Warren, MI Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance § 22.09
- Inspection duty
- Permit holder must notify Building Department when ready
- Occupancy requirement
- Certificate of Occupancy plus Certificate of Compliance
- Tenant change rule
- New Certificate of Compliance needed on occupant change
- Penalty
- $100-$1,000 civil infraction fine per day, § 22.10(k)
- Permit revocation grounds
- False statements, violations, or public-safety menace, § 22.06
Summary
Every building permit holder in Warren must schedule and pass all inspections required by the Michigan Construction Code and the Warren Code of Ordinances before work is complete. Section 22.09 puts the notification duty on the permit holder, not the Building Department, and requires a Certificate of Occupancy and a separate Certificate of Compliance before anyone can use or occupy the building or structure.
a.Required. The holder of any permit for the construction, erection, alteration, repair or moving of any building or structure, or part thereof, shall obtain all inspections required by the Michigan Construction Code and the Warren Code of Ordinances.b.Duty to request. It shall be the duty of the holder of every permit to notify the Building Department of the time when such building or structure, or part thereof will be ready for inspection.c.Certificate of Compliance required prior to use or occupancy. Final inspection approval and issuance of both a Certificate of Occupancy, pursuant to the State Construction Code, and a Certificate of Compliance shall be obtained prior to the use or occupancy of any building or structure, or part thereof for which a permit has been issued, or which requires the issuance of a permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 102).
Full Breakdown
Section 22.09 of the Zoning Ordinance's administrative article puts three separate duties on a Warren permit holder. First, the holder 'shall obtain all inspections required by the Michigan Construction Code and the Warren Code of Ordinances' for any construction, erection, alteration, repair or moving of a building or structure covered by the permit. Second, it is the permit holder's duty 'to notify the Building Department of the time when such building or structure ... will be ready for inspection'; the Building Department does not schedule inspections on its own initiative. Third, before the building or structure, or any part of it, can be used or occupied, the permit holder must obtain both a Certificate of Occupancy under the State Construction Code and a separate local Certificate of Compliance following final inspection approval.
Subsection (d) adds a rule for tenant turnover: when the occupant of a building changes, the new occupant must get a fresh Certificate of Compliance before moving in, but no new inspection is required if there has been no construction, alteration, repair or moving of the structure and it was already inspected within the past year. The companion Section 22.10 explains why two certificates exist: the Zoning Ordinance's historic 'Certificate of Occupancy' was renamed 'Certificate of Compliance' because the State Construction Code uses 'Certificate of Occupancy' to mean approval of the physical construction only, while Warren's Certificate of Compliance additionally confirms compliance with the Zoning Ordinance, the International Property Maintenance Code and the rest of the Warren Code of Ordinances before nonresidential occupancy is allowed.
Violations & Fines
Occupying or using a building without the required Certificate of Compliance is a standalone violation under Section 22.10(k): a municipal civil infraction carrying a fine of not less than $100 and not more than $1,000 per violation, plus costs and sanctions under the Revised Judicature Act, MCL 600.8727. Each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense. The Building Department can also revoke a permit outright under Section 22.06 if the holder made a false statement in the application, violated the ordinance, or created a menace to public health or safety while exercising the permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who has to schedule building inspections in Warren, the city or the contractor?
Can I occupy a new building in Warren before the final inspection?
Does a new tenant need a new inspection when a building changes occupants?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Warren
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