Davison Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

In Davison Township the township itself issues building permits: the Building Department at the Davison Township Municipal Building, 1280 N. Irish Road, Davison (810-653-4156 ext. 7201, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), reviews plans and inspects. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits come from the State of Michigan, and they must be in place before the township gives final approval and occupancy. Under the township’s 2026 fee schedule a zoning permit is $100 and a re-roof permit $125. The City of Davison is a separate government with its own building program.

What requires a building permit in Davison Township?

The Building Department publishes its own list of jobs that need a permit before work starts, and a shorter list of jobs that do not. Distance from property lines can still matter for exempt jobs, so check setbacks first.

Starting without a needed permit can lead to a stop-work order, an order to remove the work or prosecution, and the 2026 fee schedule says late permits cost double.

What the township decides and what the state holds

The construction code is the state’s and cannot be amended locally. Davison Township chose to enforce the building part itself and to leave electrical, mechanical and plumbing to the state Bureau of Construction Codes. The township sets its own permit fees, runs its own zoning ordinance (Ordinance No. 80), Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals, and issues sewer contractor licenses.

Davison Township building department: who handles permitting

The state’s Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes, revised November 6, 2026) marks Davison Township LOCAL for building and STATE for electrical, mechanical and plumbing; Genesee County has no county construction code program. The neighboring City of Davison has the same split but runs its own building program, so check whether an address is in the city or the township before you apply.

The township supervisor oversees the Building and Zoning Department, which also handles plan checks, code enforcement and new-business applications. The department explains that a permit means the township has reviewed the plans for a new structure, addition or renovation against the state building code and local zoning, and the owner stays responsible for compliance even when a contractor pulls the permit.

Davison Township permit types and what comes first

The Building Department’s fee schedule shows the main permit types it issues: residential and commercial building permits, re-roofs, demolitions, moved buildings, solar panel reviews, ponds, signs, temporary trailers, home occupations and sewer tap-in and disconnect inspections. A new-business application is also handled through the department.

Residential permits

• Houses and additions are valued by floor area (first story, second story and finished basement at different rates) and pay a residential plan review fee by house type: ranch, story-and-a-half or two-story.
• Garages, pole barns, sheds over 200 square feet, greenhouses, porches and pools each have their own square-foot value on the schedule.
• Modular homes use the rate for their story height.
• Sheds up to 200 square feet need a township zoning permit, a rule the Township Board approved in 2022.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and industrial buildings use the same square-foot values multiplied by 1.25 (commercial) or 1.50 (industrial). Site plans must be submitted for any development in the township, and depending on the project they are reviewed by the Planning Director, the Planning Commission or the Township Board; the schedule charges $200 for a commercial site plan on an existing site and $400 where no site plan is on file.

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 permit from the township ($100), and a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals where the plan does not meet the ordinance.
• Septic and well on lots without public sewer: the Genesee County Health Department does a perc test (Part A, $220 residential) and then issues the septic permit (Part C, $220); you need a street address from the road commission before the perc test, and the test result is good for five years.
• Address and driveway: the Genesee County Road Commission issues addresses and driveway permits for county roads through its Oxcart system.
• Soil erosion: the Genesee County Drain Commissioner issues soil erosion permits and waivers for residential and commercial sites.
• Sewer: connecting to the township sewer needs a township tap-in inspection, and abandoning a septic system a septic disconnect inspection.

The health department’s rules shape any unsewered build. You supply the backhoe and operator for the perc test, the septic permit needs a scaled site plan showing the house, well, septic field, reserve area and key distances, and the system must be installed by a Genesee County Health Department-licensed installer or by the owner under Environmental Health supervision, with the tank and drainfield inspected before backfill. Replacing a failing system costs $400 ($100 for a tank only), and the department may refuse a septic permit where public sewer is available. Footing drains, roof drains and softener discharge may not go into a septic system. The department is at 324 S. Saginaw Street, Suite 6, Flint (810-257-3603), taking in-person payments weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

On county roads, the Genesee County Road Commission needs a permit for all work in the right-of-way, and it handles address requests, driveways and drainage work through Oxcart; its office at 211 West Oakley Street, Flint (810-767-4920) is open Monday to Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The drain commissioner’s permits and construction staff (810-732-7870) issue soil erosion permits and waivers and inspect sites for compliance.

