Dearborn Heights is a separate city from Dearborn, incorporated from two discontinuous sections of the former Dearborn Township, and the two are confused constantly. Its building department runs from city hall on Fenton Street and its fence regime is unusually formal for a suburban Wayne County city.
The department publishes its forms as a single list covering building, zoning, electrical, heating, refrigeration and plumbing applications, certificate of occupancy and compliance, contractor registration, rental registration on a change of tenant, signs, fences and fire alarm, detection and suppression permits.
This guide covers the City of Dearborn Heights. Dearborn is a separate city with its own building department, its own ordinances and its own occupancy regime, and neither permits in the other.
Your neighbour has to sign, in front of a notary. Dearborn Heights runs a fence affidavit for neighbour approval as a notarised form, submitted with the fence application where a neighbouring property shares the boundary line. There is a second affidavit as well — a fence owner maintenance affidavit — where the arrangement leaves ground that has to be maintained between fences. Neither can be arranged on the day.
What requires a building permit in Dearborn Heights?
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 Heights 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 the Dearborn Heights Building Department 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. The department also splits heating and refrigeration into separate permit applications rather than treating both as mechanical work, which is finer granularity than most Michigan cities of this size apply and means a single HVAC scope can need two filings rather than one.
Who handles permitting in Dearborn Heights?
The Building Department issues building, zoning, electrical, plumbing, heating, refrigeration, sign, fence and fire alarm permits, handles contractor registration, and administers the certificate of occupancy and compliance and rental registration regimes.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | City of Dearborn Heights Building Department |
| Address | 6045 Fenton Street, Dearborn Heights, MI 48127 |
| Phone | (313) 791-3400 |
| Hours | Monday to Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; closed Friday |
| Fence applications | Fence application plus notarised neighbour approval affidavit |
| Fence maintenance | Separate fence owner maintenance affidavit where it applies |
| Trade applications | Electrical, plumbing, heating and refrigeration are separate forms |
| Rental | Rental registration form required on a change of tenant |
The fence regime is worth planning around because it depends on another party. Where a neighbouring property shares the boundary line along which the fence will run, the neighbour completes a notarised affidavit that is submitted with the application. Where the arrangement leaves a strip between fences, the owner completes a separate maintenance affidavit accepting responsibility for it.
The four-day counter week compounds this. With the office closed on Fridays, an application that needs a notary appointment and a neighbour’s signature has effectively a four-day window each week to be completed and lodged. Fence season in Michigan is short, and this is the constraint that shapes it.
Permit types
Residential permits
Residential permits cover building and zoning work alongside the trades, with a zoning permit application distinct from the building permit application. Fences, signs and fire alarm, detection and suppression work each have their own application. Contractor registration is handled on its own form with the department.
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 the Dearborn Heights Building Department requires for the parcel, along with insurance coverage.
Commercial permits
Commercial work runs through plan review with the certificate of occupancy and compliance regime applying on occupancy and change of use, and separate commercial and residential certificate inspection forms published by the department. Right-of-way use and distribution, and temporary food truck, tent and cart operations, each have their own process.
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 the Dearborn Heights Building Department requires for the specific building before filing.
Dearborn Heights permit costs and fees
Dearborn Heights publishes a combined building and zoning permit fee schedule covering the building, zoning, trade, sign and fence permits, with certificate inspection fees set separately for residential and commercial property.
| 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 the Dearborn Heights Building Department for the schedule in force on your filing date.
Need a real number for a specific Dearborn Heights 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.
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 Heights building permit
Where a neighbouring property shares the boundary line, the neighbour completes a notarised affidavit submitted with the fence application.
Neither the neighbour’s availability nor a notary appointment can be arranged on the day of filing.
Electrical, plumbing, heating and refrigeration are separate applications here, so one HVAC scope may need two filings.
Contractor registration is a separate form with the department, held alongside the state licence.
The counter runs Monday to Thursday and is closed on Fridays, which shortens every filing week.
Certificate of occupancy and compliance requirements apply on occupancy and change of use, with separate residential and commercial certificate inspection forms.
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 the Dearborn Heights Building Department 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 Heights
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. Certificate inspections are run on separate residential and commercial forms, so the right form has to be used for the property type.
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 the Dearborn Heights Building Department 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 Heights 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 the Dearborn Heights Building Department is the authority for the City of Dearborn Heights, 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.
- Dearborn Heights online applications and forms
- Dearborn Heights Building Department forms
- Dearborn Heights fence affidavit, neighbour approval
- Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes plan review and permits
- Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes - current code books and effective dates
Frequently asked questions
Do I need my neighbour's permission for a fence?
Where a neighbouring property shares the boundary line the fence will run along, Dearborn Heights requires a fence affidavit for neighbour approval, and the city publishes it as a notarised form to be submitted with the fence application. A separate fence owner maintenance affidavit applies where ground between fences has to be maintained.
Is Dearborn Heights the same as Dearborn?
No. They are separate cities with separate building departments, separate ordinances and separate fee schedules. Dearborn Heights was incorporated from two discontinuous sections of the former Dearborn Township, which is why the two are so often confused. Confirm which city holds the parcel before filing.
When is the building department open?
Monday to Thursday. The city hall counter is closed on Fridays, which shortens the working week for anything requiring an in-person step or a same-week lodgement.
Do I file one mechanical permit or two?
Potentially two. The department publishes heating and refrigeration as separate permit applications rather than a single mechanical permit, so a scope covering both may need two filings.
Which code edition applies to my project?
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.
Do I need to register as a contractor with the city?
The department publishes a contractor registration form alongside its permit applications, so registration is handled locally in addition to the state credential. 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.
Simplify Dearborn Heights permitting with Alliance Permitting
A notarised neighbour signature and a four-day counter week are a scheduling problem, not a code problem. We solve it before fence season closes.
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 Heights 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.
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More Michigan permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Dearborn Heights permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.