Ypsilanti, Michigan Building Permit Guide

Inside the City of Ypsilanti, permits come from the city’s own Building Department at City Hall, 1 South Huron Street, third floor (734-482-1025), which enforces the building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes for the whole city; Jerry Dunham signs the department’s policies as Building Official. Apply, pay and book inspections through BS&A Online, and allow at least 10 business days for review. Under the fee schedule City Council adopted on August 18, 2026 (Resolution 2026-179), a building permit is $70 for the first $1,000 of construction value plus $11 for each additional $1,000 up to $1,000,000.

What requires a building permit in Ypsilanti?

The city requires a building permit for new construction, alterations and structural changes to an existing building, and its Plan Review and Building Inspections page sorts common jobs by what you must bring. Work done without a permit can result in fines and costs of up to $10,000, according to that page.

The page lists no permit for awnings under 54 inches deep, carpeting, kitchen cabinets, movable partitions, playground equipment or playhouses under 120 square feet, and painting, although exterior painting in the Historic District may need approval. Fences need a zoning compliance review rather than a building permit. The city also hands out a “Work Exempt from Permits” sheet, an excerpt of section R105.2 of the residential code that exempts, for example, one-story accessory buildings up to 200 square feet and small freestanding decks; where the two city documents differ (sheds, for instance), ask the department which applies before you build.

What Ypsilanti decides and what the state holds

The construction code is set by the state, and the city cannot amend it. The Bureau of Construction Codes’ Statewide Jurisdiction List shows the City of Ypsilanti as a local enforcing agency for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work, so neither Washtenaw County’s building program nor the state handles permits inside the city. What the city adds is local: its fee schedule, contractor registration, zoning and site plan review, Historic District Commission review, rental certificates of compliance, vacant building inspections and its own policies, such as refusing partial permits for new commercial buildings.

Ypsilanti building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department sits in City Hall with the Planning and Development Department, which handles zoning, site plans and historic preservation. The two are separate offices with separate phone lines, and the Department of Public Services issues right-of-way and excavation permits for sidewalks and curb cuts. The Building Department also runs the rental certificate of compliance program, vacant and dangerous building inspections and business inspections.

Ypsilanti Charter Township is a separate government with its own building department at 7200 South Huron River Drive. Check whether your address is in the city or the township before you apply; city permits cover only land inside the city limits.

Ypsilanti permit types

The 2026 Building Permit and Plan Review Application covers structural work; separate applications are needed for electrical, mechanical, plumbing, signs and fences. The single Trade Permit Application handles electrical, mechanical, plumbing and sewer or excavation work, one trade per application even on the same property. Other forms on the Permit Center page include the contractor registration form, a Survey and Sales Inspection application, the Zoning Review Application for fences and sheds, rental registration and HVAC certification forms.

Residential permits

• Additions, decks, porches and garages need plans and a mortgage survey or plot plan.
• Plans. Plans are required except for minor alterations and repairs the Building Official accepts without them; otherwise they must be prepared by or under a licensed architect or engineer and carry the seal, as the application states. Digital copies are preferred, on a USB drive as PDFs or emailed to building@cityofypsilanti.com with the application; paper plans must be no larger than 8 by 11 inches, as the form puts it.
• Historic District. Properties in the district submit plans to the Historic District Commission before the building application can be processed, and trade work on the exterior also needs commission approval.
• Rentals. Rental homes need a certificate of compliance from the city’s rental inspection program.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial additions and alterations need three sets of sealed plans at 11 by 17 inches. Under Building Department Policy #2, adopted May 1, 2025, a permit for a new commercial building is granted only for the complete structure; partial permits for foundations or shells are not accepted. New businesses go through the city’s business occupancy license and pre-inspection checklist, and plans the city sends to a third-party reviewer carry an extra deposit.

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

What comes before the building permit

• Zoning. Planning and Development reviews site plans, special uses and variances; site plan review starts at $1,000 plus engineering review fees, and a single-family area variance is $500.
• Fences and sheds. File the Zoning Review Application; zoning review of an accessory structure or fence is $70.
• Right-of-way. Sidewalks, curb cuts and any work in public rights-of-way or easements need a separate permit from Public Services.
• Utilities. Water and sewer connections run through the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA, 734-484-4600), and demolition needs wrecking clearances from the gas, electric and water/sewer providers.
• Soil erosion and health. The trade application lists Washtenaw County Soil Erosion (734-222-6860) and the Washtenaw County Health Department (734-544-6700) among the agencies to contact.

Ypsilanti permit costs and fees

City Council adopted the amended FY2026–2027 fee schedule by Resolution 2026-179 on August 18, 2026. The building permit fee is based on construction value, which the Building Department sets by multiplying the floor area (the work area for remodels) by the ICC building valuation table, deducting 35% for remodels and using the utility/miscellaneous rate for decks, sheds and garages; a permit is not issued at a lower value than that method produces.

