Monroe County, Michigan Building Permit Guide

The state’s Statewide Jurisdiction List marks Monroe County as having no county construction-code program. Of its 24 cities, villages and townships, 22 enforce the building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes themselves; the City of Petersburg enforces building and electrical but leaves mechanical and plumbing to the state Bureau of Construction Codes, and the Village of Estral Beach relies on the state for all four. What the county does issue are the permits around the building: septic and well permits from the Health Department, soil erosion and drain permits from the Drain Commissioner, and right-of-way permits from the Road Commission.

What requires a building permit in Monroe County?

Permits are required under the state construction code everywhere in the county; the questions are which office issues them and which county approvals must come first. Because every acre of Monroe County lies in a city, village or township, the parcel’s local unit is the starting point, and its own ordinances add zoning and other local permits on top of the state rules.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The construction code itself is the state’s. Each local unit chooses whether to enforce it, and where a unit does not, the state Bureau of Construction Codes issues the permits and inspects. Monroe County’s own rule-making in this area is in its Environmental Health Sanitary Code (Chapter 5 governs onsite sewage systems) and its soil erosion ordinance, approved by the Board of Commissioners on December 10, 2002. The county’s Community Planning & Engagement division studies and coordinates planning and keeps the county’s GIS, but zoning permits come from the local units.

Monroe County building department: who handles permitting

The table groups every city, village and township on the state list by who enforces the construction code there. Milan straddles the line with Washtenaw County (the Census counts 2,247 of its residents in Monroe County), and the state files it under Monroe County. The Census also places a part of Flat Rock in the county with no residents; the state lists Flat Rock under Wayne County with its own program.

The City of Monroe, Frenchtown Charter Township and Monroe Charter Township all use Monroe mailing addresses, so the address alone does not settle which office applies. The building offices of four of the larger units, from their own pages:

For a parcel in Petersburg (mechanical and plumbing) or Estral Beach (everything), the permits come from the state Bureau of Construction Codes, which issues them and sends its own inspectors.

Monroe County permit types

Each local unit publishes its own building, trade and zoning applications. The county’s part is a set of permits that local building offices ask to see before they issue: Bedford Township’s building application, for example, lists the county Environmental Health well or septic permit, the Road Commission driveway permit and the soil erosion permit among its required submittals, and Frenchtown’s 2026 new-house checklist lists Drain Commission and Health Department approvals.

Residential permits

• Septic for a new house. Where sanitary sewer is not available, the house needs an onsite sewage disposal system under Chapter 5 of the county sanitary code. The sanitarian assesses the site with one to four soil borings; sites with bedrock within 4 feet of grade are denied unless enough natural soil is found for an original and a replacement system.
• Replacement septic systems need a permit that includes a site assessment, ideally with your contractor present.
• Additions, pools and outbuildings on a septic lot: the county says an addition in many cases needs Environmental Health approval of the distances to the septic system and well before building permits are issued (Application to Construct an Addition), and asks owners planning a pool or outbuilding to check early.
• Driveways on county roads use the Road Commission’s driveway and frontage application (online or PDF).

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

Commercial permits

Commercial septic systems need site evaluation with backhoe pits paid for by the owner, plans in duplicate from a licensed engineer or registered sanitarian, and an affidavit recorded with the Register of Deeds before the permit issues. The county sets different requirements for food service establishments, businesses that will produce more than 1,000 gallons of sewage a day and existing businesses that move, and asks owners to discuss plans with the sanitarian at the start. Commercial and industrial sites, subdivisions and developments also go through the Drain Commissioner’s site plan review schedules and the Road Commission’s commercial driveway and site plan permits.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Local zoning from the city, village or township.
• Soil erosion. The Drain Commissioner’s office is the county agency under Part 91; applications with the soil erosion plan, location map, site plan and legal description go to 1005 South Raisinville Road or by fax to 734-240-3112, and a contractor needs the landowner’s written authorization.
• County drains. Crossing, widening or working in the easement of a county drain needs a Drain Commissioner permit; the office manages more than 800 county drains.
• Road right-of-way. Any construction, utility or maintenance work in a county road right-of-way needs a Road Commission permit. Residential permits cover driveway installation, frontage tile, driveway paving or resurfacing, ditch cleaning and curb cuts, and enclosing a roadside ditch follows the Road Commission’s ditch enclosure policy.

Monroe County permit costs and fees

Building permit fees are set by each local unit, so the same project costs different amounts on either side of a township line. From their own posted schedules, the building permit alone for a $250,000 project is $3,115 in the City of Monroe ($235 plus $12 per $1,000 above $10,000, with plan review added as a percentage), $1,165 in Bedford Township ($640 plus $3.50 per $1,000 above $100,000) and $1,085 in Monroe Charter Township ($635 plus $3 per $1,000 above $100,000, plus 30% where plan review applies). Frenchtown’s posted table stops at $50,000 ($717), above which the township prices the job.

