Michigan · Penalties if you skip one

What you can build without a permit in Michigan

By Mario Bailey Last checked · 23 official sources

Quick answer

Across the 4 Michigan jurisdictions we have verified, 0 of 38 project rules need no permit at all, 19 turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes, and 19 require a permit regardless. Electrical work is where the answer most often comes with a published condition rather than a flat yes: 3 of the 4 jurisdictions that answer publish one. The numbers are not statewide: shed thresholds alone run from 50 to 200 sq ft depending on the jurisdiction.

How to read this page

"No permit" means the jurisdiction publishes that the work needs no building permit. "Depends" means it publishes a size, height, depth, cost or scope condition that decides the answer, quoted in its own words in the last column; the number beside it is the figure that condition turns on, and which side of the number is exempt is stated by the condition, not by us. Exempt from a building permit is not exempt from zoning, setbacks, height limits, flood rules, an HOA, or a separate electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit, and several of the conditions below say exactly that.

Electrical

3 of 4 make the electrical answer turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes. Ann Arbor requires a permit for electrical work regardless of size.

Jurisdiction Permit Published figure What the rule says
Detroit Depends electrical alterations beyond replacing switches or receptacles.
Grand Rapids Depends Grand Rapids requires an electrical permit for altering, changing or adding to a home's electrical equipment, and the city puts the line at the wiring: if the work touches the home's electrical wires a permit is needed, while simply swapping out a fixture does not need one.
Sterling Heights Depends Electrical is one of the three trade permits on the Building Department's published permits-required list, and the city's guidance is that an electrical permit is required for any electrical work, in some cases even for pool replacements, and that a permit is required even if the electrical is existing.
Ann Arbor Permit required Electrical work in Ann Arbor requires its own permit from the city Building Department, separate from any building permit on the same project.

Pool

3 of 4 make the pool answer turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes, and the 2 that state a number all publish 24 inches. Ann Arbor requires a permit for pool work regardless of size.

Jurisdiction Permit Published figure What the rule says
Detroit Depends 24 inches prefabricated above-ground pool accessory to a Group R-3 occupancy holding not more than 5,000 gallons.
Grand Rapids Depends 24 inches water depth a pool, hot tub, spa or similar structure is capable of reaching.
Sterling Heights Depends 24 inches in side wall height pool or hot tub side wall height above which the permit package applies.
Ann Arbor Permit required Ann Arbor issues a swimming pool permit through the Building Department and prices above ground pools as a flat $125 building permit line item.

Deck

2 of 4 make the deck answer turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes, and the 2 that state a number all publish 200 sq ft. Ann Arbor and Sterling Heights require a permit for deck work regardless of size.

Jurisdiction Permit Published figure What the rule says
Detroit Depends 200 sq ft deck area.
Grand Rapids Depends 200 sq ft floor area at which a freestanding deck with supporting beams, joists or posts requires a building permit; a deck attached to or adjacent to a house requires one at any size.
Ann Arbor Permit required A deck in Ann Arbor always needs a permit; the area and the attachment method decide which one.
Sterling Heights Permit required The Building Department lists 'Deck or Porch' among the projects that require a building permit, and the Deck Permit Packet requires a completed building permit application, detail plans for the deck and a plot plan showing where on the property the deck will sit.

HVAC

2 of 4 make the HVAC answer turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes. Ann Arbor and Sterling Heights require a permit for HVAC work regardless of size.

Jurisdiction Permit Published figure What the rule says
Detroit Depends BSEED requires a mechanical permit for any heating, cooling, gas piping, air distribution or exhaust system, whether new or an alteration, and whether the work is done by the owner or a contractor.
Grand Rapids Depends Grand Rapids requires a mechanical permit for changes or updates to heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment, and the city names water heaters, furnaces, boilers, exhaust fans, kitchen hoods, rooftop air handling units and energy recovery ventilators.
Ann Arbor Permit required Mechanical work in Ann Arbor takes its own permit, separate from any building permit for the same project.
Sterling Heights Permit required Mechanical is one of the three trade permits on the Building Department's published permits-required list, and the Mechanical Permit Application (prefix PM) asks the applicant to circle whether the equipment is NEW or REPLACE EXISTING, so replacements are permitted work too.

