Ypsilanti Charter Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

In Ypsilanti Charter Township, permits come from the township’s own Building Department at the Civic Center, 7200 South Huron River Drive (734-544-4000, ext. 1, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.), where Dave Bellers is the Chief Building Official. The township enforces the building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes itself; the City of Ypsilanti, a separate government, handles its own permits. Allow at least 5 to 10 business days between filing and picking up a building permit, and keep the approved plans on site, or the inspection is not made and a $50 re-inspection fee is charged.

What requires a building permit in Ypsilanti Charter Township?

The Building Department’s own summary is short: building a deck or porch, replacing a hot water tank or furnace, or another home improvement needs a permit. Its building FAQ gives the full list of work that needs a Building Permit Application, along with any trade or other forms that apply.

The township asks homeowners who hire a contractor to have the contractor pull the permit, which it describes as a safeguard for the owner at no extra cost or time. Its FAQ also tells owners to hire a state-licensed contractor in the right trade, to see a copy of the permit and to keep it displayed where it can be seen.

What the township decides and what the state holds

The construction code is the state’s, and the township cannot change it. The Bureau of Construction Codes’ Statewide Jurisdiction List shows Ypsilanti Township as a local enforcing agency for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work, so Washtenaw County’s building program does not issue permits here. The township’s own rules cover zoning, site plans, its Engineering Standards and Design Specifications (grading plans and as-built grading certificates), its Residential Lot Stabilization Policy, soil erosion permits, business registration and rental and vacant building programs. The township’s data center page notes one limit on local control: it says the University of Michigan, which plans high-performance computing and AI research centers at Bridge Road and Textile Road, is exempt from township zoning laws.

Ypsilanti Charter Township building department: who handles permitting

The Building Department and the Planning and Zoning Department share the township’s main number and extension. The Building Department reviews plans and inspects all four trades; Planning and Zoning, led by Planning Director Mark Yandrick, handles zoning, site plans and the Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals. The Clerk’s Office takes public records requests.

An Ypsilanti mailing address does not tell you which office to use: the township, the City of Ypsilanti and Superior Charter Township each run their own building department. Check the parcel on the township’s BS&A property record search before you apply.

Ypsilanti Charter Township permit types

The township’s Forms and Documents page lists a building permit application (revised November 2025), separate electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications (September 2025), fire alarm and fire suppression permit applications, an earth balancing and excavation permit, a soil erosion and sedimentation control permit, a permit revision form, a code inspection request form and contractor registration, along with a garage and shed guide, a residential deck plan review checklist and demolition specifications.

Residential permits

• Plot plan. Every application needs a plot plan drawn to scale (for example one inch to 20 feet). It may be hand drawn, and a certified property survey or mortgage survey is accepted. Show property lines, existing and proposed structures, fences and driveways with dimensions, and any easements.
• Plans. Two hard-copy sets showing footings, elevations, a dimensioned floor plan with header, window and door sizes, and a wall section with framing, insulation and engineered wood products. Plans of 24 by 36 inches or larger must also be supplied digitally.
• New homes. New detached houses need two copies of structural plans plus a plot plan and grading plan under sections 5.41 and 5.42 of the township’s Engineering Standards; the plot plan shows distances to any floodplain, wetland or easement.
• Builder’s license. A copy goes with the application.
• Decks. Follow the Residential Deck Plan Review Checklist.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial plan review needs signed and sealed architectural and structural plans with the first page stamped by a Michigan-licensed professional, a site plan with grades, a cover sheet with use groups, construction type, occupant loads, egress, accessibility and fire protection details, a code summary, a soils report, sealed structural calculations and a list of required special inspections. Commercial plans must also be supplied digitally. New businesses register with the township ($200, one time) and pass zoning verification and building and fire inspections before opening.

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 and site plans. Site plans, planned unit developments and special land uses go to the Planning Commission, with applications due about 45 days before the meeting.
• Septic and wells. Health permits come from the Washtenaw County Health Department.
• Water and sewer. File a tap application with the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA).
• Driveways. Approach permits come from the Washtenaw County Road Commission.
• Soil erosion. The township issues its own soil erosion and sedimentation control permits; its forms list includes the application.
• Ownership and splits. Bring proof of ownership, and record any new land division with the Assessment Department first. Modular homes need a state or HUD certificate of approval.

Ypsilanti Charter Township permit costs and fees

Building, trade and inspection fees are set in the township’s 2025 Building Fee Schedule, which is listed first among the Building Department documents on the Forms and Documents page. Fees there depend on the project, so call the Building Department at 734-544-4000, ext. 1, or email building.info@ypsitownship.org for the amount on your job before you file. The fees the township states on its web pages are below.

Separate charges come from other agencies: YCUA sets water and sewer tap fees, the Washtenaw County Health Department sets well and septic permit fees, and the Washtenaw County Road Commission prices driveway approach permits. On a new home, the grading engineer or surveyor’s as-built grading certificate is also a cost to plan for, because the certificate of occupancy is not released without it.

