Montcalm County, Michigan Building Permit Guide

Montcalm County runs its own construction-code program. The Department of Building Safety at the county building, 211 W. Main Street, Stanton (989-831-7394), where Michael Kalka is the Building Official, issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits and runs the county soil erosion program. Under the state’s jurisdiction list it covers the cities of Carson City and Stanton, all six villages and 18 of the 20 townships, plus the electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits in Greenville; the list shows Montcalm and Reynolds townships with their own programs.

What requires a building permit in Montcalm County?

The county enforces the state construction code wherever no local township or city program does. Its Construction Ordinance (adopted September 22, 2003, last amended November 10, 2025) adds that no structure needing a state building permit may be started before the permit is issued, and it applies placement rules in municipalities that have no similar ordinance of their own.

Under the ordinance, structures in existing platted areas must be at least 10 feet from road rights-of-way and waterfronts; a detached residential accessory building may go as close as 3 feet to a side or rear line if its walls there are no taller than 9 feet at the eave, its eaves overhang 12 inches or less, it sits behind the house and the Building Official checks the site first. New corner lots keep 25 feet from each right-of-way line. A parcel may have no more than two dwellings, and an accessory dwelling unit may be no larger than 75% of the main house. In existing platted areas each dwelling needs a parking space at least 12 by 20 feet reached from the road. Violations are municipal civil infractions with fines from $50; a repeat offense within 90 days costs at least $250 or twice the permit fee, whichever is greater, and each day counts as a separate offense.

What the county decides and what the state holds

The technical code is the state’s. The county decides fees (set by the Board of Commissioners and used only for the department’s work), the placement rules in its Construction Ordinance, and appeals of permit denials under that ordinance, which go to the Board of Commissioners within 20 calendar days. Zoning belongs to the townships, cities and villages that have adopted it; the county’s forms refer to non-zoned townships, and the department points applicants to its list of zoning administrators and assessors.

Montcalm County building department: who handles permitting

The Department of Building Safety was set up in 1974 and serves the county from one office. The state’s November 2026 jurisdiction list divides the county’s cities, villages and townships this way:

The two official sources differ on Montcalm and Reynolds townships: the county’s page says it serves all 20 townships through its centralized department, while the state list (revised November 6, 2026) marks those two townships as running their own programs. Ask the county office before filing for a parcel in either township. In Greenville, the city’s page says building applications, fees and inspections are handled by Imperial Municipal Services (616-863-9294) for the city, and that plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits come from the county.

Montcalm County permit types

The Permit Applications page posts separate applications for building, demolition, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, LPG tank sets and fire suppression or protection, plus a contractor contact and license form, a gas pressure test affidavit, a mobile home affidavit, a required inspections checklist and a Res-Check form. Applications and plans may be emailed to the department, and licensed contractors have a BS&A login.

Residential permits

• New homes need a site plan showing all buildings, bodies of water, wetlands and county drain easements, plus a cross section, foundation plan, floor plan and elevation plan with enough detail to build from (lumber sizes and spacing, roof framing, windows and doors). Energy compliance can be shown by Res-Check or prescriptive notes on the plans.
• Pole-structure homes need plans sealed by a registered architect or engineer.
• Mobile homes need the mobile home affidavit and age verification.
• Garages, decks, roofs and foundations are charged by area; pools and signs are flat fees.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial plans must be signed and sealed by a registered architect or engineer, and they must also be reviewed and approved by the county Drain Commissioner (989-831-7322). Electrical and mechanical plan review is charged at $40 an hour, and commercial soil erosion permits are priced by acreage.

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 approval from the township, city or village zoning administrator, and any variance.
• Address from the Land Information Office (Equalization), Stanton, 989-831-7492.
• Driveway permit from the Montcalm County Road Commission, 989-831-5285.
• Well and septic permits from the Mid-Michigan District Health Department in Stanton, 989-831-5237.
• Soil erosion permit from the Building Department where excavation is within 500 feet of a lake, stream or drainage ditch.

Montcalm County permit costs and fees

Every fee below is listed on the county’s fee schedule page as set by the Board of Commissioners. The department notes that permit fees pay only for its own operations, not the county general fund, and that applicants pay only for the specific work being done.

