Dearborn is the largest Wayne County city outside Detroit and enforces the state code through its own Department of Building and Safety on Michigan Avenue. The rule that shapes most transactions here is not a construction rule at all — it is an occupancy rule that attaches to sale and to re-letting.
The city ordinance makes it unlawful to occupy or reoccupy any building, or for an owner or agent to permit occupation or reoccupation for residential purposes, until a certificate of occupancy has been issued by the department. That covers a purchaser moving in as much as it covers a new build.
This guide covers work inside the Dearborn city limits. Dearborn Heights is a separate city with its own building department, and Wayne County does not permit inside either.
The certificate of occupancy is a closing item, not just a construction item. A certificate of occupancy is required prior to occupancy or reoccupancy of any use of land, building or structure in Dearborn, and it can be issued only once the city planner and the building official are satisfied the site complies with the zoning regulations, the adopted construction codes and the city engineering standards. Build the inspection into the transaction timetable, not the week before closing.
What requires a building permit in Dearborn?
Michigan builds on a single statewide construction code adopted under the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act (1972 PA 230) and administered by the Bureau of Construction Codes within the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. The state code adopts International Code Council model codes with Michigan amendments, but it adopts them part by part on separate effective dates — the building and rehabilitation parts, the plumbing part, the mechanical part and the electrical part each move on their own schedule. Local units may amend only to make the code more restrictive, never less, and local amendments are filed with the bureau. So the first question in Dearborn is which authority holds the code for the parcel and which edition governs each part of the work.
Permit required
- New commercial, multi-family and residential construction, additions and change of occupancy
- Structural alterations, load-bearing changes, foundations, decks and retaining walls
- Electrical work — services, panels, circuits, solar and EV charging — under the electrical part of the state code and the referenced National Electrical Code
- Plumbing and gas work under the plumbing part of the state code, pulled by a state-licensed plumber
- Mechanical and HVAC change-outs, and work affecting the energy code envelope
- Re-roofing above the exempt scope, pools, signs, and demolition
Often exempt
- Minor repairs and maintenance replacing materials in kind
- Small accessory structures below the code threshold, where zoning allows
- Painting, flooring, cabinetry and other finish work
- Like-for-like fixture or appliance swaps with no alteration to wiring or piping
Local amendments, fee schedules and the choice of third-party agency differ from one municipality to the next, so an exempt list from a neighbouring township is not reliable. An exemption from a building permit is never an exemption from zoning, the energy code, or an electrical or plumbing permit. Confirm scope with Dearborn Building and Safety before work starts.
The statewide layers that apply everywhere
Two Michigan features catch projects owners assume are simple. First, enforcement runs down a three-tier ladder: the local unit of government administers and enforces the act and the code; where it declines to, the county may give notice that it will; and where neither does, the bureau’s director assumes responsibility for that unit. Unlike states where the county never issues a building permit, a Michigan county can be the authority having jurisdiction outright. Second, licensing is statewide, not local: residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors are licensed by the state, as are the plumbing, electrical and mechanical trades, and the permit application itself must carry the licence number and its expiry date. The residential part in particular has not moved in step with the commercial parts, so a house and a shop on the same street can be reviewed against editions years apart — confirm the edition in force for each part on your filing date. Great Lakes and inland floodplain administration applies along the state’s shorelines and rivers, and snow loading is a live structural constraint. On the rental side the clock is explicit: a rental property owner has ninety days from the date of the first inspection to complete every requirement the inspector identifies, all listed items count as code violations that must be corrected and reinspected, and the inspection report itself is valid for one year from the date of the first inspection.
Who handles permitting in Dearborn?
Building and Safety issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits, carries out construction and rental inspections, and issues the certificates of occupancy the city ordinance requires before a building may be used or re-let.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | City of Dearborn Department of Building and Safety |
| Address | 16901 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, MI 48126 |
| Phone | (313) 943-2150 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Permit applications | Online portal, with a city account-linking step |
| Contractor registration | City of Dearborn registration in addition to the state licence |
| Certificate of occupancy | Required before occupancy or reoccupancy, including at sale |
| Rental compliance window | Ninety days from the date of the first inspection |
Contractor access to the portal takes a step most people miss. Creating and activating the account is not enough; the account has to be linked on the city side before permit activity can be submitted, and that is done by contacting the department with the account details and waiting for confirmation. Starting this on the day you need to file will cost you the day.
The ordinance defines alteration and repair broadly for occupancy purposes, taking in changes to stairways, type of construction, class or kind of occupancy, light or ventilation, and means of ingress and egress. Work that feels cosmetic can therefore land inside the occupancy regime as well as the permit regime.
Permit types
Residential permits
Residential permits follow the state residential code with city zoning applied. Accessory structures carry defined limits on footprint and height, and pools, spas and hot tubs holding water above a defined depth are permitted, including qualifying temporary and inflatable pools. The occupancy requirement sits alongside all of it and applies at sale as well as at completion.
