Emmet County, Michigan Building Permit Guide

Emmet County runs one of Michigan’s county construction code programs. Emmet County Construction Resources, 3434 Harbor-Petoskey Road, Suite E, Harbor Springs (231-348-1735), issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits in Petoskey, Harbor Springs, Alanson, Pellston and the townships; Bear Creek Township issues its own building and electrical permits. Tom Doss is the Construction Resources Director and Building Official. Applications are fillable PDFs sent by email, fax, mail or in person, and a new house is priced at $65 plus 0.462% of its table value, plus plan review.

What requires a building permit in Emmet County?

Construction Resources applies the state code’s permit rules, and its published answers spell out how they work for trade jobs. Ask the department before starting anything you are unsure of; work begun without a permit carries an extra $200 fee.

The department also posts handouts on off-site built structures such as sheds, play structures and small cabins, single-story accessory buildings, pole buildings and decks, which show what it checks for each.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The construction code is the state’s and cannot be amended locally. Emmet County chose to enforce it, its Building Official is appointed by the Board of Commissioners, and the board approves the fee factors. Zoning is split between county zoning and the units that zone themselves, and wetland, critical dune and high-risk erosion permits stay with the state.

Emmet County building department: who handles permitting

The state’s Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes, revised November 6, 2026) marks Emmet County and its units as COUNTY for all four codes, with one exception: Bear Creek Township is LOCAL for building and electrical and COUNTY for mechanical and plumbing. The county’s own Permit Issuing Agencies sheet (updated May 6, 2025) says the same. The Village of Mackinaw City, which lies partly in Emmet County, has no row on the state list; the county sheet lists it only for zoning and house numbers, so call the village office (231-436-5351) for its part of the county.

Petoskey is the largest city (5,772 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate), followed by Harbor Springs (1,255) and the villages of Pellston (791) and Alanson (783). House numbers are assigned by Emmet County (231-348-0667) except in Harbor Springs, Mackinaw City and Petoskey, which number their own.

Emmet County permit types and what comes first

All applications are interactive PDFs: building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits, a plan-review-only application, a fire protection and fire alarm plan review application, a permit extension request and a permit release or cancellation form. Since January 31, 2024 only the revised trade applications are accepted, and each must arrive with its fee, worked out on page 2 of the form. Send finished forms by email, fax, mail or in person.

Residential permits

The department’s list of required submittals asks, for a house under 3,500 square feet or an accessory building, for the completed application, copies of every other permit that applies (zoning, driveway, septic, well, soil erosion, wetlands, critical dunes or high-risk erosion) and two sets of plans with the site plan, foundation and floor plans, building and wall sections and elevations. Houses over 3,500 square feet, and accessory buildings with walls over 12 feet high, need sealed plans. A re-roof or re-siding permit needs only the site, owner, builder and cost sections and the signature. Incomplete applications are returned.

• Houses and garages are priced from the county’s valuation table, with basements, crawl spaces and decks counted at a share of the full rate.
• Energy code: new homes need an insulation certificate and a blower door test report, both posted as forms.
• Manufactured and mobile homes: the county posts set-up requirements and plumbing connection rules (cleanouts, proper fittings, pipe hangers; blocks or piping laid on the ground are not allowed), and completes the HUD Form 309 for a $100 fee.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings are priced on the higher “O” factor, and plans are reviewed for compliance before the permit, including sub-trade plan reviews where needed. Sprinkler, fire pump, kitchen hood suppression, clean-agent and fire alarm systems have their own plan review fee tables, and complex projects that need outside consultants are billed for that review.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning from the county zoning office (same Harbor-Petoskey Road address) or the city, village or township that zones itself.
• Septic and well from the Health Department of Northwest Michigan, in the same building complex.
• Driveway from the road commission, or MDOT on a state highway.
• Soil erosion from the county (or Petoskey within the city).
• State permits for wetlands, critical dunes or high-risk erosion areas along the shoreline.

Emmet County permit costs and fees

The posted Building Department Fee Schedule is the 2020 schedule, updated October 22, 2020. New construction is valued from the department’s construction valuation table (based on the February 2017 ICC table) and multiplied by a factor that the Building Official reviews and the Board of Commissioners approves.

