Port Huron Charter Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

For any address in the Charter Township of Port Huron, the township’s own Building Department at 3800 Lapeer Road (810-987-6600) issues building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and zoning permits; Dean Roberts is the Building Official. The township says every permit must be submitted and approved before work begins, and it normally approves building and zoning permits for new structures or additions within 3 to 10 business days. Fees follow a schedule effective January 1, 2026. The City of Port Huron next door is a separate government with its own inspection office.

What requires a permit in Port Huron Township?

Under the township’s permit policy, building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work needs a permit that has been submitted and approved before any work starts, and starting without one draws a municipal civil infraction ticket. Smaller site work is handled through a zoning permit, which the township’s 2026 form lists for sheds, decks, fences, grade changes and sign face replacements.

The accessory structure policy explains the 200 sq ft line: a shed at or under that size needs only a zoning permit with a survey or drawn plot plan and a proper floor, because the residential code exempts it from a building permit. Above 200 sq ft the owner or a licensed builder files a building permit before starting.

What the township decides and what the state holds

Michigan writes the construction code; the township enforces it for all four trades, sets its own fee schedule and writes its own zoning ordinance, fence rules and accessory-building limits. Recent local ordinances on the township’s list cover solar (No. 251), home occupations (No. 253) and storage containers (No. 255). Work that touches a county drain or a regulated floodplain also needs that agency’s approval.

Port Huron Township building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department at Township Hall handles plan review, permits and inspections for building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work, and also processes zoning permits and Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals applications.

The state’s jurisdiction list marks the township LOCAL for all four codes, and St. Clair County runs no construction-code program of its own. The City of Port Huron is also listed as enforcing its own codes, so a city address goes to the city’s inspection division on McMorran Boulevard, not to Lapeer Road. A Port Huron mailing address alone does not settle which government the parcel is in: check the tax parcel before filing.

Port Huron Township permit types and applications

The township posts a separate 2026 application for building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, zoning and manufactured home permits, plus forms for the Planning Commission, special use and rezoning, sketch plan review and the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Residential permits

• Building permit. Two sets of construction documents and a site plan showing the new structure and every other building on the lot. A seal from an architect or engineer is not required for one- and two-family homes under 3,500 sq ft. The form asks for the residential builder or maintenance and alteration contractor’s state license number and expiry date.
• Zoning permit. The form must be filled in completely and in ink; faxed, incomplete or pencil forms are refused. Attach a site plan and give the parcel ID, square footage and estimated cost. Base fee $50.
• Garages and pole buildings. Buildings from 200 to 600 sq ft with eaves of 10 ft or less must be anchored and sit on a 4-inch concrete footing or ratwall at least 24 inches below grade; post-and-beam buildings need 42-inch footings, as does anything over 600 sq ft or with eaves over 10 ft. Attached accessory structures are capped at 1,000 sq ft.
• Pools. Anything holding water deeper than 24 inches counts as a pool. At a house it must sit in the rear yard, at least 5 ft from side and rear lot lines, the house, other accessory buildings and fences.

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

Commercial permits

Buildings under the Michigan Building Code need a separate Application for Plan Examination, two sets of plans and the plan review fee, and the plans must be approved before the building permit issues. The township also posts a special inspection program guide, a testing agreement and a statement of special inspections for projects that require them. Planning, engineering and other outside reviews are billed against an escrow deposit at actual cost plus a 2% administrative fee, and the township will not process an application or issue a permit or certificate of occupancy until the escrow is paid.

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 approval. The building application has a zoning sign-off box; zoning permits and variances come first.
• Planning Commission. Site plan, special use and rezoning requests go to the Planning Commission, which meets on the second Thursday of the month at 7 p.m.
• Variances. The Zoning Board of Appeals meets on the third Thursday at 7 p.m. when there is business; a variance request costs $825.
• Other agencies. The application lists fire district, health department, soil erosion and flood zone approvals. A new discharge into a county drain, a culvert or bridge in a county drain, or a utility crossing needs a permit from the St. Clair County Drain Commissioner (810-364-5369).

Port Huron Township permit fees

Fees come from the township’s fee schedule effective January 1, 2026, which follows the state Bureau of Construction Codes format. The building permit fee is set from the “total cost of improvement”, worked out with the square-foot construction cost table printed at the back of the schedule rather than from a contract price; unfinished basements count at 20% of the table rate.

For houses (use groups R-3 and R-4) the plan review fee is built into this calculation. The first $100 of any building application is not refundable, and a factory-built unit pays half the site-built fee. Worked example: a project whose table value comes to $200,000 pays $435 plus 100 × $2, or $635, and a new house adds the $50 certificate of occupancy and the $500 bond.

