Permits and Inspections in Detroit and Metro Detroit

Probably, if the job changes structure, wiring, plumbing, gas piping, heating and cooling, or the outside of the house in a way that goes beyond simple repair. Permits exist so an inspector checks work you cannot see once the walls close up. Unpermitted work can cause trouble when you sell, refinance, file an insurance claim or register a rental.

The rules below are general. Requirements change and every city sets some of its own, so always confirm with your building department before work starts. Michigan consumer advice says the contractor should get all required permits. A contractor who asks you to pull the permit is a red flag.

Outside Detroit, most cities and townships in Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties run their own building departments, with their own forms, fees and inspection schedules. Places like Dearborn, Warren and Troy each handle permits locally.

Not every community enforces every code. Michigan's Bureau of Construction Codes (part of LARA) notes that code enforcement may be done by the state, the county or the local government. Where a municipality does not enforce a code, such as electrical, plumbing or mechanical, the state issues that permit and sends its own inspector. LARA publishes a Statewide Jurisdiction List showing who enforces each code in each community, and state permits can be applied for online through LARA's permit portal. Check the list, or call your city hall, before you apply.

Michigan lets homeowners get some permits for work they do themselves. LARA's electrical permit rules, for example, allow a homeowner to get a permit for electrical work in a single-family home and its outbuildings that the homeowner owns and lives in, or will live in. Similar homeowner rules apply to plumbing in your own single-family home. The same inspections apply, and the work must meet code.

Homeowner permits do not cover work on a rental, a two-family home you do not live in, or work you hire someone else to do. If you are paying someone, they should be licensed and pull the permit. See how to choose a contractor for the license check.

Detroit rentals need a Certificate of Compliance from BSEED. The city lists these steps:

1. Register the rental through the Code Enforcement module in eLAPS.
2. Pass a property inspection. For one and two unit properties, the city directs owners to schedule with a third-party inspection company; larger properties schedule through the landlord hotline, 313-224-3115. Repair any violations and get re-inspected.
3. Lead-safe requirements for homes built before 1978: under the rental ordinance update that took effect in 2025, the property inspection includes a visual check for deteriorated paint, repairs must be done by lead-safe certified pros, and the city can still require a full lead inspection in some cases. Confirm the current steps with BSEED.
4. Certificate issued once the property passes.

Compare pros for a rental certification inspection and lead abatement. Many suburbs run their own rental registration and inspection programs, so check with your city.

Michigan law requires notice to MISS DIG 811 at least three business days before digging. The service is free. Call 811, or 800-482-7171, or submit a ticket online with MISS DIG's OneCallAccess tool. Member utilities then mark their public underground lines with flags or paint. MISS DIG itself does not mark lines, and private lines, such as a line to a garage, are not marked by the utilities. This applies to fence posts, deck footings, trenching, tree and stump removal and exterior drain tile. Ask your contractor for the ticket number before digging starts.