Barry County runs a county construction code program, and the county’s website sends inspection applications to Professional Code Inspections (PCI), 110 W. Center Street, Suite A, Hastings (269-948-4088). The state’s jurisdiction list marks the county as the enforcing agency for all four codes in 12 townships and four villages, for electrical, mechanical and plumbing in the City of Hastings, and for mechanical and plumbing in Hope and Yankee Springs townships; Prairieville and Rutland townships run their own programs. The county’s Planning Office at the courthouse issues zoning permits ($50 for a house) and soil erosion permits ($100 for a one- or two-family home).
What requires a building permit in Barry County?
Building work in Barry County is reviewed against the state construction code by whichever agency the state list names for the parcel, and in most of the county that is the county program served by PCI. The PCI Hastings building application lists the projects it covers: new buildings, additions, alterations, demolition and relocation, detached garages, swimming pools, pole barns, signs, modular and mobile homes, for residential and commercial owners alike.
Building and trade permits
- New houses, additions and alterations
- Detached garages, pole barns and accessory buildings
- Swimming pools and signs
- Modular and mobile homes
- Separate electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits
County Planning Office permits
- Zoning permits for houses, in-ground pools and accessory buildings over 200 square feet ($50)
- Zoning permits for decks, porches, signs, farm buildings and stand-alone lean-tos ($25)
- Soil erosion permits
- Land division permits
The building application also asks whether any part of the project is in the 100-year floodplain or a regulated wetland, and whether the excavation is over an acre or within 500 feet of a lake, river, stream or county drain; a yes to any of these brings other approvals into play. Michigan counties are not National Flood Insurance Program communities; each township, city and village joins the program on its own.
What Barry County decides and what the state holds
The construction code itself is state law. The county decides how it delivers enforcement (through PCI’s Hastings office), sets the Planning Office fees by direction of the Board of Commissioners, and administers zoning for the townships and villages that use the county ordinance. Several units keep their own zoning, and the City of Hastings and four townships keep their own programs for some or all trades.
Barry County building department: who handles permitting
The Bureau of Construction Codes’ Statewide Jurisdiction List (rev. Nov. 6, 2026) splits the county like this:
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Get a free quote →| Local units | Building | Electrical | Mechanical and plumbing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assyria, Baltimore, Barry, Carlton, Castleton, Hastings, Irving, Johnstown, Maple Grove, Orangeville, Thornapple and Woodland townships; villages of Freeport, Middleville, Nashville and Woodland | County | County | County |
| City of Hastings (pop. 7,490) | City | County | County |
| Hope and Yankee Springs townships | Township | Township | County |
| Prairieville and Rutland townships | Township | Township | Township |
In practice one office touches almost all of it: PCI’s Hastings page lists the City of Hastings, all four villages and every Barry County township except Maple Grove among the municipalities it serves (Maple Grove appears only in its zoning contacts), including the units that run their own programs. Ask PCI which permit belongs to which jurisdiction when you apply.
| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| PCI Hastings (building and trade permits, inspections) | 110 W. Center St., Suite A, Hastings, MI 49058; 269-948-4088; fax 269-948-9963 |
| Barry County Planning & Zoning (zoning, soil erosion, land division, addresses) | Courthouse ground floor, 220 W. State St., Hastings; (269) 945-1290; weekdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed noon to 1 |
| Barry County Road Commission | 1725 W. M-43 Hwy, Hastings; (269) 945-3449 |
| Barry-Eaton District Health Department (wells, septic) | Hastings office, 269-945-9516 |
Rutland Charter Township, a self-enforcing unit
Rutland issues its own building and electrical permits from the township building and zoning department, 2461 Heath Road, Hastings ((269) 948-2194, ext. 19), where applications are dropped off and picked up Monday to Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; it posts its own building permit fee schedule and residential and commercial mechanical and plumbing forms. Its building inspections are requested from Associated Government Services at 269-629-0600, ext. 1, giving the jurisdiction, permit number, type of inspection, how the inspector gets in and a phone number. Rutland will not issue a building permit until zoning, driveway, health department, soil erosion and any wetland approvals are in, and its zoning administrator must sign off before a certificate of occupancy.
Jeff Keesler is the county’s Planning Director and Zoning Administrator. The county has 63,991 residents (Census 2025 estimate); Thornapple Township is the largest unit at 9,692, ahead of the City of Hastings (7,490) and Yankee Springs Township (5,462).
Barry County permit types
PCI’s Hastings office posts a development review application, a zoning board of appeals form, and building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications, plus a plan review submittal form. Applications can also be submitted online through PCI’s BS&A link.
