Eastpointe, Michigan Building Permit Guide

In the City of Eastpointe, the Building Department inside City Hall, 23200 Gratiot Avenue (586-445-3661, option 2), issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits; John Meyers is the Building Official. Permits can be applied for online through BS&A, the office is open Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and closed on Fridays, and the same application and fees apply whether a homeowner or a contractor files.

What requires a building permit in Eastpointe?

The Building Department’s permits page groups the work it permits into building, roofing, fence, sign and trade permits, with public works permits handled separately. A permit must be pulled before work starts, or a penalty fee is added.

A new building, remodel, shed, pool or fence application must include a site plan, and the city posts sample site plans for a porch and a fence. A fence application also needs the signatures of the neighboring owners it affects. Special events open to the public on public property or outdoors on private property, from car shows and festivals to grand openings and parades, need a special event application with a site plan, returned in person to the Building Department under the city’s special event ordinance.

What Eastpointe decides and what the state holds

The state’s Statewide Jurisdiction List (which spells the city “East Pointe”) shows Eastpointe enforcing the building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes itself, and Macomb County has no building department. The city sets its fees in the City Fee Schedule, Section 2-525 of the city code, amended by Ordinance No. 25-1250; it runs its own zoning ordinance, amended by Ordinance No. 24-1238, and a rental registration and inspection program for every non-owner-occupied home. The Building Official is appointed by, and serves at the pleasure of, the City Manager. The city has worked with McKenna and the Michigan Economic Development Corporation on a zoning ordinance update to carry out its 2040 Master Plan and 9 Mile Corridor plan, and the Planning Department page links the latest ordinance.

Eastpointe building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department handles permits, inspections, code enforcement and rental housing, with a deputy building official and coordinators for permits, commercial work, rentals and code enforcement. Planning and zoning share its counter: the Planning Department’s walk-in hours are Monday and Wednesday from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Building Department window.

Eastpointe permit types

Every permit has its own application on the permits page: building, roof, fence, sign, mechanical, plumbing and electrical, plus a public works permit with the city’s water and sewer excavation guidelines. The same forms and fees apply to homeowners and contractors. A contractor who has not worked in Eastpointe before files the contractor registration form, and once registered receives a BS&A PIN to apply online.

Residential permits

• Building permits cover new houses, remodels, sheds, swimming pools and demolition, each with a site plan; the city posts additional swimming pool information and a wood deck construction sheet.
• Roofs may be a full tear-off or a recover, but never more than two layers. An open-roof inspection is required; if the roofer works outside inspection hours, photos are accepted.
• Fences need a site plan and signatures from the affected neighbors.
• Who files. A homeowner may pull a permit for a house they also live in. If a contractor is doing the work, the contractor should pull the permit, and permits for non-owner-occupied property must be applied for by the contractor.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial building, sign and trade permits use the same applications. Before leasing or buying a building for a business, the Planning Department asks applicants to file a General Planning Application with the zoning verification box ticked, which confirms the site is zoned for the use and flags any special approvals. If no site plan approval is needed, the applicant moves straight to the business license application, processed by the Building and City Clerk departments; a business license is required before any business opens, and the city posts an inspection checklist for new businesses.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit filing through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Pre-development meeting. The city encourages a conceptual review with staff before any development; bring the location, existing and intended use, rough sketches and surrounding uses, and staff will name the right process (site plan review, special land use or variance) and possible incentives. Call 586-445-3661, extension 2208.
• Site plan review. Plans must meet Article 12 of the zoning ordinance and go in with the General Planning Application; the City Planner may approve them or send them to the Planning Commission.
• Permitted and special land uses. A use permitted by right only has to meet the ordinance’s dimensional rules; a special land use needs a public hearing before the Planning Commission and City Council approval, under Article 13.
• Zoning Board of Appeals. Hears variances, interpretations and appeals of decisions by the Building Department or Planning Commission, and is listed as the city’s zoning, sign and fence boards of appeal; the Building Official is its staff liaison. Building code decisions go to the separate Construction Board of Appeals.
• Soil erosion and county roads. Macomb County Public Works issues soil erosion permits in Eastpointe, and work in a county road right-of-way needs a Macomb County Department of Roads permit.

Eastpointe permit costs and fees

Eastpointe’s permit fees are set in the City Fee Schedule (Section 2-525 of the city code), which the city updates each year to reflect the cost of its services; Ordinance No. 25-1250 amends it, and the Building Department posts a building permit fee study. The posted pages do not print the dollar amounts, so ask the Building Department for the fee on your project before you apply. The rules on how fees are charged and paid are published:

The Planning Department warns that scammers have sent planning applicants fake fee requests that look like city emails. Before paying any fee requested by email, check the sender’s address and call the city on the number listed on its official website.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are issued and inspected by the city, each on its own application, and all three can be applied for online through BS&A. The rule on who files is the same as for building work.

