Missaukee County, Michigan Building Permit Guide

Missaukee County is one of the Michigan counties that runs its own construction-code program, and the state’s jurisdiction list shows it enforcing building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work in every local unit: the cities of Lake City and McBain and all 15 townships. Permits come from the Missaukee County Building Department in the Professional Services Building, 113 E. Prospect Street, Lake City (231-839-4200 ext. 501), where Sam Ball is the Building Official and soil erosion agent. A new house is charged 20 cents a square foot plus a $50 application fee and $75 for plan review and each inspection, under fees the Board of Commissioners approved on March 11, 2025.

What requires a building permit in Missaukee County?

The Building Department applies the state code’s permit rule: anyone who intends to build, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building, or install or change an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, applies to the department first. Its FAQ also lists the projects people most often ask about.

Every application needs the parcel’s property ID number and an address; the department will not process an application without the parcel number, and new addresses come from county Equalization. Snow load is set by township: 50 pounds for most townships, 60 pounds in Bloomfield, Pioneer and Caldwell, and 30 pounds for HUD homes.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The construction code is the state’s; the county enforces it countywide, sets fees through its Board of Commissioners and runs the soil erosion program. Zoning is local: the department’s pages say there is no zoning in the townships, while Lake City and McBain have zoning, and Lake Township has its own setback ordinance. On setbacks the department’s two pages differ: the building information page recommends at least 5 feet from the furthest projection to a property line or another structure, while the FAQ recommends 10 feet or more so that no fire-rated wall is needed. Both suggest checking deed restrictions and with the township supervisor.

Missaukee County building department: who handles permitting

The county Building Department issues every construction permit in the county. Under the state list each of the 17 local units is marked COUNTY for all four codes, so there is no township, city or state office to choose between.

The City of McBain’s planning page confirms that the city issues zoning permits while building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits come from the county, but it still shows an older county address (105 S. Canal Street) and phone (231-839-7264); the county’s own page gives the Prospect Street office and 231-839-4200 ext. 501. Office closures are posted at the top of the department’s pages, such as Thursday and Friday, November 26 and 27.

Missaukee County permit types

The department sorts building permits into demolition, residential, manufactured (HUD and BOCA modular) homes, pole and storage buildings, decks and porches, non-residential, solar and tower, and other work, plus certificates of occupancy. The Building Official fills in the fee sheet at plan review, and plan review can take up to 14 business days.

Residential permits

• Houses, additions and repairs to one- and two-family homes use the residential building permit application (May 2026 edition), with a cross-section form and an energy efficiency worksheet.
• Garages, pole barns and sheds go under pole and storage buildings, including attached and detached garages and carports.
• Decks and porches, covered or uncovered, attached or free-standing, have their own category; the department also posts stair, handrail, guardrail and ramp requirements.
• Manufactured homes, new or pre-owned, need a permit for new placement, additions and alterations; HUD homes must carry a 30-pound roof snow load.

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

Commercial permits

Non-residential permits cover assembly, business, educational, factory, high hazard, institutional, mercantile, storage and utility buildings, charged at 20 cents a square foot, and fire and smoke penetration inspections apply to non-residential work. Soil erosion permits for any project are ranked by risk: low ($100) for under an acre within 500 feet of water on a flat site with more than 50 feet of established buffer on sand, or for qualifying conservation-plan farms; moderate ($200) for over 5 acres with no direct connection to water, or under 5 acres with one; and high ($300) for over 5 acres or a direct discharge. Moderate sites are inspected monthly and high-priority sites every two weeks or after significant rain.

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 in Lake City or McBain from the city (McBain 231-825-2000; Lake City encourages a pre-application meeting); none in the townships, though Lake Township has a setback ordinance.
• Soil erosion from the Building Department, before the building permit; if soil is disturbed first, extra fees apply.
• Well and septic permits from District Health Department #10, Missaukee office, 6180 W. Sanborn Road, Suite 1, Lake City (231-839-7167).
• EGLE permits for work in wetlands, inland lakes and streams; the county lists EGLE’s Cadillac office (231-775-3960) and notes that an EGLE permit does not replace the county soil erosion permit.
• Natural Rivers. In Norwich, Pioneer, Bloomfield, Caldwell and Forest townships, creeks feeding the Manistee River carry setback rules and a separate free state Natural Rivers permit.

Missaukee County permit costs and fees

The Building Permit Fee Schedule and the soil erosion fee schedule both carry the note “B.O.C. Approved 3/11/2025”, meaning the county Board of Commissioners approved them on March 11, 2025. Building fees combine a $50 non-refundable application fee, a square-foot charge and $75 for plan review and for each inspection the Building Official lists at plan review.

