Chesterfield Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

The Charter Township of Chesterfield enforces the construction code itself. Its Building & Code Enforcement department at 47275 Sugarbush Road (586-949-0400, option 2; John Codron, Interim Building and Zoning Enforcement Administrator) reviews plans and issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits, and has accepted only digital applications, through BS&A Online or by email, since January 1, 2024. Fees come from the township’s 2026 schedule (revised April 14, 2026): residential alterations, for example, cost $100 plus $4.50 for each $1,000 of value over $1,000.

What requires a building permit in Chesterfield Township?

Chesterfield’s department oversees and inspects all construction, alterations and building projects in the township. Its forms page shows the range of work it permits, from new houses to window replacements.

Small sheds are not permit-free here: the township’s shed sheet says any shed over 4 by 6 feet (24 square feet) needs a permit and a rat wall, handled as a zoning permit with a bond up to 200 square feet and as a building permit above that, plus an electrical permit if power is run to it. Accessory buildings go in the rear yard, no taller than 14 feet, at least 7 feet from the rear line, 3 feet from side lines and 6 feet from the house, on a 4-inch slab with a 4 by 24 inch rat wall.

What Chesterfield decides and what the state holds

The state’s Statewide Jurisdiction List shows Chesterfield enforcing all four codes locally, so the township decides permits, fees and inspections under the state code; it does not write its own building code. Its local layer is the zoning ordinance in Chapter 76 of the township code, the fence ordinance, a property maintenance program and its Township Certification for nonresidential buildings. Macomb County runs no building program here, but its offices issue the soil erosion and road permits described below.

Chesterfield Township building department: who handles permitting

Building & Code Enforcement reviews building plans, issues building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing permits and inspects the work; its zoning enforcement division enforces the township’s code of ordinances. Office staff answer permit questions, and inspectors are available for questions in the morning or afternoon.

The township’s main number, 586-949-0400, also reaches its other departments; the township fax is 586-949-4108.

Chesterfield Township permit types

The department posts a separate application for nearly every project type: addition, basement egress window, basement finish, miscellaneous building work, residential new construction, commercial and industrial (with a checklist), deck, demolition, fence, foundation repair, mobile home, patio, permanent and temporary signs, pool, re-roof, seawall and dock, shed and detached garage, temporary tent sale, waterproofing, and window and door replacement, along with electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications and a gas pipe waiver.

Residential permits

• New houses. The check-in list asks for the building permit application, a Macomb County soil erosion permit, a Macomb County road approach permit, blueprints and certified plot plans with grade elevations as PDFs, the energy package, builder’s and driver’s licenses, a septic permit and health department approval if applicable, the water meter size, the parcel number and a heating plan sized by ACCA Manual J and S calculations, which may be submitted by the rough mechanical inspection.
• Decks. Drawings, a plot plan or mortgage survey, any homeowners association approval and licenses; the permit is $225, of which $90 is refunded after final approval, with a post-hole inspection (plus framing if the deck is under 30 inches) and a final.
• Fences. A mortgage survey or plot plan with the fence location, size and material, the signed fence ordinance and a $65 zoning permit; side and rear fences run 3 to 6 feet in most districts, and front yards allow only decorative split-rail fencing 24 to 42 inches high.
• Seawalls, docks and boat hoists. One combined application covers all three; the township fee is $200 plus a bond with a final grade inspection, and Macomb County’s soil erosion permit for a sea wall is $431 for 12 months.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and industrial work uses the township’s commercial and industrial checklist, and site plans are reviewed under the Planning Department’s fees ($950 for a special land use review, for example); the Planning Commission meets on the first and third Tuesday of the month. Existing nonresidential buildings need a Township Certification whenever the use, owner, name or occupant changes, unless one was granted in the past 12 months; a zoning compliance permit for the new use comes first, and the premises are inspected by the building, trade, public services, zoning and fire staff.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Soil erosion: Macomb County Public Works, 21777 Dunham Road, Clinton Township (586-469-5327), issues soil erosion permits; a single-family home permit runs two years and costs $1,016 in 2026, and a pool, fill or seawall permit $431.
• Road approach: the Macomb County Department of Roads permits office, 117 South Groesbeck Highway, Mount Clemens (586-463-8671), takes paper applications only, with four sets of plans, and needs 48 hours’ notice before work in the county right-of-way.
• Zoning: variances go to the Zoning Board of Appeals, which meets on the second and fourth Wednesday; the application is $450.
• Waterfront: on Anchor Bay and the Salt River, waterside front yards allow only open aluminum or wrought iron fences up to 48 inches, and privacy fences are barred outside the building envelope on waterfront and canal lots.