• Contractors. When a contractor does the work, the contractor pulls the permit. A contractor new to Eastpointe registers first and then receives a BS&A PIN.
• Homeowners. An owner may pull a trade permit for a house they own and live in; work on a rental or other non-owner-occupied property must be permitted by the contractor.
• Rental heating checks. For rental registration, the furnace or boiler must be inspected by a licensed contractor; the city posts a sample form.
• Water and sewer work. Work on water and sewer lines uses the public works permit and the city’s water and sewer excavation guidelines, filed at the Treasurer’s window.

How to apply for an Eastpointe building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Mailed and drop-box applications are checked for completeness, and the department contacts the applicant if the application or fee needs changes, which adds time. Site plans can be approved by the City Planner or may have to wait for a Planning Commission meeting, and special land uses also need a public hearing and City Council approval. The office is closed on Fridays, so plan counter visits for Monday to Thursday.

Inspections and certificates in Eastpointe

Request inspections online through BS&A; questions go to the Building Department at 586-445-3661, option 2. Roof jobs need an open-roof inspection, with photos accepted when the work happens outside inspection hours.

Every non-owner-occupied home in Eastpointe must be registered and inspected every two years from the date of application, and tenants may not move in until the city has certified the property. Owners and property managers complete a one-time owner or manager registration separate from the property registration; a certificate in force at a sale can transfer to the buyer if the buyer registers within 14 days. Compliance can be checked on BS&A Online, and a tenant whose landlord has not attempted repairs can ask for a special inspection by calling the same number.

Code Enforcement, also part of the Building Department (586-445-3661, option 4), answers complaints about overgrown lots, inoperative vehicles, rodents, building maintenance, illegal signs and nuisances, and runs systematic inspections across the city. Officers may not enter a rear yard without permission; once a violation is found, a letter setting a deadline is posted at the property and emailed to the responsible party if an email is on file. Owners facing code repairs may qualify for assistance programs listed in the department’s Housing Assistance and Resource Guide.

Michigan building code in Eastpointe

Eastpointe enforces the state construction code in all four trades through its own Building Department. Eastpointe was not found in the FEMA list of participating flood insurance communities; the city’s pre-development meeting page lists a site’s flood zone status among the optional details that help staff.

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

Eastpointe permit search and official resources

Rental compliance for an address can be searched on BS&A Online, and the Building Department can answer questions about permits on file. For copies of records, make a written request on the city’s FOIA Request Form or in any other written form to the FOIA Coordinator: by email, by fax to 586-445-5195, in person Monday to Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or by mail to the City Clerk’s Office, Attn: FOIA Coordinator, 23200 Gratiot Avenue, Eastpointe, MI 48021.

• Eastpointe Building Department
• Building, trade, roof, fence and sign permits
• Eastpointe on BS&A Online (permits, inspections, payments)
• Building Department contacts
• Forms, ordinances and payment options
• Rental registration and inspection
• Code enforcement
• Special event permits
• Planning Department
• Pre-development meetings
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Freedom of Information Act requests
• Macomb County soil erosion coverage map
• Macomb County Department of Roads permits
• Michigan Statewide Jurisdiction List

Eastpointe building permit FAQs

Is the Eastpointe Building Department open on Fridays?

No. It is open Monday to Thursday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and closed on Fridays and major holidays.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in Eastpointe?

Yes, for a house the owner also lives in. Contractors pull permits for work they do and for any non-owner-occupied property.

How many roof layers are allowed?

Two at most. A recover over one existing layer is allowed; a roof permit needs an open-roof inspection or photos if work happens outside inspection hours.

What does a fence permit need?

A site plan and the signatures of the neighboring property owners affected by the fence.

How much does a building permit cost?

Fees come from the City Fee Schedule (Section 2-525, amended by Ordinance No. 25-1250) and are the same for owners and contractors; ask the Building Department for the amount. Card payments carry a 3% processing fee.

Do rental homes need city approval?

Yes. Every non-owner-occupied home must be registered and inspected every two years, and tenants cannot move in until it is certified.

How do I report a code violation?

Call the Building Department at 586-445-3661, option 4, or file a Citizens Request for Action; a code enforcement officer then inspects the property.

Where do I get a water or sewer permit?

At the Treasurer’s window in City Hall; public works permits are not available through BS&A.

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