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 countywide for building permits because municipal timelines vary. Macomb County Public Works reports residential and smaller soil-erosion reviews average about one week; larger or more complex reviews may take up to 30 days for the first review.
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 Macomb County general: 586-469-5100; Public Works: 586-469-5325; Soil Erosion: 586-469-5327; Plan Review: 586-469-5910 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
This record is marked Municipal Fallback. Confirm whether a city, state agency, or other local authority controls the parcel 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 Macomb County general: 586-469-5100; Public Works: 586-469-5325; Soil Erosion: 586-469-5327; Plan Review: 586-469-5910.
N/A countywide for building permits because municipal timelines vary. Macomb County Public Works reports residential and smaller soil-erosion reviews average about one week; larger or more complex reviews may take up to 30 days for the first review.
For building, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical inspections, contact the building department of the city, village, or township where the property is located. State inspectors respond to inspection requests within two business days and typically perform inspections within five business days when the state is the enforcing agency. County drain inspections are scheduled in the Public Works portal; non-reinspection soil-erosion inspections are requested by calling 586-469-5327.
Municipal enforcing agencies apply the Michigan construction codes. Current state codes include the 2021 Michigan Building Code and 2021 Michigan Rehabilitation Code (effective April 9, 2025), 2015 Michigan Residential Code, 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). Confirm the enforcing agency and any local ordinance requirements for the specific municipality. Michigan ordinary repairs may be exempt when they do not cut or remove structural members, change required egress, or affect regulated plumbing, electrical, mechanical, or other public-safety systems. Other state examples include certain one-story detached accessory structures up to 200 square feet, fences up to 7 feet, qualifying retaining walls, and certain sidewalks or driveways; local zoning approvals may still be required.
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.