In Lincoln Charter Township, Berrien County, the township’s Department of Building Safety reviews every set of plans and issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits from the township hall at 2055 W. John Beers Road, Stevensville (269-287-3548); James L. Pheifer is the Building Official. Berrien County has no building program. Permit fees follow a valuation scale in force since April 1, 2022, with plan review at 65% of the permit fee on projects over $50,000, so a $250,000 project pays $1,891 plus $1,229.
What requires a building permit in Lincoln Charter Township?
The department covers construction, additions, alterations, repairs, moving buildings, changes of occupancy and demolition, and it enforces the township’s rules on building, wiring, heating, plumbing and cooling. Its posted handouts show the jobs it sees most and what each needs.
Building Safety permits
- New houses, additions and commercial buildings, on the building permit and plan examination application
- Decks, with a site plan and a cross-section showing footings, joists and railings
- Swimming pools, on a pool permit plus an electrical permit
- Re-roofing, with a roofing questionnaire and a tear-off inspection
- Residential and commercial demolition
- Manufactured home set-ups, with building, electrical, plumbing, air conditioning and gas line fees
Zoning and other township permits
- Fences, walls and hedges, approved by the zoning administrator ($25)
- Zoning compliance permits ($25 residential, $50 commercial)
- Water and sewer connections ($75 application)
- Rental property registration under Chapter 8 of the General Ordinances
- Home occupation permits and business licenses
Deck rules on the township handout call for guards where the walking surface is 30 inches or more above grade, pier footings 42 inches deep and at least 12 inches across, and no dry-mix concrete. The roofing questionnaire requires ice and water shield to reach 24 inches inside the heated space.
What the township decides and what the state holds
The state’s jurisdiction list shows Lincoln enforcing all four construction codes itself. The code is set by the state; the township controls its fee schedules, its zoning ordinance (amended through October 19, 2019), its rental registration program, and the order in which it reviews and inspects work.
Lincoln Charter Township building department: who handles permitting
The Department of Building Safety issues all building and construction permits, and registered inspectors carry out the inspections. Every set of plans is reviewed before a permit is issued, and staff meet builders, architects and fire inspectors before large projects begin. James L. Pheifer, who holds ICC certification, is the township’s Building Official.
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Get a free quote →| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Office | Department of Building Safety, 2055 W. John Beers Road, P.O. Box 279, Stevensville, MI 49127 |
| Building department | 269-287-3548 (applications and building inspection requests) |
| Township hall / fax | 269-429-1589 / 269-429-0880 |
| Applications by email | Building@LCTBerrien.org |
| Trades | Building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing all enforced by the township |
The Village of Stevensville sits inside the township and appears on the state list as its own enforcing unit. Lincoln’s forms page says the township administers all building and trade permits for the village except signs and fences, which the village issues itself; the village also runs its own rental permits and inspections. Lincoln Charter Township is a different place from the Lincoln Townships in other Michigan counties.
Lincoln Charter Township permit types
The township posts separate applications for building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, fence, swimming pool, and water and sewer permits, with checklists for residential and commercial construction. Each permit is paid by its own check, and the trade forms say payment in cash or by check is needed before processing.
Residential permits
- New homes and additions. The application asks for a site plan with property lines and setbacks, a floor plan, all elevations and a cross-section, in two paper copies and one digital copy. Plans for one- and two-family homes under 3,500 square feet do not need an architect’s or engineer’s seal.
- Pools. A pool must be enclosed by a fence at least 48 inches high, the sketch must show lot lines, the septic system, the well and overhead wires, and the work must be finished within six months of the permit.
- Fences. A $25 permit approved by the zoning administrator, with the finished side facing the neighbors; MISS DIG must be called before digging.
- Expired permits. Re-opening one costs $75.
Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles home building permits, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.
Commercial permits
Commercial projects use the same plan examination application and the commercial construction checklist, and sealed drawings are required. Plan review on any project over $50,000 adds 65% of the permit fee, and commercial demolition is charged on the value of the demolition work. The commercial checklist opens with one question, whether the parcel is zoned for the project, and then runs through township site plan review ($350 plus a $2,000 escrow), the county Drain Commission, Road Department and Health Department, MDOT where a state highway is involved, and only then the township building permit.
For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit filing through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.
