Allen Park, Michigan Building Permit Guide

In Allen Park, permits come from the city’s Building and Engineering Department at City Hall, 15915 Southfield Road (313-928-4441; City Hall is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), directed by Matt Baker. The city enforces the building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes itself; Wayne County runs no building program. Permits are issued at the counter or online through BS&A. Under the department’s fee schedule, a $50 base fee plus a fee set by the total job cost applies to most permits, while residential fences and concrete work are a flat $100.

What requires a building permit in Allen Park?

The Building Division reviews plans and inspects construction of all commercial and residential structures in the city, and the department’s application lists the work it covers: new buildings, additions, alterations, remodels, repairs, replacements, foundations, demolition, manufactured homes and special inspections, for houses, garages, porches, decks and pools as well as non-residential buildings. Its fee schedule shows the smaller jobs it also permits, including residential concrete (driveways, sidewalks, approaches and patios) and fences.

The department’s shed sheet says plastic sheds with built-in floors need neither a foundation nor a permit. Other sheds must sit on a concrete slab at least 3.5 inches thick, at least 10 feet from the house and 2 feet from any property line (3 feet where the facing wall has a window), outside easements, and no larger than 12 by 12 feet or taller than 15 feet.

What Allen Park decides and what the state holds

The construction code is the state’s and the city cannot amend it. The Bureau of Construction Codes’ Statewide Jurisdiction List shows Allen Park as a local enforcing agency for all four codes and Wayne County with no county program, so every permit and inspection here is the city’s. What Allen Park decides locally is zoning, site plan review, its fee schedule, contractor registration, its fence and shed rules, the home-sale certificate of occupancy ordinance and its rental and vacant property programs. The city’s development projects page shows how zoning changes are handled: a proposed gas station moratorium text amendment heard on March 6, 2025 was denied, as the Planning Commission recommended, while a C-6A district carwash amendment heard on July 3, 2025 was approved.

Allen Park building department: who handles permitting

The Building and Engineering Department issues residential and commercial permits on site and online, registers commercial contractors, reviews site plans, inspects, and issues certificates of occupancy for new businesses and home sales and certificates of compliance for rentals. It is also the liaison to the Planning Commission and the Zoning Board of Appeals and answers zoning compliance questions; the city’s planning consultant, Carlisle-Wortman, works with the department.

The city’s own website, cityofallenpark.org, carries the department’s forms, handouts and fee schedule.

Allen Park permit types

The Building Department Forms page carries the building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and sign applications, a certificate of occupancy application, contractor registration, a fence construction consent form, rental and vacant property registration, utility construction, dumpster, outdoor storage and RV parking permits, and a variance application for the Zoning Board of Appeals. Handouts cover concrete, decks, porches, private garages, pools and hot tubs, sheds, fences, basement waterproofing, wheelchair ramps and lot limitations.

Residential permits

• Contractor named up front. The building application says a contractor is required when the application is submitted, with no “to be determined” entries, and asks for the builder’s license number.
• Plans. Plans go in with the application for plan examination and the plan review fee is paid before a permit issues; only minor alterations and repairs the Building Official accepts are exempt, and other plans must come from a licensed architect or engineer.
• Fences. Bring a sealed survey or visible survey stakes and a plot plan; removing an existing fence needs signed consent from every neighbor involved. Fences are not allowed in front yards, and 6-foot fences are allowed in rear yards only.
• Home sales. A residential sale inspection and certificate of occupancy are needed before closing.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit filing, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

For a new business or a change of business owner, apply for a certificate of occupancy; the Building and Fire Departments both inspect and sign it before the business opens. If construction is planned, plans are approved first, every subcontractor applies for its permit before the building permit is issued, and a change in the type of occupancy may need a public hearing before the Planning Commission. The department registers all commercial contractors working in the city.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit expediting through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning and site plans. Larger developments, special uses and rezonings go to the Planning Commission, which recommends to City Council; variances, interpretations and appeals go to the Zoning Board of Appeals.
• Utility work. Public utility work needs a permit approved by the City Engineer, filed with five sets of plans and a certificate of liability insurance.
• Soil erosion. Wayne County is the soil erosion agency for Allen Park: earth changes over one acre or within 500 feet of surface water need a county permit before any earthwork (734-326-3936).
• County roads. Driveway approaches and other work in a county road right-of-way need a permit from the Wayne County DPS Permit Office, 33809 Michigan Avenue, Wayne (734-858-2774).

Allen Park permit costs and fees

The Building Department’s posted fee schedule bases most building permits on the total cost of the job, labor and materials included, and adds a $50 base fee to every permit except fences and concrete work. The schedule itself carries no adoption date, so ask the department to confirm the figure for your job when you apply.

