Washtenaw County homeowner guide
Ann Arbor building department, permits & STREAM
Navigate Ann Arbor’s online STREAM permitting system, zoning-compliance review, historic-district checkpoint, and property permit records before committing to a design or contractor.
Direct Ann Arbor answer
Ann Arbor building permits and inspections start in STREAM.
Ann Arbor's Construction & Building Services handles building-permit questions. Apply for and manage building and trade permits, payments, current property records, and inspections in STREAM. For general application or license-registration questions, call 734-794-6263 ext. 0 or email building@a2gov.org.
Before applying, confirm whether zoning compliance, historic-district review, plan review, or separate trade permits apply to the exact address and scope.
Ann Arbor STREAM
Use the city's maintained portal for current applications, payments, records, and inspection activity.
Open official STREAM ↗Construction & Building Services
734-794-6263 ext. 0
building@a2gov.org
Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m., excluding holidays.
Looking up an existing Ann Arbor permit?
The city directs applications submitted after March 2022 to STREAM permit lookup ↗. For older applications, use its A2Trak archive ↗. If an older TrakIt permit was not closed or inspected, the city says it requires reapplication in STREAM; contact Building Services about the specific record.
Official permit guidance and contact details rechecked September 10, 2026. STREAM is an application and records system - not a determination that a project is eligible, complete, approved, or ready for work. Reconfirm office hours and contact details on the official city page.
Verified Ann Arbor basement path
The room plan determines whether the city’s expedited review may fit.
Ann Arbor’s current expedited-permit sheet includes new or existing habitable space in an existing basement when the work is nonstructural and is not an accessory dwelling unit. This is an application path - not a promise of eligibility or approval.
Draw the whole existing basement
Show the existing layout, stairs, furnace, and water heater - not only the rooms being finished.
Name and dimension the proposed rooms
Show new walls, room dimensions, door locations and sizes, and names describing each room’s intended use.
Record vertical constraints
State ceiling height to the lower of the joists or proposed ceiling and clearance below ducts, beams, and other obstructions.
Separate egress and trade work
Address an egress window when required. Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work requires separate permits and inspections.
One connected homeowner record
A rough idea becomes a decision-ready plan.
- 01PriceEstimateBuild an editable local addition range and see every planning assumption.Open this step
- 02ConfirmVerify locallyPrepare the questions, documents, and inspection call for the municipality.Open this step
- 03DefineWrite one scopeGive every bidder the same project description, quantity, and expectations.Open this step
- 04DecideCompare bidsCheck allowances, exclusions, milestones, and closeout records side by side.Open this step
- 05PreserveKeep the planOpen browser-local Project Records and keep the same place, project, and quantity without an account.Open this step
The calculator gives you a planning range - not a quote. Current written bids and the local office that handles permits for the exact address remain the final decision sources.
City-adjusted calculator
Start with a working range.
Select a project only when you want a local planning range. Permit and building-department visitors can continue without choosing one.
Local adjustments are broad planning assumptions, not measured city price indexes. Obtain several written bids and confirm current permit fees and requirements directly.
Verified local details
What Ann Arbor homeowners should know.
STREAM is the current system
Ann Arbor directs new building and trade permit applications, inspection scheduling, and current property records through its online STREAM system.
City permits page ↗Some small structures still need zoning review
The city lists certain small detached structures, fences, and floating or detached decks that may not need a building permit but do require a zoning compliance permit.
Zoning compliance permits ↗Historic districts add a checkpoint
Ann Arbor states that projects covered by its zoning-compliance list require a Certificate of Appropriateness when located in a historic district.
Historic-district note ↗Older records use an archive
The city directs post-March-2022 applications to STREAM and older records to A2Trak, which can help homeowners review prior permit history.
A2Trak guide ↗Ann Arbor building department
Start with your local permit office, then confirm every required inspection.
Ann Arbor Construction & Building Services is the official starting point identified in our current source review. HomeScope links to the responsible municipal pages below; the department - not this guide - determines the current requirements for an address and project.
Ann Arbor Construction & Building Services
Building and inspection questions · 734-794-6263
STREAM permit portal
Current applications, payments, records, and inspection management.
Open official application path ↗Choose the right application path
Match the exact project scope to the municipality’s current procedure and forms.
- Research current records in STREAM and older records in A2Trak.
- Check zoning-compliance and historic-district status.
- Prepare the digital application and separate trade scopes.
- Track corrections, inspections, and final approvals in STREAM.
Plan inspections before work starts
Know which checkpoints must happen before concrete or finished surfaces conceal the work.
- Construction inspections generally run Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.
- Next-day scheduling is unavailable after 2:30 p.m. the prior day.
- STREAM supplies a two- or four-hour window the morning of inspection; cancellations require a call.
- An adult must be present for entry into an occupied property.
Assemble the submission package
Prepare the project information the official procedure identifies for your scope.
- Digital plans and project description
- Zoning-compliance material when applicable
- Historic-district approval when applicable
- Building and separate trade permit information
Local workflow
A practical sequence for Ann Arbor.
Research the address
Review current STREAM records and older A2Trak history for previous work, open items, and useful property context.
Check zoning and historic status
Resolve zoning-compliance and historic-district questions before assuming that a small project is exempt.
Prepare a digital submission
Coordinate owner, contractor, drawings, project valuation, and separate trade-permit needs for the online workflow.
Track inspections in STREAM
Keep inspection results and final approvals connected to the property record and your contract milestones.
Project checkpoints
Questions change with the scope.
Fence or small detached structure
Check Ann Arbor’s zoning-compliance list even if the work may not require a building permit.
Historic-district exterior work
Confirm Certificate of Appropriateness timing before submitting the permit or ordering exterior products.
Addition or garage
Resolve zoning, drawings, trade permits, site conditions, and any historic review before pricing construction.
Kitchen or basement
Separate building work from electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits and inspections in STREAM.
Previously remodeled home
Use STREAM and A2Trak to understand recorded work before relying on existing layouts or systems.
Contractor-ready
Put these questions in every bid request.
- Who manages the STREAM application and account coordination?
- Has zoning and historic-district status been checked?
- Which building and trade permits are separate?
- Does the bid include revisions requested during review?
- Which inspection approvals trigger progress payments?
Primary sources
Verify directly with Ann Arbor.
Use the local record
How to plan a home project in Ann Arbor without losing the local details.
This guide connects an early project range to the municipal starting point. It does not replace the official determination for an address, a complete design, or a contractor’s written scope.
Confirm the jurisdiction
Verify that the property is governed by Ann Arbor before choosing forms or scheduling an inspection. Postal city names, school districts, neighboring townships, and county services do not always identify the enforcing authority.
Describe the exact work
Tell Ann Arbor Construction & Building Services what is changing, where it is located, which trades are affected, and whether structural, utility, zoning, or site work is involved. A project label alone is rarely enough to establish the correct path.
Plan inspections before concealment
Ask which approvals must occur before concrete, insulation, drywall, roofing, finishes, or other work covers the installation. Put inspection responsibility and correction responsibility into the contractor’s written scope.
Keep the final record
Store applications, drawings, issued permits, inspection results, approved changes, warranties, manuals, receipts, and final approvals with the home. Recheck official sources if the scope or schedule changes.
Official source first