Lenawee County, Michigan Building Permit Guide

The state’s Statewide Jurisdiction List marks Lenawee County NO COUNTY PROGRAM, and the county’s own permits page tells applicants to contact their city, village or township for building, trade, driveway and zoning questions. Nineteen of the 34 units enforce all four codes themselves; in 12 others the state Bureau of Construction Codes issues one or more trade permits, and in Deerfield, Dover and Ogden townships it issues every permit. The county’s own roles are soil erosion (the Drain Commissioner, 517-264-4696) and wells and septic systems (the Health Department).

What requires a building permit in Lenawee County?

The state code sets what needs a permit everywhere in Lenawee County; what changes from place to place is the office that issues it. A typical house project touches three layers: the local building office (or the state), the local zoning office, and the county offices for earth work and water.

The soil erosion rule exempts plowing and tilling for crops and some logging and mining work. In the City of Adrian, the city Engineering Department is an authorized public agency for its own work, and construction plans that meet the Part 91 thresholds go to the Drain Commission, as the city’s permits page explains.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The construction code is the state’s and cannot be changed locally. Lenawee County chose not to enforce it, so each local unit decided for itself, and where a unit chose not to cover a trade, the state Bureau of Construction Codes issues that permit and inspects the work. Zoning is local too. The county keeps the Part 91 soil erosion program (the Drain Commissioner is the appointed county enforcing agency), the well and sewage programs and county drains.

Lenawee County building department: who handles permitting

There is no county building department to call. Find the city, village or township first; the county Equalization Department will tell you which of the 26 assessing units a parcel sits in (301 N. Main Street, Old Courthouse first floor, Adrian; 517-264-4522; Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).

“State” means the state Bureau of Construction Codes issues that permit and sends its own inspector. The largest city, Adrian (20,191 residents by the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate), issues all four permits from its Inspection Division on the third floor of City Hall, 135 E. Maumee Street (517-264-4814). Adrian Charter Township is a separate unit with its own program. Cement City lies partly in Jackson County. After Adrian, the largest cities and villages are Tecumseh (8,608), Blissfield (3,262), Clinton (2,481) and Hudson (2,347), each with its own forms and fees.

Lenawee County permit types

Because each local unit runs its own program, forms and fees differ across the county. The county-level permits are the same everywhere.

Residential permits

• Building: from the local unit (or the state in Deerfield, Dover and Ogden townships), usually with plans, a site plan and the local zoning approval.
• Trades: from the local unit or the state, following the table above; in the villages of Addison, Cement City, Clayton and Deerfield and in Blissfield Township, for example, a new house gets its building permit locally and its electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits from the state.
• Wells: a Health Department permit before building begins for new and replacement wells serving single-family homes.
• Septic: the Health Department has jurisdiction over public and private on-site sewage systems handling up to 10,000 gallons a day, including homes, businesses, campgrounds, restaurants and schools; larger systems need a state EGLE permit. Each application gets a site evaluation of soil permeability, seasonal high water table, land area and distance from wells, and every system must be inspected and approved before use. Lots under one acre have their own application procedure.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work follows the same split: the local unit or the state for building and trades, local zoning and site plan review, and the county for soil erosion. Some public buildings also need a Health Department well permit, and a non-residential on-site sewage system needs the department’s $260 plan review before its construction permit. Municipal sewer systems such as Adrian’s are regulated by the state environmental agency, so a sewer connection is arranged with the city or village that owns the system.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit applications through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning: the township, city or village zoning office; the county links its planning commission, run with Region 2 Planning, from its municipalities page.
• Soil erosion: submit the application, checklist items and fee to the Drain Commissioner, 320 Springbrook Avenue, Suite 102, Adrian (517-264-4696); applications can also be sent online.
• County roads: right-of-way and driveway permits from the Lenawee County Road Commission, filed only through its Oxcart online system ((517) 265-6971).
• Wells and septic: Environmental Health, 1040 S. Winter Street, Suite 2328, Adrian (517-264-5214).

Lenawee County permit costs and fees

Building and trade fees are set by whichever agency issues the permit: each city, village and township adopts its own schedule, and the state charges its own fees where it is the enforcing agency. The City of Adrian, for example, follows the state Bureau of Construction Codes fee schedule it adopted in 2010, with a $100 building application fee and $75 trade application fees. The county itself publishes two schedules that apply across Lenawee: the Drain Commissioner’s soil erosion fees and the Health Department’s sewage and well fees (updated February 24, 2026).

