Bloomfield Charter Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

In the Charter Township of Bloomfield, building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits come from the township’s Building Division at Township Hall, 4200 Telegraph Road (248-433-7715), part of the Planning, Building and Ordinance department directed by Andrea Szajnecki. Fees are charged by floor area: the township’s fee pages list $0.90 per square foot for a new house, addition or alteration, plus a $250 application fee and $0.15 per square foot for plan review, and plan review is currently taking about 10 business days.

What requires a building permit in Bloomfield Township?

The township’s permit page lists the jobs that most often need a building permit and says the list is not complete. Its FAQ adds that new homes and commercial buildings, demolition, accessory structures, interior renovations that remove or add walls or drywall, kitchen remodels and any construction on a structure worth more than $50 need a building permit.

Every electrical job, indoor or outdoor, needs an electrical permit. Plumbing permits cover indoor plumbing, water services, sanitary and storm sewer services, lawn sprinkling systems and sump pumps, and any heating, cooling or ventilation work needs a mechanical permit.

What the township decides and what the state holds

The state Bureau of Construction Codes’ jurisdiction list (revised November 6, 2026) shows Bloomfield Township enforcing the building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes itself; Oakland County has no construction-code program, and the City of Bloomfield Hills and West Bloomfield Township run separate offices. Many township parcels use a Bloomfield Hills mailing address, so check the parcel’s unit before filing. The township cannot change the state code, but it writes its own fees and zoning rules, requires soil erosion controls on every job that disturbs earth, protects trees and wetlands, and reviews designs through its Design Review Board.

Bloomfield Township building department: who handles permitting

The Building Division handles building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits and inspections. The Planning Division, in the same Planning, Building and Ordinance department, checks every construction permit for zoning compliance and staffs the Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and Design Review Board, while the Code and Ordinance Division handles ordinance enforcement and property maintenance.

Licensed contractors and builders register with the Building Division by showing photo identification and a current state residential builder license; registration costs $30 a year for builders and $25 for electrical contractors.

Bloomfield Township permit types

The township posts printable packets for new construction, additions and alterations, decks, driveways, fences, generators, demolition, pool demolition, soil fill or removal, tents and tree preservation, plus residential and commercial building permit applications and the electrical, mechanical and fire suppression forms.

Residential permits

• New homes, additions and remodels need three sets of plans with a surveyed plot plan, foundation plan, floor plans, elevations and a dimensioned cross section. Homes of 3,500 square feet of livable area or more need plans signed and sealed by a Michigan architect or engineer.
• Accessory structures (decks, pools, fences, generators, air conditioners, detached garages, sheds) need the application, association comments, three plot plans with the structure dimensioned, three sets of plans and elevations, a cross section where it applies, and the ZBA approval date if a variance was granted.
• Minor home projects such as window replacement, siding, roofing and basement water management can be filed online if the plans are attached and legible at 11 by 17 inches; exterior changes also need a site plan and, where an association is active, its comments.
• Driveways have their own information packet, and the residential application asks whether a crushed concrete construction drive is in place.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work is filed with five sets of plans, all sealed by a Michigan architect or engineer. Commercial plans go to every trade reviewer and the Fire Marshal, so the township tells applicants to allow about two extra weeks. Exterior changes to commercial property and new residential developments go to the Design Review Board, and signs need its approval before a sign permit issues.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning. In the R-1, R-2 and R-3 single-family districts a house needs 40-foot front, 16-foot side and 35-foot rear setbacks; a corner lot has two front yards. Planning staff (248-433-7795) meet applicants before site plan, rezoning or lot split filings.
• Boards. The Planning Commission meets at 6:30 p.m. on the first and third Monday and recommends to the Board of Trustees; the Design Review Board meets at 2:00 p.m. on the first and third Wednesday; the Zoning Board of Appeals meets at 6:30 p.m. on the second Tuesday (third Tuesday after a holiday or Election Day).
• Subdivision associations. Deed restrictions are private, so the township asks for the association’s comments with the application and one set of plans approved by it before a permit issues.
• Soil erosion. The township wants a soil erosion permit for every project that disturbs earth, obtained from the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner, and the controls and construction drive must be installed and inspected before the building permit issues.
• Septic, well and culverts. Lots without public sewer or water need Oakland County Health Division permits (a new residential septic permit is $325 and a new well $260 under the county’s schedule effective October 1, 2026), and culverts or approaches on county roads go through the Road Commission for Oakland County (248-858-4835).
• Natural features. The application asks whether the lot fronts a Natural Beauty Road or holds wetlands, floodplain or other natural features; wetland cases go to the township’s Wetlands Board and tree removal to its tree preservation permit.

Bloomfield Township permit costs and fees

The township publishes its fees on separate building, plan review, electrical, mechanical and plumbing fee pages; the pages do not name an adopting resolution or date. Most building fees are by square foot, and the application fee is paid when the application is filed.

