Texas Charter Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

Texas Charter Township runs its own Building Department at the Township Hall, 7227 West Q Avenue (269-978-0715), where Artie Wilcox is the Building Official. Contractors can apply online through BS&A or file paper forms by fax, mail or in person, although new construction and some other permits are taken only by mail or in person. Fees are worked out from the ICC building valuation data under a state fee scale, with flat fees for jobs such as roofs ($100) and small decks ($150), and zoning review comes first for many projects.

What requires a building permit in Texas Charter Township?

The township’s development guide sums up the building permit trigger as a new building, an addition, or structural work in an existing building, including moving a wall. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are needed for all new construction and for changes to those systems. The building application then lists the common residential jobs.

A zoning review costs $50, which includes one zoning inspection; each later zoning inspection is $25. Signs need a separate sign permit ($75 plus $25 per sign).

What Texas Township decides and what the state holds

The construction code is a state code; the township cannot amend it. Texas decides who reviews and inspects, its fees, how applications are filed and its own zoning ordinance, which the township’s planning page lists as recently amended by Ordinance 379 on riparian property and Ordinance 380 on landscaping, parking, uses and certificates of occupancy. Ordinance 379 rewrites the supplemental rules for riparian lots on lakes, rivers, ponds and creeks, with the stated aims of protecting the water, cutting runoff pollution, limiting development and keeping shoreline habitat and vegetation, so waterfront projects should be checked against it before design. Ordinance 380 adds use standards for drive-through restaurants, seasonal roadside stands, special events and temporary uses, and changes the landscaping, screening, fencing, parking and sign standards and the zoning ordinance’s certificate of occupancy section. The township is also gathering residents’ views for an update of its master plan.

Texas Charter Township building department: who handles permitting

The state’s Statewide Jurisdiction List (revised November 6, 2026) marks Texas Township LOCAL for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing. The Building Department handles plan review, permits, progress inspections and final certificates of occupancy for all four; the county has no construction program. Township staff moved into the new Township Hall at 7227 West Q Avenue, which opened for business on December 18, 2023.

Texas Charter Township permit types

The Building Department posts PDF forms for accessory structures, building work, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and pools, and runs online applications and payments through BS&A. The township has no business licensing program.

Residential permits

• New homes and additions. Two hard copies and one electronic copy of plans, sealed for houses over 3,500 square feet, with square footage shown for every level, garage, deck and porch, a plot plan with all setbacks, and a copy of the builder’s license. New construction must be filed by mail or in person.
• Setbacks. By signing the application, the applicant and owner accept responsibility for keeping every part of the building, including overhangs, steps, decks and air-conditioning units, out of the zoning setback; a violation blocks final approval and the certificate of occupancy.
• Accessory buildings are priced from the valuation chart, and a $30 affidavit confirms the building will not be used for a business or as a place to sleep.
• Pools. A pool has its own permit form, costs $200 plus a $300 bond, and the pool fence is a separate item on the building application; automatic safety covers must meet ASTM F1346.
• Manufactured and modular homes have a base fee of $150 on pillars or slab or $200 with a basement or crawl space for the first 1,000 square feet.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial building permits use the same valuation-based fee chart as houses, with commercial plan review at 25% of the calculated permit fee. Commercial remodels get the same 50% fee reduction as residential ones. Most new or expanded non-residential buildings, changes of use and new housing developments need Planning Commission approval before permits, and the township recommends starting with the Planning and Zoning Administrator.

The Planning Commission site plan review application was revised in July 2026. Staff strongly encourage a pre-application meeting, then expect a single packet: the signed application and checklist, the fee, the escrow deposit with a signed escrow affidavit, three 24 by 36 inch plan sets drawn at no smaller than 1 inch to 50 feet, and a PDF. Packets are due four weeks before a meeting, but only a complete plan that meets the zoning ordinance gets on an agenda. A township and consultant review memo follows within 10 days of acceptance, revised plans are due a week after that, and the escrow balance may not fall below $250 while the review runs. The packet also carries the township’s pollution incident prevention plan and wellhead protection plan forms, which ask how a site will prevent and respond to releases of regulated substances.

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

• Zoning. Projects outside the building code go through zoning review; site plan amendments handled by the Zoning Administrator cost $200 plus a $500 escrow, and variances go to the Zoning Board of Appeals, which meets at 6 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
• Road commission. Driveways onto county roads need a Road Commission of Kalamazoo County permit; the township links to its permit page.
• Soil erosion, septic and drains. The building application asks for soil erosion, flood zone and driveway sign-offs; Kalamazoo County’s soil erosion and environmental health offices handle earth changes, wells and septic systems, and the Drain Commissioner (201 West Kalamazoo Avenue, 269-384-8117) collects the assessments for the Crooked and Eagle Lakes lake level district.
• Sewer and water. Connections are arranged with the Treasurer’s Department; a single-family home is one residential equivalent unit, charged $1,800 for sewer and $400 for water.