The fee schedule lists an additional inspection at $100 while the 2026 building application prints a $50 re-inspection fee; ask the department which applies to your permit. Conditional approvals need a cash deposit or letter of credit for 110% of the unfinished work.

Trade permits and who may pull them

All three trade permits in Port Huron Township come from the township, not the state. Each starts with a $75 non-refundable application fee, and the electrical form requires the $75 final inspection to be included in the total from the start. Many small trade permits, such as wiring for a garage door opener, a new water heater or a gas fireplace insert, can be issued the same day.

• Electrical. Item fees include $10 for a service up to 200 amps, $5 per circuit, $5 per electric vehicle charging station and $2 per solar panel where total inverter capacity is under 5,000 kW. A few prices printed on the form differ from the January 2026 schedule (for example motors and generators by KVA, neon and feeders), so confirm the line items at the counter.
• Mechanical. A new-building heating system is $50, a furnace or other gas burning equipment $30, a split air conditioner $30 and a direct-replacement water heater $5 (it also needs a plumbing permit). Ductwork runs 10 cents a foot with a $25 minimum.
• Plumbing. Fixtures and floor drains are $5 each, a water heater $5, and water service from $5 under 2 inches to $50 over 6 inches.

The building application carries the state warning that conspiring to get around Michigan’s residential licensing rules brings civil fines, and the township’s trade forms ask for the contractor’s state license. None of the posted 2026 trade forms includes a homeowner affidavit, so an owner who wants to do trade work personally should ask the Building Department first whether, and how, a homeowner permit can be issued.

How to apply for a permit in Port Huron Township

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The department’s normal turnaround for building and zoning permits on new structures and additions is 3 to 10 business days. Incomplete zoning forms are returned, unpaid escrow stops review and permits, and an unpaid review balance can lead to a stop-work order after 14 days. Applications for buildings under the commercial code wait for the separate plan examination to be approved.

Inspections and certificates in Port Huron Township

Call the inspector on the number printed on the permit, with as much notice as possible, giving the job address, permit number and a contact. The township’s forms say the inspector will respond within two business days to schedule the visit and that inspections are typically done within five business days. No work may be covered before it is inspected.

• Covered work. Under the township’s 2012 policy, work concealed without inspection draws a civil infraction ticket with cumulative fines over three years of $50, $125, $250 and then $500, at least one opened wall per trade, checks in three separate areas, and a further $50 for each extra visit.
• Expiry. A permit becomes invalid if work does not start within 180 days or stops for 180 days, and it is closed when no inspection is requested and made within 180 days of issue or of the last inspection. Closed permits are not refunded; re-opening costs $75.
• Certificate of occupancy. Required for every building permit except demolition, at $50.

Special inspections on commercial projects follow the township’s special inspection program guide and statement of special inspections. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical work each carry their own rough and final inspections at $75.

Michigan building code in Port Huron Township

The building application lists a flood zone approval among the environmental sign-offs, and the department posts the state’s floodplain quick guide. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the Charter Township of Port Huron (community 260672) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps dated July 19, 2022.

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

Port Huron Township permit records and official resources

Permit files, inspection results and approved plans are public records of the township. Ask the Building Department what it holds for an address, and put a formal request in writing under the Freedom of Information Act using the township’s FOIA request form, which is filed with the Clerk’s documents on the township site.

• Port Huron Township Building Department
• Fee schedule (effective January 1, 2026)
• Building permit application (2026)
• Zoning permit application (2026)
• Electrical permit application (2026)
• Accessory structures construction policy
• Swimming pool regulations
• Policy on inspection of covered work
• Ordinance No. 248, fences
• Township ordinances
• Planning Commission
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• St. Clair County Drain Commissioner permits
• Michigan Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes)
• FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan

Port Huron Township building permit FAQs

Is Port Huron Township the same as the City of Port Huron?

No. They are separate governments with separate permit offices. Township permits come from 3800 Lapeer Road; city permits come from the city’s Building Inspection Division.

Do I need a permit for a shed?

A detached shed of 200 sq ft or less needs a zoning permit ($50 base fee) with a plot plan. Over 200 sq ft it needs a building permit, footing or ratwall and anchoring.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

Yes. The township’s fence ordinance says no fence may be built until a permit is issued, and fences are on the zoning permit form.

How much is a building permit in Port Huron Township?

It depends on the table value of the work: $435 plus $2 per $1,000 between $100,000 and $500,000, so $635 for a $200,000 value, plus the $50 certificate of occupancy.

How long does approval take?

Building and zoning permits for new structures and additions are normally approved in 3 to 10 business days; many small trade permits are issued the same day.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call the inspector number printed on your permit. Expect a call back within two business days and the inspection within about five.

What happens if I start work without a permit?

The township issues municipal civil infraction fines, and covered work must be opened up for inspection under its covered-work policy.

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