Plymouth Charter Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

In the Charter Township of Plymouth, the Building Department on the first floor of Township Hall, 9955 N. Haggerty Road (734-354-3210), issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits; Ken MacDonald is Chief Building Official. Decks, additions and alterations cost $70 for the first $1,000 of value and $15 for each further $1,000, plus a $30 application fee, and inspections must be booked by 2 p.m. the day before. Contractors file through BS&A Online; homeowners use the paper forms.

What requires a building permit in Plymouth Township?

The Building Department’s permit page names the household jobs that need a permit: installing or repairing fireplaces, pools, decks, fences, roofs, windows, water heaters and furnaces, plumbing and air-conditioning units, sheds and other accessory buildings, and any home remodeling.

Fences are a zoning matter as well: in single-family districts, Zoning Ordinance No. 99, Section 6.4(f) (amended April 9, 2019), makes it unlawful to build, repair or relocate a fence without a building or zoning compliance permit.

What Plymouth Township decides and what the state holds

The Bureau of Construction Codes’ Statewide Jurisdiction List (revised November 6, 2026) shows the township enforcing the building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes itself; Wayne County runs no construction-code program, and the City of Plymouth has its own separate row on the list. The construction code is the state’s. The township adopts its fees by board resolution, writes Zoning Ordinance No. 99 with its fence, tree and site plan rules, and decides variances through its Zoning Board of Appeals. It does not enforce private subdivision deed restrictions: the application warns that those may still limit a project.

Plymouth Township building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department issues construction permits and maintains the township’s building and zoning codes. The Planning and Zoning Department (Community Development), one floor up, reviews site plans and development requests and supports the Planning Commission.

A Plymouth mailing address does not settle which government permits the site: the City of Plymouth is a separate government with its own building program and its own row on the state list.

Plymouth Township permit types

The township’s forms page carries the building permit application (updated September 2026), separate electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fence, sign and demolition packets, contractor registration, a residential checklist, basement-finish and pool guidance, deck drawings, fire alarm and suppression review forms, sanitary sewer CCTV and maintenance bond forms, and the Zoning Board of Appeals application.

Residential permits

• Application: project address with the 78- parcel number and zoning, owner and occupant, any architect or engineer, the contractor’s license number, scope and cost (labor and materials), and for new homes the floor, basement and garage areas and lot coverage. Additions and accessory buildings report their size and the lot coverage of all accessory structures.
• New houses: the residential checklist asks for two sets of drawings listing the codes used (sealed by a Michigan architect or engineer over 3,500 square feet), truss drawings, two energy packets with window and door ratings, a Manual J load calculation, and two sealed topographic site plans showing grades, drainage, utilities, setbacks, driveway slope, flood plain or wetland boundaries and every tree 8 inches or larger. Developer or subdivision approval, a water and sewer application and tree review under Article 26.9.2 come with it.
• Fences: their own application with a $30 application fee, asking whether a homeowners association approval is needed.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work uses the same application with the current and proposed use, use group, construction type, square footage, occupant load, height and stories. The fee schedule bills commercial plan review by value, and commercial and industrial plans sent for outside review go to Code Savvy Consultants; that firm’s schedule sets the fire suppression, fire alarm and hood suppression review fees, and the township adds 15% for administration. A change in use may bring additional sewer and water fees. New commercial buildings, subdivisions and parking lot repaving have their own checklists, and utility escrows run from $2,000 (parking lot repaving) to $10,000 (subdivisions).

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

• Site plan review. Planning and Zoning reviews site plans and development requests for compliance with the zoning ordinance and works with the Planning Commission.
• Variances. The township’s procedure starts with a building application and the $30 fee; if the Building Department denies it under the zoning ordinance, the applicant files a Zoning Board of Appeals application with a hardship letter, plans (one 11 by 17 inch PDF or eight paper sets) and a notarized form by noon on the posted deadline. Self-created hardships and aesthetic preferences are not grounds for a variance.
• Soil erosion. Wayne County is the soil erosion agency for the township: earth changes over one acre or within 500 feet of a lake, stream or open drain need its permit (734-326-3936).
• Other agencies. The residential checklist (October 2022) also lists a Wayne County “C” permit (734-595-6515) and a state environmental permit where required; Wayne County’s own page now gives its DPS Permit Office, 734-858-2774, for construction permits in county road right-of-way.

Plymouth Township permit costs and fees

Building Department fees come from the township’s Comprehensive Fee Schedule, effective December 1, 2017 (Resolution 2017-11-14-42) with amendments effective March 9, 2021 (Resolution 2021-03-09-17). New houses and new commercial buildings are priced from the latest ICC Building Valuation Data by use group and construction type; other permits follow the table below.