Worked example: the square-foot part for a 1,500-square-foot house is 1,500 × $0.20, or $300. The total adds the $50 application fee and $75 for plan review and for each inspection on the permit, and the number of inspections is set by the Building Official at plan review, so the full figure comes back with the reviewed plans. The department’s page states the penalty for working without a permit as $125 to $500 per permit plus all fees and inspections; the fee sheet lists $125. Card payments online carry a 2.95% plus 50-cent service charge.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are county permits everywhere in Missaukee County. They can be applied for online through BS&A (contractors email the department for a web PIN) or at the office, and permits and receipts are emailed once the department processes the payment. Licensed contractors must pull the permits for work they do.

• Electrical inspections are on Wednesdays and Fridays; any underground electrical run longer than 10 feet must be open for inspection at each end and every 25 feet in between.
• Mechanical and plumbing inspections are on Wednesdays.
• Licenses: residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors are licensed by LARA, and electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors hold state licenses; the department’s owner-permit page quotes the state laws behind each.

Owners may pull permits for their own single-family home that they live in, as long as they are responsible for the work. The county’s FAQ adds that a property owner can obtain a permit only when doing the work on the residence they occupy, or its adjacent buildings, or when they have full knowledge of the code. An owner may act as general contractor and hire subcontractors, but those subcontractors must be licensed in their trade, and an owner doing their own electrical work must file a Property Owner Affidavit before the permit issues. District Health Department #10 lets homeowners install their own septic system; everyone else must be licensed by the health department.

How to apply for a building permit in Missaukee County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Missing parcel numbers stop an application outright. Plan review takes up to 14 business days for both building and soil erosion permits, soil erosion permits are never issued the same day they are applied for, and soil disturbed before a soil erosion permit draws extra fees. Since January 1, 2025, permits are valid for one year and can be extended once for $50; a permit not renewed within 30 days of expiry may be cancelled, and work still going after two years needs a new application.

Inspections in Missaukee County

Request inspections at least 24 hours ahead by calling 231-839-4200 ext. 501 or emailing building@missaukee.org; results are emailed within 24 business hours. From November 1 building inspections run Tuesday to Thursday, with no Monday or Friday inspections; the department’s inspection sheet shows building and soil erosion inspections on Tuesdays and Thursdays from October to April and Monday to Thursday from May to September.

The inspection sheet (August 13, 2026) sets the order: demolition before and after, footings with holes open before concrete, foundation once waterproofing and sill anchors are in and before backfill (with photos of rebar in the forms emailed first), in-floor and underground trade work, trade rough-ins, frame after the roof and trade roughs are approved, electrical service, energy efficiency before interior finishes with the energy code form, trade finals and the final for occupancy after all trade inspections pass. District Health Department #10 must be called 24 hours before a septic system is covered.

Michigan building code in Missaukee County

The county enforces the state construction code in all 17 local units, with appeals heard by its board of appeals. No Michigan county is a National Flood Insurance Program community; each city and township takes part, or not, on its own.

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

Missaukee County building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Missaukee County?

The county Building Department, 113 E. Prospect Street, Lake City (231-839-4200 ext. 501), for both cities and all 15 townships.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

Yes for any structure of 200 square feet or more, any pre-manufactured shed and any shipping container.

How much is a permit for a new house?

$0.20 a square foot ($300 for 1,500 square feet) plus a $50 application fee and $75 for plan review and each inspection.

Is there zoning in the townships?

The county says no; Lake City and McBain have zoning, and Lake Township has a setback ordinance.

Can a homeowner pull a permit?

Yes, for work on the single-family home they occupy when they are responsible for it; subcontractors must be licensed.

How long does a permit last?

One year, with one $50 extension; after two years a new application is needed.

Who issues well and septic permits?

District Health Department #10, 6180 W. Sanborn Road, Lake City (231-839-7167).

Missaukee County permit search and official resources

The department’s Permit Look Up on BS&A Online shows permit information and activity and takes payments. For copies of older files, the county posts its FOIA procedures and request form in its Document Center.

• Missaukee County Building Department
• Building permitting and information
• Building permit fee schedule (approved March 11, 2025)
• Inspection types and when to request them
• Building Department FAQ
• Property owner permits
• Apply online, pay and look up permits
• Permit expiration rules
• Soil erosion permitting
• Soil erosion permit application and fee schedule
• District Health Department #10 well and septic permits
• City of McBain planning and zoning
• City of Lake City planning and zoning
• Michigan Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes)

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