Michigan building permits

Where to get a building permit in Michigan

Apply to the building department of the city, town or county where the property is (the steps).

Our Michigan city guides, with each department's contacts, fees, inspections and project rules:

• Detroit

Michigan state agencies

These offices set statewide codes or license the trades. They do not issue permits for most home projects.

Building code in Michigan

For homes, the residential code is the Michigan residential code for 1- and 2-family dwellings⁴, in effect since February 8, 2022⁴ (statewide; applies everywhere¹).

Every code family, edition and effective date is on Michigan building codes.

State rules on which work needs a permit

MCL 125.1510(1), (7), (8); MCL 125.1511(1); Mich. Admin. Code R 408.30505; R 408.30409

• Building permit application required before construction, except as the code provides. (1) Except as otherwise provided in the code, before construction of a building or structure, the owner, or the owner's builder, architect, engineer, or agent, shall submit an application in writing to the appropriate enforcing agency for a building permit.¹
• Construction may not start before the permit issues. Except as otherwise provided in this act or the code, the construction or alteration of a building or structure shall not be commenced until a building permit has been issued.¹
• Ordinary repairs need no building permit. (7) A building permit is not required for ordinary repairs of a building or structure.¹
• Agricultural buildings not used for retail trade need no building permit. (8) A building permit is not required for a building incidental to the use for agricultural purposes of the land on which the building is located if the building is not used in the business of retail trade.¹
• Exemption does not allow work that breaks the code or other laws. R105.2. Work exempt from permit. Exemption from the permit requirements of the code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of the code or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction.⁴
• 200 square feet. (i) One-story detached accessory structures, if the floor area does not exceed 200 square feet (18.58 m2).⁴
• 7 feet. (ii) A fence that is not more than 7 feet (2 134 mm) high.⁴
• 4 feet. (iii) A retaining wall that is not more than 4 feet (1 219 mm) in height measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, unless supporting a surcharge.⁴
• 30 inches. (v) A sidewalk and driveway not more than 30 inches (762 mm) above adjacent grade and not over any basement or story below and not part of an accessible route.⁴
• Exempt. (vi) Painting, papering, tiling, carpeting, cabinets, counter tops, and similar finish work.⁴
• 24 inches. (vii) A prefabricated swimming pool that is less than 24 inches (610 mm) deep, and not greater than 5,000 gallons (18 925 L), and is installed entirely above ground.⁴
• 200 square feet. (x) Decks, porches, patios, landings, or similar structures not exceeding 200 square feet (18.58 m2) in area, that are not more than 30 inches (762 mm) above grade at any point as prescribed by Section R312.1.1, are not attached to a dwelling or its accessory structures, are not within 36 inches (914 mm) of a dwelling or its accessory structures, and do not serve any ingress or egress door of the dwelling or its accessory structures.⁴
• Exempt. (i) Repairs and maintenance: Minor repair work, including the replacement of lamps or the connection of approved portable electrical equipment to approved permanently installed receptacles.⁴
• Exempt. (i) The stopping of leaks in drains, water, soil, waste or vent pipe.⁴
• Permit required. If any concealed trap, drainpipe, water, soil, waste or vent pipe becomes defective and it becomes necessary to remove and replace the same with new material, then the work is considered as new work and a permit shall be obtained and inspection made as provided in the code.⁴
• Exempt. (ii) The clearing of stoppages or the repairing of leaks in pipes, valves, or fixtures, and the removal and reinstallation of water closets, if the repairs do not involve or require the replacement or rearrangement of valves, pipes, or fixtures.⁴
• Exempt. (v) Replacement of any minor part that does not alter the approval of equipment or an appliance or make such equipment or appliance unsafe.⁴
• Commercial code: storage shed exemption stops at 120 sq ft. (i) One-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses, if the floor area does not exceed 120 square feet, 11 square meters.⁴

Applies to

Residential exemptions apply to detached 1- and 2-family dwellings and townhouses under the residential code⁴

Homeowners doing their own work

MCL 339.2403(b), (c); MCL 339.2401(a)(iii); MCL 339.5737(3)(g); MCL 339.6107(2)(d); MCL 339.5819

