Troy is the largest of the Oakland County jurisdictions in this band and the first Oakland guide in the Michigan series. The department is well regarded by contractors who know its rules; the rules themselves are unusually mechanical, and every one of them is a scheduling trap for anyone who does not.
Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, sewer and building permits may be applied for through the city’s online portal. Anything requiring plan review, and all new construction permits, must be emailed to the department in PDF format instead. Right-of-way work needs a certificate of insurance naming the City of Troy as an additional insured, with endorsement, at application.
This guide covers work inside the Troy city limits. Oakland County and the neighbouring Oakland communities each run their own permitting.
Print and post the permit board, or the inspection is cancelled. Troy states plainly that failure to print and post the permit board will result in inspectors cancelling inspections. The board is a PDF from the forms library or available at the counter. It costs nothing and it is the single most common reason a Troy crew loses a day.
What requires a building permit in Troy?
Michigan builds on a single statewide construction code adopted under the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act (1972 PA 230) and administered by the Bureau of Construction Codes within the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs. The state code adopts International Code Council model codes with Michigan amendments, but it adopts them part by part on separate effective dates — the building and rehabilitation parts, the plumbing part, the mechanical part and the electrical part each move on their own schedule. Local units may amend only to make the code more restrictive, never less, and local amendments are filed with the bureau. So the first question in Troy is which authority holds the code for the parcel and which edition governs each part of the work.
Permit required
- New commercial, multi-family and residential construction, additions and change of occupancy
- Structural alterations, load-bearing changes, foundations, decks and retaining walls
- Electrical work — services, panels, circuits, solar and EV charging — under the electrical part of the state code and the referenced National Electrical Code
- Plumbing and gas work under the plumbing part of the state code, pulled by a state-licensed plumber
- Mechanical and HVAC change-outs, and work affecting the energy code envelope
- Re-roofing above the exempt scope, pools, signs, and demolition
Often exempt
- Minor repairs and maintenance replacing materials in kind
- Small accessory structures below the code threshold, where zoning allows
- Painting, flooring, cabinetry and other finish work
- Like-for-like fixture or appliance swaps with no alteration to wiring or piping
Local amendments, fee schedules and the choice of third-party agency differ from one municipality to the next, so an exempt list from a neighbouring township is not reliable. An exemption from a building permit is never an exemption from zoning, the energy code, or an electrical or plumbing permit. Confirm scope with the Troy Building Department before work starts.
The statewide layers that apply everywhere
Two Michigan features catch projects owners assume are simple. First, enforcement runs down a three-tier ladder: the local unit of government administers and enforces the act and the code; where it declines to, the county may give notice that it will; and where neither does, the bureau’s director assumes responsibility for that unit. Unlike states where the county never issues a building permit, a Michigan county can be the authority having jurisdiction outright. Second, licensing is statewide, not local: residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors are licensed by the state, as are the plumbing, electrical and mechanical trades, and the permit application itself must carry the licence number and its expiry date. The residential part in particular has not moved in step with the commercial parts, so a house and a shop on the same street can be reviewed against editions years apart — confirm the edition in force for each part on your filing date. Great Lakes and inland floodplain administration applies along the state’s shorelines and rivers, and snow loading is a live structural constraint. The department is paperless: only electronic plans are accepted. The inspection line and the online request system both accept inspection requests only between eight in the morning and two in the afternoon, which is a much narrower window than most Michigan departments run and catches contractors who call at the end of the working day.
Who handles permitting in Troy?
The Building Department handles plan review, building and trade permits and inspections for the city, with engineering handling sidewalk, approach and right-of-way permits separately.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Department | City of Troy Building Department |
| Address | 500 West Big Beaver Road, Troy, MI 48084 |
| Phone | (248) 524-3344 |
| Inspection line | (248) 689-5744, calls taken 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. |
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Online permits | Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, sewer and building |
| Plan review and new construction | Emailed to the department in PDF format, not filed online |
| Right-of-way work | Certificate of insurance naming the city as additional insured, with endorsement |
The split between the two filing routes matters. Straightforward trade and building permits go through the online portal. Anything that needs plan review, and every new construction permit, has to be emailed to the department as a PDF instead — filing those online is a wasted submission.
Commercial submissions carry a defined drawing standard. A Michigan registered professional engineer’s seal is required on drawings where the mechanical and electrical trades form a significant part of the work, and only one design professional may be named as the design professional or architect of record. Fences and signs are excluded from the building permit and need separate applications under their own chapters of the city ordinance code.
Permit types
Residential permits
Residential permits cover new homes, garages, basement finishes, pools, re-roofs and the usual additions and alterations. Homeowners have their own application route through the portal. Confirm which code edition governs each part of the work before drawing to it, because the building and residential parts of the state code are not on the same edition.
How Michigan contractor credentials work
Michigan does license at state level, and the licence is the substantive credential rather than a registration. Residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors are licensed under Article 24 of Public Act 299 of 1980, administered by the Bureau of Construction Codes, and the plumbing, electrical and mechanical trades are licensed by the state as well. A state licence is valid across the whole of Michigan; what does not travel is the local permit, fee schedule and inspection route.
