Oakland Charter Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

In the Charter Township of Oakland, the township’s own Building Department at Township Hall, 4393 Collins Road, Rochester (248-651-6930), reviews plans and issues building and trade permits; Tim Berger is the Building Director. Under the fee schedule effective January 5, 2026, the township values a new house at $165 a square foot of living space and charges $255 plus $8 per $1,000 above $10,000. New homes and commercial permits take about 4 to 6 weeks; electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are issued over the counter.

What requires a building permit in Oakland Township?

Plans go to the Building Department for all residential and commercial construction in the township. Its permit pages and fee schedule cover new houses and additions, alterations, garages and pole buildings, decks and covered or enclosed porches, finished basements, pools, mobile homes, signs and demolition; separate permits cover electrical, mechanical and plumbing work.

The township also limits construction hours: Ordinance No. 84 allows work between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

What Oakland Township decides and what the state holds

Despite the shared name, this is the township, not Oakland County, which runs no building program. The state’s Statewide Jurisdiction List shows the Charter Township of Oakland enforcing building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing locally. The state code is the same everywhere; the township sets its valuation figures and fees, its grading and wetland rules, the pond permit, zoning and the historic district review.

Oakland Township building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department (the Building and Code Enforcement Department on its forms) handles plan review, permits, inspections and certificates of occupancy, under Building Director Tim Berger. Planning and Zoning, a separate office at Township Hall, supports the Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals and maintains the zoning ordinance and master plan.

Oakland Township permit types

The township’s building permit application covers new buildings, additions, alterations, repairs, demolition, mobile home set-ups, pre-manufactured buildings, relocations and special inspections; plumbing, mechanical and electrical work each need a separate application. The application says plans are not needed for alterations and repairs the Building Official considers minor and that other plans must be prepared under, and sealed by, a licensed architect or engineer; the new-house checklist asks for an architect’s seal on residences over 3,500 square feet.

Residential permits

• New houses need two sets of plans (elevations, wall section and floor plans, with no reverse plans), four sets of engineered site grading plans meeting the engineer’s checklist, the parcel’s Sidwell number, proof of ownership, a valid septic permit, a county driveway permit on county roads, a soil erosion permit (unless the developer already holds one for the subdivision) and a $500 deposit.
• Additions need two sets of plans, two site plans showing the septic field, well, easements and roads, Health Division approval if bedrooms are added, and a $75 deposit taken off the permit fee.
• Pools need two site plans showing distances to every lot line and structure, the septic field, well, easements and the fence enclosure, plus plans or product literature and a $75 deposit. A pool must sit at least 10 feet from the rear and side lot lines and from any building, off easements and without blocking drainage; the electrical work and any gas heater need their own permits, and an in-ground pool needs an as-built certificate from a licensed surveyor or civil engineer. The township warns that using the house as part of the enclosure means alarming every door.
• Finished basements need two sets of plans with wall sections, labeled rooms, fixture locations and smoke detectors, a $75 deposit, and rough trade (electrical last), framing, insulation and final inspections.
• Decks have a township wood-deck guide and sample plans; for new houses, truss drawings must be on site at the rough inspection.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and industrial buildings use the same application with sealed plans and a $500 application fee. The township prices them from the builder’s construction cost, or from the current ICC valuation table if the Building Department doubts the figure, and adds a commercial plan review. Commercial permits share the 4-to-6-week processing time quoted for new houses.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning. Where a zoning permit is needed it costs $75; variances go to the Zoning Board of Appeals, and site plans to the Planning Commission, with the township’s residential site plan review guide.
• Septic and wells. The Oakland County Health Division (248-858-1280) issues the septic permit a new house needs and approves additions that add bedrooms.
• Soil erosion. The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner issues these permits here (248-858-5389). The township’s additions sheet asks for one when work is within 100 feet of a lake or free-flowing stream; the county’s own trigger is an earth change over 1 acre or more than 225 square feet within 500 feet of water.
• Driveways. Lots on county roads need a Road Commission for Oakland County driveway permit.
• Ponds and wetlands. A pond near a wetland needs the township wetland consultant’s report, the state permit, a site plan showing the 25-foot natural features setback and a $100 deposit.

Oakland Township permit costs and fees

The Charter Township of Oakland Building Permit Fees schedule took effect on January 5, 2026. It first sets the construction value, then applies a sliding fee, and adds plan review and a bond. The application deposit is credited to the permit fee; permit fees are otherwise not refundable or transferable.