Texas Charter Township permit costs and fees

Since January 1, 2023 the township has priced building permits from the latest ICC Building Valuation Data, updated each February and August. The Building Official multiplies the floor area by the average cost per square foot for the building’s construction class, then applies the state Bureau of Construction Codes permit and inspection fee scale dated April 1, 2013, which the township page names but does not reproduce. Residential plan review is a non-refundable $50 up to 2,500 square feet and $100 above that.

Because the 2013 state scale is not posted on the township site, ask the Building Department for the figure on a valuation-based job. The inspections page also sets a $45 re-inspection fee once a project fails its first two inspections, separate from the $100 charge for extra inspection trips.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are township permits applied for separately from the building permit. The electrical form, revised in 2024, has a $60 non-refundable application fee that includes no inspection, $5 per circuit, $10 for a service up to 200 amps and $60 for each inspection, whether temporary service, underground, service, rough-in or final.

• Who signs. Each trade form names the applicant as contractor or homeowner and asks a contractor for the license number and expiry date, federal employer number and workers’ compensation carrier.
• Homeowners. The electrical form’s homeowner affidavit covers work installed in the owner’s own home, lived in or about to be occupied, with nothing covered or energized until the inspector approves it.
• Inspector days. Electrical inspections run Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m., mechanical Monday to Thursday (10 a.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays, 9 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays), and plumbing on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m.
• Order of work. Trade finals must pass before the final building inspection.

How to apply for a Texas Charter Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Setback errors are the costliest mistake: anything that projects into a setback can stop final approval. Larger houses pay a higher plan review fee and need sealed drawings. Permits are valid for 180 days; one with no work started in that time is abandoned and not refunded, a closed permit needs a new one, and extensions are at the Building Official’s discretion; the fee schedule lists a $100 permit renewal fee.

Inspections and certificates in Texas Charter Township

Schedule inspections online or by calling 269-978-0715; same-day requests are taken until 9:00 a.m., and building inspections now run Monday to Friday from 8 a.m.

• New homes follow footing, piers, rebar, foundation, radon or sub-slab, masonry, rough-in and framing (after trade rough-ins pass), insulation and energy compliance, blower door test documents, and final.
• Pole barns need footing and final, plus rough-in and framing if the inside is finished; decks need footing, framing and final.
• Pools need the electrical bonding inspection before any slab is poured and a final; pool fence gates must self-latch or lock and open outward, and doors or windows into the pool area less than 48 inches above the floor need audio alarms.
• Demolition needs proof that electric and gas are disconnected, then a final.

A certificate of occupancy costs $50 for new construction or a remodel and is issued only after final approval.

Michigan building code in Texas Charter Township

Texas Township enforces the state code itself for every trade. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the Charter Township of Texas (community 261395) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective July 31, 2024; the building application asks whether the site is in a flood zone.

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

Texas Charter Township permit search and official resources

The township has no public permit search on its site. To obtain permit files, plans or inspection records, submit the online FOIA request to the Clerk’s Office (269-548-4308), choosing emailed copies, mailed copies or pickup; the FOIA procedures, public summary, request form and cost worksheet are posted on the same page.

• Texas Township Building Department
• Building permit fee schedule
• Inspections and scheduling
• Building permit application
• Electrical permit application
• Development and permitting process
• Planning, zoning and development
• Zoning Administrator review and fees
• Zoning review application (January 2026)
• Site plan review application (July 2026)
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Ordinance 379: riparian property
• Lake level and flooding information
• FOIA requests
• Michigan Statewide Jurisdiction List
• Kalamazoo County permit guide

Texas Charter Township building permit FAQs

Who issues building permits in Texas Township?

The township’s own Building Department at 7227 West Q Avenue, for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work.

Can I apply online for a new house?

No. New construction permits are taken only by mail or in person; many other permits can be filed online through BS&A.

How much is a roofing or deck permit?

A roof is $100 and a deck up to 200 square feet is $150; bigger decks are priced by valuation.

Does a fence need a permit?

A fence needs a zoning review ($50, including one zoning inspection) rather than a building permit.

How late can I book a same-day inspection?

Until 9:00 a.m., online or at 269-978-0715.

What does a sewer and water connection cost?

For a single-family home, one residential equivalent unit: $1,800 for sewer and $400 for water, arranged through the Treasurer.

When are commercial site plans due?

Four weeks before a Planning Commission meeting, as one complete packet with the fee and escrow; incomplete plans are returned.

Can a homeowner do their own electrical work?

Yes, by signing the homeowner affidavit on the electrical application for the home they live in or are about to occupy.

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