West Bloomfield Charter Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

In West Bloomfield Charter Township, the Building Division of the township’s Development Services department, at 4550 Walnut Lake Road ((248) 451-4842), reviews plans, issues building and zoning permits and its own trade permits, and inspects the work; Eric Langenderfer is the Building Official. Applications, inspection requests and payments go through BS&A Online once your account is linked to the township. Under the amended fiscal year 2026 fee schedule, the building permit is $203 for the first $10,000 of valuation plus $6 per $1,000 above that, with valuation taken from the ICC building valuation data.

What requires a building permit in West Bloomfield?

The Building Division’s answers to common questions list the work that needs a building permit and the smaller site projects that need only a zoning permit. Electrical, plumbing and heating work needs its own trade permit in either case.

Under the fee schedule, replacing fewer than three windows needs no permit. Air conditioners and generators must sit at least 5 feet from any window or door and be screened as the zoning ordinance requires, and a side-yard placement is reviewed separately at $75 an hour.

What West Bloomfield decides and what the state holds

The state writes the construction code and licenses builders and trades, and no township can amend the code. The Bureau of Construction Codes’ Statewide Jurisdiction List shows West Bloomfield enforcing the building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes itself, and Oakland County has no construction-code program. The township adds its own fee schedule, contractor registration, performance bonds, zoning ordinance and natural-feature rules: wetlands, watercourses, floodplains, woodlands, steep slopes and an environmental features setback, plus its own soil erosion program.

West Bloomfield building department: who handles permitting

The Building Division handles building and zoning construction reviews, issues building and zoning permits, registers licensed contractors, inspects, issues certificates of occupancy and keeps the township’s construction records. Development clerks take applications and schedule inspections; fire alarm and fire suppression work is inspected by the Fire Marshal’s office.

West Bloomfield permit types

The township’s forms page carries residential and commercial building and zoning permit applications, change of occupancy and commercial certificate of occupancy applications, fence, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, fire alarm and fire sprinkler or suppression applications, an open roof affidavit, a side yard exterior appliance application and sewer tap, waterline and water and sewer connection permits, plus 30 project checklists.

Residential permits

• The residential building and zoning application (revised November 3, 2026) asks for the homeowner, any applicant with license number, the estimated cost, whether the home uses public sewer or septic and public water or a well, the service size and a project description.
• Plot plans must show the date, north point and scale (no smaller than 1 inch to 50 feet), lot lines, existing and proposed buildings and abutting streets; the township’s zoning guidelines also ask for setbacks drawn to scale, height, building coverage, impervious surface and open space figures, materials and photos of existing conditions.
• Checklists cover additions, accessory structures, basement finishes, demolition, in-ground pools, interior alterations, new houses, roof repairs and raised concrete.
• House wrap: since October 1, 2018, new construction and siding replacements need a building envelope house wrap inspection before the brick flashing or siding inspection.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial work uses its own building and zoning application and checklists for additions, new buildings, awnings and barrier-free ramps. The application fee is $300 for new commercial or industrial buildings and additions and $150 for tenant space completions and alterations, and plan review is 0.0030 of valuation with a $150 minimum. A change of occupancy carries a $325 inspection, and a commercial certificate of occupancy is $150.

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 review. The township uses a combined building and zoning permit application, so zoning is checked with every building permit. Plot plan review is $75 for a single-family unit and $50 for additions, garages and pools; floodplain review and steep slope analysis are $75 each.
• Soil erosion and grading. West Bloomfield runs its own Part 91 soil erosion program. A new house or residential earth-moving project pays $150 for a 12-month permit, renewable for $75, and the fee is waived when a wetland, woodland, storm water maintenance, grinder pump or right-of-way permit is issued.
• Natural features. The Environmental Division handles floodplain and floodway, watercourse and wetland, woodland conservation, tree and environmental features setback reviews; an administrative permit for a qualifying project is $225 plus a $150 minimum escrow.
• Septic and wells. Homes not on public sewer or water need Oakland County Health Division permits.
• Demolition and moving. Demolishing a house of up to 3,000 square feet is $200 and an accessory structure $80, with a $500 performance bond; moving a building needs a 90-day permit, special inspections and a separate bond under the house move ordinance.
• Driveways. Rebuilding a driveway in its current location, with no expansion, takes a $75 residential driveway permit under the township’s grading and drainage rules; a mortgage survey may be used instead of a topographic survey, and no as-built plans are needed.
• Planning Commission and ZBA. Both post yearly meeting dates and filing deadlines; a residential variance is $300 plus $100 for each extra variance on the same request, and commercial $500.

West Bloomfield permit costs and fees

All Building Division fees are in the township’s amended fee schedule for fiscal year 2026, adopted by the Township Board; the schedule says no employee or official may waive them. Building permit fees are based on valuation from the ICC Building Valuation Data report, excluding site work, and include one underground, one rough and one final inspection.

