Grand Blanc Charter Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

In the Charter Township of Grand Blanc, building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits come from the township’s Building Division, 5371 S. Saginaw Road, Grand Blanc (810-424-2600, ext. 2904), where Dave Martinez is the Building Official. The City of Grand Blanc is a different government with its own office. Contractors and owners apply on BS&A Online after registering, commercial work begins with a PZE (Planning, Zoning, Engineering) process, and fees follow the township schedule effective January 1, 2026.

What requires a building permit in Grand Blanc Charter Township?

The township sorts work into three online routes: residential permits that need no PZE review, commercial permits that must clear PZE first, and site permits for fences, small sheds and signs. Its fee schedule lists the building work it charges for, from new homes and additions to demolition, manufactured home set-ups in parks, landfill and excavation, and fire suppression systems.

The township’s FAQ reminds owners that it is the property owner, not the contractor, who is responsible for making sure every job has its permits before work starts.

What the township decides and what the state holds

Grand Blanc Township decides its fees, contractor registration, zoning, engineering standards and inspection schedule, and its own inspectors cover every trade. The state’s jurisdiction list marks the township LOCAL for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing, so no part of a permit goes to the state. The construction rules are the statewide Michigan codes, which the township cannot amend.

Grand Blanc Charter Township building department: who handles permitting

The Building Division has a building official who is also the building inspector, a plumbing and mechanical inspector and an electrical inspector, and all of them review plans. Planning & Zoning, in the same building, handles site permits and the PZE process. The rest of the township hall keeps hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday.

Grand Blanc Charter Township permit types

Online filing needs a BS&A Online account linked to the contractor’s township registration; the township posts a short demo and troubleshooting notes for linking the two. Contractors register for $15 and renew when their state license expires, and the FAQ says a permit will not issue until the contractor proves the required insurance. Homeowners pulling their own permit sign page 4 of the application.

Residential permits

• New houses use the New House Application Checklist: a DPW meter order form, energy data for windows, doors and skylights, a setback and grade permit with an 11 × 17-inch plot plan drawn by a licensed surveyor, a right-of-way permit or waiver from the Road Commission, a soil erosion permit and a “B” permit from the Drain Commissioner. Houses over 3,500 square feet need sealed structural calculations, and incomplete applications are not accepted.
• Additions, decks, garages and pools follow the township’s detail sheets and example plot plans, which show setbacks from the right-of-way and side and rear lines, plus any wetlands and power lines.
• Foundation and as-built certifications and an occupancy application are on the forms page.

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

Commercial permits

All commercial permits start with a PZE (Planning, Zoning, Engineering) process filed on BS&A. Call Planning & Zoning first to confirm which type of PZE to apply for; only after it is complete can the commercial building and trade permits be requested. Plans for assembly, institutional, mercantile, covered mall, hotel and motel buildings, buildings with smoke control and buildings over two stories carry 1.5 times the normal plan review fee, and plan review by an outside consultant is passed through to the applicant.

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

• Soil erosion. Genesee County Drain Commissioner Water & Waste Services reviews every proposed earth change. A permit is needed when the change is over one acre or within 500 feet of an inland lake or stream; a waiver may be granted for smaller jobs farther from water, jobs stabilized within 24 hours, or earthwork under 225 square feet.
• Addresses and driveways. Requested through the Genesee County Road Commission’s online permit system under its addressing policy. The commission (211 West Oakley Street, Flint; 810-767-4920; Monday to Thursday) uses Oxcart for every job in a county road right-of-way and takes payment by card once staff approve the request.
• Water and sewer. Township DPW handles meters and sewer and water inspections (ext. 2903); the county’s “B” permit covers the new utility connection.
• Septic and wells. Lots without public utilities need Genesee County Health Department permits: a perc test and septic permit at $220 each for a home and a $200 private well permit. Septic systems are installed by a contractor licensed by the Health Department, or by the owner under its supervision, and are inspected before backfilling.

Grand Blanc Charter Township permit costs and fees

The Building Division fee schedule took effect on January 1, 2026. Value comes from the valuation data in the quarterly Building Official & Code Administrator publication (as amended December 10, 2024), or the actual cost when special features and upgrades are used, whichever is greater, and new houses use an adjusted gross area modifier of 111.

Worked example from the schedule: a new house valued at $250,000 sits in the $100,001 to $500,000 band, so the permit fee is $900.25 plus $7.25 for each of the 150 thousands (or part) over $100,001, or $1,987.75. A 2,400-square-foot plan review adds $200 and the schedule’s single-family inspection fee $90, and a one-acre lot’s setback and grade permit $100. The bands do not join up at $500,000 (the third band ends near $3,800 and the fourth starts at $4,086), so price larger jobs in their own band.

