Brighton Charter Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

Brighton Charter Township is not the City of Brighton: it is a separate government with its own zoning office at Township Hall, 4363 Buno Road (810-229-0562). The township issues the land use permit ($75) and its forms send the approved permit and stamped plans to the Livingston County Building Department, 2300 E Grand River Ave, Howell ((517) 546-3240), which takes the building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications through BS&A Online and inspects the work.

What requires a building permit in Brighton Charter Township?

Two offices decide. The township checks every project against its zoning ordinance, and the county building department checks it against the state code. The township’s land use form lists the jobs it reviews, and the county’s plan review fee list shows the jobs it permits.

The county side then needs its own building permit for the structure and separate electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits. Its fee list covers new homes, additions, remodels and finished basements, decks, pole barns, garages and storage buildings, modular and mobile homes, pools, hot tubs, solar panels, re-roofing, foundations and demolitions.

What the township decides and what the county and state hold

The state writes the construction code and no local office can amend it. The township controls zoning, site plans, special land uses, variances, its sewer system and its land use fees. The state’s Statewide Jurisdiction List marks Brighton Township as enforcing all four codes locally, but the township’s own land use and waiver forms tell applicants to submit the approved permit to the Livingston County Building Department, and the county lists Brighton Township among the units it serves, requiring township-stamped plans. In practice, file the building and trade permits with the county, and call both offices if the state listing matters to your project.

Brighton Charter Township building department: who handles permitting

The township Planning Department handles zoning questions and runs applications through the Planning Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Township Board. The Livingston County Building Department, whose Building Official is Jim Rowell, reviews plans, issues building and trade permits and inspects; it serves every unit in the county except the City of Howell and Green Oak Township. The City of Brighton, a separate government, runs its own building program under the state list.

Brighton Township permit types

The township land use application asks for the parcel number, zoning and setbacks, the owner, the architect or engineer, the contractor’s builder license number, the estimated cost, the type of improvement and the proposed use. Bring two paper copies of the site or plot plan and scalable construction plans (no reversed plans) and one digital copy; if the county will need oversized paper sets, submit them with the township application.

Residential permits

• New houses: the county’s sequence is a Road Commission driveway permit first, then township land use approval with stamped plans and a receipt for paid water and sewer taps where they apply, then an address from County GIS.
• Plans for the county: two sets at least 24 by 36 inches, drawn to scale, with floor plans, elevations, framing details and insulation values; sealed drawings for homes over 3,500 square feet, log homes and wood foundations.
• Lakefront lots: the land use form must show the average shoreline setback of the main buildings within 300 feet in both directions.
• Small sheds and fences: township-only forms with a plot plan, materials and height; corner lots must show both front yards.

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

Commercial permits

Non-residential projects start with a pre-application form and Planning Commission site plan review under the township’s engineering standards. A new tenant needs the township’s certificate of occupancy application with a floor plan, a water and sewer use survey reviewed by the township wastewater plant, and fire, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and building approvals. The county charges commercial plan review on the project value at application.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Driveway: a Livingston County Road Commission permit for work in a county road right-of-way; a residential driveway approach is $75, a commercial or private road approach $200.
• Soil erosion: a permit or waiver from the Livingston County Drain Commissioner ((517) 546-0040); all residential plans get an erosion review before the permit issues, and 36-inch silt fence is required unless the inspector waives it.
• Well and septic: most of the township is on private wells, and new or modified wells and septic systems need Livingston County Environmental Health permits or waivers ((517) 546-9858).
• Water and sewer: the township runs a sanitary sewer system (plant 810-229-9950) with rates effective June 1, 2025 and a sanitary sewer REU (residential equivalent unit) charge. Public water comes from the Livingston Community Water Authority, formed with Green Oak and Hamburg townships, whose mains serve Whitmore Lake Road and Old U.S. 23 from the south township line to Weber Drive; the Fonda Island, Briggs Water Authority runs a private community well. Everywhere else, homes and businesses use their own wells.
• Hearings: the Planning Commission and ZBA meet at 6:30 p.m.; the remaining 2026 dates are the December 14 Planning Commission meeting and the December 16 ZBA meeting, with owners within 300 feet notified at least 15 days ahead.

Brighton Township permit costs and fees

Expect two sets of fees: township zoning fees on its own forms, and county plan review and permit fees. The county’s fee page lists only the plan review charge, which is due when you apply and is non-refundable unless the application is withdrawn before review. The building permit fee itself is not on that page; the Building Department ((517) 546-3240) gives it for a specific job.