Chesterfield Township permit costs and fees

All permit fees are set in the township’s 2026 fee schedule, revised April 14, 2026. Building permit fees depend on the value of the work; trade permits are priced by item. Many permits also carry a bond, and the schedule charges a 10% administrative fee on all bonds.

Worked examples from the schedule: a $60,000 residential addition is $100 plus 59 × $4.50 ($265.50), or $365.50 in permit fee, before the separately listed plan review, application fee and any bond. A $250,000 commercial build is $400 plus 240 × $4.50 ($1,080), or $1,480, with commercial building plan review of 0.0013 × $250,000, or $325, on top. New-home fees depend on the Bureau of Construction Codes valuation figure per square foot, so ask the department for the figure it is using.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Chesterfield issues its own electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits. Each has a $65 base application fee and $65 inspections (rough, final, trench or underground, specialty), and items are added from the schedule: on the electrical side, a 200-amp service or subpanel is $15, the first new circuit $10 and each additional $5, and an EV charger $65; on the mechanical side, a furnace or air conditioner is $30, a generator $25 and a gas outlet $5; on the plumbing side, a new home with one bath is $195, a toilet or lavatory $8 and a domestic water heater $20. Electrical plans are required only when the system is over 400 amps and the building over 3,500 square feet, or the design is unusual.

Each licensed trade registers with the township for $15. A homeowner may sign the building and electrical applications under the affidavit printed on them: the work will be installed by the owner in the home they live in or are about to occupy, and will not be covered or used until inspected. Builders and other contractors list their state license number and expiry date; the township also asks for a driver’s license copy with applications.

How to apply for a building permit in Chesterfield Township

Review, corrections and what causes delay

For a new house, the township checks the package against its check-in list, so a missing county soil erosion or road approach permit, a plot plan without grade elevations or a missing energy package holds the permit, and the heating plan must be in by the rough mechanical inspection. Starting work before the permit adds a $100 charge, and cancelling within six months of issue forfeits 25% of the fee. An existing nonresidential building changing hands or tenants also needs its zoning compliance permit and Township Certification.

Inspections in Chesterfield Township

Inspections are booked by voicemail at 586-949-0400, ext. 6476: leave the address, the permit number and the inspection type. Messages left by 3:00 p.m. go on the next day’s schedule. Re-inspections and final grade inspections are $65 each, and in-ground pools, demolitions and seawall work require a final grade inspection under the fee schedule. Decks get a post-hole inspection, a framing inspection when the deck is under 30 inches high, and a final; posts must be set 42 inches below grade.

The deck sheet shows how bonds work in practice: of the $225 paid for a deck permit, $90 is refunded upon final approval. Temporary occupancy is covered by a separate bond of $500 to $1,500. For single-family homes that are not the owner’s homestead, code enforcement charges a $135 inspection fee every two years.

Michigan building code in Chesterfield Township

The township says its department enforces the current codes adopted by the State of Michigan, with copies available through the Bureau of Construction Codes. Flood maps are on FEMA’s map service, and a copy is kept at the Building Department counter; FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Chesterfield Township (community 260120) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with maps effective December 30, 2020.

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

Chesterfield Township permit search and official resources

The township’s BS&A Online takes permit applications as well as tax and water payments; ask the Building Department about an existing permit’s status. Ordinances are on eCode360 and agendas and minutes on the township’s CivicWeb portal. Older records can be requested under the Freedom of Information Act; the Clerk’s section of the fee schedule prices FOIA copies at 10 cents a page.

• Chesterfield Building & Code Enforcement
• BS&A Online, Chesterfield Township
• 2026 fee schedule (rev. April 14, 2026)
• Residential new construction check-in list
• Shed and detached garage application
• Deck application
• Fence application and ordinance
• Seawall, dock and boat hoist application
• Electrical application
• Township Certification Policy
• Flood plain maps
• Planning Commission
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Agendas and minutes
• Macomb County soil erosion permits
• Macomb County 2026 soil erosion fees
• Macomb County Department of Roads permits
• Michigan Statewide Jurisdiction List

Chesterfield Township building permit FAQs

Can I file a paper permit application in Chesterfield?

No. Since January 1, 2024 the township takes digital applications only, through BS&A Online or by email.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Yes for any shed larger than 4 by 6 feet: a zoning permit with a bond up to 200 square feet, a building permit above that.

How much is a fence permit?

$65 for the zoning permit; side and rear fences are 3 to 6 feet high.

How is a residential remodel priced?

$100 plus $4.50 per $1,000 of value over $1,000, with plan review, application fees and bonds listed separately.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Leave a voicemail at 586-949-0400, ext. 6476, by 3:00 p.m. for the next day.

Who handles soil erosion permits?

Macomb County Public Works; a single-family home permit is $1,016 for two years in 2026.

What is a Township Certification?

An inspection and certificate required when an existing nonresidential building changes use, owner, name or occupant.

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