Worked example from the schedule: a house valued at $300,000 from the ICC data falls in the $10,001-and-over band, so the building permit is $203 plus 290 × $6, or $1,943. The schedule then adds the $100 application fee, the $50 permit base fee, $150 of plan review, the $500 performance bond and trade permits. Permits stay valid for two years and can be renewed once for a year at 30% of the original fee ($100 minimum).

Trade permits and who may pull them

West Bloomfield issues electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits itself. Each trade permit carries a $25 non-refundable application fee and a $50 base fee before item charges, and trade plan review is 15% of the building plan review fee or $150, whichever is more.

• Electrical: a service up to 200 amps is $75, circuits $7 each, the first 25 fixtures $25, a swimming pool $100 and a spa $50.
• Mechanical: air-conditioning units up to 4.5 tons are $50 each, and ductwork or hydronic heat is $50 per zone.
• Plumbing: most fixtures, including tubs, lavatories, toilets and shower pans, are $7 each.

Contractors register with the township: $30 for a residential builder or maintenance and alteration contractor, $25 for electrical and fire alarm contractors and water and sewer excavators, and $15 for heating and cooling and plumbing contractors. Residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors hold state licenses, as do electrical, plumbing and mechanical contractors. The residential application has a homeowner section and a separate applicant section for a licensed contractor; the township’s pages do not describe a homeowner affidavit, so ask the division if you plan to do the work yourself.

How to apply for a West Bloomfield building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

Each building permit gets a zoning compliance review as well as a building review, so the plot plan should carry the scaled setbacks and coverage figures the township’s guidelines list. Wetland, woodland, floodplain or steep-slope sites go to the Environmental Division, and earth moving falls under the township’s soil erosion and grading permits. Bring the township’s checklist for your project type; the division can refund permit fees only within six months of issue, on written request.

Planning and Development Services says it is moving to digital submission of documents and now offers virtual consultations, booked through a QR code on its news notice, for applicants who want help with the process before filing. It has also announced a “Permit Ready” compliance clinic for residents, businesses, developers and contractors on submitting complete applications and avoiding common delays.

Inspections and certificates in West Bloomfield

Inspections are scheduled through BS&A Online or with the development clerks at (248) 451-4842. The permit fee covers one underground, one rough and one final inspection per permit; anything more is charged at the $75 special inspection rate per trade, and a re-inspection after a failed visit is $75, paid before the re-call. Weekend overtime inspections are $150 an hour and holiday inspections $200, each with a two-hour minimum.

New construction and siding jobs need the house wrap inspection before the brick flashing or siding inspection. When everything is approved, the division issues a certificate of occupancy ($50 for a house) or a certificate of completion ($50). Performance bonds are held to secure completion of the work and correction of any violations the township notes, and a temporary certificate or an extension costs $50 per request.

Michigan building code in West Bloomfield

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists West Bloomfield Township (community 260182) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective September 29, 2006; the township prices floodplain review in its zoning fees and regulates floodplains and watercourses through its own ordinance chapter.

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

West Bloomfield permit search and official resources

Permit holders can see their permits, inspections and payments in BS&A Online. The Building Division is the official record keeper for the township’s construction records; to get copies, send a written Freedom of Information Act request to the Clerk’s office, which coordinates FOIA, or email it directly to the department. A written request includes fax and email. The township must answer within five business days and may extend that by ten more.

• West Bloomfield Building Division
• Apply for building and trade permits online
• Forms, applications and fee schedules
• Township fee schedule, amended fiscal year 2026
• Residential building and zoning permit application
• Guidelines for a successful building and zoning permit application
• Building Division frequently asked questions
• Building Division staff and hours
• Environmental Division
• Planning and zoning
• Planning Commission dates and deadlines
• Zoning Board of Appeals dates and deadlines
• Freedom of Information Act requests
• BCC Statewide Jurisdiction List
• FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan

West Bloomfield building permit FAQs

Do I need a permit to replace windows in West Bloomfield?

Replacing fewer than three windows needs no permit; three or more need a building permit with a $100 minimum fee.

Does a fence or driveway need a permit?

Yes, a zoning permit: every fence ($30, with a survey and association approval where applicable) and any driveway expansion or replacement.

How much is a building permit for a new house?

For a $300,000 valuation, $203 plus $6 per $1,000 over $10,001, or $1,943, plus application, base, plan review and bond charges.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Through BS&A Online or by calling the development clerks at (248) 451-4842.

Who issues soil erosion permits in West Bloomfield?

The township itself, through its own Part 91 program; a new house pays $150 for a 12-month permit.

How long is a permit valid?

Two years, with one 1-year renewal at 30% of the original fee ($100 minimum) plus another bond.

Do contractors register with the township?

Yes; residential builders pay $30, electrical contractors $25 and plumbing and heating contractors $15.

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