White Lake Charter Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

In White Lake Charter Township, the township’s own Building Department, part of Community Development at 7525 Highland Road ((248) 698-3300, ext. 2), enforces the state building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical codes; Nick Spencer is the Building Official. Applications go by email to permits@whitelaketwp.com or in person, and the department emails back an invoice with an online payment link. Under the fee schedule adopted by Resolution #26-006 on March 17, 2026, a new house is $250 for the first $1,000 plus $6 for each additional $1,000, and new homes also pay a $350 engineering review of the plot plan.

What requires a building permit in White Lake?

The Building Department enforces the state building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical codes and the township ordinances on fences, pools, unsafe buildings and zoning. Its application list shows the permits it issues, including several smaller jobs that have their own forms and fees.

Solar panels need a building permit as well as the electrical permit, and someone must be present at the electrical inspection. Generators need both an electrical and a mechanical permit, and a grinder pump has its own permit form plus a $50 electrical charge for the pump.

What White Lake decides and what the state holds

The state writes the construction code and licenses builders and trades, and no township may amend the code. The Bureau of Construction Codes’ Statewide Jurisdiction List shows White Lake enforcing all four codes itself, and Oakland County runs no construction-code program. The township sets its own fees, which since July 1, 2024 sit in a single fee schedule after the old fee ordinance was rescinded, and it runs zoning, wetland, grading and rental rules under its code of ordinances.

White Lake building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department sits within the Community Development Department, alongside Planning, Ordinance Enforcement and Parks and Recreation; Sean O’Neil is the Community Development Director. Township offices are open Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The department is not on BS&A Online: it processes permits by email or in person, and you cannot apply or schedule inspections through BS&A.

White Lake permit types

As of April 1, 2026 the department updated several applications and fees, so download the current form for each permit from its applications page. Each guide sits next to its form: an accessory building guide, a deck construction guide, a fence and wall guide, a swimming pool quick guide and a sign guide.

Residential permits

• New houses use the 2026 new residential construction package: a $350 engineering review fee at submittal for a plot plan signed and sealed by a licensed surveyor or engineer, the building and plan examination application, a grading and drainage permit application, a soil erosion permit or exemption letter, two full sets of 24 by 36 inch plans, two paper plot plans plus an electronic copy, two energy code compliance reports, septic and well or sewer and water paperwork, and a Road Commission for Oakland County driveway permit.
• Plot plans must use the NAVD 88 datum, show contours at two-foot intervals and finish grades, measure a lake lot’s rear setback from the high water level, show FEMA flood elevations where they apply, and aim for a driveway slope of no more than 8%.
• Additions, alterations and accessory structures use a separate residential application and are charged $200 for the first $1,000 plus $6 per additional $1,000.
• Roof, siding and window work on a house is a flat $150 permit.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial plan review and new building permit fees follow the schedule’s Attachment A, which the township posts with the ICC Building Valuation Data used to value projects; commercial additions and remodels start at $300 for the first $1,000. The Fire Department charges $232.50 for its plan review and for certificate of occupancy inspections, and a new occupancy or change of use needs a $250 inspection.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit filing through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning. The Planning Division enforces the zoning ordinance and handles site plans, special land uses and rezonings. The Planning Commission meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Township Annex.
• Zoning Board of Appeals. It meets on the fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m.; new cases are due by the fourth Thursday of the month, and a residential application is $400 plus a 10% administrative fee.
• Soil erosion. A soil erosion permit or exemption letter is required before a new house permit is issued. The township’s 2026 fee schedule and its 2026 new-home package both list a township soil erosion permit ($350 including reviews and inspections, plus a $50 site evaluation); the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner’s older jurisdiction map (revised 2018) still shows White Lake in the county program, so confirm with the department which office takes your application.
• Wetlands and grading. A wetland affidavit is $75, and grading and drainage site inspections are $50.
• Septic, wells and driveways. Septic and well permits come from the Oakland County Health Division where there is no public sewer or water, and driveways onto county roads need a Road Commission permit.

White Lake permit costs and fees

All township fees are in one fee schedule, 2026-01, adopted on March 17, 2026 by Resolution #26-006. For a house, the building permit is a flat amount for the first $1,000 of value and $6 for each further $1,000, plus residential plan review based on value.

Worked example from the schedule: a new house valued at $300,000 pays $250 for the first $1,000 plus 299 × $6, or $2,044, for the building permit, plus $100 of residential plan review because the value falls between $50,001 and $750,000. The $350 engineering review, the trade permits and any soil erosion and grading permits are added separately.

