Milford Charter Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

Permits in the Charter Township of Milford come from the township Building Department at 1100 Atlantic Street (248-684-1296), led by Jay James, P.E., Building and Zoning Administrator. Permit applications can be made on BS&A Online; once the $50 non-refundable application fee is paid, the Building Official reviews the plans, usually within 7 to 10 business days, and sets the permit and plan review fee. Trade permit fees follow Resolution 25-007, adopted by the Township Board on August 20, 2025.

What requires a building permit in Milford Township?

The township’s rule is direct: a building, electrical, mechanical or plumbing permit should be applied for and received before any such work starts. Its permit application checklist lists what each common project needs; grouped by permit type, the work looks like this.

Zoning limits matter for outbuildings. Under Section 32-157 of the township code, as posted with Section 32-156, a residential parcel of two acres or less may have one accessory building larger than 200 square feet; the allowance rises with lot size to two buildings on 2.01 to five acres, three on 5.01 to ten acres, four up to 15 acres and five over 15 acres, plus one private garage of up to 1,200 square feet. Detached accessory buildings may not go in a front yard (with exceptions for some R-1-R and R-1-S lots), in an easement or in a right-of-way, and garages or accessory buildings may not be used as dwellings.

The township posts its own ordinance sections for accessory buildings (Section 32-156), swimming pools (Section 32-158), fences, signs and residential dwelling standards, with a setback sheet that applies to anything attached to the house, such as decks, additions and attached garages.

What Milford Township decides and what the state holds

The state code applies as written. Under the Statewide Jurisdiction List the township enforces building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing itself; the Village of Milford, which sits within the township, is a separate government with its own program, and the township points owners to the Oakland County Property Gateway to check which office covers an address. The township sets fees by board resolution, runs zoning, wetlands and tree review, and issues its own grading permits.

Milford Township building department: who handles permitting

A small department handles building permits, plan review, inspections and zoning; Jay James, P.E., serves as both Building and Zoning Administrator and the Zoning Board of Appeals contact. Planning applications run through the township’s planning coordinator and consultant planners, who keep office hours on the last Thursday afternoon of the month.

Milford Township permit types

Forms on the Applications & Information page include the residential permit, non-residential permit, non-structural permit, zoning permit, fill and grade permit, separate electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits, a certificate of occupancy request, a permit extension request and a permit cancellation request. The residential and non-structural forms were revised in September 2025.

Residential permits

• New houses need construction plans, a plot plan showing the septic field, well and setbacks, energy code calculations, any right-of-way permit, and the well and septic permits.
• Additions, alterations, accessory buildings, porches and decks need plans and a plot plan showing the house, septic, well, other accessory buildings and setbacks; pools also show the openings in the house.
• Siding, windows and doors need construction plans with descriptions and the contract; a re-roof needs only the application and the contract.
• Contractors attach a copy of the builder’s license, driver’s license, insurance and the contract to each application.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings use the non-residential permit application, and commercial signs need plans, sign details and a plot plan. New commercial projects first go through the Planning Commission: a concept plan costs $400 plus $45 an acre with a $3,000 escrow for consultant review, and a site plan $500 plus $45 an acre. The township asks developers to meet staff with rough drawings before they submit a site plan.

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

• Zoning and appeals. Small items take a $100 zoning permit. The Zoning Board of Appeals meets at 7:00 p.m. on the second Wednesday at the Milford Civic Center when there is an agenda (no November meeting); a variance costs $1,200 for residents and $2,000 for non-residents or non-residential property. The Planning Commission meets at 7:00 p.m. on the last Thursday of the month; in 2026 there is no November meeting, and December’s is on Tuesday, December 1.
• Wetlands, trees and fill. Wetlands and watercourse review costs $150 to $500 plus a $500 deposit where full review applies; tree permits and dredging or filling permits are $100 each.
• Septic and wells. The Oakland County Health Division (248-858-1280) issues well and septic permits; sewer taps are $100 plus $9,500 per residential equivalent unit.
• Soil erosion. The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner handles soil erosion permits in the township for earth changes over 1 acre or more than 225 square feet within 500 feet of water (248-858-5389).

Milford Township permit costs and fees

Fees are set by Fee Schedule Resolution 25-007, adopted by the Township Board on August 20, 2025 by a 7–0 vote; its Exhibit 1 holds the Building Department schedules. The building (structural) permit fee and plan review charge are not tabulated: the township says the Building Official determines them after review.

