Ferndale, Michigan Building Permit Guide

In the City of Ferndale, the Community and Economic Development Department (CED) at City Hall, 300 East Nine Mile Road (248-546-2525, ext. 3), reviews zoning and issues building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and demolition permits, with Scott Worthington as Building Official. Forms are filed online through the Permit Center and paid and tracked on BS&A Online. Under the City Fee Schedule for fiscal year 2027 (July 2026), a building permit is $50 plus 1.5% of the project value, plus a $50 administration fee on every permit.

What requires a building permit in Ferndale?

Ferndale’s building services page puts it simply: a building permit is required whether the owner does the improvement or hires a contractor, architect or builder. The planning and zoning page adds that building and planning approval is needed for all exterior construction and most interior work, and for every new building and change in the use of a property.

On a house lot, at least 40% of the site must stay unpaved and permeable, no more than 30% of the front yard may be paved, a lawn or landscape strip at least 1 foot wide must separate parking from every lot line, and circular or horseshoe front drives are not allowed. Garages with masonry, and any structure over 600 square feet, need a footing at least 12 inches wide reaching 42 inches below grade, and the same 42-inch depth applies to anything attached to the house.

What Ferndale decides and what the state holds

The state Bureau of Construction Codes’ jurisdiction list (revised November 6, 2026) shows Ferndale enforcing the building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes itself, and Oakland County runs no construction-code program. Ferndale sets its own fees each fiscal year, registers contractors, runs zoning (it is rewriting its ordinance through the ZoneFerndale project), registers and inspects rental housing and enforces the 2015 International Property Maintenance Code it adopted.

Ferndale building department: who handles permitting

CED is described by the city as the first stop for a building permit. It handles zoning and planning review, building, trade and engineering permits, code enforcement and the rental program, with the Fire Department reviewing fire suppression and alarm plans.

Payments are taken in person by cash, check or card, or by card on BS&A Online; the city does not take project payments by phone.

Ferndale permit types

The Permit Center lists more than 40 applications. For construction the core ones are the building, demolition, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fence, engineering and right-of-way permits, the homeowner’s affidavit and the certificate of occupancy application. Contractors register with the city: $50 a year for building, electrical, demolition, right-of-way and engineering contractors, $45 for a three-year mechanical registration and $5 for plumbers.

Residential permits

• Building application: project value, lot, building and garage sizes, lot coverage and the builder’s license number, with plan review boxes for building, plumbing, mechanical, electrical and energy work.
• Survey: a stamped survey is required for all new construction, additions and renovations.
• Homeowner’s affidavit: filed when an owner pulls permits for their own single-family home (see trade permits below).
• Free permits: on residential properties of four units or fewer, EV chargers, renewable energy systems and switches from gas to electric appliances such as water heaters, furnaces, dryers and stoves carry no administration, permit or plan review fee.
• Fences: the $50 fence permit needs a site plan showing the fence and any pool. Fences must stand on the owner’s own land (the city does not set property lines), may be no taller than 6 feet, may be decorative fences of at least 50% opacity in a front yard, must meet the Michigan Residential Code where they enclose a pool, and may not run alongside an existing fence unless the CED Director waives that for good cause. Fences on anything but single-family lots need Planning Department approval.
• Demolition: the house or garage must be declared free of rodent harborage by a licensed pest control contractor at least 30 days before demolition; the application needs electric and gas wrecking clearances, water shut-off and cable and phone disconnection, a dust control plan and asbestos-safe handling. Open holes need snow fencing for up to 72 hours, then rigid 6-foot fencing until backfilled.
• Rentals: every rental property must be registered with CED, and short-term rentals have their own application.

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

Commercial permits

A business looking at a site files a Zoning Determination Request before signing a lease or buying, which confirms the zoning and any special approvals; it then goes through the Permit Center for a certificate of occupancy, which is required before any business opens. Fire suppression and alarm plans are reviewed in-house by the Fire Department at $85 an hour.

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

• Pre-development meeting. After a zoning determination, applicants are encouraged to meet staff for a conceptual review, using the city’s pre-application checklist.
• Site plan. Plans required under Article 11 of the zoning ordinance are approved by planning staff or sent to the Planning Commission.
• Special land use. Needs a Planning Commission public hearing and City Council approval under Article 12.
• Variances. Ferndale allows use variances as well as dimensional and sign variances; dimensional cases go to the Board of Zoning Appeals under Article 18 ($250 for a single-unit home; $1,000 for accessory dwelling, two-or-more-unit, commercial or industrial cases).
• Soil erosion. The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner is the soil erosion agency for Ferndale, for earth changes over an acre or over 225 square feet within 500 feet of a lake, stream, wetland or drain.
• Utilities and streets. New sewer and water service costs $2,000 on top of permit fees, and work in the street or sidewalk needs a right-of-way or engineering permit.