Planning and natural-resource fees are in the same schedule. Residential zoning verification letters are free, an administrative site plan review is $500 and a full site plan review for non-residential, multi-family or site condominium projects $1,625. Wetland verification on a site with 2 to 5 acres of wetland is $350, a preliminary wetland impact review $750, and a woodland inventory $100 for the first acre plus $25 for each additional acre. Excavation and extraction sites pay a $500 annual Building Department review and post a $5,000-per-acre site restoration bond.

Trade permits and who may pull them

White Lake issues electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits itself. Each trade permit starts with a $75 application fee that includes one rough and one final inspection; extra inspections and re-inspections are $60 each, a permit reinstatement $75, and trade plan review is 25% of the building plan fee or $60 an hour.

• Electrical: service up to 200 amps $50, circuits $10 each, EV charging stations $25 and solar panels $50.
• Mechanical: a heating system in new construction is $100, air conditioning $50, a replacement furnace $40 and a generator $50.
• Plumbing: fixtures are $8 each and a sewer connection $50.

Contractors register with the township for $15 per license type. Since January 1, 2026 a registration lasts only while the contractor’s state license is active and ends when that license expires, and it can be processed with the first permit application. The township’s homeowner page says state law lets homeowners obtain permits for work on their own homes, but contractors may not work under a homeowner’s permit; the new-home package uses the homeowner affidavit only for owner-occupied homeowner permits. Homeowner permits cost the same, take as long and are inspected to the same standard as contractor permits.

How to apply for a White Lake building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The township allows 10 business days for Building Department review, and engineering review of a new home’s plot plan can take up to three weeks. Incomplete applications are not accepted, and an incomplete plot plan resubmittal costs an extra 50% of the review fee. No work may start until every required permit has been issued. Questions about the forms and fees changed on April 1, 2026 go to permits@whitelaketwp.com.

Inspections and certificates in White Lake

Request inspections by phone at (248) 698-3300, ext. 2, or through the township’s online inspection request form; BS&A cannot be used to schedule them. Each trade permit includes two inspections, and any extra inspections are added to the permit and must be paid before it is finaled. Building re-inspections after the rough and final cost $50, and trade re-inspections $60.

New homes follow the township’s certificate of occupancy checklist and final grade certification, and the Fire Department charges $232.50 for its certificate of occupancy inspections. The township advises homeowners to make the final payment to a contractor only after a final approved inspection.

Rental homes are registered and certified separately: a one- or two-family rental pays a $50 application fee and $150 every four years (or $37.50 per operating year), and multi-family buildings $478 per building every two years. Re-inspections after the initial visit and lock-outs are $75. Appeals from a Building Department decision go to the Construction Board of Appeals for $150 plus costs.

Michigan building code in White Lake

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists White Lake Township (community 260479) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with flood maps effective September 29, 2006; the township links FEMA’s floodplain map from its site, and new-home plot plans must show FEMA flood elevations where they apply.

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

White Lake permit search and official resources

White Lake has no public online permit search. To get copies of building permit files, use the township’s general FOIA request form and send it to Twpfoia@whitelaketwp.com; Fire Department records go to FDrecords@whitelaketwp.com, and police records use a separate form. The township’s FOIA procedures and guidelines summary explains fees and response times.

• White Lake Building Department
• Building permit applications and guidelines
• New residential construction package (2026)
• Township fee schedule page
• Fee schedule 2026-01, Resolution #26-006
• Building Department contacts
• Contractor permits vs homeowner permits
• Request an inspection
• Planning Division
• Planning Commission
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Freedom of Information Act requests
• Oakland County Environmental Health (septic and wells)
• BCC Statewide Jurisdiction List
• FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan

White Lake building permit FAQs

Can I apply for a White Lake permit on BS&A Online?

No. Email the application to permits@whitelaketwp.com or bring it in; the township emails an invoice with an online payment link.

How much is a building permit for a new house?

$250 for the first $1,000 plus $6 per additional $1,000, so $2,044 at $300,000, plus $100 plan review and the $350 engineering review.

Can a homeowner pull a permit in White Lake?

Yes, for work on their own home, using the homeowner affidavit; a hired contractor must pull the permit for the work they do.

How long does review take?

About 10 business days for the Building Department, and up to three weeks for engineering review of a new home.

How do I schedule an inspection?

Call (248) 698-3300, ext. 2, or use the online inspection request form.

When does the Zoning Board of Appeals meet?

On the fourth Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Township Annex; the residential fee is $400 plus 10%.

What are the township office hours?

Monday to Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

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