Digital permit application gateway
Start with the issuing authority’s own submission lane. A complete application package, accurate valuation, and accessible inspection path are the fastest route through statutory plan review.
Recommended first click
Use the official digital gateway to submit plans, monitor review comments, pay required charges, and request inspections when the permit is issued. If the link is unavailable, use the agency website or phone number on the administrative profile to confirm the current lane.
Typical review lane
N/A; the department publishes no standard plan-review timeline and warns that incomplete applications or missing documents delay processing.
Treat this as a planning signal, not a guaranteed approval date. Completeness, corrections, resubmittals, and agency workload control the actual clock.
Verify the parcel is inside this agency’s service area and note whether a city, state, fire marshal, septic authority, or utility district also has approval authority.
Prepare legible plans, site information, project valuation, ownership authorization, contractor information, and any energy, floodplain, zoning, or utility documentation the issuing office requires.
Keep the permit number, approved plan set, correction comments, fee receipts, and inspection results together. Those records establish the compliance trail for the next trade.
Application documents
Before submission, call 989-846-9791; Building Inspector Larry Watson 989-312-0800; Electrical 989-213-6749; Mechanical/Plumbing 810-343-4601 if the project involves a change of occupancy, structural alteration, accessory structure, demolition, or work near a regulated environmental feature.
Source trail
Use these direct agency or licensing links to confirm current instructions before you file, pay, or schedule work. External pages control if their information differs from this directory.
Project questions
Arenac County Building Department is the identified county-level authority for this profile. Confirm that the property is in its service area before filing.
Begin with the online permit gateway listed in the application guide. If the portal does not recognize the address or project type, contact 989-846-9791; Building Inspector Larry Watson 989-312-0800; Electrical 989-213-6749; Mechanical/Plumbing 810-343-4601.
N/A; the department publishes no standard plan-review timeline and warns that incomplete applications or missing documents delay processing.
Call 989-846-9791 when ready and provide the permit number, site address and access instructions; the applicant is responsible for requesting every inspection. Normal inspection days are building Thursday, electrical Tuesday, and mechanical/plumbing Tuesday, generally between 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m.; other days may be arranged if available. An unclear road address can cause an additional inspection fee.
Current Michigan codes identified by LARA for 2026: 2021 Michigan Building Code (effective April 9, 2025); 2015 Michigan Residential Code (current code, effective February 8, 2016, with later 2021 residential rules held by court order); 2021 Michigan Rehabilitation Code; 2021 Michigan Mechanical Code; 2021 Michigan Plumbing Code; 2023 National Electrical Code/Michigan Electrical Code (effective March 12, 2024); and 2021 Michigan Commercial Energy Code (effective April 22, 2025). Arenac's revised June 2025 application separately identifies Michigan Residential Code/Michigan Building Code review cycles and requires separate electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications. Michigan code exemptions include one-story detached tool/storage sheds or playhouses up to 120 square feet, fences up to 7 feet, retaining walls up to 4 feet unless supporting a surcharge or impounding regulated liquids, grade-level water tanks up to 5,000 gallons, certain low sidewalks and driveways, painting/papering/tiling/carpeting/cabinets/countertops and similar finish work, qualifying above-ground pools under 24 inches deep, agricultural shade-cloth structures, playground equipment, qualifying window awnings, and specified movable fixtures. Ordinary repairs are exempt only when they do not affect structural supports, egress, regulated systems, public health or general safety. Arenac advises calling before starting because garages, sheds, pole barns, decks, porches, pools, additions and demolitions may require permits.
What makes an application complete
Before you click submit, make sure the drawings agree with the site plan, project description, valuation, ownership authorization, and contractor information. If the work changes structure, occupancy, drainage, fire protection, energy performance, or utility demand, describe that scope plainly. Ambiguous narratives create correction cycles and delay the field schedule.
Save the confirmation number, payment receipt, uploaded plan set, and every correction comment. Those records are the backbone of a defensible compliance file when multiple trades or agencies share responsibility.
Submission quality check
Site: address, parcel, access, setbacks, and existing conditions are consistent.
Scope: structural, mechanical, plumbing, electrical, fire, and energy work is identified.
Closeout: inspection contacts and the final approval path are understood before work begins.