Each $1,000 step up to $25,000 adds $12. Worked example: a $10,000 deck or remodel falls in the $9,001 to $10,000 row, so the permit is $176 plus the $50 base fee, or $226. Commercial concrete and commercial fences follow the building permit table. The building application form states a minimum permit fee of $100 that includes the $50 base fee and two inspections, with more charged for extra inspections, which is lower than the $130 first row of the posted schedule; ask the department which applies. Electrical permits carry the same $50 base fee plus item charges, such as $10 per circuit, $75 to change a 101 to 200 amp service and $20 for a furnace connection. The home-sale inspection is $175.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Allen Park issues and inspects its own electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits, each on a separate application, and the department lists its own electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspectors. For a new business, subcontractors must apply for their trade permits before the building permit is issued.

• Electrical. The form asks for the state license and any state registration or local license, plus federal employer and unemployment insurance numbers. Plans are needed unless the service is 400 amps or less and the building is no more than 3,500 square feet.
• Mechanical and plumbing. Heating, cooling and gas work and plumbing each have their own application on the forms page.
• Homeowner work. The electrical form has a homeowner affidavit: the owner certifies the work will be installed by the owner in the home they live in or are about to occupy, kept uncovered until the electrical inspector approves it.

For building permits, the application requires a contractor at the time of filing, and BS&A Online has separate application routes for homeowners and contractors. The department also publishes a guide on how to hire a contractor, and its contractor registration covers all commercial contractors working in the city.

How to apply for an Allen Park building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Applications must be complete in every section before review and approval, and the department returns fence applications that lack the required detail. Commercial plans are approved before any work, and the building permit waits until every subcontractor has applied. A permit is cancelled if no inspection is requested and made within six months of issue or of the last inspection, and a cancelled permit cannot be refunded or reinstated.

Inspections and certificates in Allen Park

Inspections are scheduled through BS&A Online, and the building application says the minimum permit fee covers two inspections, with an added fee for more. The department’s inspectors cover building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work; fences have a mandatory post-hole inspection with holes 42 inches deep.

• Home sales. Since March 1, 2022, every residential dwelling sold needs a certificate of occupancy before closing under Ordinance 04-2019 (Chapter 10, Article 10, Section 10-404). The $175 fee covers the initial and final inspection, reports are ready within 5 business days, and homes listed before March 1, 2022 were exempt.
• Selling as is. The buyer may take on the repairs by signing an affidavit and putting at least $500 in escrow, 10% of which is non-refundable, before closing.
• Businesses. The Building and Fire Departments must both sign the certificate of occupancy before a business opens or changes owner.
• Rentals. Rental properties need a certificate of compliance from the department’s rental inspection program.

Michigan building code in Allen Park

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the City of Allen Park (community 260217) as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community, with flood maps effective October 21, 2021.

Michigan enforces one statewide construction code under the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act (1972 PA 230); local units cannot amend it, and enforcement sits with the city, village or township, a county program or the state Bureau of Construction Codes, sometimes split by trade. Michigan rules

Allen Park permit search and official resources

The department’s Permit Lookup and On-line Payments page links to BS&A Online, where you can apply, pay and schedule inspections and see the permits tied to your account. Copies of permit files and other records are requested from the City Clerk’s Office, which handles Freedom of Information Act requests on the city’s FOIA request form; police records go to the Police Department instead.

• Allen Park Building and Engineering Department
• Permit lookup and online payments
• BS&A Online, City of Allen Park
• Building Department forms
• Building fee schedule
• Building permit application
• Electrical permit application and fees
• Certificate of occupancy information
• Residential sales inspection
• Fencing requirements
• Shed requirements
• Building requirements handouts
• Engineering and utility construction permits
• Planning and zoning documents
• Development projects and public hearings
• City Clerk FOIA information
• Wayne County soil erosion permits
• Wayne County road right-of-way permits
• BCC Statewide Jurisdiction List
• FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan

Allen Park building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Allen Park?

Most permits are a fee set by total job cost plus a $50 base fee; a $10,000 job, for example, is $176 plus $50, or $226 under the posted schedule.

Does a fence need a permit in Allen Park?

Yes. A residential fence permit is a flat $100, needs a survey or stakes and a plot plan, and includes a mandatory post-hole inspection.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Plastic sheds with built-in floors do not. Wood or metal sheds need a permit and a concrete slab, and may be no larger than 12 by 12 feet.

Do I need an inspection to sell my house?

Yes. A certificate of occupancy is required before closing; the sale inspection costs $175 and includes the initial and final visit.

Can I apply online?

Yes. BS&A Online has separate application routes for homeowners and contractors and handles inspections and payments.

Does Wayne County issue building permits in Allen Park?

No. Wayne County has no building program; the city issues all permits. The county does issue soil erosion and county road permits.

How long is a permit good for?

A permit is cancelled if no inspection is requested and made within six months of issue or of the previous inspection, and cancelled permits are not refunded.

Simplify Allen Park permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Michigan. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Allen Park permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.