Southfield, MI Building Safety: Building Permits (2026)

Sec. 5.202 makes it unlawful to build, alter, move or change the use of any structure or land, or part of one, until a building permit has been issued by the director of the Department of Building and Safety Engineering, and no structure can be started or moved onto a parcel before that permit issues. The application must be filed before the new or enlarged use is meant to begin, accompanied by a duplicate plot plan drawn at a scale of at least one inch to 100 feet showing lot lines, abutting street widths, existing and proposed grades and drainage, and the size, position and height of every building or structure involved, plus duplicate scaled plans of the proposed structure or alteration.

Non-residential applicants must also submit a sworn statement of every intended use. Accessory buildings erected at the same time as the principal building and shown on that building's application do not need a separate permit. Once the application conforms to the zoning chapter and the rest of the City Code, the director must issue the permit within ten days and post it conspicuously on the premises, and any refusal must be stated in writing with the director's reasons. A final inspection follows within ten days of notice that the building is ready for occupancy, and the director can issue a temporary certificate of occupancy for a completed portion of a project if occupying it early won't endanger life or public welfare, fixing a deadline for finishing the rest.

Architects, engineers, contractors and builders share the duty of confirming every required permit, including the certificate of occupancy, has actually been obtained before work proceeds or a building is occupied.