The licence number goes on the permit application. Michigan requires the application to set out the licence number and expiry date of the residential builder, maintenance and alteration contractor, architect or engineer acting for the owner, together with a written instrument — a contract, power of attorney or letter of authorisation — showing that person is authorised to act. Doing residential work that requires a licence without one is a civil violation, which the county prosecuting attorney or the Attorney General may pursue. Confirm what the Troy Building Department requires for the parcel, along with insurance coverage.
Commercial permits
Commercial work runs through plan review with sealed drawings, landscaping approved before a certificate of occupancy issues, and a site compliance inspection where preliminary site plan approval was required. Commercial applicants should request an extension before the permit expires: Troy’s position is that failing to request within thirty days after expiry loses the permit and forces a new one under the code cycle then in force.
Licenses, trade classifications and design professionals
Practically, three credential layers appear on Michigan projects: the state residential builder or maintenance and alteration licence on residential work; separately licensed electrical, plumbing and mechanical trades, also licensed by the state; and, on commercial and larger residential work, drawings sealed by a Michigan-licensed architect or professional engineer, with a licensed plan reviewer required on commercial work above defined thresholds. Confirm what the Troy Building Department requires for the specific building before filing.
Troy permit costs and fees
Troy fees are valuation-based with separate plan review, trade and re-inspection charges. The city applies an over-the-counter processing charge for in-person handling, so the same permit can cost more filed at the counter than filed electronically.
| Fee component | How it works |
|---|---|
| Building permit | Based on project valuation or square footage; set by the local unit, the county, or the state where it is the authority |
| Plan review | A percentage of the permit fee or a flat charge; commercial work above defined thresholds needs a licensed plan reviewer |
| Trade permits | Separate electrical, plumbing and mechanical fees under the local schedule |
| State construction code fee | The statutory state fee collected with the permit under the construction code act |
| Zoning and use | Zoning, use-and-occupancy and, in some places, contractor-licence fees |
| Re-inspections and revisions | Additional fees for failed inspections, revisions and expired permits |
Michigan fees are set by whoever holds enforcement for the parcel — the local unit, the county, or the state where neither has taken it on — so the schedule follows the authority rather than the state. A figure from a neighbouring municipality is not reliable, and a figure from a neighbouring township can be wrong even where the county enforces both. Ask the Troy Building Department for the schedule in force on your filing date.
Need a real number for a specific Troy project? Send us the scope, address and valuation and we will identify the authority having jurisdiction, the code edition in force and the fee categories that will apply.
We prepare, file and track the application through to issuance — including the fees above, the submittal package, and every correction the department comes back with.
Get a fixed quote →Trade permits and who may pull them
Trade permits are separate from the building permit and, on projects that require one, generally cannot be issued until the building permit is in place. Each trade follows its own part of the state construction code, and is tied to a contractor holding the relevant state licence — which, unlike a municipal credential, is portable across the whole of Michigan.
Michigan licenses the trades at state level. Electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors hold licences issued by the state, valid anywhere in Michigan, and residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors are licensed the same way. What varies by parcel is not the licence but the permit, the fee and the inspection route. Performing residential work that requires a licence without holding one is a civil violation the county prosecutor or the Attorney General may act on.
- Electrical work follows the electrical part of the state code and the referenced National Electrical Code, under a state-licensed electrical contractor.
- Plumbing work follows the plumbing part of the state code, under a state-licensed master or journeyman plumber.
- Mechanical work follows the mechanical and energy parts of the state code, under a state-licensed mechanical contractor.
Permit required
- Service installations, panel upgrades, new circuits, solar PV and EV chargers
- New plumbing, repipes, water heater change-outs, fixtures, backflow and gas piping
- HVAC installation and change-out, ductwork, venting and commercial kitchen exhaust
- Sprinkler, standpipe and fire alarm work on commercial and multi-family structures
Typically exempt
- Replacing a fixture, switch, receptacle or light with no alteration to wiring or piping
- Clearing a stoppage without replacing or rearranging concealed piping
- Filter, thermostat and routine component service
- Like-for-like appliance repair that does not alter the connection
How to apply for a Troy building permit
Simple building and trade permits go through the online portal. Plan review and new construction permits must be emailed to the department as PDFs instead.
The department is paperless. Paper sets will not be accepted, so build the drawing package as PDFs from the start.
Work in the right of way needs a certificate of insurance naming the City of Troy as an additional insured, with endorsement, at submittal.
Confirm the code edition in force for each part of the work, since the parts sit on different editions and dates.
Failure to print and post the board results in inspectors cancelling the inspection when they arrive.
The inspection line and the online request system both stop accepting requests at two in the afternoon.
Review, corrections and what actually causes delay
In Michigan, the first cause of delay is uncertainty over who enforces the code — filing with the local unit when the county holds enforcement for it, or with the county when the state does. After that comes the edition question, because the building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical parts moved on different dates and a submission drawn to the wrong one is a correction cycle. Then a missing or expired state licence number on the application, energy-code and plan documentation, and floodplain requirements along the shorelines and rivers. Build the plan-review time into the schedule and confirm the checklist with the Troy Building Department before filing.
