• Roof replacement
• Roof inspection
• Flat roof

Michigan licensing, code and permit facts · How to check a roofer's license · Report a wrong rule or number