Saginaw, Michigan Building Permit Guide

Inside the City of Saginaw, construction permits come from the Building Permits, Inspection and Enforcement division of the Building, Planning & Economic Development department at City Hall, 1315 South Washington Avenue (989-759-1540, weekdays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.). The division issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits and runs rental and dangerous-building inspections. Building fees follow a value table in the city’s Fees & Rates Schedule: a $20,000 project pays $341. Saginaw Charter Township and Saginaw County are separate governments.

What requires a building permit in Saginaw?

Saginaw applies the state construction code’s permit rules and its own ordinances. Its forms and fee schedule show what it permits:

In residential districts a closed fence within 5 feet of a neighboring home’s door or window is limited to 4 feet. If a smaller job is not on the city’s forms, call the division before work starts.

What the city decides and what the state holds

The construction code itself belongs to the state and cannot be changed by the city. Saginaw decides who enforces it inside its limits (it chose to enforce all four parts), what it charges, how plans are submitted, its zoning ordinance, its historic districts and its rental registration program.

Saginaw building department: who handles permitting

The state’s Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes, revised November 6, 2026) marks the City of Saginaw LOCAL for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing, and Saginaw County runs no county construction code program. The division is headed by the Chief Building Inspector, with building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspectors; the city notes that its mechanical and plumbing inspector is the same person. Saginaw Charter Township has its own program, so check which unit a parcel is in before applying.

The same division inspects registered rentals and runs the Dangerous Building Ordinance program for abandoned or fire-damaged buildings.

Saginaw permit types and what comes first

The city posts separate applications for building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and sign permits, plus a plan review application and a site plan review form. Building applications state that separate applications must be completed for plumbing, mechanical and electrical work.

Residential permits

For a one- or two-family home under 3,500 square feet, file the building permit and plan review application with one digital set of plans showing the foundation and floor plans, a roof and wall section, building elevations and a site plan. A homeowner doing the construction writes “Homeowner” in the contractor section. Mobile and premanufactured homes need foundation and anchoring plans and a site plan, and state-approved premanufactured units add two copies of the Building System Approval and its approved plans. For a new house, the city’s pre-approved housing page walks through the Michigan Municipal League pattern-book plans; before that permit is issued you must show structural compliance with truss shop drawings or a stamped drawing.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial buildings, and homes over 3,500 square feet, need the plan review application and fee, with a digital set of plans and one paper set bearing the original seal of a Michigan architect or engineer; the plan review form itself asks for two signed and sealed sets. Commercial and industrial projects go through site plan review by the Planning Commission first, after which the building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspectors review the plans for the permit.

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

• Development team meeting: the Planning & Zoning division suggests meeting the city’s internal team (planning, inspections, engineering, water and sewer) with the address or parcel number, the proposed use and a sketch.
• Site plan review: the Chief Inspector reviews homes of four or fewer units and their accessory buildings, changes of use without new parking or exterior changes, accessory buildings under 1,000 square feet and small matching additions (25% or less of the floor area); everything else goes to the Planning Commission, which meets on the fourth Tuesday. File at least 15 days before the meeting; homes of four or fewer units use a shorter checklist.
• Special land use: file the appeal form with the site plan at least 30 days before the Planning Commission meeting; owners and occupants within 300 feet are notified.
• Variances: the Board of Appeals on Zoning meets on the first Wednesday (6 p.m. at City Hall on the board’s own page; the How To Apply page still says 7 p.m. in Room 205); file at least 17 days ahead, and apply for the building permit within 6 months of approval or it lapses.
• Historic districts: exterior work in the Heritage Square, Old Saginaw City or North Michigan districts, including additions, garages, siding, roofing, signs and demolitions, needs Historic District Commission approval; it meets on the fourth Thursday at 4:30 p.m.
• Floodplain and state highways: work in a mapped floodplain needs the city’s floodplain development application, and sites on a state highway need MDOT approval before the site plan is submitted.
• Soil erosion: the Saginaw County Public Works Commissioner issues Part 91 permits for earth changes over one acre, within 500 feet of a lake, stream or county drain, or on lots in a multi-lot development (989-790-5258).

Saginaw permit costs and fees

Fees come from the city’s Fees & Rates Schedule (cover dated as amended September 14, 2026). Its building page is dated March 4, 2019 and bases the permit on the total value of the work; the zoning page was revised September 28, 2026. The division prices a job from its value, square footage, use group and construction type, applications sent in without payment are put on hold, and permit fees are not refunded.

Worked example: a $20,000 garage addition falls in the $10,001 to $25,000 band, so the permit is $201 for the first $10,000 plus 10 × $14 = $140, a total of $341. The bands do not chain, so use the band the value falls in. The schedule’s $25,001 to $50,000 line prints $100 per extra $1,000 while the stand-alone permit fee table prints $10; ask the division which it charges before you budget a job in that range. The older site plan form and the How To Apply page still show lower review and special-use fees ($250 and $300); the September 2026 zoning page is the newer figure.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The city issues electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits on its own forms, and its inspectors review the trade plans on commercial projects. Each permit starts with a $75 base fee. On the city’s pre-approved housing path, the licensed electrician, plumber and heating contractor each apply using the Project Number the city assigns to the building permit.

