Delta Charter Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

Delta Charter Township, in Eaton County, runs its own construction code program: the Delta Township Building Department at 7710 West Saginaw Highway (517-323-8530) issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits and inspects the work. Apply and schedule inspections in BS&A Online or on the paper forms. A complete permit for an addition or alteration usually takes about seven working days, trade permits are often issued at once, and new homes also need a zoning certificate from the Planning Division (517-323-8560).

What requires a building permit in Delta Township?

The township’s rule is broad: a permit is needed to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move or demolish any building or part of one, and any change to the original building needs a building permit. Its homeowner and contractor FAQ adds a list of everyday jobs that always need one.

The FAQ says its list is not complete, so call the Building Division with anything else; interior work that alters the original building counts. Work may not start until the permit has been issued. Low-voltage wiring and changes of occupancy have their own township application forms as well.

What the township decides and what the state holds

The construction code is the state’s, and the township cannot amend it. Delta Township chose to enforce all four parts itself, adopted the International Property Maintenance Code in 2002, and runs its own zoning ordinance, sign, noise, blight, rental and sewer ordinances and appeal boards for each trade, property maintenance and signs.

Delta Township building department: who handles permitting

The state’s Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes, revised November 6, 2026) marks Delta Township LOCAL for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing, and Eaton County’s own jurisdiction page names Delta as one of four units that run their own codes and zoning. The county Department of Construction Codes therefore does not issue permits here. Delta Charter Township is in Eaton County; it is a different place from Delta County in the Upper Peninsula.

Besides permits and inspections, the department enforces the property maintenance code and the sign, noise, blight, rental and sewer ordinances, and staffs the plumbing, mechanical, electrical, property maintenance and sign boards of appeals. The township’s BS&A property lookup and its online GIS map, both linked from the Building Department page, give parcel numbers and addresses for the application.

Delta Township permit types and what comes first

The township’s forms page lists separate applications for building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and low-voltage work, fire permits, sewer and storm sewer permits, sidewalk permits and changes of occupancy, plus a gas pipe worksheet, a shower liner test affidavit and appeal forms for each code. The same permits can be requested in BS&A Online.

Residential permits

For a new house, the township lists the permits in one place: the building permit and the electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits from the Building Division, a zoning certificate from the Planning Division, sanitary and storm sewer permits and any sidewalk permit from the Building Division, a driveway permit from the Eaton County Road Commission and a soil erosion permit from the Eaton County Drain Office. Handouts on the residential information page cover deck specifications, garages and accessory structures, pole barns, site plans (including corner lots), stairways and handrails, egress window wells and smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

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 projects start with the Planning and Zoning Department, which reviews the site plan for zoning, parking, access roads, fire lanes, setbacks and easements. Plans must be sealed by a Michigan-licensed architect or engineer, every building permit goes through plan review (typically about four weeks), and each trade needs its own permit pulled by the subcontractor before work starts. Only licensed contractors may pull permits and do building work in a commercial or industrial building, even for small jobs. New buildings joining public water and sewer pay a capital charge based on the use; the Building Division gives an estimate.

A typical commercial plan set includes a site plan, floor plans, elevations, and cross-sections and details, drawn to scale with any legend defined, showing the nature and extent of the work and how it meets the code. Fire alarm plans add device locations, candela or decibel ratings, power connections, battery and voltage-drop calculations and equipment data sheets; sprinkler plans add hydraulic calculations and water supply information. When an existing alarm or sprinkler system is extended, the township’s fire requirements ask for the system’s last annual certification, dated within one year of the permit application.

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: the Planning Commission generally meets on the second and fourth Mondays, and the Zoning Board of Appeals on the second Tuesday, in Room A of the administration building. Special land use permits and site plan reviews also go through the Planning Division, which posts the applications currently under review on its website.
• Signs: sign variances go to the Sign Board of Appeals, normally at 6 p.m. on the second Tuesday in Room A; it can grant one only if all seven criteria in Section 32-21 of the sign ordinance are met, its decisions take effect five days after the hearing, and appeals go to the Eaton County Circuit Court, not the Township Board.
• Fire department: commercial plans go in electronically, fire alarm and suppression permits are approved through plan review before issue, and site plans show fire lanes, hydrants and the distance from fire-lane access points around the building, which must be less than 300 feet.
• Right-of-way: work in a road right-of-way or township easement needs a township right-of-way permit; the fee is waived for residential homeowners.
• County permits: driveways on county roads (Eaton County Road Commission, 877-883-2866) and soil erosion (Eaton County Drain Commissioner, 517-543-3886); unsewered lots need a Barry-Eaton District Health Department sewage permit.

Delta Township permit costs and fees

Delta Township publishes one fee schedule for all township fees, posted as the “Delta Township 2026 fee schedule” on its Fee Schedule page. Building permit fees follow the value of the work: for commercial projects the township says the fee is based on the actual value of construction and is calculated automatically on the fillable application as you fill it in. Ask the Building Division (517-323-8530) for the current figures if you cannot open the schedule.