Worked example from these pages: a 600-square-foot addition carries the $250 residential application fee, 600 × $0.15 = $90 for plan review and 600 × $0.90 = $540 for the building permit, or $880 before any electrical, mechanical or plumbing permits. Consultant review costs under Code of Ordinances sections 2-111 to 2-117 and other departments’ review fees are added where they apply.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are separate applications that can be filed online on BS&A, by mail or at the counter. Electrical fees, for example, are a $35 application fee and $50 base fee plus a flat charge by job: $300 for a new house under 3,500 square feet (two inspections), $650 for a larger house, $200 for an addition or alteration and $50 for a single-inspection job; commercial electrical work is $125 per inspection.

• Homeowners: the township lets a homeowner take out a building permit after signing a Homeowners Affidavit, which makes the owner responsible for code compliance; if a licensed builder is hired, the township recommends the permit be issued to the builder.
• Contractors: trade and building contractors register with the Building Division and show their state license and photo identification.
• Mechanical: a $35 application fee and $50 base fee, then $200 for a new house with one furnace and one air conditioner and their ductwork, $80 for each extra unit, $50 for a replacement furnace, water heater or air conditioner and $80 for a gas line with its pressure test. Ground-mounted equipment needs a site plan with setbacks and association comments, and the final is not approved until the screening required by ordinance section 42-559 is in place.
• Plumbing: the same $35 and $50 charges, then $200 for a new house with two baths (three inspections) plus $50 for each further bath, $50 for a water heater replacement and $30 for a lawn sprinkler backflow preventer. Sewer contractors register each year and post a $10,000 surety bond.
• Fire protection: fire alarm and suppression work uses the township’s fire suppression and fire alarm permit forms, with Fire Department fees on top.

How to apply for a Bloomfield Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

An application without its fee is treated as incomplete. The township currently quotes about 10 business days for plan review; revised plans are reviewed in the order received, and a third review costs $100. Commercial plans wait for every trade reviewer and the Fire Marshal. Even after plan approval, the permit is not issued until any association comments and variance are on file and the erosion controls and construction drive have passed inspection.

Inspections and certificates in Bloomfield Township

Inspections are scheduled on BS&A Online after the Building Division links your account (call 248-433-7715): sign in, open View My Building Department Activity, choose the permit and click Schedule Inspection; a confirmation email means it is booked. On inspection day, calling the Building Division between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. gets a time window from the inspector; otherwise the inspector sets the time. Inspections can be cancelled or moved online.

Every permitted item needs an approved final before the township issues a certificate of occupancy, and no building may be occupied for a use that needs a building permit until the certificate is issued. A certificate costs $25 for a residence and $100 for a commercial space, and a re-inspection costs $75.

Michigan building code in Bloomfield Township

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the Township of Bloomfield (community 260169) as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community with flood maps dated September 29, 2006; the residential application asks whether a lot holds floodplain.

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

Bloomfield Township permit search and official resources

Your own permits, inspection results and fees show on BS&A Online once the account is linked, and BS&A also holds the township’s property records. The Building Division may have plans on file for homes permitted after 1988; copies are requested through the township’s online public records (FOIA) portal. A request needs your name, address, contact information and a detailed description of the documents; the township has five business days to respond and may extend that by up to 10 more, and it may charge a reasonable copying fee.

• Permit information and permit list
• Building Division forms and packets
• Building permit fees
• Plan review and application fees
• Electrical permit fees
• Mechanical permit fees
• Plumbing permit fees
• Residential building permit application
• Inspection scheduling on BS&A
• Building permit FAQs and setbacks
• Planning Commission, ZBA and Design Review Board
• Soil erosion and sedimentation control
• Public records requests
• Oakland County soil erosion permits
• Oakland County Health Division, septic and wells
• Bureau of Construction Codes Statewide Jurisdiction List
• FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan

Bloomfield Township building permit FAQs

Is Bloomfield Township the same as Bloomfield Hills?

No. The City of Bloomfield Hills and West Bloomfield Township issue their own permits; Bloomfield Township’s Building Division covers only the charter township, even where the mailing address says Bloomfield Hills.

How much does a building permit cost for an addition?

About $0.90 per square foot plus $0.15 per square foot for plan review and a $250 application fee; a 600-square-foot addition comes to $880 before trade permits.

Can a homeowner get a building permit?

Yes, after signing a Homeowners Affidavit; the owner then answers for code compliance on the work.

Does a new driveway need a permit?

Yes, a new or enlarged driveway needs a building permit ($120), but walkways and patios on grade do not.

Do I need a soil erosion permit for a small project?

The township asks for one on every job that disturbs earth, issued by the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner.

How long does plan review take?

About 10 business days for residential plans at present; commercial plans take roughly two weeks longer because every trade and the Fire Marshal review them.

Is the office open on Fridays?

No. Township offices are open Monday to Thursday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Simplify Bloomfield Charter Township 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 Bloomfield Charter Township permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.