The trade fee sheets ask for checks made payable to “Charter Township of Milford.” The application fee is non-refundable in every case. A permit can be refunded only on a written request made before it expires and before any work has been done; if work has started, an inspection must confirm the site is safe before a refund is considered. Rental registration and inspection fees renew every three years: $25 to register and $195 to inspect a single-family home.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The township issues and inspects all three trades. Each trade permit carries a $50 application fee and $50 for each inspection, with a $15 contractor registration, plus the fee for each item installed, so a permit’s cost depends on the equipment and the number of visits.

• Contractor registration. New contractors return the signed registration form with their trade license, driver’s license and proof of workers’ compensation insurance or exclusion, by email to permits@milfordtwpmi.gov, and pay $15.
• Homeowners. The township says homeowners may obtain permits without a license if they are going to do the work, and then act as the general contractor responsible for meeting the code. Its homeowner permit policy warns that the owner carries all of the liability, must correct any violations even if someone else did the work, and cannot get the township’s help in a dispute with an unlicensed contractor hired under the owner’s permit.
• Inspections. The contractor of record books the trade inspections.
• Solar and generators. Solar panels go on the non-structural permit, with electrical item fees per panel; generators are on the zoning permit list, and the electrical and mechanical schedules each carry a generator fee.

How to apply for a Milford Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Corrections go back through the application step but do not need a new application fee. Missing septic, well or right-of-way permits, a plot plan without the septic field or setbacks, and a missing contract are the gaps the checklist targets. A permit expires if work has not started within 180 days, each inspection extends it 180 days, and an extension costs 40% of the original fee.

Inspections and certificates in Milford Township

Inspections are requested on BS&A Online before 4:00 p.m. with at least 24 hours’ notice; inspectors do not book specific times. Re-roofs can be inspected from photos: the open-roof guidelines ask for pictures of the front of the house with the address, the back, the decking, any repairs, the underlayment, vent openings and nail placement, printed or emailed, and the final is called for once the open-roof photos are approved.

The Building Official’s winter notice for 2025 and 2026 sets site conditions that can fail an inspection: temporary forced-air heat with doors and windows shut for insulation and compaction inspections; concrete poured only at 34°F and rising air temperature and 35°F and rising soil temperature with no frost, and blanketed after three nights at 40°F or below; heat for brick laid below 25°F; a safe walkway at least 24 inches wide from the street; and permanent lot identification. Grade certificates are not accepted again until spring. Certificates of occupancy are requested on the township’s form once all finals pass.

Michigan building code in Milford Township

The Statewide Jurisdiction List (rev. November 6, 2026) shows Milford Township with a local program for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing; the Village of Milford has its own local program, and Oakland County has none. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the Township of Milford (community 261040) as a National Flood Insurance Program participant since December 20, 2006, with its current map dated September 29, 2006 and no base flood elevations determined; the village is listed separately.

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

Milford Township permit search and official resources

Permit details can be looked up on BS&A Online. Copies of permit files and plans are public records requested from the township’s FOIA coordinator in the Clerk’s office; the township accepts emailed, faxed and mailed requests that give the requester’s contact details, the date and a specific description of the records.

• Milford Township Building Department
• Applications and information
• Permits: what’s the process?
• Permit application checklist
• Residential permit application
• Non-structural permit application and homeowner policy
• Fee Schedule Resolution 25-007 (August 20, 2025)
• Open roof photo guidelines
• Seasonal construction updates, 2025–2026
• Useful ordinances and setbacks
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Planning Commission and site plan fees
• BS&A Online for Milford Township
• Township payment site
• Freedom of Information requests
• Oakland County Environmental Health
• Oakland County soil erosion permits
• Michigan Statewide Jurisdiction List
• FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan

Milford Township building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Milford Township?

The application fee is $50; the permit and plan review fee is set by the Building Official after review.

Does a fence or small shed need a permit?

Yes, a $100 zoning permit covers fences, generators, A/C units and sheds under 200 square feet.

Can a homeowner pull a permit?

Yes, without a license, when the owner does the work, taking on the general contractor’s responsibility and liability.

Can roof inspections be done by photo?

Yes. The open-roof inspection can be done from photos printed or emailed to permits@milfordtwpmi.gov; call for the final once the photos are approved.

Is the Village of Milford covered?

No. The village runs its own program; this department covers the township.

How many outbuildings can I build?

On a parcel of two acres or less, one accessory building over 200 square feet plus one private garage of up to 1,200 square feet; larger parcels are allowed more buildings.

Who issues septic and well permits?

The Oakland County Health Division, on 248-858-1280.

What does a failed inspection cost?

The first re-inspection is free; later ones are $75.

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