How Michigan contractor credentials work
Michigan does license at state level, and the licence is the substantive credential rather than a registration. Residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors are licensed under Article 24 of Public Act 299 of 1980, administered by the Bureau of Construction Codes, and the plumbing, electrical and mechanical trades are licensed by the state as well. A state licence is valid across the whole of Michigan; what does not travel is the local permit, fee schedule and inspection route.
The licence number goes on the permit application. Michigan requires the application to set out the licence number and expiry date of the residential builder, maintenance and alteration contractor, architect or engineer acting for the owner, together with a written instrument — a contract, power of attorney or letter of authorisation — showing that person is authorised to act. Doing residential work that requires a licence without one is a civil violation, which the county prosecuting attorney or the Attorney General may pursue. Confirm what Dearborn Building and Safety requires for the parcel, along with insurance coverage.
Commercial permits
Commercial work runs through plan review with sealed drawings and zoning review, and no permit issues for construction, alteration or remodelling until an application has been submitted showing that the proposed improvements comply. The certificate of occupancy is issued only on a joint determination by the city planner and the building official.
Licenses, trade classifications and design professionals
Practically, three credential layers appear on Michigan projects: the state residential builder or maintenance and alteration licence on residential work; separately licensed electrical, plumbing and mechanical trades, also licensed by the state; and, on commercial and larger residential work, drawings sealed by a Michigan-licensed architect or professional engineer, with a licensed plan reviewer required on commercial work above defined thresholds. Confirm what Dearborn Building and Safety requires for the specific building before filing.
Dearborn permit costs and fees
Dearborn applies a flat processing charge on permits alongside the permit fee itself, with plan review, construction, trade and project-specific charges added according to the work. Confirm the schedule in force at your filing date.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building permit | Based on project valuation or square footage; set by the local unit, the county, or the state where it is the authority |
| Plan review | A percentage of the permit fee or a flat charge; commercial work above defined thresholds needs a licensed plan reviewer |
| Trade permits | Separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical fees under the local schedule |
| State construction code fee | The statutory state fee collected with the permit under the construction code act |
| Zoning and use | Zoning, use-and-occupancy and, in some places, contractor-licence fees |
| Re-inspections and revisions | Additional fees for failed inspections, revisions and expired permits |
Michigan fees are set by whoever holds enforcement for the parcel — the local unit, the county, or the state where neither has taken it on — so the schedule follows the authority rather than the state. A figure from a neighbouring municipality is not reliable, and a figure from a neighbouring township can be wrong even where the county enforces both. Ask Dearborn Building and Safety for the schedule in force on your filing date.
Need a real number for a specific Dearborn project? Send us the scope, address and valuation and we will identify the authority having jurisdiction, the code edition in force and the fee categories that will apply.
We prepare, file and track the application through to issuance — including the fees above, the submittal package, and every correction the department comes back with.
Get a fixed quote →Trade permits and who may pull them
Trade permits are separate from the building permit and, on projects that require one, generally cannot be issued until the building permit is in place. Each trade follows its own part of the state construction code, and is tied to a contractor holding the relevant state licence — which, unlike a municipal credential, is portable across the whole of Michigan.
Michigan licenses the trades at state level. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors hold licences issued by the state, valid anywhere in Michigan, and residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors are licensed the same way. What varies by parcel is not the licence but the permit, the fee and the inspection route. Performing residential work that requires a licence without holding one is a civil violation the county prosecutor or the Attorney General may act on.
- Electrical work follows the electrical part of the state code and the referenced National Electrical Code, under a state-licensed electrical contractor.
- Plumbing work follows the plumbing part of the state code, under a state-licensed master or journeyman plumber.
- Mechanical work follows the mechanical and energy parts of the state code, under a state-licensed mechanical contractor.
Permit required
- Service installations, panel upgrades, new circuits, solar PV and EV chargers
- New plumbing, repipes, water heater change-outs, fixtures, backflow and gas piping
- HVAC installation and change-out, ductwork, venting and commercial kitchen exhaust
- Sprinkler, standpipe and fire alarm work on commercial and multi-family structures
Typically exempt
- Replacing a fixture, switch, receptacle or light with no alteration to wiring or piping
- Clearing a stoppage without replacing or rearranging concealed piping
- Filter, thermostat and routine component service
- Like-for-like appliance repair that does not alter the connection
How to apply for a Dearborn building permit
A certificate of occupancy is required before occupancy or reoccupancy, which includes a residential sale. Get this onto the transaction timetable early.
Contractors need City of Dearborn registration in addition to the state licence, and the portal account must be linked by the city before permit activity can be submitted.
The building and residential parts of the state code are not on the same edition, so confirm each before drawing.
Submit through the city portal with the scope, plans and any zoning or authorisation documents the work requires.
Respond to review comments promptly; incomplete submissions are the most common cause of a second cycle.
Take the construction inspections in order and finish with the certificate of occupancy, which the planner and building official issue jointly.
Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
In Michigan, the first cause of delay is uncertainty over who enforces the code — filing with the local unit when the county holds enforcement for it, or with the county when the state does. After that comes the edition question, because the building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical parts moved on different dates and a submission drawn to the wrong one is a correction cycle. Then a missing or expired state licence number on the application, energy-code and plan documentation, and floodplain requirements along the shorelines and rivers. Build the plan-review time into the schedule and confirm the checklist with Dearborn Building and Safety before filing.