As a measure of scale, the square-foot line for a 1,600-square-foot house is 16 × $30, or $480; the schedule lists the $75 base building permit fee as a separate line, and trade permits each start with their own $60 base and inspection fees. The schedule also lists a $20 charge for billing incomplete forms on trade permits and a $100 soil erosion plan review fee. In Greenville, building permit fees are those of the city’s inspection firm; ask Imperial Municipal Services.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The county issues electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits in every unit it serves and in the City of Greenville. Contractors keep their contact and license details on file with the department’s update form and can use the BS&A contractor login; trade fees start at a $60 base fee, with $60 for each rough, underground and final inspection and $10 for an electrical service up to 200 amps.

• Electrical inspections are on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
• Mechanical and plumbing inspections are on Tuesdays and Thursdays only; gas lines are tested at 15 psi for at least two hours, and a gas pressure test affidavit is posted.
• Fire suppression and LPG tank sets have their own applications.
• Licenses: residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors are licensed by LARA, and electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors hold state licenses.

The building application gives owners a choice: authorize a named licensed contractor, or certify that the work will be installed by the owner in their own single-family dwelling that they live in or are about to occupy. When a contractor applies, the owner’s signature or other proof of the owner’s approval is required.

How to apply for a building permit in Montcalm County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The department warns that incomplete applications delay the permit. Missing county drain easements or wetlands on the site plan, a missing address or zoning approval, and commercial plans not yet approved by the Drain Commissioner are all items its checklists call for. The Construction Ordinance also requires the owner to supply a legal survey when a property line is in dispute.

Inspections in Montcalm County

Inspections are booked by phone or in person only, at 989-831-7394; email requests are not accepted, and next-business-day inspections are possible when an inspector is free. The permit holder schedules (or someone they authorize in writing), and the address must be posted at the road in visible numbers to avoid a re-inspection. Building inspections run Monday to Friday except holidays.

The county’s stage list starts with footings, with property lines clearly visible and, for pole buildings, concrete placed in the holes before the poles are set. Plumbing underground and rough-ins are tested at 50 psi for 60 minutes on supply lines and 5 psi for 15 minutes on drains, with a shower pan test; the foundation is inspected before backfill with walls, anchors, damp-proofing, drainage and any frost-protection insulation in place; and framing is inspected only after every trade rough-in passes, with doors and windows installed and truss diagrams on site.

Other stages on the list: piers for a manufactured home are dug and inspected before concrete goes in; the electrical service is inspected once the meter base and panel are set and grounded; underground ductwork, radiant tubing (tested at 50 psi for 5 minutes) and process piping are inspected before they are covered; and all rough-ins are inspected before insulation and interior finishes. The office is closed and no inspections take place on the federal holidays it lists, including the day before Independence Day and both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Michigan building code in Montcalm County

The department enforces each code by its effective date, so a permit follows the code in force when it is issued, and appeals of code decisions go to the county Construction Board of Appeals on its own application. No Michigan county is a National Flood Insurance Program community; each city, village and township takes part 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

Montcalm County building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Montcalm County?

The county Department of Building Safety in Stanton (989-831-7394) for most of the county; Greenville handles its own building permits.

Who issues electrical permits in Greenville?

The county; the city’s page sends electrical, plumbing and mechanical questions to 989-831-7394.

How much is a permit for a new house?

$30 per 100 square feet ($480 for 1,600 square feet), with a $75 base building fee on the schedule and separate trade permits.

Can I email an inspection request?

No. Call 989-831-7394 or ask in person; applications and plans, though, may be emailed.

Who issues well and septic permits?

The Mid-Michigan District Health Department in Stanton (989-831-5237).

How many houses can be on one parcel?

The Construction Ordinance allows no more than two dwellings, while the building application says one home without a variance in non-zoned townships; ask before planning a second home.

Do farm buildings need anything?

An agricultural exempt application, approved by the Building Official before construction starts.

Montcalm County permit search and official resources

Permit fees can be paid through BS&A Online, which also carries the county’s parcel search. For copies of permit files or plans, send a Freedom of Information Act request to the county FOIA Coordinator by mail (PO Box 368, Stanton), fax (989-831-7375), email (foia@montcalmcountymi.gov) or by hand to the County Controller’s office on the third floor of the administration building, 211 W. Main Street.

• Montcalm County Building Department
• Permit applications and forms
• Requirements for obtaining a building permit
• Building permit plan requirements
• Inspection scheduling and stages
• County fee schedule
• Building permit application
• Construction Ordinance (amended November 10, 2025)
• County ordinances
• Freedom of Information Act requests
• City of Greenville building, planning and zoning
• Michigan Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes)

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