Comstock Charter Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

Since October 1, 2012, the Kalamazoo Area Building Authority (KABA) has processed Comstock Charter Township’s building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits; Mike Alwine is KABA’s Building Official. The state’s Statewide Jurisdiction List shows Comstock enforcing all four codes locally, which it does through KABA. Every construction project in the township, including work that needs no building permit, first needs a zoning compliance review from the township’s Community Development Department. That arrangement has an end date: on October 5, 2026 the Township Board voted 6-1 to leave KABA, effective October 7, 2027.

What requires a building permit in Comstock Charter Township?

KABA’s “Who Do I Call” sheet splits the questions: building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits, inspections and building code questions go to KABA, while zoning, setbacks, allowed sizes, signs, fences, sheds and pool locations go to the township.

Township fence rules allow 6 feet along side and rear lines and 4 feet in the required front setback on any side facing a street, lake or river; fences on corner lots may not block drivers’ view above 30 inches, and none may sit in the street right-of-way. Call Miss Dig (811) at least three working days before digging for a fence or shed.

What the township decides and what KABA and the state hold

The construction code is statewide and cannot be amended locally. Comstock decides zoning (its ordinance was updated in December 2025), sets its own planning, zoning and sewer fees, and chose to enforce the code through KABA, a building authority it shares with Kalamazoo and Pine Grove townships, the City of Parchment, Richland Township and the Village of Richland. KABA sets the building permit fees, reviews plans and inspects; trade licenses are issued by the state.

Comstock Charter Township building department: who handles permitting

The Bureau of Construction Codes’ Statewide Jurisdiction List (rev. Nov. 6, 2026) lists Comstock Township as LOCAL for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing; Kalamazoo County has no county building program. The township’s building department page names KABA as its building department and points applicants to KABA for permits, fees, forms and inspections.

Comstock Charter Township permit types

KABA takes building, demolition, electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications online or on printable forms, and posts cross-section drawings for a one-story house, a garage and a pole barn, a residential energy worksheet and a gas piping test affidavit. Each application names the jurisdiction, so choose Comstock Township.

Residential permits

• Houses and additions are valued from the ICC building valuation data table by use group and floor area; finished basements count at $74 a square foot.
• Post-frame utility buildings are valued at $31.50 a square foot, and covered decks, porches and uninsulated sunrooms use the utility rate.
• Remodels: KABA asks for a sketch showing fixture and appliance locations for bathroom and kitchen work, and the finished area with measurements for basements.
• Accessory buildings are limited by lot size: 840 square feet of total accessory floor space (garages included) on lots of 20,000 square feet or less, rising to 5,000 square feet on 10 acres or more; detached buildings may be 18 feet tall on lots under an acre and 22 feet on larger lots, and may cover no more than 25% of the required rear yard.
• Accessory dwelling units have their own township packet and a $100 fee, plus possible sewer user fees.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial projects start with the township: a conceptual review meeting ($100 for a conceptual plan), then site plan review at $600 to $800 plus an engineering and legal escrow of $750 to $1,500 depending on size, and special exception uses at $600. Applicants file the township’s environmental permits checklist and hazardous materials reporting form with site plans. KABA then reviews the construction documents and issues the permits.

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

• Zoning compliance. Required for all construction activity, with or without a building permit, before KABA issues anything.
• Variances and rezoning. Variances are $600; rezoning is $600 for the first acre plus $50 per added acre, up to $2,000.
• Driveways and road work. The Road Commission of Kalamazoo County issues right-of-way and driveway permits; allow 10 to 14 business days, and do not start until the signed, numbered permit arrives.
• Soil erosion. The township links Kalamazoo County’s earth change permit for soil erosion control.
• Sewer and water. Sewer connections carry a $4,500 parcel fee, a $2,000 per-unit benefit fee and a $50 per front foot special assessment; water connections are made by the City of Kalamazoo or the City of Galesburg, depending on the address. On a corner lot the first 150 feet of the longest side is exempt from the front-footage charge, and the township offers private contract agreements, with interest, for connection costs.
• Tree clearing. Clear-cutting trees needs a $75 township permit, plus an escrow if the township engineer must review it.

Comstock Charter Township permit costs and fees

Building permit fees are KABA’s, under its fee schedule amended September 17, 2024 and effective October 1, 2024. KABA’s board reviewed it on September 15, 2026 and approved it as presented with no changes. Fees are based on construction value, and include the required inspections plus one re-inspection of each type.

Worked example: a 1,200-square-foot post-frame utility building is valued at 1,200 × $31.50, or $37,800, which is above $30,000, so the permit is $37,800 × 0.0039, or $147.42. Township fees are separate: the $25 zoning compliance permit for small accessory buildings, $100 for a zoning verification letter, and sign permits of $100 for a permanent sign under the December 2025 township fee list.