Worked example from the two county schedules: a new house on an unsewered lot within 500 feet of a stream pays the Health Department $350 for the combined sewage and well site evaluation, $205 for the sewage system construction permit and $105 for the well permit ($660 in all), plus the Drain Commissioner’s $150 soil erosion permit and a $100 refundable bond. The local building and trade permits and any Road Commission permit are added on top. If a permit holder is cited for a soil erosion violation, every later residential permit for that applicant needs a $500 cash performance deposit. The Road Commission adds Oxcart’s processing fee, a 2.9% card fee and a $0.30 transaction fee to its own permit fee.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Who issues electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits depends entirely on the unit:

• Local for all trades: the 19 units in the first row of the table, plus electrical and mechanical work in Hudson Township.
• Electrical local, mechanical and plumbing state: Morenci and the townships of Macon, Medina, Rome, Seneca and Woodstock.
• Plumbing state only: Hudson Township.
• All trades state: the villages of Addison, Cement City, Clayton and Deerfield, and the townships of Blissfield, Deerfield, Dover and Ogden.

Contractors hold state trade licenses, and the permit applications ask for the license number. Homeowner permits for work on the owner’s own home are handled under the rules of whichever office issues the permit; local offices such as Adrian put a homeowner option on their trade forms.

How to get a building permit in Lenawee County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The main risk in Lenawee County is filing with the wrong office: the county issues no building permits, and in units where the state holds a trade, the local office does not issue that permit. The Road Commission no longer takes permits in person, so allow for online processing. Soil erosion review happens at the Drain Commissioner’s office, which may ask for more information before it issues the permit; if a builder rather than the landowner applies, the owner must sign the application’s designated agent statement.

Inspections in Lenawee County

Inspections are booked with whichever office issued each permit. In a unit where building is local and the trades are state, expect two sets of inspectors: the local building inspector for footings, framing and final, and state inspectors for the electrical, mechanical or plumbing work. In Adrian, for example, building inspections run Monday to Thursday, electrical on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and mechanical and plumbing on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons, all with 24 hours’ notice.

The Drain Commissioner inspects soil erosion controls under its permit. The permit holder must keep the controls working until the site reaches final grade and vegetation, the inspector may order added measures, and a permit that lapses before the site is stable must be renewed with a new fee (an extension bought before expiry costs only the extension fee). The Health Department inspects each well and septic system and must approve it before it is used; a red-tagged system costs $150 to reinspect. The final building inspection and certificate of occupancy come from the building office once the trade finals, from local or state inspectors, are approved.

Michigan building code in Lenawee County

Lenawee County has no county enforcing agency; the local units and the state enforce the code. No Michigan county is a National Flood Insurance Program community: each city, village and township joins on its own. FEMA lists the City of Adrian and Adrian Charter Township as participating communities with flood maps dated August 15, 2019; ask the local unit about flood maps elsewhere in the county.

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

Lenawee County permit search and official resources

Permit records are kept by the office that issued each permit: the local building department, or the state for state-issued permits. Property records can be searched through the county’s BS&A link from the Equalization page, and questions about a specific assessment go to the local unit’s assessor.

• Lenawee County permits page
• Cities, townships and villages in Lenawee County
• Equalization Department
• Environmental Health programs (wells and septic)
• Drain Commissioner
• Soil erosion and sedimentation control permits
• Soil erosion application and fee schedule
• Sewage disposal program
• Environmental Health fee schedule (2026)
• Lenawee County Road Commission permits
• City of Adrian construction inspection
• Michigan Statewide Jurisdiction List

Lenawee County building permit FAQs

Does Lenawee County issue building permits?

No. The state lists Lenawee as having no county program, and the county tells applicants to contact their city, village or township.

Where does the state issue the permits?

In Deerfield, Dover and Ogden townships for every permit, and for one or more trades in 12 other units, including Morenci and the villages of Addison, Cement City, Clayton and Deerfield.

Who issues soil erosion permits?

The Lenawee County Drain Commissioner, for earth changes of an acre or more or within 500 feet of a lake or stream.

Do I need a permit for a new well?

Yes. The Health Department issues permits for new and replacement wells serving single-family homes before building begins; a single-residence well permit is $105.

How much does a septic permit cost?

A one- or two-family sewage system construction permit is $205 ($355 with multiple inspections), after a site evaluation of $205 for the system alone or $350 with a well.

How do I get a driveway permit on a county road?

Apply through the Road Commission’s Oxcart online system; permits are no longer processed in person.

How do I find which township a property is in?

Call the county Equalization Department at 517-264-4522.

Who issues permits in the City of Adrian?

The city’s Inspection Division at City Hall, for all four trades.

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