Plumbing

2 of 4 make the plumbing answer turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes. Ann Arbor and Sterling Heights require a permit for plumbing work regardless of size.

Jurisdiction Permit Published figure What the rule says
Detroit Depends plumbing alterations beyond the working parts of a faucet or valve or clearance of stoppages.
Grand Rapids Depends Grand Rapids requires a plumbing permit for plumbing work beyond fixture swaps, and names the exemption explicitly: replacing a faucet, sink, toilet or similar fixture does not need one.
Ann Arbor Permit required Plumbing work in Ann Arbor requires a separate plumbing permit from the city Building Department in addition to any building permit for the same project.
Sterling Heights Permit required Plumbing is one of the three trade permits on the Building Department's published permits-required list, and the department's FAQ answers the most common case directly: a replacement water heater needs a plumbing permit.

Roof Replacement

2 of 4 make the roof replacement answer turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes. Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights require a permit for roof replacement work regardless of size.

Jurisdiction Permit Published figure What the rule says
Ann Arbor Depends Ann Arbor draws the roofing permit line by roof type rather than by area or cost.
Detroit Depends roof-work beyond replacing a few shingles.
Grand Rapids Permit required Grand Rapids requires a residential building permit to re-roof or re-side a single-family home or duplex, and the city states the requirement without an exemption.
Sterling Heights Permit required The Building Department FAQ is unambiguous that a permit is required to re-roof a house, whether the job is a complete tear off and re-roof or just a second layer over existing roofing.

Shed

2 of 4 make the shed answer turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes, and the 2 that state a number publish figures from 50 to 200 sq ft. Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids require a permit for shed work regardless of size.

Jurisdiction Permit Published figure What the rule says
Detroit Depends 200 sq ft floor area of a one-story detached accessory structure in residential construction.
Sterling Heights Depends 50 sq ft shed floor area above which a building permit is required.
Ann Arbor Permit required Every detached shed in Ann Arbor needs a permit, whatever its size.
Grand Rapids Permit required A permit is always required for a shed, detached garage, or other accessory structure in Grand Rapids, and only the type of permit changes with size.

Patio

All 2 make the patio answer turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes. 2 publish no answer we could verify.

Jurisdiction Permit Published figure What the rule says
Ann Arbor Depends Ann Arbor publishes no patio specific handout, so the general Unified Development Code rule governs.
Sterling Heights Depends The Building Department FAQ says a backyard concrete patio does not need a permit as long as it is flat concrete poured on grade with no footings, and warns that concrete placed within 18 inches of a property line must not direct drainage toward a neighbor's home.

Fence

1 of 4 makes the fence answer turn on a size or scope condition the jurisdiction publishes. Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids and Sterling Heights require a permit for fence work regardless of size.

Jurisdiction Permit Published figure What the rule says
Detroit Depends 7 feet fence height, for a fence outside a Special Review District.
Ann Arbor Permit required Ann Arbor requires a permit for every permanent fence, at any height.
Grand Rapids Permit required A permit is always required for a new or replacement fence in Grand Rapids, and only the type of permit changes with height.
Sterling Heights Permit required A City of Sterling Heights fence permit (application prefix PF) is required for any residential fence, at any height.

If the work is already built

Michigan sets the penalty in state law, not by local ordinance alone. Under section 23 of the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act (1972 PA 230), knowingly violating the act, the state construction code, or an enforcement rule is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not more than $500, imprisonment for not more than 90 days, or both.

Michigan penalties, the after-the-fact path, and what the statute actually says

2 of the 40 rules we hold for Michigan are unresolved because the jurisdiction publishes no answer; they are counted nowhere above. The 38 answered rules come from 23 official sources, each linked from the permit page behind every jurisdiction name. See the full picture for the state on the Michigan permit requirements page, or the national view of which projects need a permit at all on Do you need a building permit?

This page compiles what each Michigan jurisdiction publishes, with a last checked date. It is not legal advice, and a project that is exempt from a building permit can still need zoning approval or a trade permit. Confirm with the office linked from the jurisdiction's page before you build.