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
Allow five business days for a complete building application with proper documentation and any required contractor certificate; complex projects or external-agency reviews may take longer. Building and trade permits expire after six months if work has not commenced.
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 Permit Clerk: 906-523-8570; building inspector: 906-337-4418 or 906-281-0304; ZCCD contact for building applications: 906-337-3471 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
Keweenaw County Zoning and Construction Codes Department (ZCCD) 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 Permit Clerk: 906-523-8570; building inspector: 906-337-4418 or 906-281-0304; ZCCD contact for building applications: 906-337-3471.
Allow five business days for a complete building application with proper documentation and any required contractor certificate; complex projects or external-agency reviews may take longer. Building and trade permits expire after six months if work has not commenced.
Building inspection requests require at least 72 hours' notice. Building inspections include plumbing, electrical, fire, and construction inspections. Contact the ZCCD/permit clerk or the assigned inspector; all final inspection reports must be forwarded before a required Certificate of Occupancy is issued. Certificates of Occupancy are generally required before commercial occupancy or use, with limited single-family and individual-unit exceptions stated by the county.
Keweenaw County is listed as the enforcing authority for building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing in the Michigan Statewide Jurisdiction List. Current Michigan codes include the 2021 Michigan Building Code and 2021 Michigan Rehabilitation Code (effective April 9, 2025), 2015 Michigan Residential Code (current while the 2021 residential update is stayed), 2021 Michigan Mechanical and Plumbing Codes (effective March 12, 2024), 2021 Michigan Commercial Energy Code (effective April 22, 2025), and 2023 Michigan Electrical Code/NEC (effective March 12, 2024). Keweenaw County lists no building permit for accessory structures of 200 square feet or less, although a zoning permit is still required. Other listed building-permit exemptions include brick pointing; caulking, patching, and plaster repair; cabinets and architectural millwork; window screens and storm windows; like-for-like fence repairs; retaining walls 18 inches or less; painting; non-rated window and door replacement; roofing and coping; siding; gutters and downspouts; private sidewalks and driveways; patios; non-rated suspended ceiling tile; floor coverings; gypsum board; sanitary venting and drainage piping; hydraulic system piping; and non-hazardous or commercial-kitchen-exhaust ductwork. Confirm scope with ZCCD.
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.