• Electrical: the form takes a contractor’s or sign contractor’s license number and expiry, or a homeowner affidavit for wiring the owner installs in a home he or she lives in or is about to occupy. A load calculation is needed over 3,500 square feet, and full plans when the service or feeder exceeds 400 amps.
• Plumbing: the form likewise offers a homeowner affidavit for work in the owner’s own home; otherwise a licensed contractor signs it.
• Mechanical: priced item by item, for example $65 per furnace and $40 per split air-conditioning system.
• Time limits: electrical permits last 180 days, with one 180-day extension for a good reason; plumbing permits become invalid if work does not start within six months and are cancelled if no inspection is requested within six months, and cancelled permits are not refunded.

How to apply for a Saginaw permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Each discipline’s reviewer marks commercial plans approved, corrections required or additional review fee required, so missing details mean another round and another fee. Jobs also wait on missing payment, unsealed plans, site plans without setbacks or utility connections, and the monthly Planning Commission, Board of Appeals and Historic District Commission meetings.

Inspections and occupancy in Saginaw

Call the inspector whose number is printed on your permit at least two days before you need a building inspection, and at least 48 hours ahead for electrical. Most structures need at least three: a foundation inspection (footings before concrete, then backfill after walls, waterproofing and drain tile), a rough inspection once the roof, framing, fire stopping and trade rough-ins are in but before insulation, and a final before anyone moves in. Nothing may be covered before it is inspected.

Re-roofing is handled partly by email: send pictures of the bare roof deck after the old covering is removed and again after the underlayment is on to inspections@saginaw-mi.com, and the final roof inspection is done on site. Extra visits cost $75 an hour, as do inspections outside business hours.

Rental homes owned by someone who does not live there must be registered with the City Clerk on the non-owner-occupied residence form, with a copy of the owner’s identification. After paying, the owner books an inspection in Room 208 or at 989-759-1540, and the unit may be rented once it complies. Renewals are due by the fourth Friday in February, with a 100% penalty for late payment.

Michigan building code in Saginaw

Saginaw enforces the state code in all four disciplines through its own inspectors. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the City of Saginaw (community 260189) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective August 15, 2023. The city’s floodplain application asks whether a site is in a special flood hazard area or floodway, and work in a floodway needs a no-rise certification.

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

Saginaw permit search and official resources

For copies of permits, plans or inspection records, send a written Freedom of Information Act request to the city’s FOIA Coordinator, the City Manager. The city answers within five business days or extends by 10 business days; emailed or faxed requests count as received one business day later. Questions about FOIA go to 989-399-1311. Parcel data is in the city’s online property lookup.

• Saginaw Building Permits, Inspection and Enforcement
• Building permit application and requirements
• Plan review application
• Electrical permit application
• Mechanical permit application
• Plumbing permit application
• City Fees & Rates Schedule (amended September 14, 2026)
• Building permit fee table (rev. March 4, 2019)
• Planning & Zoning division
• How to apply: rezoning, special land use, variances
• Site plan review procedure
• Site plan checklist for four or fewer units
• Residential development and lot sizes
• Historic districts
• Application to develop in a floodplain
• Pre-approved housing plans step by step
• Saginaw FOIA information
• Saginaw County soil erosion permit application
• Saginaw County Health Department: septic and wells
• State Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes)

Saginaw building permit FAQs

Is the City of Saginaw the same as Saginaw Township?

No. The city’s division covers addresses inside city limits only; Saginaw Charter Township and the other townships run their own programs.

How much is a building permit in Saginaw?

It depends on the value: $75 up to $1,000, $192 at $10,000, $341 at $20,000 and $1,051 at $100,000, plus plan review where required.

Do I need sealed plans?

Usually for new construction and larger remodels. Homes under 3,500 square feet file one digital set; larger homes and commercial work need plans sealed by a Michigan architect or engineer.

Can a homeowner pull permits?

Yes. The building application has a homeowner option, and the electrical and plumbing forms carry a homeowner affidavit for work in a home the owner lives in or is about to occupy.

What are the fence rules in Saginaw?

Fences must meet the zoning limits: 4 feet and open style in front and street-side yards, 6 feet in rear and interior side yards, with no setback from the lot line. The city’s posted forms include no separate fence permit.

How do I book an inspection?

Call the inspector listed on the permit at least two days ahead (48 hours for electrical). Roofing deck photos are emailed to inspections@saginaw-mi.com.

When does the Planning Commission meet?

On the fourth Tuesday of each month. Site plans are due 15 days before, special land use requests 30 days before.

What if my house is in a historic district?

Exterior changes such as siding, roofing, additions or demolition must be reviewed and approved by the Historic District Commission.

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