The drawings get checked before the permit is issued.
Michigan uses one statewide construction code. For houses it is the Michigan Residential Code, and your local or county building department enforces it. When the owner or builder applies for a building permit, the department reviews the drawings first, then inspects the work as it is built.
Permits are applied for by the owner or builder. We don't apply for or manage permits.
Before the building review
The building department usually expects other approvals to be in place first: a land use or zoning permit from your township, city, or village, a septic and well permit from the health department if you are not on sewer and water, and a soil erosion permit where one applies.
What the reviewer looks at
- Site plan: the house on the lot, with setbacks that match the zoning approval.
- Foundation: footing sizes and depth, foundation walls, and how the house is anchored.
- Structure: beam and header sizes, floor and roof framing, wall bracing, and the truss drawings from the truss supplier.
- Life safety: egress windows in bedrooms and basements, stair and guard dimensions, smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, and fire separation between an attached garage and the house.
- Energy code: insulation levels, window ratings, and air sealing.
Comments that slow projects down
- Truss drawings not included with the application.
- Bedrooms without a window large enough for egress.
- Missing energy code information.
- A site plan that doesn't match the zoning approval.
- Beams or headers shown without sizes.
If the reviewer has comments, the drawings are revised and resubmitted. When we draw a project, we revise the drawings to address review comments within our original scope.
After the permit
Inspections follow the construction: typically footings, framing, insulation, and a final, plus separate electrical, plumbing, and mechanical inspections. The building official has the final say on code compliance.
Each department has its own checklist, so ask what they want with the application. Our county guides list who issues permits where you're building. If you're planning a project, get in touch.