Other items: mobile home set-ups in a park $300 per site; landfill and excavation $75 for the first acre plus $25 an acre; Building Board of Appeals $500; occupancy-only inspections $125 residential and $275 commercial; an owner-requested code inspection of an existing house $325. Temporary certificates of occupancy need a refundable bond of $2,500 or 110% of the unfinished work, whichever is more. The FAQ still says unpermitted work is charged twice the normal fee; the 2026 schedule caps that extra charge at $100.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The township’s Electrical Division and its Mechanical and Plumbing Division approve trade permits and inspect the work, and each trade has its own fee chart on the PZE page. Trade contractors register with the township like builders, and their BS&A account must be linked to that registration before they can apply online.

• Residential trade plan review applies to larger homes: $150 per trade from 3,500 to 5,000 square feet, $175 to 7,500, and $175 plus $35 per 1,000 square feet above that.
• Commercial trade plan review is a quarter of the building plan review fee for each trade, at least $100.
• Fire suppression review runs from $115 for up to 20 heads to $290 plus 50 cents a head over 500; limited-area and hood systems are $150 each.
• Sewer and water work at the meter is inspected by the township Department of Public Works, not by the plumbing inspector.

The township’s FAQ suggests owners call the Building Division before signing a contract to check that the contractor is licensed and registered.

How to apply for a Grand Blanc Charter Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The new-house checklist warns that incomplete applications are not accepted, and the forms page lists what each page of the application must show, so a missing plot plan, license number or signature sends the file back. Responding to comments in the portal keeps the file moving; commercial projects cannot reach building review until PZE is complete.

Inspections in Grand Blanc Charter Township

Request inspections on BS&A Online for the next day or a later date, or leave a message on the 24-hour voicemail line, 810-424-2690: calls made before 7:00 a.m. can get a same-day visit. Give the date and type of inspection (a time only for footings), the permit address and number with its prefix, your name, company and phone, and any lockbox code. Inspections are performed Monday to Thursday, and any re-inspection fee must be paid first.

The schedule lists the common stages: foundation, backfill, garage footing, pea rock, sump and drainage, masonry, underslab vapor barrier, rough, insulation and final. Special inspections are $90 an hour, and overtime inspections need the Building Official’s approval at $90 an hour with a two-hour minimum. Occupancy needs an occupancy application and final approval.

Michigan building code in Grand Blanc Charter Township

All four parts of the state code are enforced by the township’s own Building Division. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the Township of Grand Blanc (community 260079) as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community with flood maps dated September 25, 2009, and wetlands on a lot must be shown on the plot plan.

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

Grand Blanc Charter Township permit search and official resources

Applications, payments and inspection requests run through BS&A Online, so an account holder can follow a permit there. For older records such as plans or certificates of occupancy, use the township’s online Freedom of Information Act request center, linked from its website, or call the Building Division at 810-424-2600, ext. 2904.

• Grand Blanc Township Building Division
• Online permits, PZE process, fee charts and detail sheets
• Building permits and forms, soil erosion and addressing
• Inspection requests and inspector contacts
• Building permit fee schedule, effective January 1, 2026
• New house application checklist
• Building FAQs
• GCDC-WWS soil erosion and B permits
• Genesee County Road Commission permits and addresses
• Genesee County Health Department septic permits
• Genesee County Health Department well permits
• Bureau of Construction Codes Statewide Jurisdiction List
• FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan

Grand Blanc Charter Township building permit FAQs

Does the City of Grand Blanc handle township permits?

No. The Charter Township of Grand Blanc has its own Building Division at 5371 S. Saginaw Road; the city is separate.

Can I get a same-day inspection?

Yes, if you leave the request on the voicemail line, 810-424-2690, before 7:00 a.m.; otherwise inspections are next-day, Monday to Thursday.

Why does my commercial permit need PZE first?

The township requires a Planning, Zoning, Engineering process for every commercial permit; Planning & Zoning tells you which type to file.

How much is a permit for a $250,000 house?

The permit fee is $1,987.75 under the 2026 schedule, plus plan review by floor area, the $90 inspection fee and the setback and grade permit.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

A residential shed of 200 square feet or less takes a zoning compliance permit from Planning & Zoning; anything larger needs a building permit.

Who issues electrical and plumbing permits?

The township’s own Building Division; Grand Blanc Township is LOCAL for every trade.

What if work started before the permit?

The 2026 schedule adds a charge equal to the permit fee, up to $100, paid before the permit is issued.

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