Shed Permit requirements across Michigan
By Mario Bailey Last checked
- Always required
- 2
- of 4 jurisdictions
- Conditional
- 2
- depends on size or scope
- Not required
- 0
- exempt outright
Requirements and size thresholds for shed permits vary by locality. The table below compares what each Michigan county or city requires. Always confirm with the local office before starting.
Comparing states? See shed permit rules across every locality we cover.
The application steps and inspection sequence for shed permits come from the model code rather than from Michigan law, so they read the same wherever you build. We keep that walkthrough in one place: how a shed permit application and its inspections work, start to finish. What changes between Michigan jurisdictions is below: who requires a permit, what they charge, and which office you file with.
Swipe sideways to see thresholds and confidence.
| Locality | Permit required? | Typical threshold | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ann Arbor | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| Detroit | Conditional | floor area of a one-story detached accessory structure in residential construction | Confirmed on official page |
| Grand Rapids | Yes | Not specified | Confirmed on official page |
| Sterling Heights | Conditional | shed floor area above which a building permit is required | Confirmed on official page |
| No localities match your filter. | |||
What a shed permit costs in Michigan
4 Michigan jurisdictions we cover publish a fee figure for this work. Each line is quoted from that office's own schedule and linked to its citation. The figures are not comparable to one another: some are flat minimums, some a percentage of job value, some charged per fixture, so what you pay depends on which schedule applies and on your job's valuation.
Building Permit Fees (effective October 2019, revised 7/15/2025), under the Zoning Compliance permit heading: "Sheds under 200 square feet, includes one inspection ... $75". The same schedule prices zoning compliance permits at $25 for building projects up to $10,000 and $75 for projects over $10,000. A shed larger than 200 sq ft pays the $15 base application fee plus the estimated project cost permit fee ($100 for cost up to $1,000; $100 plus $10 per $1,000 from $1,000 to $50,000) plus a plan examination fee of 20% of the building permit fee.
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Building permit fees are based on project cost under the BSEED Fee Schedule effective January 1, 2024, modified 7/18/2025: $2,000 or less, Flat $271.43; Over $2,000 but not over $25,000, First $2,000 Base $271.43 plus $34.09 Per $1,000 or fraction thereof over $2,000.
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FY 2027 Planning, Design and Development Fee Schedule effective July 1, 2026. Under Planning Fees, ZONING PERMITS "Level I $25.00" lists "Accessory Structure / Over 120 sqft and up to 200 sqft" and "Over 200 sqft - Building Permit". A structure of 200 sq ft or more draws the Building Permits line "Building Permit, Base Fee $54.00 plus Zoning Permit fee" for the first $1,000 of construction cost with "Building Permit, Incremental Fee $6.80" for each additional $1,000, and footnote 6 adds a $25 Zoning Permit fee for 1-2 family residential projects.
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Building Permit Application 26-27 fee chart: 'Sheds (Between 50 - 200 sq. ft)' $78.00, plus the non-refundable $56.00 application fee. Sheds and garages over 200 sq ft are permitted under the same building permit and also need an electrical permit if any electrical is installed. Re-inspection fee $75.00; re-establish expired permit $77.00.
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Jurisdictions not listed publish no dollar figure we could quote. Absence does not mean a permit is free.
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Before you sign, ask the contractor:
- Who pulls the permit, you or me, and is the permit fee included in the bid?
- Which inspections will this job need, and who meets the inspector on site?
- Is your contractor license active in this locality, and under which business name?