Worked example from the schedule: a deck valued at $10,000 is $70 for the first $1,000 plus nine further $1,000 steps at $15 ($135), so the permit is $205, and the $30 application fee brings it to $235. The residential plan review table starts at $50,000 of value. Projects valued over $100,000 also post a refundable construction performance bond, from $1,500 (up to $500,000) to $5,000 (over $5 million), returned after the certificate of occupancy.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits each have their own township application, and the fee schedule registers each licensed trade for $15 once per three-year code cycle: residential builders, maintenance and alteration contractors, mobile home installers, mechanical contractors, plumbing contractors and masters, journeyman plumbers, electrical contractors and masters, fire alarm contractors and sign specialty contractors.

• Online filing: contractors create a BS&A account, email a PDF of their contractor license, ID and registration form to the department, and receive a PIN that links the account to the township. Not every permit type can be filed online.
• Homeowners: may not pull permits online and file the paper applications instead. The building application’s homeowner affidavit states that the owner will install the work personally in the home they live in or are about to occupy, keep it uncovered until the township inspector approves it, and arrange the inspections. Anyone not doing the work themselves must hire a licensed contractor, who files the permit.
• Electrical fees: a $30 application fee and a $70 minimum permit; each permit includes one inspection, with more at $35 each. Service upgrades run $35 (100 amps or less), $40 (101 to 200 amps) and $50 (201 to 400 amps).
• Heating plans: sealed heat plans are required where heating output exceeds 375,000 Btu.

How to apply for a Plymouth Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The department says most applications are processed with little delay. Changes to approved plans need the same review as the original. A project that fails the zoning ordinance gets either guidance on revising the plans or a denial letter that opens the variance route, and the Zoning Board of Appeals views work begun without a permit unfavorably. Fee schedule rules to plan around: a permit becomes invalid if work does not start within six months or stops for six months (renewal is prorated), and cancelling a permit costs a $70 administration fee plus $35 for each inspection already made.

Inspections and certificates in Plymouth Township

Schedule inspections through BS&A Online (homeowners have their own scheduling link), with help from the Building Department at 734-354-3210, by 2 p.m. on the day before. Most permits have at least a rough and a final inspection, and the person responsible for the project must request them.

Inspections outside those hours can be requested for a fee. A re-inspection after a failed, missed or not-ready inspection costs $60. When construction is complete, the inspector issues the certificate of occupancy; a residential temporary certificate costs $500. Commercial re-occupancy inspections, filed on their own application, are priced per trade by floor area, from $140 for up to 5,000 square feet.

Michigan building code in Plymouth Township

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the Charter Township of Plymouth (community 260237) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective February 2, 2012; the City of Plymouth is listed separately. Site plans for new homes must show any flood plain or wetland boundary.

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

Plymouth Township permit search and official resources

BS&A Online shows inspection history and results and all permit activity linked to a contractor account. For copies of permits, plans or inspection records, file a Freedom of Information Act request with the Township Clerk’s Office, which processes all FOIA requests: use the online FOIA portal, or mail or fax (734-454-1643) a written request to the FOIA Officer at 9955 N. Haggerty Road. The Clerk’s office (734-354-3224) answers questions about how to word a request, and may extend the response time by up to 10 days with notice.

• Plymouth Township Building Department
• How to obtain a building permit
• BS&A online permits and inspection hours
• Building Department fee schedule page
• Comprehensive fee schedule, amended March 9, 2021
• Building permit application (September 2026)
• Residential requirement checklist
• Fence permit application and ordinance
• Contractor registration form
• Zoning Board of Appeals application procedures
• Zoning Board of Appeals application
• Planning and Zoning (Community Development)
• All township forms and applications
• Township Clerk FOIA requests
• Wayne County soil erosion permits
• Bureau of Construction Codes Statewide Jurisdiction List
• FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan

Plymouth Township building permit FAQs

How much does a deck permit cost in Plymouth Township?

$70 for the first $1,000 of value and $15 for each further $1,000, plus the $30 application fee; a $10,000 deck comes to $235.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Yes. In single-family districts a fence needs a building or zoning compliance permit, filed on the fence application with a $30 application fee.

Is a roof replacement a flat fee?

Yes. A tear-off and re-roof is $150, the same flat fee as replacement windows or siding, and it uses the separate replacement application.

Can a homeowner apply online?

No. Homeowners file paper applications and sign the homeowner affidavit; they can still schedule inspections online.

When must inspections be booked?

By 2 p.m. on the day before; each trade has set inspection days.

Does Plymouth Township issue permits in the City of Plymouth?

No. The City of Plymouth is a separate government with its own building program and its own row on the state jurisdiction list.

How long is a permit good for?

Work must start within six months of issue and may not stop for six months, or the permit becomes invalid; renewal is prorated.

Who handles soil erosion permits?

Wayne County, for earth changes over an acre or within 500 feet of a lake, stream or open drain.

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