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Get a free quote →What comes before the building permit
- Township site plan review. The first step on the township’s construction checklist; the Planning Commission meets the first Monday of the month at 6 p.m. (some 2026 meetings move to the second Monday), and applications are due three weeks ahead.
- Berrien County Drain Commission. Drainage review of the site plan and the soil and sedimentation permit, 269-983-7111 ext. 8267.
- Driveways. A Berrien County Road Department permit (269-925-1196), or an MDOT permit on a state trunkline.
- Shoreline. The checklist lists EGLE forms for High-Risk Erosion Areas.
- Well and septic. The Berrien County Health Department, 269-926-8129.
- Water and sewer. Township water and sewer permit and authorization forms, then a separate tap and meter application to the City of St. Joseph Water Department (269-983-6324).
Lincoln Charter Township permit costs and fees
Building permit fees follow the schedule in effect since April 1, 2022, based on construction value and rounded up to the next dollar. Plan review is 65% of the permit fee when the improvement is worth more than $50,000, and plan review fees are not refunded. Other township fees come from the Fee & Fine Schedule revised April 15, 2026.
| Construction value | Fee |
|---|---|
| $1 to $500 | $24 |
| $501 to $2,000 | $24 + $3 per $100 above $500 |
| $2,001 to $25,000 | $69 + $14 per $1,000 above $2,000 |
| $25,001 to $50,000 | $391 + $10 per $1,000 above $25,000 |
| $50,001 to $100,000 | $641 + $7 per $1,000 above $50,000 |
| $100,001 to $500,000 | $991 + $6 per $1,000 above $100,000 |
| $500,001 to $1,000,000 | $3,391 + $5 per $1,000 above $500,000 |
| Over $1,000,000 | $5,891 + $4 per $1,000 above $1,000,000 |
| Plan review | 65% of the permit fee, projects over $50,000 |
The township’s own table shows the result for a $250,000 project: a $1,891 permit ($991 plus 150 × $6) and $1,229 for plan review, $3,120 in all. Trade permits each carry a $75 non-refundable application fee and a $75 final inspection, plus item fees such as $10 for an electrical service up to 200 amps, $5 per circuit and $5 per plumbing fixture; additional inspections are $75.
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Call 1-855-478-4290 →| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Residential / commercial zoning compliance permit | $25 / $50 |
| Fence permit | $25 (fence application) |
| Residential demolition | $50; commercial and industrial by demolition cost |
| Site plan review | $350 + $2,000 escrow |
| Special land use / PUD / rezoning | $400 each + $2,000 escrow |
| Dimensional variance (ZBA) | $300 + $2,000 escrow |
| Construction Board of Appeals | $250 in office hours; $350 evening |
| Water and sewer permit / authorization | $75 / $20 sewer and $20 water |
| Mobile home set-up | $85 building; $156 electrical; $80 plumbing; $105 air conditioning; $110 gas line |
| Rental inspection | $100 per unit |
Escrow deposits pay the township planner, engineer and attorney, and no planning or appeal application moves forward until its fees are paid.
Trade permits and who may pull them
Because Lincoln enforces the electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes, all three trade permits are filed at John Beers Road. Each form names its inspector, and electrical and mechanical inspections are booked directly with that inspector’s office rather than through the building line.
- Electrical. The form asks for the state license and master license numbers. Sealed plans are not needed when the service is 400 amps or less and the building is 3,500 square feet or less. A permit is invalid if work does not begin within six months and is closed if no inspection is made within 180 days of issue or of the last inspection.
- Mechanical. Plans are not needed for one- and two-family homes with heating and cooling input of 375,000 BTU or less. Mini-split systems also need an electrical permit, and special inspections can be billed at $75 an hour.
- Plumbing. The form records the master plumber’s license; water treatment installers can also apply.
- Homeowners. The electrical, plumbing and mechanical forms let a homeowner apply by signing an affidavit that the work will be done personally in the homeowner’s own home, lived in or about to be occupied, and inspected before it is covered.
How to apply for a Lincoln Charter Township building permit
Check the tax bill to see whether the parcel is in the township or the Village of Stevensville, or call 269-429-1589 ext. 101.
Township site plan review, then Drain Commission, Road Department and Health Department permits as the checklist requires.