Davison Township permit costs and fees

The township’s 2026 fee schedule was posted in November 2026. For building permits it lists square-foot values, rounded up to the next $1,000; those are valuation figures, not the fee itself, and the three pages posted do not show the rate charged on that value or the inspection, condominium, subdivision and site plan review items they refer to on other pages. Ask the Building Department for the figure for your project.

Tap-in fees apply only to public sanitary sewer or water systems, and water meter charges are added to water tap-in fees. Because the per-$1,000 rate is not on the posted pages, no worked building permit example is given; the township’s 2022 notice priced the shed zoning permit at $30, but the 2026 schedule lists a $100 zoning permit, so confirm which applies.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Davison Township does not issue electrical, mechanical or plumbing permits. The Building Department page links the state applications, which can be printed or filed online with the State of Michigan, and says those permits must be filed with the state before township inspectors give final inspections, approvals and occupancy permits. State inspectors inspect the trade work.

• Where to apply: the state’s electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications, printed or filed online; the state’s own rules decide who may sign them.
• Sewer contractors: the township issues sewer contractor licenses ($150; renewal $75) and inspects sewer tap-ins and disconnects itself.
• Order of work: file the trade permits early, because township final inspections and occupancy wait for them.

How to apply for a Davison Township permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Final approval and occupancy wait for the state trade permits, so file them early. Variance requests follow a fixed monthly schedule: the application and fees are due about five weeks before the meeting, followed by a published notice and notices mailed to owners within 300 feet, and missing a deadline moves the case to the next month. The Planning Commission, one of the bodies that reviews development approvals, lists its next meeting on December 9, 2026 at 6 p.m.

Inspections in Davison Township

Township building inspectors check projects at key stages to confirm the work matches the code and the approved plans, and they need to be able to see the work. Book each building inspection at least 24 hours ahead through the Building Department. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspections are done by state inspectors under the state permits.

Extra inspections or call-backs are billed at $75 an hour, and inspections outside normal hours at $100 an hour with a four-hour minimum, approved in advance. Sewer tap-in, sewer disconnect and septic disconnect inspections are separate township inspections with their own fees.

Michigan building code in Davison Township

The township enforces the state building code for building work and relies on the state for the trade codes. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Davison Township (community 260664) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective September 25, 2009, so ask the Building Department whether a lot lies in a mapped flood area.

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

Davison Township permit search and official resources

For permit, plan or inspection records, file a Freedom of Information Act request using the township’s FOIA request form, following its FOIA procedures and guidelines dated March 10, 2025; the Building Department can also tell you a permit’s status by phone.

• Davison Township Building Information
• Township departments and contacts
• Davison Township 2026 fee schedule
• Zoning permits for sheds
• Planning information and site plans
• Variance information and application
• 2026 Zoning Board of Appeals variance schedule
• Davison Township FOIA requests
• Genesee County Health Department: septic permits
• Genesee County Drain Commissioner: permits
• Genesee County Road Commission: permits and addresses
• State Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes)

Davison Township building permit FAQs

Who issues electrical and plumbing permits in Davison Township?

The State of Michigan. The township issues building permits only, and needs the state trade permits before final approval.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

A shed over 200 square feet needs a building permit; a smaller one needs a township zoning permit.

Do I need a permit for a new roof?

Yes. Re-shingling needs a building permit even with no structural work; the 2026 schedule lists a $125 re-roof permit with one inspection.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

No. The township lists fences among jobs that need no building permit, while noting that swimming pools and outdoor hot tubs do need permits.

How much notice do inspectors need?

At least 24 hours.

When does the Zoning Board of Appeals meet?

Monthly at 6 p.m.; the township lists the next meeting on December 8, 2026, and applications are due about five weeks ahead.

How much is a septic permit for a new house?

The Genesee County Health Department charges $220 for the residential perc test and $220 for the septic permit.

Is the City of Davison the same office?

No. The city is a separate government with its own building program, although the state also handles its trade permits.

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