The soil erosion figures come from the Drain Commissioner’s posted fee schedule, where each total is a $25 (or larger) application and review fee plus the permit fee. The culvert, drain-easement and relocation fees took effect January 6, 2026. The Drain Commissioner’s office takes checks or money orders only, not cash or cards.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits follow the jurisdiction list. In the 22 units with full local programs, the local building office issues all of them; in Petersburg, the city issues electrical permits and the state Bureau of Construction Codes issues mechanical and plumbing permits; in Estral Beach the state issues every trade permit. The county has no trade permit or trade license of its own.

• Licenses. Residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors are licensed by LARA, and electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors hold state licenses; local offices record the numbers on their forms, and several also charge a yearly registration (the City of Monroe and Bedford Township each list $25).
• Homeowners. Owner rules are set by each enforcing agency. Bedford and Frenchtown townships print homeowner affidavits on their applications for owners working on the home they live in.
• Septic installers. The Environmental Health Division keeps a list of licensed contractors for onsite sewage work.

How to get a building permit in Monroe County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

County approvals often set the pace. A septic permit for a new house may need plans in duplicate when the soils are unsuitable, and an affidavit must be recorded with the Register of Deeds for any system that needs plans, before the permit issues. The Drain Commissioner reviews soil erosion plans and drawings before issuing, and septic and soil erosion permits are both time-limited (one year for septic; up to 36 months for a house’s soil erosion permit).

Inspections in Monroe County

Building and trade inspections are booked with whichever agency issued the permit; local offices set their own call-in rules (Monroe Charter Township, for example, replies within two business days, and Frenchtown takes calls at 734-242-5900). State-issued permits in Petersburg and Estral Beach are inspected by state inspectors.

County inspections run alongside. For a septic system the local sanitarian inspects after the gravel bed and piping are laid and covered with gravel, inspects the tanks, pumps, alarms and effluent filter, and makes a final inspection once the sand cover and any berms are in place; call 734-240-7900 to schedule. Where an engineer or sanitarian designed the system, that designer inspects at the same stages and sends a letter confirming the installation before final approval. For a drain culvert permit, the proposed tile site must be marked with a brightly colored stake bearing the owner’s name.

Michigan building code in Monroe County

No Michigan county is a National Flood Insurance Program community; each city, village and township joins on its own. Among the county’s units, FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the City of Monroe, Monroe Charter Township, Frenchtown Charter Township and Bedford Township as participating, all with maps dated June 19, 2020, and Bedford also holds a Community Rating System class 9 rating; check the list for any other unit.

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

Monroe County building permit FAQs

Does Monroe County issue building permits?

No. The state lists no county program; each city, village and township issues its own, and the state issues them in Estral Beach.

Who handles mechanical and plumbing permits in Petersburg?

The state Bureau of Construction Codes; the city handles building and electrical permits.

Who issues septic permits?

The Monroe County Health Department’s Environmental Health Division, 2353 S. Custer Road (734-240-7900).

Do I need county approval to add onto a house with a septic system?

Often, yes. The county says many additions need Environmental Health approval of the distances to the septic system and well before building permits are issued.

Who issues soil erosion permits?

The Drain Commissioner’s office, 1005 South Raisinville Road (734-240-3105); a house without a pond is $175.

Do I need a permit for a driveway?

Yes, on a county road: a Monroe County Road Commission permit for any work in the right-of-way (734-240-5132).

Is the City of Monroe the same as Monroe Charter Township?

No. They are separate governments with separate building offices on First Street and East Dunbar Road.

Monroe County permit search and official resources

Building permit records are kept by the local unit or the state agency that issued them; several local units, including Bedford, Frenchtown and Monroe Charter townships, list their permits on BS&A Online. County septic, soil erosion and drain records are requested from the issuing county office; the Environmental Health pages link to the county’s FOIA request form, and county board agendas and minutes are on the CivicClerk portal.

• Michigan Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes)
• Monroe County Environmental Health
• Onsite sewage disposal permits
• Monroe County Drain Commissioner
• Soil erosion and sedimentation control permits
• Soil erosion fee schedule
• Drain culvert and right-of-way permits
• Monroe County Road Commission permits
• Community Planning and Engagement
• County agendas and minutes
• City of Monroe Building Division
• Frenchtown Charter Township Building Department
• Monroe Charter Township permits
• Bedford Township Building Department

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