Jurisdiction names matter
City and township governments can be separate permitting authorities even when they share a familiar place name. Confirm the exact property jurisdiction before relying on forms or contact information.
Independent municipal research · reviewed August 2026
Michigan permits do not begin in one system.
HomeScope compared the official application and inspection starting points published by 24 Michigan municipalities. The practical finding is simple: verify the jurisdiction first, then use that community’s current department, forms, portal, and inspection instructions.
24municipalities compared
21publish a digital or portal-based application path
16publish online inspection-request guidance
8names explicitly signal city or township context
What this report is: a comparison of published official starting points. What it is not: a permit determination, legal opinion, processing-time ranking, or claim that one municipality is easier than another.
What the evidence shows
The homeowner’s first task is routing, not paperwork.
Digital does not mean identical
Municipalities publish different combinations of portals, downloadable forms, email instructions, department contacts, payments, permit records, and inspection requests.
One project can cross departments
Building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, zoning, planning, fire, grading, and public-works review may follow different paths. The approved project scope determines what applies.
Inspection instructions are a separate check
An application starting point does not establish the inspection sequence. Confirm required rough, site, trade, and final inspections before work is concealed.
Community comparison
Published starting paths for 24 municipalities.
Categories below summarize what the cited official pages publish. Open the official source or HomeScope community guide for the underlying instructions and project-specific questions.
| Community | Office that handles permits | Where applications start | Where inspection information starts | Reviewed | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ann ArborWashtenaw County | Ann Arbor Construction & Building Services | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Phone-based inspection request guidance published | August 1, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| Auburn HillsOakland County | Auburn Hills Community Development / Building Services | Online portal or digital application path published | Online inspection request or portal guidance published | August 1, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| BerkleyOakland County | Berkley Community Development | Online portal or digital application path published | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | September 16, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| BirminghamOakland County | City of Birmingham Building Department | Online portal or digital application path published | Online inspection request or portal guidance published | August 1, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| BrightonLivingston County | Brighton Building Department | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | September 16, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| BurtonGenesee County | City of Burton Building Division | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Phone-based inspection request guidance published | September 9, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| Canton TownshipWayne County | Canton Building & Inspection Services | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Online inspection request or portal guidance published | August 1, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| City of DavisonGenesee County | City of Davison Building, Planning & Zoning | Forms with email, mail, or in-person instructions | Phone-based inspection request guidance published | September 9, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| City of YpsilantiWashtenaw County | City of Ypsilanti Building Department | Online portal or digital application path published | Online inspection request or portal guidance published | August 11, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| ClawsonOakland County | Clawson Community & Economic Development | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | September 16, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| Davison TownshipGenesee County | Davison Township Building Department | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | September 9, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| DearbornWayne County | City of Dearborn Economic Development - Building & Safety | Online portal or digital application path published | Online inspection request or portal guidance published | August 11, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| DetroitWayne County | Detroit BSEED | Online portal or digital application path published | Online inspection request or portal guidance published | September 16, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| East LansingIngham / Clinton County | East Lansing Planning, Building & Housing | Online portal or digital application path published | Online inspection request or portal guidance published | September 16, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| FarmingtonOakland County | Farmington Planning and Building | Online portal or digital application path published | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | September 16, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| Farmington HillsOakland County | Farmington Hills Building Division | Online portal or digital application path published | Online inspection request or portal guidance published | September 10, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| FentonGenesee County | City of Fenton Building Inspection Division | Forms with email, mail, or in-person instructions | Phone-based inspection request guidance published | August 11, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| FerndaleOakland County | Ferndale Community & Economic Development | Online portal or digital application path published | Online inspection request or portal guidance published | August 1, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| FlintGenesee County | City of Flint Building & Safety Inspections | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | August 11, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| FlushingGenesee County | City of Flushing Building Inspector | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | August 11, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| Grand Blanc (City)Genesee County | City of Grand Blanc Building Department | Online portal or digital application path published | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | August 10, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| Grand Blanc TownshipGenesee County | Grand Blanc Township Building Division | Online portal or digital application path published | Online inspection request or portal guidance published | August 10, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| Grand RapidsKent County | City of Grand Rapids Development Center | Online portal or digital application path published | Online inspection request or portal guidance published | September 1, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| Hazel ParkOakland County | Hazel Park Building Department | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | September 16, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| HowellLivingston County | Howell Community Development | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | September 16, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| KalamazooKalamazoo County | City of Kalamazoo Community Planning & Economic Development, Building & Trades | Online portal or digital application path published | Phone-based inspection request guidance published | September 1, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| LindenGenesee County | City of Linden Building & Code Enforcement | Forms with email, mail, or in-person instructions | Phone-based inspection request guidance published | August 11, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| LivoniaWayne County | Livonia Inspection Department | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | August 1, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| Madison HeightsOakland County | Madison Heights Building Services | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | September 16, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| NorthvilleOakland / Wayne County | Northville Community Development | Online portal or digital application path published | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | September 16, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| NoviOakland County | Novi Community Development | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Online inspection request or portal guidance published | August 1, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| Oak ParkOakland County | Oak Park Building Division | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | September 16, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| PlymouthWayne County | Plymouth Community Development | Online portal or digital application path published | Online inspection request or portal guidance published | September 16, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| Rochester HillsOakland County | Rochester Hills Building, Ordinance & Facilities | Online portal or digital application path published | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | August 1, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| Royal OakOakland County | Royal Oak Building Inspection | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | August 1, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| Shelby TownshipMacomb County | Shelby Township Building Department | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | September 10, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| SouthfieldOakland County | City of Southfield Building Department | Online portal or digital application path published | Online inspection request or portal guidance published | August 11, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| Sterling HeightsMacomb County | Sterling Heights Office of Building | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Online inspection request or portal guidance published | Aug 10, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| Swartz CreekGenesee County | City of Swartz Creek Building Department | Department and official forms published; confirm submission method | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | September 9, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| TroyOakland County | Troy Building Inspection | Online portal or digital application path published | Phone-based inspection request guidance published | August 1, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| WarrenMacomb County | City of Warren Building Division | Online portal or digital application path published | Inspection guidance published; confirm the exact sequence | August 1, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
| West Bloomfield TownshipOakland County | West Bloomfield Township Building Division | Online portal or digital application path published | Online inspection request or portal guidance published | August 1, 2026 | Official ↗Guide → |
Methodology
Every row can be checked.
- Scope. We included the 24 municipalities covered by HomeScope’s current Michigan community records.
- Sources. We used municipal department pages, permit centers, official forms, published portals, and inspection instructions - not contractor blogs or lead marketplaces.
- Classification. “Online” means an official record explicitly publishes a portal or digital path. Other categories describe the starting instructions without inferring whether the entire process is online.
- Freshness. Each row shows the latest completed official-source review date. Municipal instructions can change between reviews.
- Corrections. Send a source-backed correction through HomeScope’s corrections process. Review history remains visible in the municipal source ledger.
Planning one project?
Use the directory instead of comparing systems. Select the community and project to reach the relevant official starting points.
Find my official permit sources →