Sturgis, Michigan Building Permit Guide

In the City of Sturgis, the Community Development Department at City Hall, 130 N. Nottawa Street (269-659-7230), issues building permits, reviews plans and runs zoning, while the State of Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes issues the electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits. Applications go through the city’s Online Permitting Center or the counter, and small residential jobs such as roofs, siding, fences and decks can often be permitted the same day on Tuesday mornings. A $30,000 project pays $305 under the city’s 2025 fee schedule. Sturgis Township is a separate government.

What requires a building permit in Sturgis?

The department applies the state building code to new construction, additions, alterations, repairs and demolition, and its 2025 fee schedule prices every building permit by the estimated cost of the project. Its same-day permitting sessions are set aside for roofs, siding, fences, decks and other small residential projects. The department offers free pre-application meetings to answer whether, and which, permits a project needs.

Zoning rules that shape small projects

• Fences at homes. Up to 6 ft in side and rear yards, not forward of the front of the house or the minimum front yard; ornamental fences in the front yard up to 36 inches, and no privacy fences there. The finished side faces the neighbor, posts go at least 18 inches below grade for fences over 4 ft, and barbed wire and electric fences are not allowed (underground pet fences are).
• Sheds and garages. Accessory buildings may not sit in a required front or side yard and must be 10 ft from other buildings on the lot, unless a one-hour fire separation is built or the building is 200 sq ft or less (then 3 ft). Buildings over 200 sq ft must be designed to be harmonious with the house.
• Canopies and tarps. Canopy and tarp-like structures are not permitted except as outdoor furniture or approved temporary structures, used from April through October.

What the city decides and what the state holds

Sturgis adopts its own zoning ordinance, fee schedule and property maintenance code (adapted from the 2012 International Property Maintenance Code, with amendments). The state holds three of the four construction-code trades here: under the state’s jurisdiction list the city enforces only the building code, and the city’s own page sends electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits to the Bureau of Construction Codes.

Sturgis building department: who handles permitting

The Community Development Department handles building, planning, zoning and housing administration. Will Prichard is the Community Development Director (269-659-7235). The department also runs Business Development Team meetings, which can bring together the director, the DDA director, the City Engineer, the Economic Development Director and the Chamber of Commerce to walk a business through forms, alternatives and incentives.

St. Joseph County runs no construction-code program, so the county has no role in Sturgis permits. Sturgis Township, which has its own row on the state list and enforces all four codes itself, is a different government: a Sturgis mailing address may be in either.

Sturgis permit types and applications

Building, planning and zoning applications are submitted through the City of Sturgis Online Permitting Center, where development fees can be paid by card; cash, checks and money orders are accepted at City Hall.

Residential permits

• Same-day permitting. On Tuesdays from 9 to 11 a.m. (the city notes the time may change) the department issues permits for roofs, siding, fences, decks and other small residential jobs in most cases while you wait. Bring a completed building permit application, drawings or sketches, a site plan if one applies, and the contractor’s Michigan builder’s license (if not already on file this year) and proof of insurance. Applications filed at other times are reviewed in the order received.
• New houses and additions. A building permit, plan review and zoning review; a house not served by public sewer and water needs county or state well and septic permits before the city can issue the building permit.
• Rentals. Non-owner-occupied dwellings, from single-family homes to apartments and hotels, must be registered every year and inspected by a city inspector.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and industrial site plan review costs $500; additional reviews cost $175 for fewer than five items and $500 for more, and revisions to an approved site plan are $175 (minor) or $500 (major). Pre-application meetings are free, and a Business Development Team meeting can be booked before a commercial application is drawn up.

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

• Zoning. The current zoning ordinance was adopted February 26, 2025, with an effective date of December 22, 2025, and the city posts the current zoning map. In residential districts shipping containers may not be used as accessory buildings.
• Planning Commission. Meets at 5:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday at City Hall; it advises the City Commission on development and prepares the master plan and zoning code.
• Zoning Board of Appeals. Meets as needed; a variance request is $250.
• Wellhead protection. The ordinance lists activities prohibited inside the ten-year time-of-travel wellhead protection area around the municipal wells, and site plans there must show septic systems, floor drains, wells, storage tanks and any hazardous substances, with the City of Sturgis Environmental Permits Checklist.
• Right-of-way. Drive approaches, sidewalks, water services, sewer laterals and other street work need a permit from the City Engineer’s office.

Sturgis permit costs and fees

The city’s Fee Schedule-2025 (planning, zoning, marihuana and building) sets the building permit fee from the estimated cost of the project in $1,000 steps. It starts at $75 and rises $10 per $1,000 up to $165 at $10,000, then $7 per $1,000 up to $795 at $100,000.

