General contracting permits in Detroit, MI
A Detroit building permit covers new construction, conditioned additions and whole-house projects with trade subs. Save your license, insurance and bond details once, then produce the completed application — plus the attachments this jurisdiction expects — in under a minute.
Who pulls the building permit in Detroit
The contractor of record pulls the permit. Where Michigan allows it, an owner-builder can pull it directly by signing the owner-builder affidavit — the app swaps the contractor block for that disclosure automatically.
Where Detroit general contracting permits are reviewed
Files with
Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED)
Online portal: Accela Citizen Access
BSEED is a locally certified department, so Detroit permits do not go through the state.
Why Detroit general contracting applications get kicked back
The most common cause is the subcontractor list submitted without current license numbers for each trade. Because the application is generated from your saved shop profile and the job scope, that field is populated before it ever reaches the counter.
What a Detroit general contracting permit costs
A planning range for this trade — adjust the contract value to match the job.
Use the full contract amount — labor and materials. Under-declaring is the fastest way to a stop-work order.
Estimated Detroit permit cost
$2,329 – $25,357
Modelled range, not a quote from the Detroit building department.
- Building permit feeCalculated from a declared job value of $250,000.$1,514 – $3,610
- Plan reviewCommonly billed at roughly half to two-thirds of the permit fee.$815 – $1,747
- Impact / capacity feesNew conditioned square footage can trigger school, road, water and sewer impact fees that dwarf the permit itself.$0 – $20,000
Method: valuation-based lines follow the stepped ICC/UBC Table 1-A progression that most residential schedules are still derived from, widened to reflect how much neighboring jurisdictions differ. Confirm the exact figure with the office listed on this page before you put it in a bid.
Inspection sequence
- Footing / foundation
- Framing
- Rough trades
- Insulation
- Final building
Never cover work ahead of the inspection that covers it — a re-open is the most expensive avoidable cost on a general contracting job.
What each Detroit inspector checks, step by step →Get the Detroit general contracting permit checklist
One page covering the forms, attachments and inspection sequence Detroit general contracting crews get held up on.
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Other trades in Detroit
General contracting permits in other Michigan metros
General guidance for Detroit general contracting contractors, not legal advice. Confirm requirements and fees with the authority having jurisdiction.