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- Building permit. Give the building’s dimensions, square footage by floor (including garage and porch or deck), the subcontractors for electrical, heating and plumbing, and a valuation that includes labor but not the lot.
- Homeowner affidavit. An owner may apply to do the work in their own single-family home that they live in or are about to occupy, signing the affidavit on the application.
- Zoning permit. From the county Planning Office where the county zones: $50 for a house, in-ground pool or accessory building over 200 square feet, $25 for decks, porches, signs, farm buildings and stand-alone lean-tos. The office emails zoning approvals to PCI and needs at least two business days.
- Soil erosion. $100 for a one- or two-family home on up to 10 acres, $50 for additions, garages, accessory buildings and in-ground pools, $25 for farm buildings and porches.
Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit filing, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.
Commercial permits
Commercial work uses the same PCI forms with the plan review submittal form. Site plan review by the county costs $250 where the county zones, and commercial soil erosion permits cost $150 for plan review plus $100 for the permit up to 10 acres, each with $10 per additional acre.
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. PCI’s Hastings page lists the county Planning Office as the zoning contact for Assyria, Baltimore, Barry, Carlton, Castleton, Irving, Johnstown, Maple Grove, Orangeville and Woodland townships and the villages of Freeport, Nashville and Woodland; PCI for the City of Hastings and Prairieville; and the units themselves for Hope, Thornapple and Yankee Springs townships and Middleville.
- Address. PCI says an official address must be assigned before a building permit is issued, and lists the county Planning Office as the contact for Barry County addresses.
- Soil erosion. From the county Planning Office for earth changes over an acre or within 500 feet of water, as PCI’s application asks; Rutland’s page words the trigger as two or more acres or any excavation within 500 feet of a lake, stream or designated wetland, so ask the Planning Office if your site falls between the two.
- Well and septic. From the Barry-Eaton District Health Department.
- Driveway. From the Barry County Road Commission, online through Oxcart.
Barry County permit costs and fees
Building and trade fees in the county-program units follow the construction permit fee schedules the Board of Commissioners adopted on July 28, 2026 (Resolution No. 26-19, effective August 1, 2026, replacing the 2006 schedules) when it renewed PCI’s contract through December 31, 2031; the meeting packet carries the schedules and the draft minutes record the vote. The building fee is figured on the total construction value; where the declared value does not fit the job, PCI’s West Michigan valuation table applies, for example $135 per square foot for a standard house, $55 for a garage or finished basement and $35 for an open deck or porch.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Building permit, valuation up to $1,000 | $75 |
| Valuation $1,001 to $10,000 | $75 + $10 per $1,000 over $1,000 |
| Valuation $10,001 to $5,000,000 | $165 + $4.50 per $1,000 over $10,000 |
| Valuation over $5,000,000 | $22,620 + $4.00 per $1,000 over $5,000,000 |
| Residential plan review | None up to $500,000 and 3,500 sq ft habitable; above either, 10% of the building fee |
| Commercial and multi-family plan review | Greater of $100 or 0.1% of valuation |
| Electrical, mechanical or plumbing permit | $60 non-refundable base fee, $60 per inspection, plus listed items |
| Additional inspection / stop work order (work without a permit) | $60 / $250 |
The county Planning Office’s fees, effective January 1, 2022 as directed by the Board of Commissioners, are published:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Zoning permit: houses, in-ground pools, accessory buildings over 200 sq ft | $50 |
| Zoning permit: decks, porches, signs, farm buildings, stand-alone lean-to | $25 |
| Soil erosion: one- or two-family home, up to 10 acres | $100 |
| Soil erosion: additions, garages, accessory buildings, in-ground pools | $50 |
| Soil erosion: farm buildings and porches | $25 |
| Soil erosion: ponds | $25 review; $30 permit up to 1 acre plus $10 per acre |
| Land division | $75 for one parcel, $20 for each more |
| Special use or variance | $300 |
| Site plan review | $250 |
| Construction Board of Appeals | $250 |
| After-the-fact permit (work started first) | $250 |
Example. A new house valued at $250,000 in a township the county zones pays a building fee of $165 + (240 × $4.50) = $1,245, with no plan review fee, plus a $50 zoning permit and, if the site is over an acre or within 500 feet of water, a $100 soil erosion permit, before the trade permits. Starting first adds the $250 after-the-fact fee. Zoning and soil erosion permits are valid for up to 12 months.
