Saginaw County, Michigan Building Permit Guide

Saginaw County, with 187,688 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate, has no county building program. On the state’s Statewide Jurisdiction List every city, village and township in the county enforces the building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes itself, so a permit always comes from the local unit, such as the City of Saginaw or Saginaw Charter Township. The county’s permit roles are site-related: the Public Works Commissioner issues soil erosion and county drain permits, and the Saginaw County Health Department issues well and septic permits.

What requires a building permit in Saginaw County?

The state construction code sets what needs a building permit everywhere in the county, and each local unit applies it through its own building department, forms and fees. Local zoning ordinances add their own permits on top, such as fence, accessory structure or sign rules; Saginaw Charter Township, for example, amended its fence rules with Township Board approval on March 24, 2025. The county’s own permits are about land and water rather than buildings.

What Saginaw County decides and what the state holds

The construction code is the state’s. Under the Bureau of Construction Codes’ Statewide Jurisdiction List (revised November 6, 2026) Saginaw County runs no program, and none of its units leaves a trade to the county or the state. The county’s role is the elected Public Works Commissioner, who keeps about 860 county drains totaling some 1,676 miles and enforces Part 91 soil erosion rules, and the Health Department’s Environmental Health Code for wells and on-site sewage. Zoning, fees and inspections belong to the cities, villages and townships.

Saginaw County building department: who handles permitting

The local unit where the parcel sits. The county’s Local Municipalities page links every city, village and township, and the county’s Equalization property search and the SAGA GIS mapping site show which unit a parcel is in.

The largest units publish their own offices:

• City of Saginaw (42,863 people): the Building Permits, Inspection and Enforcement division, headed by the Chief Building Inspector, handles building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and housing codes, at City Hall, 1315 S. Washington Avenue (989-759-1540).
• Saginaw Charter Township (40,962): its Community Development Department covers building, inspections, planning, zoning and code enforcement, 4980 Shattuck Road, 989-791-9865. It answers written requests for zoning verification letters for $50 per single-family parcel and $250 for commercial, multi-family, industrial and institutional sites.
• Thomas Township (11,900) and Tittabawassee Township (11,007) run their own programs on the state list.
• Bridgeport Charter Township (9,874): Building and Codes Department, 6740 Dixie Highway, 989-777-0940, extension 215.

Permit types in Saginaw County

Each local unit posts its own building, trade and zoning forms; Fremont Township, for example, posts building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits plus an agricultural building affidavit and utility-scale renewable energy permits. The county-level forms are the same everywhere.

Residential permits

• Building and trade permits from the city, village or township, under its own fee schedule.
• Soil erosion (county). The SESC application needs a scaled drawing of not more than 200 feet to the inch, the legal description from the deed or tax bill, a location sketch, the project’s distance from lakes, streams and open county drains, the main land features and vegetation, and contours or slopes, with proof of ownership. Every lot in a multi-lot development needs its own permit.
• Septic and well (Health Department). Each site is evaluated with soil borings for texture, drainage and water table before a permit is issued; the permit is valid for two years and sets the minimum system size by bedrooms. Septic installers must be registered with the Health Department.
• Before buying land. A buyer of an undeveloped lot can ask the Health Department for a preliminary soil evaluation.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial projects go through the local unit’s site plan review; in the City of Saginaw that is the Planning Commission, which meets on the fourth Tuesday of the month, before the building and trade inspectors review the plans. County soil erosion permits for industrial and commercial sites start at $500, and commercial septic permits are priced by daily flow. The Public Works Commissioner also takes stormwater discharge permit applications: the form, updated July 18, 2024, covers commercial and industrial sites and platted and condominium residential developments, asks for the site plan review date and a deposit, and requires engineered calculations for 10-year storm detention, a water quality volume, emergency overflow and the lowest finished floor elevation, following the office’s stormwater design guidelines.

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

• Local zoning from the city, village or township.
• Soil erosion from the Public Works Commissioner where the site meets the 1-acre or 500-foot tests.
• Septic and well from the Health Department where there are no public utilities; a site in a regulated floodplain or wetland needs the state permit before the Health Department will issue one.
• County drain work such as a culvert or crossing needs the Public Works Commissioner’s right-of-way permit. The permit requires notice when work starts and finishes, restoration to the Commissioner’s satisfaction, and utilities at least 4 feet below the established drain bottom where they cross or run along a county drain; it does not replace road commission, state or soil erosion permits.