Approvals do not stay live indefinitely. A Michigan building permit carries a validity period and can expire if work does not start or stalls between inspections. On phased or financed work, keep the permit active with periodic progress inspections and confirm the expiry window before it passes.
Inspections in Dearborn
Where a permit is required, standard checkpoints include footing and foundation, framing, rough-in electrical, plumbing and mechanical, insulation and energy-code compliance, fire systems on commercial work, and final, with a use-and-occupancy certificate before the building is used. On rental property, the compliance clock runs ninety days from the first inspection and the inspection report stays valid for one year from that date.
Michigan inspections are keyed to the code edition in force when the permit issued — which, because editions are adopted part by part, can differ between the building inspection and the trade inspections on the same job. They are carried out by an inspector certified by the bureau, employed or contracted by whichever authority holds enforcement for the parcel. Keep the approved plans and the energy-code documentation on site for the inspector to check against, and confirm the notice Dearborn Building and Safety needs and its inspection windows.
Do not cover work before the required inspection has been approved. Keep the issued permit, the approved plans, product listings, energy-code documentation and your correction responses available on site.
Dearborn permit search and official resources
Permit records in Michigan sit with the authority that issued them — the local unit, the county, or the state bureau where neither took enforcement on. Where Dearborn Building and Safety is the authority for the City of Dearborn, it holds the building permit, the inspection history and the use-and-occupancy certificate. If you are buying, refinancing or renovating, confirm that past work was permitted rather than assuming it was — open permits and missing certificates are a common closing problem.
Confirm the authority having jurisdiction first, then confirm the edition. Michigan enforces one statewide construction code, but enforcement may sit with the local unit, the county or the state, and the code is adopted part by part on separate effective dates. Both questions have to be answered for the parcel and the filing date before the requirements are knowable.
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
- City of Dearborn registering a rental property
- Dearborn code of ordinances, permits and certificates
- Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes plan review and permits
- Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes licensing section
- Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes - current code books and effective dates
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a certificate of occupancy to sell a house in Dearborn?
The city ordinance requires a certificate of occupancy prior to occupancy or reoccupancy of any use of land, building or structure, and makes it unlawful for an owner or agent to permit occupation or reoccupation for residential purposes without one. In practice that puts a city inspection on the path of a residential transaction, so it belongs on the closing timetable rather than at the end of it.
How long do I have to fix items on a rental inspection?
Ninety days from the date of the first inspection to complete all requirements identified by the inspector. Every item listed on the report is treated as a code violation that must be corrected and reinspected, and the report is valid for one year from the first inspection date.
Is my state licence enough to pull a permit in Dearborn?
No. Contractors must hold the applicable state licence and also complete City of Dearborn contractor registration, keeping licence, insurance and company information current. Residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors are licensed by the state under Article 24 of Public Act 299 of 1980, administered by the Bureau of Construction Codes, and the plumbing, electrical and mechanical trades are state-licensed as well. The licence is valid statewide. The permit application must set out the licence number and its expiry date, and performing residential work that requires a licence without holding one is a civil violation the county prosecuting attorney or the Attorney General may pursue.
Which code edition applies to my work?
It depends which part of the code the work falls under. One Michigan point catches almost everyone: the commercial and residential codes are not on the same edition. The bureau moved the building and rehabilitation parts to their two thousand twenty-one editions on the ninth of April, two thousand twenty-five, and the plumbing, mechanical and electrical parts moved on their own two thousand twenty-four dates. The residential code did not move with them. Replacement residential rules were filed for an August two thousand twenty-five effective date, but the Court of Claims entered a stipulated order stopping the department from implementing them while a builders’ association challenge is litigated, so the bureau still lists the two thousand fifteen Michigan Residential Code as the code in force. That case was still live when this guide was written. Confirm the edition governing each part of your work on your filing date rather than assuming the newest one applies.
Why can I not submit anything on the permit portal?
Creating and activating the account is only half of it. The account has to be linked on the city side before permit activity can be submitted, which means contacting the department with the account details and waiting for confirmation.
Is Dearborn Heights the same jurisdiction?
No. Dearborn and Dearborn Heights are separate cities with separate building departments, separate ordinances and separate fee schedules. Confirm which city the parcel sits in before filing anything.
Simplify Dearborn permitting with Alliance Permitting
In Dearborn the permit and the closing calendar are the same calendar. We work the occupancy requirement back from the closing date rather than forward from the permit.
Trusted by leading builders, developers, and national contractors — 22 years of filing in the jurisdictions we write about.
Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Dearborn because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- Twenty-two years of filing, so the authority question gets answered before the application goes in
- We confirm the edition in force for each code part on your filing date, not the newest one published
- Licence numbers, expiry dates and the written authorisation instrument checked before submission
- Correction cycles handled directly with the reviewer so your crew is not waiting on a resubmission
- Inspection sequencing tracked through to the certificate, including trade sign-offs
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.
Ready to break ground in Dearborn sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Dearborn permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Michigan permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Dearborn permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.