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Get a free quote →Trade permits and who may pull them
Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits follow the state list: county in the 12 county townships and four villages and in the City of Hastings; county for mechanical and plumbing but local for electrical in Hope and Yankee Springs; local for all trades in Prairieville and Rutland. PCI’s Hastings office posts the electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications for the units it serves and lists separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspectors.
Contractors list their state license and, on the building form, their builder’s license number, federal employer number, workers’ compensation carrier and unemployment number or the reason for exemption. The building application’s homeowner affidavit covers an owner’s own single-family home that they occupy or are about to occupy; the trade forms set out their own terms for homeowners.
How to get a building permit in Barry County
Check the parcel’s township, city or village against the state list above, and whether the county or the unit handles zoning.
File the county zoning application (or the unit’s own) and allow at least two business days; the county emails the approval to PCI.
Apply for soil erosion at the Planning Office if needed, well and septic permits from the health department, and a driveway permit from the Road Commission through Oxcart.
Use PCI’s Hastings building application with plans, dimensions and valuation, and answer the floodplain, wetland and earth-change questions.
File at 110 W. Center St. or online through PCI’s BS&A submission link, with separate trade applications.
Pay the quoted fees, then schedule inspections by phone or PCI’s text-to-schedule service.
Review, corrections and what causes delay
The county zoning application states plainly that it is not a permit and that work begun without permits draws an extra $250 fee. A missing address, zoning not yet emailed to PCI, or a floodplain or wetland answer that needs a state permit can each hold a file up.
Inspections in Barry County
Inspections for county-issued permits are scheduled with PCI’s Hastings office, by phone at 269-948-4088 or through its text-to-schedule program. In Rutland, building inspections go through Associated Government Services (269-629-0600, ext. 1); in Prairieville, and for building and electrical work in Hope and Yankee Springs, schedule with the unit’s own program.
The county’s soil erosion permits for homes include up to 10 inspections in the fee. The Road Commission inspects work in the county road right-of-way under its permits.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →Michigan building code in Barry County
The county program, the City of Hastings and the four townships with their own programs all apply the same state code; only the office and fees differ.
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
Barry County permit search and official resources
Permit records for county-program permits are kept through PCI’s Hastings office; zoning, soil erosion and land division records are kept by the county Planning Office at the courthouse. Ask the office that holds the file for copies; PCI’s page lists the Planning Office as the contact for address assignments too. Agendas, packets and minutes of the Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals are posted on the Planning & Zoning page.
Road right-of-way. Since September 12, 2022 the Barry County Road Commission issues driveway, utility, right-of-way and transportation permits only through the Oxcart system; any use of a county road right-of-way other than normal travel needs a permit.
- Michigan Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes)
- Barry County government
- Barry County Planning & Zoning
- Barry County planning and zoning documents
- Barry County Planning Office fee schedule (2022)
- Construction permit fee schedules, Resolution No. 26-19 (July 28, 2026 meeting packet)
- Barry County zoning application
- Barry County soil erosion application
- PCI Hastings office (county inspection services)
- PCI Hastings office forms
- PCI Hastings building permit application
- Barry County Road Commission permits
- Barry-Eaton District Health Department
- Rutland Charter Township building and electrical permits
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Barry County building permit FAQs
Who issues building permits in Barry County?
The county program, through PCI’s Hastings office, in 12 townships and four villages; the City of Hastings issues its own building permits, and Hope, Yankee Springs, Prairieville and Rutland townships run their own programs for some or all trades.
Who issues electrical permits in the City of Hastings?
The county program; the state list shows Hastings enforcing only the building code itself.
How much is a zoning permit for a new house?
$50 from the county Planning Office where the county zones; decks and porches are $25. Starting without a permit adds $250.
Do I need a soil erosion permit to build a house in Barry County?
If the earth change is over an acre or within 500 feet of a lake, river, stream or county drain; the fee is $100 for a one- or two-family home on up to 10 acres.
How do I get a driveway permit in Barry County?
Apply online through Oxcart for the Barry County Road Commission; fees are paid to the Road Commission before the permit issues.
Can a homeowner pull a building permit?
Yes. The PCI Hastings application has a homeowner affidavit for work on your own single-family home that you live in or are about to occupy.
Who issues permits in Rutland Charter Township?
The township itself, at 2461 Heath Road, Hastings; its building inspections are booked with Associated Government Services at 269-629-0600, ext. 1.
How do I schedule an inspection?
Call PCI Hastings at 269-948-4088 or use its text-to-schedule service.
Simplify Barry County 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.
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Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Barry County permits while your crew stays on the job.
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Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Barry County permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.