Worked example from the table: a project estimated at $29,500 falls in the $29,001 to $30,000 row, so the building permit is $305. Most projects also pay plan review, and the department will confirm that figure. Above $100,000 the schedule prints “$910, add $4 per $1,000” while the last table row is $795 at $100,000, so get a written quote for larger jobs.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Sturgis is one of the Michigan cities where enforcement is split. The city issues building permits only; the state’s jurisdiction list shows the Bureau of Construction Codes enforcing the electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes in the city, and the Community Development page names the bureau as the permitting resource for all three. Those permits, their fees and their inspections are handled by the state, not at City Hall.

• Electrical. New services, circuits, generators and solar: apply to the state bureau.
• Plumbing. Fixtures, water heaters, water service and drainage: state bureau. The city’s Engineering Department separately permits water service and sewer lateral work in the right-of-way.
• Mechanical. Furnaces, air conditioning, gas piping and venting: state bureau.

Michigan licenses residential builders, maintenance and alteration contractors and the electrical, plumbing and mechanical trades. For the building permit, the city asks a contractor to have a current Michigan builder’s license on file for the year, with proof of insurance. Whether a homeowner may take out a trade permit for work on their own house is decided by the state bureau that issues it, not by the city.

Sturgis also owns its electric, water, wastewater and stormwater utilities, so new connections and service changes involve the city’s own utility departments as well as the state electrical or plumbing permit.

How to apply for a building permit in Sturgis

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Simple residential permits can be issued the same day on Tuesday mornings when the application is complete; everything else is reviewed in the order received, and most projects carry a plan review. Commercial site plans that come back for additional review are charged again ($175 or $500), and work started before a permit draws a $250 fee after the first offense. A permit extension costs $75.

Inspections and property maintenance in Sturgis

Building inspections are made by the city; call Community Development at 269-659-7230 to arrange them. An extra inspection beyond those included costs $100, and an inspection outside normal hours is also $100. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspections are made by the state inspectors who issued those permits, so city and state inspections are booked separately.

• Rental inspections. Under the city’s Property Maintenance Policy (last revised June 24, 2020) a rental may not be occupied without a current registration and a Certificate of Compliance. Registration runs one year; certificates last two years, with Wards 1 and 3 recertified in odd years and Wards 2 and 4 in even years. Registration changes, including a new owner, must be reported within 30 days, and a missed inspection appointment costs $100.
• Property maintenance. Common violations are weeds, garbage, rubbish, exterior finishes, roofs and egress paths; owners who do not comply may be cited. Under the policy, emergency repairs must be made at once and other work the owner or occupant can do within 30 days of a violation notice; an owner making progress can ask the building official for one 30-day extension.
• Construction Board of Appeals. A request to the board costs $100.

Before any digging for footings, fences or utilities, call MISS DIG at 811 or 800-482-7171 at least three working days ahead; the city receives the ticket and marks its own utilities.

Michigan building code in Sturgis

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the City of Sturgis (community 261134) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps dated June 4, 2010 on which no flood elevations were determined; Sturgis Township is listed separately.

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

Sturgis permit records and official resources

Permit and inspection records are public records. Requests go in writing to the city’s FOIA Coordinator, using the FOIA request form; the city’s FOIA Public Summary, adopted with procedures by the City Commission, explains deposits, fee calculations and appeals.

• Sturgis Community Development Department
• City of Sturgis Online Permitting Center
• Community Development fee schedule (2025)
• Same-day permitting for simple projects
• Right-of-way permit application
• Zoning ordinance (effective December 22, 2025)
• Property maintenance program policy (June 24, 2020)
• Boards and commissions
• Freedom of Information Act
• Michigan Statewide Jurisdiction List (Bureau of Construction Codes)
• FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan

Sturgis building permit FAQs

Who issues electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits in Sturgis?

The State of Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes. The city issues only the building permit.

How much is a building permit in Sturgis?

It follows the estimated cost: $75 up to $1,000, $165 at $10,000, $305 at $30,000 and $795 at $100,000, plus plan review on most projects.

Can I get a roof or fence permit the same day?

Usually, on Tuesdays from 9 to 11 a.m. at City Hall, if you bring a complete application and the contractor’s license and insurance.

Is Sturgis Township the same as the City of Sturgis?

No. The township is a separate government that issues its own permits.

What if my lot has no city sewer or water?

The city can issue a building permit only after the county or state permits for the well and septic system meet state and city standards.

Do I need a permit for a new driveway approach?

Yes, from the City Engineer’s office, for any work between the street and the property line.

Do I have to register a rental house?

Yes. Non-owner-occupied dwellings are registered every year ($25 per unit) and inspected ($50 per unit).

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