• (b) An owner of property, with reference to a structure on the property for the owner's own use and occupancy.⁵
• (iii) A person that erects a residential structure except for the person's own use and occupancy on the person's property.⁵
• (c) An owner of rental property, with reference to the maintenance and alteration of that rental property.⁵
• (1) Except as otherwise provided in the code, before construction of a building or structure, the owner, or the owner's builder, architect, engineer, or agent, shall submit an application in writing to the appropriate enforcing agency for a building permit.¹
• (g) Any installation, alteration, or repair of electrical equipment by a homeowner in a single family home and accompanying outbuildings owned and occupied or to be occupied by the individual who is performing the installation, alteration, or repair of electrical equipment.⁶
• (d) The installation by a homeowner of his or her own plumbing, building sewer, or private sewer in his or her single-family dwelling if a permit is secured.⁶
• Sec. 819. An individual who is the owner of a single family dwelling that is, or on completion will become, his or her place of residence may personally install a heating or refrigerating system in the dwelling if the individual in his or her application for a permit affirms that he or she is or will become the owner and occupant of the dwelling in which the installation is done is completed and that the applicant will install the equipment in the dwelling for which the permit is requested.⁶
• The applicant shall apply for and secure the required permits from the enforcing agency of the municipality and shall obtain the required inspection after the installation is completed and the equipment is placed in operation.⁶

Contractor licensing

MCL 339.2401; MCL 339.2403; MCL 125.1523a; MCL 339.5601; MCL 339.5737; MCL 339.6107

• Residential builder: paid construction of a residential structure. (i) A person engaged in the construction of a residential structure that, for a fixed sum, price, fee, percentage, valuable consideration, or other compensation, other than wages for personal labor only, undertakes with another or offers to undertake, or purports to have the capacity to undertake with another, for the erection, construction, replacement, repair, alteration, or addition to, subtraction from, improvement, wrecking of, or demolition of, a residential structure.⁵
• Maintenance and alteration contractor: paid repair, alteration or improvement. (i) Undertakes with another for the repair, alteration, or addition to, subtraction from, improvement of, wrecking of, or demolition of a residential structure, or building of a garage, or laying of concrete on residential property.⁵
• $100 to $500 civil fine for unlicensed residential work. A person who violates this section is responsible for a civil violation, and shall be fined not less than $100.00 or more than $500.00.¹
• Residential builder prelicensure: 60 hours of approved courses. Unless he or she is exempt under subdivision (a) or (b), an applicant must not receive an initial license under this act unless he or she successfully completed 60 hours of approved prelicensure courses…⁵
• Skilled trades need a state license. Sec. 601. (1) A person shall not engage in or attempt to engage in the practice of an occupation regulated under this act or use a title designated in this act unless the person possesses a license issued by the department for the occupation.⁶
• First unlicensed skilled-trade offense: misdemeanor, up to $500 or 90 days. (3) A person that violates subsection (1) is guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $500.00 or imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both.⁶
• Electrical contracting license required. Sec. 737. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this article or in subsection (3), a person shall not engage in the business of electrical contracting unless the person has received from the board or from the appropriate municipality an electrical contractor's license.⁶
• Plumbing license required. Sec. 1107. (1) A person shall not engage in or work at the business of a plumbing contractor, master plumber, journey plumber, or apprentice plumber unless that person is licensed or registered under this article.⁶
• Plumbing permits go to licensed plumbing contractors, with listed exceptions. (2) Except as otherwise provided in subsections (3) and (6) and section 1107, the state or a governmental subdivision shall issue a plumbing permit only to a licensed plumbing contractor.⁶

Handyman limits

MCL 339.2403(f)

• $600. (f) A person that is working on 1 undertaking or project by 1 or more contracts, if the aggregate contract price for the labor, material, and any other items for the undertaking or project is less than $600.00.⁵
• Splitting a larger job to stay under the limit does not qualify. The exemption described in this subdivision does not apply if the work of a construction is only a part of a larger or major operation, whether undertaken by the same or a different residential builder or residential maintenance and alteration contractor, or in which a division of the operation is made in contracts of amounts less than $600.00, to evade this act.⁵