Worked example from the county’s commercial formula: a $1 million build-out pays $1,500 in plan review (0.0015 × $1,000,000) when the application is filed. Card payments to the county carry a processing fee of about 3% with a $2 minimum.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits for Brighton Township addresses are county permits, applied for on the county’s trade forms or in BS&A Online. The county works only with the license holder named on the state license: contractors register each license with the Building Department ($15 for the contractor or builder license and $15 for the master license), renew that registration after renewing with the state, and give a notarized letter naming anyone else who may sign for permits or book inspections.

• Homeowners: the county’s homeowner permit policy quotes the state exemption that lets an owner act as general contractor on a structure for the owner’s own use and occupancy, and warns that the owner then takes on the licensed contractor’s liability, including code corrections, injuries on the job and payroll taxes.
• Signatures: applications need an original signature; copied or stamped signatures are refused.
• Tenant spaces: the township’s occupancy form says fire, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and building approvals are all needed before a change of use.

How to apply for a Brighton Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

A missing township approval stops a file: the county sequence puts the driveway permit and land use approval before the building application, and plans without the township stamp are not complete. Sealed drawings are required above 3,500 square feet. Variances add a ZBA hearing with a filing deadline about a month ahead, and site plans wait for the next Planning Commission meeting: the township’s 2026 sheets set November 16 as the deadline for the December 16 ZBA meeting, while the November 9 deadline for the December 14 Planning Commission meeting has passed, so a new site plan now goes to a 2027 meeting. On the county side, an incomplete contractor registration packet is rejected outright, so register licenses before the first application.

Inspections and certificates in Brighton Township

County inspections are booked in BS&A Online or on the automated Inspection Request Line at (517) 546-3830, which schedules for the next available day. Requests can be made until midnight, cancellations must be in before 5 a.m., and calling for work that is not ready may bring a re-inspection fee. On the phone line you choose the permit type from its prefix (BLD, ELE, MEC, PLM or COD), key in the permit number and the three-digit inspection code from the county list, and keep the confirmation number; results are posted the day after the inspection. Someone 18 or older must be present before an inspector will enter an occupied home. Well and septic inspections are separate: licensed contractors book them online with Environmental Health in morning (9:30 a.m. to noon) or afternoon (1 to 3:30 p.m.) windows, and the health department does not take those requests from homeowners or real estate agents.

The township inspects its own small permits: the shed fee includes one inspection. Commercial tenants need the township’s certificate of occupancy approval for the use, and the county issues the building’s certificate of occupancy after its final inspections.

Michigan building code in Brighton Charter Township

The state code is enforced here through the Livingston County Building Department, while the township’s zoning ordinance governs use, setbacks and lot coverage. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the Township of Brighton (community 260868) as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community, with flood maps dated September 17, 2008, so ask the planner about the floodplain on lake and river lots.

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

Brighton Township permit search and official resources

County permit and inspection records can be looked up in BS&A Online, and the county sends requests for files on past projects to its FOIA portal. Township zoning files, land use permits and meeting records are requested from the Township Clerk, the township’s FOIA coordinator, through the online form on the Clerk page.

• Brighton Township Planning & Zoning
• Township land use permit application
• Township land use waiver
• Township shed application
• Township fence application
• Township certificate of occupancy application
• 2026 Planning Commission deadlines
• 2026 ZBA deadlines
• Livingston County Building Department
• County residential permit sequence
• County plan review fees
• County inspection request line
• County homeowner permit policy
• Drain Commissioner soil erosion
• Livingston County Road Commission permits
• Township Clerk and FOIA
• Michigan Statewide Jurisdiction List

Brighton Charter Township building permit FAQs

Does Brighton Township issue building permits?

The township issues the land use permit; its forms send you to the Livingston County Building Department for the building and trade permits, although the state list shows the township as enforcing locally.

How much is a land use permit?

$75, made up of a $25 review fee and a $50 permit fee.

Do I need a permit for a small shed or a fence?

Yes, from the township: a shed of 200 square feet or less is $50 with one inspection, and a fence is $50.

What does county plan review cost for a new house?

$150 per unit, paid when you apply, plus the county permit fee.

Is Brighton Township the same as the City of Brighton?

No. The City of Brighton is a separate government that runs its own building program from its own office.

When is Township Hall open?

Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; it is closed on Fridays.

Who handles wells and septic systems?

Livingston County Environmental Health issues well and septic permits or waivers.

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