Permit costs and fees in Saginaw County

Building and trade fees are set by each local unit, so there is no county building fee schedule; ask the unit’s building department or check its posted schedule. The county-level fees are:

Soil erosion fees round acreage up to the nearest quarter acre and are paid by check to the Saginaw County Public Works Commissioner. From January 1 to March 31 the county issues only 18-month residential soil erosion permits, so a home site under an acre costs $400 rather than $300 in those months. The Health Department’s environmental health fees shown took effect October 1, 2026.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Every unit in Saginaw County enforces the electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes itself, so trade permits are always local: the City of Saginaw’s division has its own electrical inspector and a single mechanical and plumbing inspector, and Bridgeport Charter Township uses part-time trade inspectors. Residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors hold LARA licenses, and electrical, mechanical and plumbing contractors hold state trade licenses; local units may also ask contractors to register.

• Homeowners. Owner permits are governed by each unit’s applications. Bridgeport’s electrical form, for example, carries an affidavit for work the owner installs in the home they live in or are about to occupy.
• Septic installers are registered by the Saginaw County Health Department, and the department advises using a state-licensed well driller.
• County drains. Contractors working on county drain projects deal with the Public Works Commissioner, which also posts a contractor pre-qualification page.

How to get a building permit in Saginaw County

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Because every building permit is local, review times and plan requirements vary by unit; Bridgeport, for example, sets 10 business days for plan reviews. At the county level, the soil erosion permit and the septic permit are the prerequisites to line up: the Health Department will not issue a septic or well permit on a regulated floodplain or wetland site until the state permit is in hand, and the SESC application must be complete before it is submitted.

Inspections and certificates in Saginaw County

Building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspections and certificates of occupancy come from the local unit that issued the permit, under its own scheduling rules: Bridgeport books trade inspections for Tuesdays and Thursdays through its main line, and the City of Saginaw schedules rental inspections through Room 208 at City Hall.

• Soil erosion. A permit that runs out before the work is finished is renewed at the same fee as the original permit.
• Septic. The Health Department’s permit sets minimum sizes and locations, and any change to the approved design must be approved before installation.
• Wells. The Health Department advises using a well driller licensed by the state.
• Rental housing. In the City of Saginaw, a rental must be registered and pass inspection before it is rented.

Michigan building code in Saginaw County

All 35 units on the state list enforce the code locally, and the county runs no program. FEMA lists no Michigan county as a National Flood Insurance Program community; units join on their own. FEMA’s book lists the City of Saginaw, Saginaw Charter Township, Thomas Township and Bridgeport Charter Township as participating, all with flood maps effective August 15, 2023, and Saginaw Charter Township holds Community Rating System class 7, a 15% discount.

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

Permit search and official resources in Saginaw County

Building permit records are kept by the local unit that issued them; several, including the City of Saginaw and Bridgeport, use BS&A Online. County records, such as soil erosion files, are requested with the county’s FOIA request form under its posted policy; 9-1-1 records go to that separate authority. Owners near a county drain should know that drains are paid for by drain special assessments on property in the drainage district, not by county general taxes, and an assessment can be appealed to the Saginaw County Probate Court within 10 days after the Day of Review.

• Saginaw County local municipalities
• Public Works Commissioner (drain office)
• Public Works permits and forms
• Stormwater management: application and design guidelines
• County drain right-of-way permit application
• Soil erosion and sedimentation control permit application
• Saginaw County Health Department: septic and wastewater
• Environmental health fee schedule (effective Oct. 1, 2026)
• SAGA GIS mapping
• City of Saginaw building permits and inspections
• Saginaw Charter Township Community Development
• Bridgeport Charter Township Building and Codes
• Saginaw County FOIA requests
• Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes)

Saginaw County building permit FAQs

Does Saginaw County issue building permits?

No. The state lists no county program; every city, village and township issues its own building and trade permits.

Who issues soil erosion permits in Saginaw County?

The Public Works Commissioner, 111 S. Michigan Avenue, Room 103, (989) 790-5258; a home site under an acre is $300 for 12 months.

Who issues septic and well permits?

The Saginaw County Health Department, 1600 N. Michigan Avenue, 989-758-3800; a residential septic permit is $585 and a residential well $275.

How long is a septic permit good for?

Two years from issue.

Is Saginaw Charter Township the same as the City of Saginaw?

No. They are separate governments with separate building offices: the township on Shattuck Road and the city at 1315 S. Washington Avenue.

Why does my soil erosion permit cost more in winter?

From January 1 to March 31 the county issues only 18-month residential permits, which cost $400 for a site under an acre.

Does a new subdivision or commercial site need county stormwater approval?

The Public Works Commissioner’s stormwater discharge permit application covers commercial, industrial, platted and condominium developments, with 10-year storm detention calculations.

Do I need a permit to put a culvert in a county drain?

Yes, a right-of-way permit from the Public Works Commissioner for work on a county drain.

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