Fort Gratiot Charter Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

In Fort Gratiot Charter Township, permits come from the township’s Building Department at 3720 Keewahdin Road (810-385-4489, ext. 1112 for the Building Department Clerk). Under its Ordinance 206 the township enforces the state codes throughout its limits, issuing building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits. Allow 10 to 21 business days for plan review and 7 to 15 more for the permit to be approved, and book inspections 24 hours ahead because the inspectors work part-time.

What requires a building permit in Fort Gratiot?

Fort Gratiot applies the state construction code’s permit rules, and its forms add a township zoning compliance permit for small projects:

A zoning compliance permit needs drawings or photos, including the fence and exterior materials, and a plot plan; work cannot begin until the application is approved and the hold-harmless Zoning Compliance Affidavit is filed. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing work always needs its own separate application. New addresses need an address application, and the address must be posted in numerals at least 4 inches high before final occupancy.

What the township decides and what the state holds

The construction code is the state’s and cannot be amended locally. By Ordinance 206 (effective July 12, 2011) Fort Gratiot adopted the state codes and took responsibility for enforcing them throughout the township; it sets its own fees, zoning ordinance, sign rules and address standards.

Fort Gratiot building department: who handles permitting

The state’s Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes, revised November 6, 2026) marks Fort Gratiot Township LOCAL for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing, and St. Clair County runs no county construction code program. The Building Official, Eric Bowerman, is also the township’s plumbing and mechanical inspector; a separate building inspector and electrical inspector complete the staff. The City of Port Huron and Port Huron Charter Township are separate units with their own programs.

The Planning Department handles zoning, site plans and new-business checks; once a business is approved for its location, the Clerk’s Office issues the township business license.

Fort Gratiot permit types and what comes first

The Building Department posts a new property address application and five permit forms: the building permit application, separate electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications, and the zoning compliance permit with its hold-harmless affidavit. Applications must be complete and in ink; faxed or pencilled applications are refused.

Residential permits

Bring two complete sets of prints with all structural information; the township keeps one and returns the rest when the permit is issued. Contractors show picture identification, proof of license, proof of liability insurance and a federal ID number. The application asks for the stories, use group, construction type, height (including the wall height of a detached accessory building), floor areas, bedrooms and bathrooms, basement type and deck dimensions, and the value of the work. A plot plan must show lot dimensions, streets and easements, existing and proposed structures, setbacks, a north arrow, drains and utility locations; on a road with planned right-of-way, the front setback is measured from the road centerline under Section 38-442 M, and some projects need a professional survey.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial jobs need three complete sets of prints. Work inside Birchwood Mall, 4350 24th Avenue, needs plans signed and sealed with the mall’s stamped approval and the unit number on the application. Where site plan approval is required, file the Planning Commission application with five copies of the site plan (24 by 36 inches minimum), the filing fee and the preliminary review deposit at least 30 days before the meeting. The site plan goes to the township’s DPW superintendent, assessor, fire chief, building inspector and its planning and engineering consultants, whose written comments reach the Planning Commission and the applicant before the meeting; an incomplete plan is not placed on the agenda, and a pre-planning meeting is recommended. The township’s 2019 procedure guide gives the meeting as the second Tuesday at 7 p.m. If the Commission approves, the chair signs and dates the plan; minor revisions are noted, and a plan needing extensive revisions is marked denied with reasons. Surface water must drain to an approved county drain unless the Commission grants an exception. The Building Department may issue a building permit only after it receives the approved site plan, any engineering plans and the health department, road and drain commission approvals, and site plan approval expires after 365 days unless a building permit has been issued or an extension granted. Several zoning amendments, on exterior materials, planned shopping centers, signs, the C-2 district and solar energy systems, are in effect but not yet in the online code; the Planning Department posts them as PDFs.

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

The building application lists the outside permits that must be in hand before the building permit is approved, where they apply:

• EGLE: high risk erosion and shoreland protection permits, wetland assessments, and water, sewer and air-quality permits.
• MDOT: work on a state trunkline.
• St. Clair County Road Commission: driveway and culvert permits on county roads (21 Airport Drive, St. Clair; 810-364-5720).
• St. Clair County Health Department: well, septic, soil erosion and food establishment permits (Environmental Health, 220 Fort Street, Port Huron; 810-987-5306).
• St. Clair County Drain Commissioner: stormwater retention, detention and discharge approval.
• Flood zone: a FEMA Letter of Map Amendment or a professional elevation survey showing the building is above flood levels, or plans that meet the flood standards.

Fort Gratiot permit costs and fees

The township prints its trade permit fees on the electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications and its zoning compliance fee on that form. Building permit fees are not printed on the building application or the department page; applicants are notified of the amount when the permit is ready for payment, and the Building Department Clerk (ext. 1112) answers fee questions.

