Rochester, Michigan Building Permit Guide

Inside the City of Rochester, permits come from the city’s own Building Department at City Hall, 400 Sixth Street (248-733-3700, option 4), which reviews plans, issues building and trade permits and inspects the work. You can file through BS&A Online, by mail, through the City Hall drop box or at the counter, but not by email. Under the 2026 Master Fee Schedule, a single-family building permit is $135 for the first $5,000 of work plus $7 per $1,000 after that, with a $40 administration fee and plan review on top. Rochester Hills, next door, is a separate city with its own department.

What requires a building permit in Rochester?

The Building Department asks anyone who will build, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish or change the occupancy of a building, or install or change an electrical, gas, mechanical or plumbing system, to apply first. Its own lists add detail for common house projects, and anything that does not need a building permit, including fences, still needs a zoning compliance permit.

Driveways need a permit from the Department of Public Works rather than the Building Department, and DPW permit requests are taken by email only. A detached garage must sit at least 5 feet from the side lot line and 3 feet from the rear, with a midpoint roof height of no more than 13 feet.

What Rochester decides and what the state holds

The state writes the construction code and licenses builders and trades; local units cannot amend it. The Bureau of Construction Codes’ Statewide Jurisdiction List shows the City of Rochester enforcing the building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes itself, and Oakland County runs no construction-code program. The city sets its own fees in the Master Fee Schedule, registers contractors, enforces its zoning ordinance through the building inspector, and limits construction hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays with permission.

Rochester building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department completes field inspections, enforces the building code, issues permits and reviews plans for every project inside the city limits. Its building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspectors hold state registrations as code officials. Questions go to the City Hall line, option 4, during office hours.

The Building Department covers the City of Rochester only. Addresses in Rochester Hills are handled by that city’s own building department (see the Rochester Hills guide), so check which city your parcel is in before you apply.

Rochester permit types

The city’s application page lists separate forms for building, electrical, mechanical, mechanical fire suppression, plumbing, sign, demolition and Department of Public Works permits, plus a zoning compliance permit for fences, sheds, freestanding generators and pergolas. The 2026 building application asks for the type of improvement, the use group and construction type, the total construction value, floor areas and the builder’s license number and expiry date.

Residential permits

• Decks: send the application, a scaled site plan with the deck’s location and side and rear setbacks, and a sketch giving post, beam and joist sizes and spacing, decking, steps and guardrails. A newer subdivision may also need association approval.
• Detached garages: add building plans with stud, beam and rafter sizes and spacing, footing and siding, and a scaled front elevation showing the roof height.
• Additions: a scaled site plan, construction plans covering framing members, footing and siding, and an elevation drawing.
• Plans: two sets for residential building and zoning permits.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial building and zoning permits need three sets of plans. Every new business needs a certificate of occupancy confirming the space meets zoning, building and other laws; the change of occupancy form and the $100 certificate fee apply. Larger projects go through site plan review, which starts at $1,250 for the first review, with later reviews subject to a $500 resubmittal fee.

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 compliance. Fences, sheds and similar structures need a zoning compliance permit; fences must sit in rear or side yards, are limited to 6 feet, may not carry barbs or an electric charge, and must show their good side to the neighbor.
• Planning Commission and ZBA. Site plans go to the Planning Commission; variances go to the Zoning Board of Appeals ($400 application), where the applicant or a representative must attend.
• Public works. Work in the right-of-way, water and sewer taps, sidewalks, driveways and walkways need a DPW permit; outside plumbing goes on that form, not the plumbing application.
• Soil erosion. The Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner administers the Part 91 program in Rochester and permits earth changes over one acre or more than 225 square feet within 500 feet of a lake, stream, wetland or drain.

Rochester permit costs and fees

Building Department fees come from the city’s Master Fee Schedule for 2026, approved October 27, 2025 and effective January 1, 2026 (the building page of the posted copy is dated July 2, 2026). Building permit fees are based on current ICC tables or the construction value, whichever is greater, so the value used can be higher than the cost you state.