Worked example from the schedule: a 2,000-square-foot wood-frame house (type VB, valued at $113.85 a square foot) has a building value of $227,700, so the permit is $65 + ($227,700 × 0.00462) = $1,116.97, and plan review for a value between $198,001 and $264,000 is $70. A basement, crawl space, garage or deck adds its own value. Trade permit fees come from page 2 of each trade application, and the Building Official may waive up to half of the extra fee for a homeowner who quickly fixes work started without a permit; the waiver is never given to contractors.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The county’s answers to common license questions are specific:

• Electrical: a homeowner may get the permit and do the work on the home he or she occupies or is about to occupy; commercial, industrial, apartment and rental work needs an electrical contractor to apply and do the work. Inside Bear Creek Township, the township issues electrical permits.
• Plumbing: the same owner-occupant rule applies; commercial work and rentals need a licensed contractor.
• Mechanical: a state mechanical contractor’s license is needed to secure the permit, except that a homeowner may do the installation in a single-family home he or she occupies or will occupy.
• License registration: electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors licensed under the Skilled Trades Regulation Act (2016 PA 407) and working in the county register their licenses with the department; the 2024–2026 licensee registration application is posted.

Power company disconnects and reconnects for a service change need at least two days’ notice to the department for the inspection.

How to apply for a permit in Emmet County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Old versions of the trade forms are refused, and each trade application must include its fee. Revised plans after a permit is issued need a new building application, revised plans, another $65 administrative fee, a plan review fee and fees on the added value; scope changes without new plans are billed on the added value before further inspections.

Inspections in Emmet County

The permit holder must tell the department when work is ready, as the state code requires, and the department’s Required Inspection Document lists each inspection and the stage it belongs to. Request inspections by 4 p.m. the day before, by phone or with the online inspection request form. Inspectors usually work five days a week and aim to inspect within 24 to 48 hours; if your date cannot be met, the office will contact you, and the department posts inspectors’ planned time off on its page.

The required inspections list sets the order: demolition (utilities disconnected first), footing, electrical grounding in footings, underground electrical, mechanical and plumbing, pre-pour, foundation before backfill, and framing before any trade work starts. Every trade must pass its rough inspection before the building rough, which comes before insulation; masonry and factory-built fireplaces, brick or stone veneer and deck replacements have their own stages.

Re-inspections cost $65 when corrections were not made or the inspector could not get in, and so do inspections made before a permit is issued. An expired permit can be renewed within 30 days for $65; after that you must reapply and pay $65 per inspection still needed for final approval.

Michigan building code in Emmet County

Construction Resources enforces the codes the state most recently adopted and lists them on its page. No Michigan county is a National Flood Insurance Program community; each township, city and village joins on its own, so check flood maps with the local unit, and remember that shoreline work may also need a state critical dune or high-risk erosion permit.

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

Emmet County permit search and official resources

The department’s online permit search shows permit status and inspection results. For copies of plans or older files, send a Freedom of Information Act request to the Emmet County Administration office, Suite G70, 200 Division Street, Petoskey, by the online FOIA form, email or mail; copying and labor fees may apply.

• Emmet County Construction Resources (forms, inspections, FAQs)
• Emmet County Permit Issuing Agencies
• Building Department Fee Schedule (updated October 22, 2020)
• Permit search online (BS&A)
• Inspection request form
• Emmet County Planning & Zoning
• Construction Board of Appeals
• Construction Resources Committee
• Emmet County FOIA office
• State Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes)

Emmet County building permit FAQs

Does Emmet County issue building permits in Petoskey?

Yes. The county issues building and trade permits in Petoskey and Harbor Springs; the cities run their own zoning, and Petoskey its own soil erosion permits.

Who issues permits in Bear Creek Township?

The township issues building and electrical permits; Emmet County issues mechanical and plumbing permits there.

How much is a building permit for a new house?

$65 plus 0.462% of the table value, plus plan review; a 2,000-square-foot wood-frame house works out to $1,116.97 and $70.

Can I do my own electrical or plumbing work?

Yes, in a home you occupy or are about to occupy; rentals, apartments and commercial buildings need licensed contractors.

How fast can I get an inspection?

Ask by 4 p.m. for the next day’s schedule; the department aims for 24 to 48 hours.

Who handles septic and well permits?

The Health Department of Northwest Michigan, at 3434 Harbor-Petoskey Road, Suite A.

What happens if I start work without a permit?

The county adds a $200 fee; up to half may be waived for a homeowner who responds promptly, never for a contractor.

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