Worked example from the electrical form: a homeowner adding four new circuits, one of them feeding an EV charger outlet, pays the $75 application fee, 4 × $8 = $32 for circuits, $10 for the outlet and the $75 final inspection, a total of $192. The county doubles its septic and well permit fees when a system is installed without a permit, and a soil erosion permit waiver for earth changes under 225 square feet costs $55; a seawall is $175.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The township issues electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits on its own forms, each starting with a $75 application fee and a $75 final inspection. Contractors register with the township when they apply ($20 for electrical, $15 for mechanical or plumbing) and give their license number and expiry, federal and state employer numbers and workers’ compensation carrier or reason for exemption.

• Homeowners: each trade form has a homeowner affidavit for work the owner installs personally in his or her own home, lived in or about to be occupied, with all inspections arranged by the owner.
• Electrical plans: required, sealed by a Michigan architect or engineer, when the service exceeds 400 amps and the building exceeds 3,500 square feet.
• Mechanical: a residential heating system is $50 (duct and pipe included), air conditioning or a residential heat pump $30, and gas piping $5 per opening. Mechanical plans are not needed for a one- or two-family home whose heating and cooling input is 375,000 Btu per hour or less, for minor work, or for an HVAC-only business, mercantile or storage building of one fire area up to 3,500 square feet.
• Plumbing: the form is signed by a plumbing contractor, master plumber, water treatment installer or the homeowner. Plumbing plans are not needed for a one- or two-family home up to 3,500 square feet, for minor work, or for assembly, business, mercantile and storage buildings needing fewer than 12 fixtures.
• Sequence: each trade form asks whether a building permit has been issued or applied for, so file the trade permits after the building application.

How to apply for a Fort Gratiot permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The township warns that incomplete, faxed or pencilled applications will not be accepted. Missing outside approvals are the other common hold, since the building application lists the road commission, health department, drain commissioner and EGLE permits as needed before approval, and lakeshore lots can need EGLE high risk erosion or shoreland permits.

Inspections and occupancy in Fort Gratiot

Schedule every inspection through the Building Department Clerk with the property address, permit number and the best time to reach the site, at least 24 hours ahead; the inspectors are part-time and attend training through the year. Inspection windows are:

• Building: Monday to Friday, 8 to 11:30 a.m.
• Electrical: Monday to Thursday, 3 to 6 p.m. (service, rough and final).
• Mechanical and plumbing: Tuesday and Thursday, 3:30 to 6 p.m.

Building stages are a ground-water check at excavation, footing before concrete, foundation or basement, backfill, floor joists and decking, rough framing, insulation, the drywall nail pattern on commercial jobs, and occupancy. A temporary “to stock only” certificate lets owners move belongings in when the building is not yet safe to live in. The final certificate of occupancy comes from the building inspector after the electrical, mechanical and plumbing finals, and the Building Department books any fire department inspections needed. The street address must be posted first; in office, business and industrial districts it also goes on the main freestanding sign, at least 2 feet above grade.

Michigan building code in Fort Gratiot

Fort Gratiot enforces the state code itself under Ordinance 206 and has adopted the International Fire Code for fire prevention. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the Charter Township of Fort Gratiot (community 260198) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective July 19, 2022.

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

Fort Gratiot permit search and official resources

The township keeps inspection histories on computer, so a call to the Building Department confirms when an inspection was done. For copies of permit files or plans, send a written Freedom of Information Act request to the township at 3720 Keewahdin Road.

• Fort Gratiot Building Department
• Building permit application
• Electrical permit application
• Mechanical permit application
• Plumbing permit application
• Zoning compliance permit and hold-harmless affidavit
• New property address application
• Planning Department and ordinances
• Site plan submittal procedures
• Planning Commission application
• Planning Commission
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• St. Clair County Environmental Health fees (Oct. 1, 2026)
• St. Clair County Road Commission permits
• State Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes)

Fort Gratiot building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Fort Gratiot?

The township’s own Building Department at 3720 Keewahdin Road, for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work.

How long does plan review take?

The township asks applicants to allow 10 to 21 business days for plan review and 7 to 15 business days for the permit to be approved.

Do I need a permit for a fence or small shed?

Yes, a $25 zoning compliance permit for fences, sheds and decks under 200 square feet, above-ground pools and ponds.

Can I do my own wiring or plumbing?

Yes, in your own home that you live in or are about to occupy, by signing the homeowner affidavit on the trade form.

When are inspections done?

Building on weekday mornings, electrical Monday to Thursday afternoons, and mechanical and plumbing on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons; give 24 hours’ notice.

What county permits might I need?

Road commission driveway or culvert permits, health department well, septic and soil erosion permits, and drain commissioner stormwater approval.

What about a lakefront lot?

The township lists EGLE high risk erosion and shoreland protection permits, and a flood-zone survey or Letter of Map Amendment, among the approvals needed first.

Can I file by fax?

No. Faxed, incomplete or pencilled applications are not accepted.

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