Building permit and plan examination application, plus each trade form; add the roofing questionnaire, deck drawings or pool sketch where they apply.
Bring or email the package to the Department of Building Safety, with a separate check for each permit.
The office reviews every plan before issuing the permit.
At least 24 hours ahead; email and fax requests are not accepted.
Rather not deal with the building department?
Get a free quote →Review, corrections and what causes delay
Missing drawings, unpaid fees or a project that turns out to be in Stevensville slow things down. Planning items filed less than three weeks before the meeting wait for the next one. On a new house served by public water, the St. Joseph tap and meter application is a separate permit, and the township needs a sewer sketch once the sewer line is in.
Inspections and certificates in Lincoln Charter Township
Building inspections are booked with the department at 269-287-3548, by phone only and at least 24 hours ahead. The township’s list for a single-family house runs in order: footing and setbacks, foundation, underground electrical, mechanical and plumbing, the water and sanitary lines from the right-of-way, the three rough-ins, framing once the rough-ins pass, masonry (with flashing and weep holes in place), the three trade finals, and the building final with the water meter set.
Commercial and industrial buildings have a longer list of 21 stages that adds a witnessed soil density test, a foundation drainage check where the site needs one, a basement slab inspection after the underground trades pass (with a vapor retarder where the soil is not well drained), backfill, insulation (with depth markers in the attic for blown insulation) and a drywall inspection of fire separations.
A pool is inspected for setbacks before backfill and again at the end, and a fence gets a final inspection booked at 269-429-1589 ext. 107. When the finals are approved the township issues a certificate of use and occupancy, and no area under permit may be used or occupied before it.
Michigan building code in Lincoln Charter Township
FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Lincoln Charter Township (community 260037) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective April 25, 2024. The township’s construction checklist also points shoreline owners to EGLE’s High-Risk Erosion Area forms.
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
Lincoln Charter Township permit search and official resources
Permit and inspection records are public records: send a Freedom of Information Act request, describing the address, dates and records wanted, to Clerk@lctberrien.org and Deputyclerk@lctberrien.org, using the township’s FOIA request form. Police records are requested from the police department directly.
Want this handled start to finish?
Get a free quote →- Lincoln Charter Township Building Safety
- Building forms
- Building permit fee schedule (effective April 1, 2022)
- Fee and fine schedule (revised April 15, 2026)
- Building permit and plan examination application
- Electrical permit application
- Plumbing permit application
- Mechanical permit application
- Fence permit application
- Swimming pool permit application
- Deck requirements
- Roofing questionnaire
- Residential construction checklist
- Residential inspection points
- Commercial construction checklist
- Commercial and industrial inspection points
- Zoning ordinance and map
- Planning Commission
- Zoning Board of Appeals
- Freedom of Information Act requests
- Michigan Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes)
- FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan
Inspections are where schedules slip.
Get a free quote →Lincoln Charter Township building permit FAQs
How much is a building permit in Lincoln Township?
It depends on value: $991 plus $6 per $1,000 between $100,000 and $500,000, so $1,891 for a $250,000 project, plus 65% for plan review on anything over $50,000.
Who issues permits in Stevensville?
Lincoln Charter Township handles building and trade permits for the village, but the Village of Stevensville issues its own sign and fence permits.
Do I need a permit for a fence?
Yes. A $25 fence permit approved by the zoning administrator, with a site plan showing the fence’s distance from the property line.
How do I book an inspection?
By phone only, at least 24 hours ahead: 269-287-3548 for building inspections, and the inspector named on the permit for electrical or mechanical work.
Can a homeowner pull trade permits?
Yes, for work the homeowner does personally in the home they live in or are about to occupy, by signing the affidavit on the electrical, plumbing or mechanical form.
Who issues well, septic and driveway permits?
The Berrien County Health Department for wells and septic systems and the Berrien County Road Department for driveways on county roads.
When does the Planning Commission meet?
Usually the first Monday of the month at 6 p.m., with applications due three weeks before.
Simplify Lincoln 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.
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Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Lincoln Charter Township permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Michigan permitting guides
Berrien County
Read guide →Niles
Read guide →Niles Charter Township
Read guide →Lincoln Park Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Livingston County Building Permit Guide
Read guide →Livonia Building Permit Guide
Read guide →This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Lincoln Charter Township permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.