Work started without a permit draws a $100 stop-work order fee and a permit fee of 150% of the normal cost. Application, administration and plan review fees are not refundable; the permit fee itself is 75% refundable if no inspection has been made. Because the valuation is the greater of the ICC table figure and your stated cost, the city does not publish a fixed price for a typical house; the building page says fees cover processing, staff review and all required inspections.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Rochester issues electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits itself on separate applications, each carrying the $40 administration fee and $50 base fee before item charges. Electrical items include $55 for an EV charger or a solar installation and $65 for a re-inspection; plumbing fixtures are generally $20 each; mechanical items are priced per appliance, with fire suppression piping on its own form.

A few charges catch people out. A plumbing pressure test is $75, and a shower pan not installed in time for the rough inspection needs its own $75 inspection; an underground plumbing inspection is also $75. Electrical work started without a permit, like building work, carries the $100 stop-work order fee and 150% of the normal permit fee. Fire alarm and sign specialty contractors register with the city for $15 per license cycle, the same as electrical contractors.

Every contractor working in the city, residential or commercial, must register with the city. Registration costs $15 per license cycle, is added to the first permit, and ends when the state license expires. To register, request a contractor account link in BS&A (answer “Yes” to the contractor question) and email your licenses and proof of insurance to Building@rochestermi.org. The city notes that a general contractor doing commercial construction needs no state license but must still register. A building contractor or a homeowner’s agent working on residential property must hold a state license in that field, and the license holder signs the application.

Homeowners may take out permits by filing an affidavit that they are doing the work themselves.

How to apply for a Rochester building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Each application goes through plan review, and some projects need a third-party structural review, which the applicant reimburses. The clerk checks a contractor’s city registration when the permit is requested, a contractor’s application must be signed by the license holder, and deck, garage and addition packages need the scaled site plan and setbacks the city lists. Sign permits are not available on BS&A and must be emailed to the department. A lapsed permit can be reinstated for half the original fee, with a $50 minimum.

Inspections and certificates in Rochester

Inspections are requested only through BS&A Online, at least 24 hours ahead; the department stopped taking phone and email requests in June 2023. Contractors use the contractor request link, and anyone else can request by permit number without an account. Inspections are done on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday only, and can be cancelled or changed in the portal before the requested day; work must stop until the inspection is complete.

• Building: footings, drainage, backfill (with an as-built survey first), pre-pour, brick flashing, rough framing, insulation and insulation certificate, open ceiling, post holes and open decks, blower test, grade certificate and final; window inspections need inside access.
• Mechanical: gas pressure, gas piping, rough and final.
• Electrical: underground, temporary service, rough and final.
• Plumbing: underground, rough and final.

Building and electrical re-inspections cost $65 and plumbing re-inspections $50. New businesses need a certificate of occupancy before opening.

Michigan building code in Rochester

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the City of Rochester (community 260326) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective September 29, 2006 and regular program entry on May 5, 1981.

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

Rochester permit search and official resources

Your own permits, inspection results and fees are visible in your BS&A account. For other permit records, send a Freedom of Information Act request to the City Clerk, the city’s FOIA coordinator, on the city’s request form; the city answers within five business days, and the Clerk’s Office can be reached at 248-733-3700. Past meeting minutes, agendas and packets not on the website can also be requested from the Clerk.

• City of Rochester Building Department
• Building Department applications and guidelines
• When is a permit required
• Master Fee Schedule 2026
• Building permit application 2026
• BS&A Online for the City of Rochester
• Inspections and required inspection list
• Contractor registration
• Fence requirements
• Construction work hours
• Certificate of occupancy program
• Planning Commission
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Freedom of Information Act requests
• Oakland County soil erosion permits
• BCC Statewide Jurisdiction List
• FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan

Rochester building permit FAQs

Is the City of Rochester the same as Rochester Hills?

No. They are separate cities with separate building departments; Rochester’s is at 400 Sixth Street.

Can I email my permit application?

No. Building and trade applications go through BS&A Online, by mail, through the City Hall drop box or in person; only DPW and sign permits are emailed.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Rochester?

Yes if more than 25% of the roof is replaced; the roofing permit is $100 and needs a final inspection.

Does a shed need a permit?

A shed under 100 square feet needs no building permit, but sheds and fences need a zoning compliance permit.

How do I book an inspection?

Online through BS&A at least 24 hours ahead; inspections happen on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday only.

Can a homeowner pull a permit?

Yes, by filing an affidavit affirming they are doing the work themselves.

Do contractors have to register?

Yes, every contractor registers with the city for $15 per license cycle, and the registration ends when the state license expires.

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