Farmington Hills sits in the wooded western half of Oakland County, and the city’s permitting reflects that. The Building Division handles the construction side, but the Planning Office holds a tree removal permit requirement that attaches long before a foundation is poured.
The Building Division reviews construction plans and documents, issues building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits, inspects new and renovated structures, and registers every contractor who performs work in the city. Records are kept to the state retention schedule, so historic plan copies are usually obtainable.
This guide covers work inside the Farmington Hills city limits. The City of Farmington is a separate, smaller municipality with its own arrangements, and Oakland County does not permit inside either.
Trees come before the build. A tree removal permit must be obtained from the Planning Office prior to all tree removal activity involving trees six inches or more in diameter at breast height, under the zoning ordinance. Four-foot wooden snow fencing or other rigid material must be erected around the drip line of every tree to be saved, and the location of that protective fencing must be shown on the plans.
What requires a building permit in Farmington Hills?
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 Farmington Hills 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 Farmington Hills Building Division 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. Replacement is prescriptive as well: replacement trees must be of the same species as those removed where available from Michigan nurseries, and where they are not, from the list of acceptable trees held in the Planning Office. Existing trees within ten feet of the building envelope require replacement, which quietly catches most tight suburban lots.
Who handles permitting in Farmington Hills?
The Building Division reviews plans, issues building and trade permits, inspects new and renovated structures and registers all contractors working in the city, with zoning, planning and engineering handled on separate lines.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | City of Farmington Hills Building Division |
| Address | 31555 West Eleven Mile Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48336 |
| Building Division phone | (248) 871-2450 |
| Zoning phone | (248) 871-2520 |
| Planning phone | (248) 871-2540 |
| Engineering phone | (248) 871-2560 |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Contractor registration | Unregistered contractors must register in person at City Hall |
The homeowner route is narrower here than in most Michigan cities. A homeowner may only pull permits in lieu of a licensed contractor where they are the registered legal homeowner, the home is their primary residence, and they actually reside in the house. All three conditions have to hold. A signed and notarised homeowner affidavit must be attached to each permit application — notarised, not merely signed, which means planning a trip to a notary into the filing.
Contractors face a parallel step. Residential building and all trade contractors must have current state licence information on file with the city, and a contractor who has not previously registered with Farmington Hills must register in person at City Hall rather than online. Registered contractors then need the city to link the contractor record or issue a web pin before the account can submit.
Permit types
Residential permits
Residential permits cover new homes, additions, decks, alterations and the trades. Some items need no building permit but still require a zoning check, including playhouses, playground equipment, wading pools, flag poles and basketball backboards. Driveways and poured concrete without footings need no building permit but may need a right-of-way permit from Engineering.
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 Farmington Hills Building Division requires for the parcel, along with insurance coverage.
Commercial permits
Commercial work runs through plan review with landscape plans prepared and sealed by a registered landscape architect for all projects, submitted to the Planning Office alongside the tree replacement and open space plans. Commercial fencing is handled by Planning rather than Zoning, which is the reverse of the residential route.
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 Farmington Hills Building Division requires for the specific building before filing.
Farmington Hills permit costs and fees
Farmington Hills publishes a building fee schedule by permit type and valuation, with plan review and trade permits charged separately. Tree removal, landscape review and right-of-way permits carry their own charges through Planning and Engineering.
| 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 Farmington Hills Building Division for the schedule in force on your filing date.
Need a real number for a specific Farmington Hills 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 Farmington Hills building permit
A tree removal permit is required from the Planning Office before any removal of trees six inches or more in diameter at breast height, and protective fencing locations must be shown on the plans.
A contractor not previously registered with Farmington Hills must register in person at City Hall, with current state licence information on file.
Homeowners must attach a signed and notarised affidavit to each permit application, and may only apply where they own, primarily reside in and live at the property.
Some projects need no building permit but still require a zoning compliance check, and driveways may need a right-of-way permit from Engineering.
Confirm the code edition governing each part of the work, since the parts sit on different editions and dates.
Tree protection fencing is inspected on site, and landscape and replacement planting is checked before close-out on projects where it applies.
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 Farmington Hills Building Division 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 Farmington Hills
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. Where tree protection applies, the location and condition of the protective fencing around the drip line is checked on site as well as on the plans.
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 Farmington Hills Building Division 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.
Farmington Hills 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 Farmington Hills Building Division is the authority for the City of Farmington Hills, 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 Farmington Hills Building Division
- Farmington Hills when is a permit required
- Farmington Hills design guidelines, fees and checklists
- Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes licensing section
- Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes - current code books and effective dates
Frequently asked questions
When do I need a tree removal permit?
Before any tree removal activity involving trees six inches or more in diameter at breast height. The permit comes from the Planning Office under the zoning ordinance, and protective snow fencing must be erected around the drip line of trees being saved with its location shown on all plans.
Do I have to replace trees I remove?
Where replacement is triggered, replacement trees must be of the same species as those removed where available from Michigan nurseries, and otherwise from the list of acceptable trees held in the Planning Office. Existing trees within ten feet of the building envelope require replacement.
Can I pull my own permit as a homeowner?
Only if all three conditions hold: you are the registered legal homeowner, the home is your primary residence, and you reside in the house. A signed and notarised homeowner affidavit must be attached to each permit application. 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.
How do I register as a contractor?
If you have not registered with Farmington Hills before, you must register in person at City Hall. Residential building and all trade contractors must have current state licence information on file, and the city must link the contractor record or issue a web pin before the account can submit.
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.
What needs a zoning check but no building permit?
The city lists playhouses, playground equipment, wading pools, flag poles and basketball backboards among the items that need no building permit but still require compliance with the zoning ordinance. Driveways and poured concrete without footings need no building permit but may need a right-of-way permit from Engineering.
Simplify Farmington Hills permitting with Alliance Permitting
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- 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 Farmington Hills permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.