Worked examples: a 400-square-foot deck is valued at $10,000, so the permit is $75 + $18 × 9, or $237, plus the $75 minimum plan review, $312 in all, with a $250 bond. A house with 2,500 square feet of living space is valued at $412,500; the permit is $255 + $8 × 403, or $3,479, plus $618.75 plan review and a $1,000 bond (an attached garage is valued separately at $36 a square foot).

Trade permits and who may pull them

The township issues its own electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits, over the counter during business hours. Both electrical and mechanical permits have a $100 minimum; electrical fees depend on the size of the service, the number of circuits and the type of installation, and mechanical fees on the size of the heating and cooling units and the gas work.

• Registration. Residential builders, maintenance and alteration contractors, and plumbing, electrical, mechanical, sign, sanitary sewer and alarm and security contractors register their licenses with the township for $20.
• Builder’s license. When a licensed builder obtains the building permit, a copy of the license goes with the application, along with the contractor’s federal employer ID, workers’ compensation carrier and UIA number, or the reason for an exemption.
• Owner-performed work. The township’s pool checklist calls for a homeowner’s affidavit when the owner, rather than a licensed builder, obtains the permit; ask the Building Department for the affidavit with other owner-built projects.
• Inspections. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits usually need a rough and a final inspection, booked Tuesday through Thursday.
• Fire suppression. New houses with sprinkler systems pay sprinkler inspection fees, and the township publishes fire suppression system requirements.

How to apply for an Oakland Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The township quotes 4 to 6 weeks for residential and commercial building permits and 1 to 2 weeks for other building permits. Reverse plans are refused outright. A missing septic permit, grading plans that do not meet the engineer’s checklist, a missing as-built certification before backfill and a lot without its architectural committee signature all hold up a new home.

Inspections and certificates in Oakland Township

Inspections are booked on the 24-hour inspection line, 248-651-4612, with the inspection type, job address and permit number; requests made before 3:00 p.m. are inspected the next day. Building inspections run Monday through Thursday, and trade inspections Tuesday through Thursday. A sticker left on site shows whether the inspection was approved.

A new-house building permit covers eight inspections. The township’s list of the usual stages is: basement rail footings, garage and basement trench footings, backfill (after drain tile and damp-proofing, with the as-built certificate filed), sand under interior slabs (after underground plumbing passes), rough building (after the trade roughs), outside rough for flashing and moisture barrier, masonry fireplace damper where there is one, insulation and final. Extra visits caused by scheduling problems carry a special inspection fee, and a rejected inspection costs $75. A certificate of occupancy can be picked up the next business day after the last approved inspection, and no part of a building may be occupied before it.

Michigan building code in Oakland Township

The Statewide Jurisdiction List (rev. November 6, 2026) lists the Township of Oakland as a local program for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing, with no county program in Oakland County. FEMA’s Community Status Book shows the Township of Oakland (community 260476) participating in the National Flood Insurance Program since 1982, with its current flood map dated September 29, 2006.

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

Oakland Township permit search and official resources

Property records for the township are on BS&A Online. Copies of building permits, plans and inspection records are requested with the township’s Freedom of Information Act request form (updated in 2026), under its posted FOIA procedures; the forms page also carries appeal forms for denials and fees.

• Oakland Township Building Department
• Forms, applications and permits
• Building permit fees, effective January 5, 2026
• Building permit application
• New residential building requirements and inspections
• Residential addition requirements
• Zoning permit application requirements
• Pond permit requirements
• Swimming pool permit requirements
• Finished basement permit requirements
• Planning and Zoning
• Historic District Commission
• FOIA request form (2026)
• BS&A Online property information
• Oakland County Environmental Health
• Oakland County soil erosion permits
• Michigan Statewide Jurisdiction List
• FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan

Oakland Township building permit FAQs

Is Oakland Township the same as Oakland County?

No. The Charter Township of Oakland runs its own building department; Oakland County has no building program.

How much is a permit for a deck in Oakland Township?

A 400-square-foot deck is valued at $10,000: a $237 permit plus $75 plan review, with a $250 bond.

How long does a permit take?

About 4 to 6 weeks for new homes and commercial work, 1 to 2 weeks for other building permits; trade permits are issued at the counter.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call 248-651-4612 before 3:00 p.m. for an inspection the next day, Monday to Thursday.

Does a shed need a permit?

A detached accessory building over 200 square feet needs a building permit and must meet zoning.

What hours can construction run?

7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, under Ordinance No. 84.

What does a pool permit cost?

$150 for an above-ground pool and $400 for an in-ground pool, plus separate electrical and any gas heater permits.

Can I get a refund on a permit?

No. The schedule says permit fees are not refundable or transferable.

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