Worked example from the adopted schedule: if the department sets a project’s value at $200,000, the permit is $70 for the first $1,000 plus 199 × $11, or $2,259. The 2026 application form describes the fee differently: a $100 base fee plus $11 per $1,000 after the first $1,000, plan review at 20% of the permit cost, and $70 for each disapproved inspection. The council-adopted schedule is the governing document, so ask the department which figures apply to your job. The trade application prices electrical and mechanical work per inspection, service, unit or appliance, at $75 each plus the $30 application fee.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The city issues and inspects electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits itself. Every trade permit uses the 2026 Trade Permit Application, and work may not start until the department has approved and issued it.

• Electrical. The form asks for the master or specialist’s license. Plans are not needed when the service is 400 amps or less and the building is 3,500 square feet or less.
• Mechanical. Furnaces, air conditioners, water heaters and gas lines need a permit; the form lists $75 for each water heater, HVAC unit or appliance and for a gas line or pressure test.
• Plumbing and sewer. Plumbing alterations, sump pumps and water heaters are on the city’s permit list, and sewer or excavation work uses the same trade form.
• Contractor registration. Contractors register with the city ($35 for residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors).

Homeowners may sign the affidavit on the trade form, certifying that they will install the work themselves in the home they live in or are about to occupy, keep it uncovered until the city inspector approves it, and arrange the inspections. The building application has a similar affidavit in which the owner accepts the responsibility of a licensed contractor. The city’s forms recommend that when a contractor is hired, the contractor obtains the permit.

How to apply for an Ypsilanti building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The 10-business-day review is a minimum, not a promise, and the department asks applicants to plan their start dates around it. Applications from historic properties cannot be processed until the commission has reviewed the plans, and commercial plans sent to a third-party reviewer add a deposit and the reviewer’s time. A permit becomes invalid if the work does not start within six months of issue or stops for six months, and the permit is not closed until the final inspection passes.

Inspections and certificates in Ypsilanti

Inspections are scheduled through BS&A Online; the trade form also gives 734-482-1025 for inspection calls, asking for as much notice as possible plus the job address and permit number. Inspectors work set windows:

Nothing may be covered until it has been inspected and approved. The final inspection is included in the building permit, and a residential certificate of occupancy costs $50. Rental properties need a certificate of compliance: an initial single-family inspection is $155, a recertification $105 and each reinspection $60.

Michigan building code in Ypsilanti

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the City of Ypsilanti (community 260216) as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community, with flood maps effective April 3, 2012; ask the Building Department whether a lot is in a mapped flood zone before you design.

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

Ypsilanti permit search and official resources

BS&A Online shows the status of permits you have applied for and lets you pay and book inspections. For copies of older permit files, plans or certificates, file a Freedom of Information Act request through the city’s online FOIA portal, or in writing to the city’s FOIA Coordinator at 350 South Main Street, Suite 400, Ann Arbor, MI 48104, or by fax to (734) 761-9001; put “FOIA” in the request so it is routed quickly.

• City of Ypsilanti Building Department
• Building permits
• Plan review and building inspections: which jobs need permits
• Schedule an inspection
• Permit Center forms
• BS&A Online, City of Ypsilanti
• FY2026–27 fee schedule, Resolution 2026-179
• Building permit fee policy (valuation)
• Building Permit and Plan Review Application 2026
• Trade Permit Application 2026
• Contractor Registration Form 2026
• Zoning Review Application for fences and sheds
• Work exempt from permits
• New Commercial Building Permit Policy
• Planning and Development Department
• Freedom of Information Act requests
• BCC Statewide Jurisdiction List
• FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan

Ypsilanti building permit FAQs

How much is a building permit in Ypsilanti?

Under Resolution 2026-179, $70 for the first $1,000 of construction value plus $11 for each additional $1,000 up to $1,000,000, so $2,259 for work valued at $200,000.

How long does permit review take?

The Building Department has a minimum of 10 business days to review an application, so build that time into your schedule.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof or windows?

Yes. Roofs, siding, gutters, trim, windows and doors all need a building permit in the city, though no plans are required.

Do I need a permit for a fence?

A fence needs a zoning compliance review through the Zoning Review Application, which costs $70; it does not need a building permit.

Is the City of Ypsilanti the same as Ypsilanti Township?

No. They are separate governments with separate building departments; the city issues permits only inside its own limits.

Can I pull a trade permit as a homeowner?

Yes, for work you install yourself in the home you live in or are about to occupy, by signing the homeowner affidavit on the Trade Permit Application.

When are building inspections done?

Building inspections are on Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.; book them through BS&A Online.

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