Trade permits and who may pull them

The township issues and inspects electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits, each on its own application revised in September 2025. Furnaces, air conditioners, water heaters, gas and water lines and electrical work all need permits under the township’s FAQ, and the trade rough and final inspections must pass before the building rough and final inspections.

• Contractor registration. New contractors, and contractors whose license has expired, file the registration form with a copy of their contractor’s license and driver’s license.
• Licensed contractors. The township tells homeowners to hire a State of Michigan licensed contractor, licensed in the trade being done, and to have that contractor pull the permit.
• Fire protection. Fire alarm and fire suppression systems have their own permit applications.
• Demolition. The contractor must sign every demolition permit, be licensed by the state and show proof of insurance.

The township’s web pages do not set out a homeowner permit route; the township’s FAQ speaks only of hiring a state-licensed contractor in the right trade. An owner who plans to do the work on his or her own home should ask the Building Department at 734-544-4000, ext. 1, which application and owner statement apply before starting; the same inspections apply before work is covered.

How to apply for an Ypsilanti Charter Township building permit

Review, corrections and what causes delay

New homes and additions are reviewed by the Chief Building Official, the building, mechanical, plumbing and electrical inspectors and the Zoning Administrator, so the drawings need to answer each of their reviews. Commercial projects that need Planning Commission approval wait for a meeting on the second or fourth Tuesday, with applications due about 45 days ahead; Zoning Board of Appeals cases need about 28 days. Changes to an issued permit go on the township’s Building Permit Revision Form.

Inspections and certificates in Ypsilanti Charter Township

Contact the Building Department at 734-544-4000, ext. 1, to arrange inspections. The township lists the inspections needed on a typical new house: water and sewer installation, footings, backfill (before it is placed), final grade, mid-wall, underground plumbing, rough plumbing, rough electric, rough heating, rough frame, insulation, drywall, interior slabs and porches attached to the foundation, fireplace, then final plumbing, electrical, heating and building. Plumbing, mechanical and electrical inspections must pass before the rough or final building inspection.

• Approved plans on site. Without the stamped site copy the inspector does not inspect, and a $50 re-inspection fee is charged.
• Safe worksite. Sites must be accessible and free of debris, with temporary walkways from the street, cleated ramps, secure stairs with a handrail and guardrails at open floor edges; an unsafe site can be failed and charged to reschedule.
• Demolition. At least two inspections: the open hole, then final grade and soil stabilization.
• Certificate of occupancy. On a new house, the as-built grading certificate under section 5.43 of the Engineering Standards must be in before the certificate is released.

Michigan building code in Ypsilanti Charter Township

FEMA’s Community Status Book lists the Charter Township of Ypsilanti (community 260542) as a participating National Flood Insurance Program community, with flood maps effective April 3, 2012, and the township asks for floodplain and wetland distances on new-home plot plans. On utilities, the township’s data center page reports that YCUA voted on April 22, 2026 for a 12-month moratorium on delivering, committing, reserving or approving water and sewer service for data centers and AI computing facilities, at the township board’s request (Resolution 2026-08).

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 Charter Township permit search and official resources

The Building Department’s “Building Permit Search” link opens the township’s BS&A public records site, where you can look up a parcel and its records. For copies of permit files, plans or inspection records, send a Freedom of Information Act request to the Clerk’s Office by email to clerk.foia@ypsitownship.org, in person or by mail on the township’s request form; the township has five business days to respond and may extend that by up to ten more.

• Ypsilanti Charter Township Building Department
• Township FAQs (building section)
• Forms and documents, incl. the 2025 Building Fee Schedule
• Property record and building permit search
• BS&A public records, Ypsilanti Charter Township
• Township File Dropoff service
• Planning and Zoning Department
• Planning Commission
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• Clerk’s Office FOIA requests
• Data center information page
• BCC Statewide Jurisdiction List
• FEMA Community Status Book, Michigan

Ypsilanti Charter Township building permit FAQs

Is Ypsilanti Township the same as the City of Ypsilanti for permits?

No. The charter township’s Building Department at 7200 South Huron River Drive covers the township; the city’s Building Department at 1 South Huron Street covers the city.

How long does a building permit take?

Allow at least 5 to 10 business days from submitting the application to picking up the permit.

Do I need a permit to replace my roof or water heater?

Yes. Roof installation or repair (two layers allowed only) and water heater replacement both need permits.

Does a shed need a permit?

A shed over 200 square feet needs a building permit application; the township’s garage and shed guide covers the details.

When does a fence need a permit?

The township’s FAQ lists fences taller than 6 feet among the work that needs a building permit application.

How many sets of plans do I bring?

Two hard-copy sets for residential work, plus a scaled plot plan; commercial plans and sheets 24 by 36 inches or larger must also be digital.

What happens if the plans are not on site at inspection?

The inspector does not make the inspection and the township charges a $50 re-inspection fee.

Where do I get septic, water and driveway permits?

Septic and well permits from the Washtenaw County Health Department, water and sewer taps from YCUA, and driveway approaches from the Washtenaw County Road Commission.

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