Trade permits and who may pull them

KABA issues the electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits for Comstock, each with its own line-item fee chart on the application. On the electrical form, the $50 application fee does not include inspections, which are $50 each (underground or bonding, service, rough-in, above ceiling and final); each inspection type gets one free re-inspection, then $55 for every one after.

• Homeowners may sign the electrical form’s homeowner affidavit, certifying that they will install the work themselves in a home they occupy or are about to occupy, will not cover or energize it before approval, and will arrange the inspections.
• Contractors give the licensee’s name and number, expiry date, federal employer and MESC numbers and workers’ compensation carrier.
• Electrical plans are needed unless the system is 400 amps or less and the building is 3,500 square feet or less.
• Gas piping pressure tests use KABA’s gas piping test affidavit.

Example from the electrical chart: a homeowner adding five circuits with a rough-in and a final inspection pays $50 + 5 × $5 + 2 × $50, or $175. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing finals must pass before KABA approves the final building inspection.

How to apply for a Comstock Charter Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The township requires zoning compliance approval before a building permit is issued, so start there. Include the sketch KABA asks for on remodels, check the accessory floor-space limit for your lot size before drawing a garage or pole barn, and use the Road Commission’s current forms, the only versions it accepts. KABA also posts a permit extension request for jobs that run long.

Inspections in Comstock Charter Township

Request inspections with KABA’s online inspection request form or by phone at 269-216-9511. KABA inspects building work Monday through Friday, electrical work on Mondays and Wednesdays, mechanical work Monday through Friday (Tuesdays after 2:00 p.m.) and plumbing on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. A building permit fee already covers its required inspections and one re-inspection of each type, so only a further re-inspection adds $60.

For new construction KABA lists footing (before concrete), pier, rebar, foundation (after waterproofing, before backfill), sub-slab or radon, masonry, framing (after all trade rough-ins pass), energy (after insulation) and final inspections. Pole barns and decks need footing and final inspections, a pool needs a final plus an electrical bonding inspection before any slab is poured, and a demolition needs proof that sewer or septic and water or well are disconnected before the final. KABA also posts a temporary certificate of occupancy policy.

Michigan building code in Comstock Charter Township

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Comstock Charter Township (community 260427) as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community, with flood maps effective July 31, 2024. The township’s Kalamazoo River flood page sends water and sewer questions during floods to Kalamazoo County Health and Community Services (269-373-5200).

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

Comstock Charter Township permit search and official resources

KABA has handled Comstock’s building permits since 2012 and posts its own Freedom of Information Act request form for its records; zoning approvals and township files are requested from the township’s FOIA Coordinator at 269-381-2360 ext. 135 or foia@comstockmi.gov. KABA’s board, made up of one representative from each member community plus an at-large member, meets on the third Tuesday of the month, and its minutes and packets, including the withdrawal notice, are posted on its agendas and minutes page. KABA has a Construction Board of Appeals with its own application and guidelines, and the township also lists a Building Board of Appeals.

• Comstock Township building department (KABA) page
• Comstock Community Development: zoning and planning applications
• Accessory building handout and zoning compliance permit (Nov. 2025)
• Fence rules handout
• Township fee list (December 2025)
• Township FOIA requests
• Kalamazoo Area Building Authority (KABA)
• KABA building permit fee schedule (effective Oct. 1, 2024)
• KABA electrical permit application
• KABA online inspection request
• KABA list of required inspections
• KABA: who do I call
• KABA board packet, Oct. 20, 2026 (Comstock withdrawal notice)
• Road Commission of Kalamazoo County permits
• Statewide Jurisdiction List, Bureau of Construction Codes
• FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan

Comstock Charter Township building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Comstock Township?

The Kalamazoo Area Building Authority (KABA), 2322 Nazareth Road (269-216-9511), after the township approves zoning compliance.

Is Comstock leaving KABA?

Yes. The Township Board voted on October 5, 2026 to withdraw, effective October 7, 2027; KABA handles permits until then.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

A shed of 200 square feet or less needs a $25 township zoning compliance permit; anything larger needs a KABA building permit.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

No township permit, but heights are limited to 6 feet at the side and rear and 4 feet in the front setback; KABA permits fences over 7 feet.

How much is a KABA building permit?

0.39% of the construction value from $30,000 up, with minimums of $108 to $424 below that depending on the inspections needed.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Online through KABA’s inspection request form or by calling 269-216-9511; electrical inspections are on Mondays and Wednesdays.

What does a sewer connection cost?

Under the township’s December 2025 fee list, a $4,500 parcel fee, a $2,000 per-unit benefit fee and $50 per front foot.

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