Gratiot County, Michigan Building Permit Guide

In Gratiot County the building permit and the trade permits come from different governments. The Gratiot County Department of Community Development, 214 E. Center Street, Ithaca (989-875-5201, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.), led by Department Head and Building Official Anthony Miller, issues building permits in the three villages, all 16 townships and the City of Ithaca, which contracts with the county; it also inspects for the City of Alma. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits and inspections everywhere in the county are handled by the state Bureau of Construction Codes. The county also issues soil erosion permits and, in six townships, zoning permits.

What requires a building permit in Gratiot County?

The department applies the state construction code to new houses, additions, garages and pole buildings, manufactured and modular homes, and commercial buildings, and it issues addresses and temporary occupancy approvals. The City of Ithaca, which uses the county’s inspector, spells out that building permits are needed for new construction and remodeling, including roofs.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The state sets the code and, in Gratiot, keeps the trades: no local unit here runs electrical, mechanical or plumbing enforcement. The county decides how its building program runs, from appointment inspections to invoicing after approval, and adopts the county zoning, solar energy, wind energy and battery energy storage ordinances that apply where county zoning applies. The county’s requirements page asks for architect-sealed plans for homes over 3,500 square feet as well as for commercial buildings.

Gratiot County building department: who handles permitting

The Bureau of Construction Codes’ Statewide Jurisdiction List (revised November 6, 2026) shows the county enforcing the building code in the three villages and 16 townships, the three cities enforcing it locally, and the state holding electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits in all 22 units. The county’s 2025 annual report (dated February 3, 2026) describes how that works on the ground.

Populations are 2025 Census estimates. The annual report names Anthony Miller as the department head and building official; a deputy permits officer screens applications, and a zoning administrator also inspects. The same office administers the Planning Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Construction Board of Appeals, and under an intergovernmental agreement it enforces blight ordinances for Elba, Fulton, Lafayette, New Haven, North Shade, North Star, Sumner and Wheeler townships and the villages of Ashley and Perrinton.

No Michigan county joins the National Flood Insurance Program; each city, village or township that participates does so on its own.

Gratiot County permit types

The county uses the state’s BCC-324 building permit application. Page one covers the project; page two must be completed and signed by the applicant; page three is the site plan; page four carries the soil erosion section and, where it applies, a DA form. If a homeowner is doing the construction, write “Homeowner” in the contractor space.

Residential permits

• Houses under 3,500 square feet. Application, energy compliance statement and at least two sets of plans with foundation and floor plans, a roof and wall section, building elevations and a site plan.
• Mobile and premanufactured homes. Two sets of foundation plans showing how the unit is anchored, a site plan and the energy statement; for Michigan-approved units, a copy of the Building System Approval and the approved plans.
• Additions and pole structures. The county posts separate requirement sheets for each.
• Agricultural buildings. The county posts an affidavit of agricultural use structure among its zoning forms.
• New addresses. The building official also reviews and issues new address requests; the address application form is on the Community Development page, and the county issued 34 address permits in 2025.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings, and one- and two-family homes over 3,500 square feet, need at least two sets of plans sealed by an architect, with electrical, mechanical and plumbing approvals. The trade plans themselves go to the state, which reviews and inspects those systems.

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. A copy of the township zoning permit, or a letter of township approval, must be in hand before a building permit issues. The county itself issues zoning permits ($60) only in Elba, Hamilton, Lafayette, Newark, North Star and Sumner townships under the county zoning ordinance; elsewhere ask the township’s zoning official. In Ithaca, zoning approval from the city comes first for additions, decks, garages, sheds and fences.
• Well and septic. The Mid-Michigan Health Department issues the permits, and the county needs a copy. An existing well or septic system may be reused, but one more than 10 years old that has not been in use needs an evaluation first.
• Soil erosion. The county Permits Office runs the program under Part 91 and the county ordinance everywhere except St. Louis; a permit is needed for earth changes of an acre or more, or within 500 feet of a lake, stream, river or open county drain, and it goes in with the zoning or building packet.
• Driveways. The Gratiot County Road Commission handles driveway permits, curb cuts and other work affecting county roads.
• Energy facilities. Solar, wind and battery storage projects follow the county’s own ordinances in county-zoned townships.

