Lincoln Park, Michigan Building Permit Guide

In the City of Lincoln Park, the Building Department at City Hall, 1355 Southfield Road (313-386-1800), issues building and zoning permits and the separate electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits; Charles Earl is Building Official. A building permit costs $115 for work valued up to $1,000 and $10 more for each further $1,000, with plan review billed on top. Inspection requests made after 3 p.m. are booked for the next business day.

What requires a building permit in Lincoln Park?

The Building Department enforces the state building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing codes and, alongside them, the city’s own zoning, sign, rental and resale ordinances. Its applications show which local permit covers which job.

Electrical, mechanical and plumbing work each need their own permit; the building application states that separate applications must be filed for them. A swimming pool needs a placement inspection before the permit is issued, then electrical and building inspections. The pool page applies the barrier rules to pools, spas and hot tubs that hold 24 inches of water or more at any point.

What Lincoln Park decides and what the state holds

The Bureau of Construction Codes’ Statewide Jurisdiction List (revised November 6, 2026) shows Lincoln Park enforcing all four codes itself; Wayne County runs no construction-code program. The construction rules are the state’s. The city sets the permit fees, registers contractors, writes the zoning ordinance with its fence and accessory-building limits, and runs the rental, vacant-property and point-of-sale inspection programs.

Lincoln Park building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department handles every construction permit and also staffs the Planning Commission, the Zoning Board of Appeals and the Dangerous Building and Code Board of Appeals. Planning staff review site plans, rezonings, lot splits and variance requests, and check construction permits for zoning compliance.

The city is its own enforcing agency for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work, so there is no county or state permit office to visit for a Lincoln Park address. Soil erosion permits are the exception: Wayne County issues them here.

Lincoln Park permit types

The city’s forms page carries the building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, sign and residential zoning applications, the contractor registration form, a commercial certificate of occupancy application, the resale and rental packets, vacant property registration, a lot split and combination form and an A2L installation checklist.

Residential permits

• Building application: project address, owner, any architect or engineer and the contractor with the builder’s license number, the type of improvement and floor, garage and deck areas. The construction value must include materials and labor for all trades. Three sets of construction documents go in unless the Building Official waives them because the description is enough; a seal is not required for one- and two-family homes under 3,500 square feet.
• Residential zoning permit: concrete, fence and shed work, with a scaled drawing or a mortgage or staked survey showing the lot, every building, the project and its distances to the lot lines.
• Fences: the fence page asks for a copy of the mortgage survey (or a full plot plan), caps height at 6 feet, keeps the fence at least 5 feet back from the front building setback and 12 inches off the city sidewalk, and requires post holes at least 42 inches deep to be inspected before the posts are set. An existing chain link fence may come down only with notarized consent from every adjoining neighbor; if it stays, new wood posts must sit 3 inches away from it. Cross bars face the installer’s side unless the neighbors agree in notarized letters, sections must be removable, and every fence needs a final inspection.
• Point-of-sale inspection: since July 1, 2005 every house needs an exterior inspection before it is sold ($150, covering the first visit and one follow-up). The report is mailed within five working days, violations must be fixed within six months, and a buyer can close on a temporary certificate by signing an as-is affidavit.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work uses the same building application with the use group and type of construction filled in, and buildings under the Michigan Building Code need approved construction documents before a permit is issued. A new business, a move within the city or a change of ownership needs a commercial certificate of occupancy: the application asks for two scaled plot and floor plans showing parking, dumpster screening, lighting and signs, a lease or proof of ownership, and the business owner’s photo ID. Vacant commercial buildings must be registered with the department.

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 verification and site plans. A zoning verification letter costs $150. Site plan review costs a $300 administration fee plus a $2,250 escrow, and planning staff ask applicants to book a meeting before filing a site plan, rezoning or lot split. The Planning Commission meets on the second Tuesday at 7 p.m. and recommends to City Council.
• Variances. The Zoning Board of Appeals meets on the third Thursday at 7 p.m. Applications are due at least 30 working days before the meeting with eight copies of the plot plans and proof of ownership, and the applicant or a representative must attend.
• Lot splits and combinations fall under Chapter 1224.06 of the General Ordinance and start with the Assessing staff.
• Soil erosion. Wayne County is the soil erosion agency for Lincoln Park: earth changes over one acre or within 500 feet of a lake, stream or open drain need a county permit before any digging.
• County roads. Driveway approaches, sidewalks or utility work in a Wayne County road right-of-way need a construction permit from the county’s DPS Permit Office in Wayne (734-858-2774).

Lincoln Park permit costs and fees

The Building Department’s posted fee schedule covers building and zoning permits only; the electrical, mechanical and plumbing fees are printed on each trade application. The schedule bills a plan review fee separately from the permit fee.

Worked example from the schedule: a $15,000 garage falls in the $14,001 to $15,000 band, so the building permit is $255 before plan review and any electrical permit.

Common residential electrical items on the same form include a service or sub-panel of 201 to 400 amps ($45), the first circuit ($25) and each extra circuit ($6), a pool or hot tub ($35), an electric vehicle charger ($50) and rooftop solar ($90).