Ferndale permit costs and fees

All permit, license and registration fees are in the City Fee Schedule for fiscal year 2027 (July 2026), which the City Manager’s Office updates each year under the authority of the city code. Building and trade fees are percentages of the project value, and a $50 permit administration fee applies to each building, trade, sign, tent or right-of-way permit.

Worked example from the schedule: a $40,000 kitchen and bath remodel carries a building permit of $50 + 1.5% × $40,000 = $650, plus the $50 administration fee; if plans are reviewed, plan review is at least $50 + 0.25% × $40,000 = $150. The electrical work on the same job, valued at $8,000, is 3.5% × $8,000 = $280 plus its own $50 administration fee. Administration and plan review fees are never refunded, and only half of a building permit fee comes back, when the refund would exceed $100.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are separate applications priced on the job’s value. Licensed and registered contractors normally pull them, and the building application asks for the builder’s license number. The electrical application also asks for the contractor’s 24-hour emergency number and states that the permit gives no right to conceal wiring, even temporarily, before it is approved.

• Homeowner permits: Ferndale’s homeowner’s affidavit covers building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work on a single-family house that is, or will be when finished, the owner’s home, with no part rented or used commercially. The owner promises to live there for six months after the work, takes on a licensed contractor’s responsibility, may not subcontract any of the work and must call for inspection within 72 hours of finishing.
• Heating and cooling: the city’s building services page lets owners personally install a heating or refrigerating system in their dwelling, provided they secure the permit and get it inspected once the equipment is running.
• Sewer laterals: repairing a sanitary service lateral needs its own permit so the work meets the plumbing code.

How to apply for a Ferndale building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

A staff member reviews each online submission and replies. Projects that need site plan approval wait for staff or Planning Commission action, and special land uses need a public hearing and City Council approval before any building permit. Understating the project value is treated like starting without a permit and costs double the permit fee, and a permit extension costs $50.

Inspections and certificates in Ferndale

Inspections are scheduled on BS&A Online: choose the permit, the inspection type and a date from a calendar that shows only the inspector’s open slots, add contact details or documents, and a confirmation email follows. Contractors need a BS&A login to book. A failed inspection that has to be repeated costs $75.

A business needs a certificate of occupancy before it opens; the combined certificate and business registration fee is $300. The certificate of occupancy inspection request asks whether a utility billing account has been set up for the address, names the owner and the person who should receive the report, and routes the inspection through the building, plumbing and mechanical, electrical, fire and police reviewers, so set up the utility billing account before booking it. Code enforcement officers and rental inspectors in CED also inspect rental housing, with a published checklist of the most common violations.

Michigan building code in Ferndale

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the City of Ferndale (community 260262) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program with no special flood hazard area mapped.

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

Ferndale permit search and official resources

BS&A Online includes Building Department and rental property searches, so permits, inspections and rental registrations can be looked up by address. Older files, plans and other records are requested under the Freedom of Information Act through the city’s online public records portal.

• Ferndale Permit Center and forms
• City Fee Schedule FYE27 (July 2026)
• Building permit application
• Homeowner’s affidavit
• Zoning compliance permit application
• Fence permit application
• Demolition permit application
• Building, code enforcement and rental services
• Planning and zoning approvals
• Schedule an inspection
• Community and Economic Development staff
• Public records (FOIA) requests
• Oakland County soil erosion permits
• Bureau of Construction Codes Statewide Jurisdiction List
• FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan

Ferndale building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Ferndale?

$50 plus 1.5% of the project value, plus a $50 administration fee, under the fiscal year 2027 fee schedule; a $40,000 remodel is $700 before plan review.

Do I need a permit to do work myself?

Yes. A permit is required whether you do the work or hire someone, and owners pulling their own permits file the homeowner’s affidavit.

Can I install my own furnace in Ferndale?

Owners may install a heating or refrigerating system in their own dwelling, but must get the mechanical permit and an inspection once it is running.

Is there a permit fee for an EV charger or a switch to electric appliances?

No administration, permit or plan review fee applies to EV chargers, renewable energy systems or gas-to-electric appliance switches on properties of four units or fewer.

How much does a fence permit cost?

$50 under the fiscal year 2027 schedule.

Who handles soil erosion permits in Ferndale?

The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner, for qualifying earth changes in the city.

Do I need a permit to fix my sewer lateral?

Yes. Ferndale requires a permit to repair a sanitary service lateral so the work meets the plumbing code; a new sewer and water service costs $2,000 on top of permit fees.

How do I book an inspection?

Online through BS&A, picking a date from the inspector’s available calendar slots.

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