Deadlines for permit decisions and inspections

MCL 125.1511(1); MCL 125.1513

• 10 business days. An application shall be granted, in whole or in part, or denied within 10 business days, except that in case of an unusually complicated building or structure, action shall be taken within 15 business days.¹
• Missing the deadline counts as a denial, which allows an appeal. Failure by an enforcing agency to grant, in whole or in part, or deny an application within these periods of time shall be deemed a denial of the application for purposes of authorizing the institution of an appeal to the appropriate board of appeals.¹
• 5 business days. When a building or structure is entitled thereto, the enforcing agency shall issue a certificate of use and occupancy within 5 business days after receipt of a written application therefor on a form to be prescribed by the enforcing agency and payment of the fee to be established by it.¹

Private plan review and inspections

MCL 125.1509(1)

• A local government may contract with a private organization. A governmental subdivision may contract with a private organization to do 1 or more of the following on behalf of the enforcing agency…¹
• Those contractors may do plan reviews with registered reviewers. (c) Perform plan reviews using plan reviewers registered under article 10 of the skilled trades regulation act, MCL 339.6001 to 339.6023.¹
• Those contractors may do inspections with registered inspectors. (d) Perform inspections using inspectors registered under article 10 of the skilled trades regulation act, MCL 339.6001 to 339.6023.¹

Limits on permit fees

MCL 125.1522(1); Mich. Admin. Code R 408.30221

• Local fees must reasonably relate to cost. (1) The legislative body of a governmental subdivision shall establish reasonable fees to be charged by the governmental subdivision for acts and services performed by the enforcing agency or construction board of appeals under this act, which fees shall be intended to bear a reasonable relation to the cost, including overhead, to the governmental subdivision of the acts and services, including, without limitation, those services and acts as, in case of an enforcing agency, issuance of building permits, examination of plans and specifications, inspection of construction undertaken pursuant to a building permit, and the issuance of certificates of use and occupancy, and, in case of a board of appeals, hearing appeals in accordance with this act.¹
• Fee money may fund only the enforcing agency or appeals board. The legislative body of a governmental subdivision shall only use fees generated under this section for the operation of the enforcing agency or the construction board of appeals, or both, and shall not use the fees for any other purpose.¹
• Rule repeats the cost relationship. Rule 221. (1) All fees charged by townships, villages, cities, counties and the commission for application for permit, examination of plans, issuance of permits, inspection of construction and issuance of certificates of use and occupancy shall bear a reasonable relationship to all costs, including overhead of services rendered.⁴

Selling a home with unpermitted work

MCL 565.957; MCL 565.954; MCL 565.953

• Form question on work done without permits. Structural modifications, alterations, or repairs made without necessary permits or licensed contractors? unknown____ yes____ no____…⁷
• Disclosures use the statutory form. The disclosures required by this act shall be made on the following form…⁷
• Statement comes before a binding purchase agreement. (a) In the case of a sale, before the transferor executes a binding purchase agreement with the prospective transferee.⁷
• Seller is not liable for errors outside personal knowledge, when conditions are met. (1) The transferor or his or her agent is not liable for any error, inaccuracy, or omission in any information delivered pursuant to this act if the error, inaccuracy, or omission was not within the personal knowledge of the transferor, or was based entirely on information provided by public agencies or provided by other persons specified in subsection (3), and ordinary care was exercised in transmitting the information.⁷

What local governments may change

MCL 125.1508a(1); MCL 125.1524; MCL 125.1508b(11); MCL 339.6125(1)

• Act and code apply statewide. (1) This act and the code apply throughout the state.¹
• Local construction regulations are treated as repealed. Six months after the promulgation of the code and thereafter, construction regulations adopted by a governmental subdivision shall be considered repealed and invalid, except as provided in section 8.¹
• Local powers otherwise remain. (11) Except as otherwise provided in this act, this act does not limit or restrict existing powers or authority of governmental subdivisions, and this act shall be enforced by governmental subdivisions in the manner prescribed by local law or ordinance.¹
• No local plumbing licensing. Sec. 1125. (1) A governmental subdivision may not exempt itself from the licensing requirements of this article and may not engage in or require local licensing.⁶