Trade permits and who may pull them

Each trade has its own Lincoln Park application, and each asks whether a building permit has already been obtained for the job. Contractors register with the city for $15, bringing a copy of their driver’s license and current contractor licenses (plus master or specialist licenses for electrical, plumbing and sign work) and a liability insurance certificate naming the City of Lincoln Park as certificate holder. A registration mailed in rather than delivered in person must be notarized.

• Electrical: plans are not needed where the service is 400 amps or less and the building is no larger than 3,500 square feet; larger jobs need sealed plans and a plan review application.
• Mechanical: plans are not needed for one- and two-family homes with total heating and cooling input of 375,000 Btu or less, or for minor repairs. The department also posts an A2L installation checklist.
• Plumbing: plans are not needed for one- and two-family homes of 3,500 square feet or less or buildings with fewer than 12 required fixtures; the form can be filed by a plumbing contractor, a master plumber, a water treatment installer or a homeowner.
• Homeowners: the electrical and plumbing forms carry an affidavit that the owner will do the work personally in the home they live in or are about to occupy, will keep it uncovered until the city inspector approves it, and will arrange the inspections.
• Who files: the registration form notes that only licensed electrical and plumbing contractors and their authorized masters may obtain those permits, and building and sign contractors list the people allowed to pull permits for them. When a licensed contractor does the job, the contractor files the permit.

How to apply for a Lincoln Park building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The building application lists approvals the city may need before it signs off: zoning, fire, soil erosion, flood zone, water supply, sewer and any variance. If a permit is denied, the department may require code corrections before it will issue one. Under the city’s own rules, a fence application without a survey or plot plan, a chain link fence removed without notarized neighbor consent, or a variance that must wait for the monthly board meeting will hold a project up. A permit lapses if work does not start within 180 days of issue or stops for 180 days; the Building Official may grant written extensions of up to 180 days for good cause.

Inspections and certificates in Lincoln Park

Book inspections by calling 313-386-1800 and choosing the Building Department, or by leaving a voicemail at ext. 1284 with the permit number, the address, the inspection type (forms, rough, underground and so on) and the date wanted. Requests received after 3 p.m. are scheduled for the next business day, and the department does not call back to confirm. Inspections can also be requested through BS&A Online.

• Building, fence and land-use inspections: Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspections: Monday and Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Pools: an above-ground pool needs one electrical visit with the trench open, the bonding visible and the GFCI receptacle live, and an adult must be present; an in-ground pool needs at least a rough and a final electrical inspection. The building inspection follows the electrical approval.
• Fences: post-hole inspection before concrete, then a final.

A new business needs a commercial certificate of occupancy before opening, and the form reminds owners that state law makes it unlawful to use or occupy a structure without one. The resale program issues a certificate of approval that is valid for one sale and for one year from the original inspection.

Michigan building code in Lincoln Park

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the City of Lincoln Park (community 260234) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective October 21, 2021. The building application includes a flood-zone approval line, and the commercial occupancy form asks whether the site is in the flood plain.

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 Park permit search and official resources

The city’s BS&A Property Search Portal includes a Building Department search for permits, enforcement cases, certificates and inspections at an address. For copies of plans or older files, ask the Building Department; council records are kept by the City Clerk’s Office on the first floor of City Hall (313-386-1800, ext. 1247).

• Lincoln Park Building Department
• How to get a building permit
• Building and zoning permit fee schedule
• Building permit application
• Electrical permit application and fees
• Mechanical permit application
• Plumbing permit application
• Residential zoning permit application
• Contractor registration form
• Fence and pool requirements
• Residential inspections prior to sale
• Commercial certificate of occupancy application
• Planning and Engineering: forms and fees
• Zoning Board of Appeals application
• BS&A Online permit and inspection requests
• BS&A property and permit search
• All city forms and applications
• Wayne County soil erosion permits
• Wayne County road right-of-way permits
• Bureau of Construction Codes Statewide Jurisdiction List
• FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan

Lincoln Park building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Lincoln Park?

$115 for work valued up to $1,000, then $10 for each additional $1,000 or part of it; a $20,000 job is $305. Plan review is charged separately.

Do I need a permit for a fence in Lincoln Park?

Yes. Fences take a zoning permit with a survey or plot plan, a post-hole inspection and a final inspection, and the maximum height is 6 feet.

Can I build a shed without a permit?

No. Sheds go on the residential zoning permit, and a secondary accessory structure is limited to 150 square feet and one story.

Can a homeowner pull an electrical or plumbing permit?

Yes, for work the owner does personally in the home they live in or are about to occupy, by signing the affidavit on the trade application.

When are trade inspections done?

Electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspections run Monday and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.; requests made after 3 p.m. are booked for the next business day.

Do I need an inspection to sell my house in Lincoln Park?

Yes. Every house needs an exterior inspection before sale; the $150 fee covers the first visit and one re-check.

Who handles soil erosion permits for Lincoln Park?

Wayne County, at 734-326-3936, for earth changes over an acre or within 500 feet of a lake, stream or open drain.

How do I look up a permit on my property?

Use the Building Department search in the city’s BS&A Property Search Portal, or call the department at 313-386-1800.

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