Approvals do not stay live indefinitely. A Michigan building permit carries a validity period and can expire if work does not start or stalls between inspections. On phased or financed work, keep the permit active with periodic progress inspections and confirm the expiry window before it passes.
Inspections in Troy
Where a permit is required, standard checkpoints include footing and foundation, framing, rough-in electrical, plumbing and mechanical, insulation and energy-code compliance, fire systems on commercial work, and final, with a use-and-occupancy certificate before the building is used. Requests made after two in the afternoon are not accepted that day on either the phone line or the online system.
Michigan inspections are keyed to the code edition in force when the permit issued — which, because editions are adopted part by part, can differ between the building inspection and the trade inspections on the same job. They are carried out by an inspector certified by the bureau, employed or contracted by whichever authority holds enforcement for the parcel. Keep the approved plans and the energy-code documentation on site for the inspector to check against, and confirm the notice the Troy Building Department needs and its inspection windows.
Do not cover work before the required inspection has been approved. Keep the issued permit, the approved plans, product listings, energy-code documentation and your correction responses available on site.
Troy permit search and official resources
Permit records in Michigan sit with the authority that issued them — the local unit, the county, or the state bureau where neither took enforcement on. Where the Troy Building Department is the authority for the City of Troy, it holds the building permit, the inspection history and the use-and-occupancy certificate. If you are buying, refinancing or renovating, confirm that past work was permitted rather than assuming it was — open permits and missing certificates are a common closing problem.
Confirm the authority having jurisdiction first, then confirm the edition. Michigan enforces one statewide construction code, but enforcement may sit with the local unit, the county or the state, and the code is adopted part by part on separate effective dates. Both questions have to be answered for the parcel and the filing date before the requirements are knowable.
These are the primary sources behind this guide. Codes, fee schedules and procedures change — confirm the position for your filing date.
- City of Troy Building Department
- Troy permit requirements
- Troy sidewalk and approach permits
- Troy online permit application
- Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes - current code books and effective dates
Frequently asked questions
Why was my inspection cancelled when the inspector arrived?
Most often because the permit board was not printed and posted. Troy states that failure to print and post the permit board will result in inspectors cancelling inspections. The board is available as a PDF from the forms library or at the Building Department counter.
Can I file my new construction permit online?
No. Permits requiring plan review, and all new construction permits, must be emailed to the department in PDF format. Electrical, mechanical, plumbing, sewer and building permits that do not need plan review can be applied for online.
What time do I have to book an inspection by?
Two in the afternoon. Both the inspection phone line and the online request system accept requests only between eight in the morning and two in the afternoon.
Which code edition applies to my project?
It depends which part of the code the work falls under. One Michigan point catches almost everyone: the commercial and residential codes are not on the same edition. The bureau moved the building and rehabilitation parts to their two thousand twenty-one editions on the ninth of April, two thousand twenty-five, and the plumbing, mechanical and electrical parts moved on their own two thousand twenty-four dates. The residential code did not move with them. Replacement residential rules were filed for an August two thousand twenty-five effective date, but the Court of Claims entered a stipulated order stopping the department from implementing them while a builders’ association challenge is litigated, so the bureau still lists the two thousand fifteen Michigan Residential Code as the code in force. That case was still live when this guide was written. Confirm the edition governing each part of your work on your filing date rather than assuming the newest one applies.
Can I bring paper plans to the counter?
No. The Building Department is paperless and only electronic plans are accepted. There is also an over-the-counter processing charge for in-person handling, so counter filing costs more as well as taking longer.
Do I need a licensed contractor?
For work requiring a licence, yes, and the licence is issued by the state rather than the city. Residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors are licensed by the state under Article 24 of Public Act 299 of 1980, administered by the Bureau of Construction Codes, and the plumbing, electrical and mechanical trades are state-licensed as well. The licence is valid statewide. The permit application must set out the licence number and its expiry date, and performing residential work that requires a licence without holding one is a civil violation the county prosecuting attorney or the Attorney General may pursue.
Simplify Troy permitting with Alliance Permitting
Troy’s rules are mechanical, which means they are entirely avoidable. We file on the right route, in the right format, and book inside the window.
Trusted by leading builders, developers, and national contractors — 22 years of filing in the jurisdictions we write about.
Contractors and builders choose Alliance for Troy because the work is done by people who have stood at the counter:
- Twenty-two years of filing, so the authority question gets answered before the application goes in
- We confirm the edition in force for each code part on your filing date, not the newest one published
- Licence numbers, expiry dates and the written authorisation instrument checked before submission
- Correction cycles handled directly with the reviewer so your crew is not waiting on a resubmission
- Inspection sequencing tracked through to the certificate, including trade sign-offs
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.
Ready to break ground in Troy sooner?
Let Alliance prepare, file, and track your Troy permits while your crew stays on the job.
More Michigan permitting guides
This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about Troy permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.