• When you pay: permit fees must be paid before the permit is issued and before any inspection is requested; BS&A Online takes payment.
• Sewer and water capital charge: charged when a new building connects to public water and sewer, based on the use of the property.
• Right-of-way permits: priced in the same schedule, but waived for residential homeowners and for utilities with a valid METRO Act agreement.
• Rental registration: the rental packet includes the rental inspection program fee schedule.
• Sign Board of Appeals: a $500 non-refundable fee with the application, which covers notices to owners within 300 feet.
• Plan review: the township’s commercial construction page sets plan review at 50% of the building permit fee for commercial jobs and 10% for projects under the Michigan Residential Code, on top of separate permit fees for each trade and Fire Department inspection fees.

Fines are set separately under the township’s civil infraction ordinance, which the Building Department uses for code violations after a correction notice and its deadline have passed: $50 for a first offense, then $125, $250 and $400 for repeat offenses within 12 months. Each day a violation continues counts as a separate offense. A person who receives a ticket can admit responsibility and pay at the Violations Bureau in the township Accounting Department, or explain or deny it, in which case the case goes to District Court within 14 days.

Because the schedule is value-based and the township’s own form does the arithmetic, no worked example is given here; enter your project value on the application to see the fee before you submit.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The Building Division issues electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits for the whole township, and the township says they can generally be obtained immediately. Low-voltage work has its own form, and gas piping uses the township’s gas pipe worksheet.

• Homeowners may get their own building permits but take on the liability for the work, with the same inspections. A homeowner may pull an electrical, plumbing or mechanical permit only when doing that work personally; otherwise a licensed contractor must pull it.
• Contractors register with the township before using BS&A: email the contractor registration form to the Building Department, receive a Web PIN, create the account and have staff link it. The township says only contractors with current, good-standing state licenses may work in Delta Township.
• Commercial trades: each subcontractor secures its own permit before starting work on site.

How to apply for a Delta Township permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

A complete addition or alteration permit can usually be issued within seven working days; large projects may take 30 to 60 days, and commercial plan review typically takes about four weeks. Plans that leave out dimensions, existing conditions or how the building sits on the lot slow review, so show existing and new work clearly. Call 517-323-8530 to check the status of a pending application.

Inspections in Delta Township

Inspections are scheduled in BS&A Online (separate instructions for homeowners and contractors) or by calling the Building Division, and the township says inspectors are normally available within 24 hours of a request. Results entered online are emailed to the requester as soon as they are recorded, and the inspection history for your property, including any expired permits, can be viewed online.

A permit expires if work has not started and an inspection been requested within 180 days of issue, or if no inspection is requested for 180 days after the first one, so keep inspections moving on long projects. The township also inspects rental units and common areas under its rental registration ordinance, checking items such as smoke detectors, occupancy and working electrical, mechanical and plumbing equipment. The township explains that it moved from complaint-only enforcement to regular rental inspections partly because many furnaces and water heaters were being installed improperly without permits.

Michigan building code in Delta Township

Delta Township enforces the state code itself, with its own appeal boards for the trade codes and the property maintenance code. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Delta Charter Township (community 260066) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective November 26, 2010, so ask the Building Department whether a lot is in a mapped flood area before you design.

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

Delta Township permit search and official resources

You can look up permits and inspection results for a property in BS&A Online, including any expired permits. For copies of plans or other records, file a Freedom of Information Act request through the township’s online FOIA form.

• Delta Township Building Department
• Online permitting and inspections (BS&A)
• BS&A Online (search for Delta Charter Township)
• Building FAQs for homeowners and contractors
• Permits for a new home
• New commercial and industrial construction
• Township fee schedule page
• Forms, licenses and permits
• Residential building information handouts
• Planning and zoning information
• Right-of-way permits
• Rental property registration
• Township FOIA request form
• Eaton County jurisdiction list
• State Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes)

Delta Township building permit FAQs

Does Eaton County issue permits in Delta Township?

No. Delta Township runs its own building, trade and zoning programs; the county office covers other parts of Eaton County.

Do I need a permit to replace a water heater or furnace?

Yes. The township lists water heater change-outs and furnace or air-conditioner replacements among jobs that always need a permit.

Can I pull my own permit?

Yes for a building permit on your own project, and for trade permits only if you do that work yourself; otherwise a licensed contractor pulls them.

How long does a permit take?

About seven working days for a complete addition or alteration, 30 to 60 days for large projects and about four weeks for commercial plan review; trade permits are usually immediate.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Through BS&A Online or by calling the Building Division at 517-323-8530.

When does a permit expire?

After 180 days without starting work and requesting an inspection, or 180 days without an inspection after the first one.

Do I have to register a rental house?

Yes. The township’s rental ordinance requires every residential rental property to be registered, and the Building Department inspects the units and common areas.

Who issues driveway and soil erosion permits?

The Eaton County Road Commission for driveways on county roads and the Eaton County Drain Commissioner for soil erosion.

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