Gratiot County permit costs and fees

The county does not post its building permit fee schedule online. After the building official approves an application, the permit is entered in BS&A and a fee invoice is sent to the applicant with payment options; the permit issues once it is paid. Call 989-875-5201 for a quote before you apply. For scale, the 2025 annual report shows 223 building permits issued and $133,582.59 invoiced across the county, Alma and St. Louis. Trade permit fees are the state’s.

Worked example (soil erosion). A new house on a site under one acre within 500 feet of a stream pays the $25 plan review fee plus the $100 new-home permit, or $125, plus $30 for each monthly inspection the county schedules for the project’s risk level. A county zoning permit, where the county zones, is $60.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The state list gives every Gratiot unit the same trade answer, and the county page puts it plainly: electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits and inspections are reviewed and completed by the State of Michigan. Apply to the Bureau of Construction Codes (bccpermits@michigan.gov or 517-241-9313); the county’s requirements page notes you can mail a completed state application with payment or apply online.

• Licensed contractors. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors hold state licenses, and residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors are licensed by the state; the county keeps contractor registration update and change-of-contractor forms for its building permits.
• Homeowners. The county accepts “Homeowner” as the contractor on a building permit; whether you may take out your own trade permits is the state’s decision, so ask the bureau.
• Sequence. The county’s rough inspection comes only after the electrical, mechanical and plumbing rough-ins are in place and approved, so the state inspections must be done first.

How to apply for a building permit in Gratiot County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

An incomplete packet goes back to the applicant with a list of what is missing, and nothing issues without the zoning permit and, where needed, the well and septic permits. Commercial plans without an architect’s seal or trade approvals stall, and a certificate of occupancy waits until every fee is paid and every permit, state trade permits included, is final.

Inspections and occupancy in Gratiot County

County building inspections are by appointment and, barring the unforeseen, done within two business days; results are recorded in written reports and noted on the permit copy on site. Call the county for these stages:

• Footing. After the forms are set, before concrete is poured.
• Foundation (backfill). After footings, walls, waterproofing and drain tile are in, before backfilling.
• Rough. After the roof, framing, fire stopping and bracing are in place and the state has approved the trade rough-ins, before insulation.
• Final. When the building is complete, before anyone moves in.

A certificate of occupancy has to be requested; a phone call is accepted, but the county recommends a written request listing the building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permit numbers.

Michigan building code

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

Gratiot County building permit FAQs

Does Gratiot County issue electrical or plumbing permits?

No. The state Bureau of Construction Codes issues and inspects all electrical, mechanical and plumbing work in Gratiot County, including the cities.

Who issues building permits in Ithaca?

The City of Ithaca contracts building inspection to the county: get zoning approval from the city first, then the county inspector issues the building permit.

How fast are inspections?

By appointment, normally within two business days.

Does the county do zoning?

Only in Elba, Hamilton, Lafayette, Newark, North Star and Sumner townships, where its zoning permit is $60. Other townships and the cities run their own zoning.

Can I reuse an old well or septic system?

Yes, but if it is more than 10 years old and has not been in use, the county needs an evaluation of it before issuing the building permit.

How do I get a certificate of occupancy?

Ask the county once all inspections pass, ideally in writing with your building and trade permit numbers; it is issued only after all fees are paid and every permit is final.

How do I appeal a building code decision?

Use the county’s Building Code of Appeals application on the Community Development page; the department staffs the Construction Board of Appeals.

Does the Zoning Board of Appeals meet monthly?

No. It meets as needed, and its meetings are live-streamed on the county’s YouTube channel.

Gratiot County permit search and official resources

Permit files are kept digitally in the county’s BS&A system after the paper file is scanned; ask Community Development about a permit at an address. For copies, the county posts a Freedom of Information Act request form, and the annual report notes that complaint records also require a FOIA request.

• Gratiot County Department of Community Development
• Requirements for obtaining building permits
• Building permit application (BCC-324)
• Community Development annual report 2025
• County zoning permit application
• Gratiot County zoning ordinance
• Solar energy ordinance
• Wind energy ordinance
• Battery energy storage systems ordinance
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Soil erosion and sedimentation control division
• Soil erosion permit application and fees
• City of Ithaca building and zoning
• Gratiot County GIS
• Gratiot County FOIA request
• Bureau of Construction Codes Statewide Jurisdiction List

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