Wayne County, MI Building Safety: Building Inspections (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Ch. 233, Building and Fire Codes
- Enforcing division
- Buildings Division, Dept. of Public Services
- Codes adopted
- BOCA Building/Fire, NEC, IMC, IPC (1996)
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine and/or 90 days
- Code review cycle
- Updated by ordinance every 3 years
- Local authority preserved
- Cities/townships may run own building dept
Summary
Wayne County's buildings division, inside the Department of Public Services, reviews every plan application and conducts all inspections required by the building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fire codes adopted under Chapter 233. The division director administers and enforces the chapter countywide, though cities and townships may run their own building departments under state law.
(a)The director of the buildings division of the department of public services is responsible for the administration and enforcement of this chapter and the codes adopted by reference herein, within the political jurisdiction of the county. ... (c)The buildings division of the department of public services shall receive and review all applications for all required plan reviews and shall conduct all inspections as required by the building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fire codes as adopted herein.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 31).
Full Breakdown
). Section 233-7(a) puts the director of the buildings division, part of the county Department of Public Services, in charge of administering and enforcing the chapter and every code adopted under it, within county jurisdiction. " In practice a project moves through plan review before any inspection is scheduled, and each trade, building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and fire, is checked against its own adopted code. 1509), which matters here because most of Wayne County's 43 cities and townships, Detroit, Dearborn, Livonia, Canton and the rest, issue their own permits and inspections; the county division's role is narrower wherever a local building department already operates.
00 fine, up to 90 days, or both, per Section 233-1(b)(2). The county intends to update the adopted code editions by ordinance amendment every three years under Section 233-8.
Violations & Fines
Building without required plan review or inspection, or violating any adopted code provision, is a criminal act under BOCA Section 116.4 as amended for Wayne County: up to a $500.00 fine, up to 90 days, or both, per violation. The buildings division enforces Chapter 233 within county jurisdiction; in most of the county's cities and townships, the local building department instead handles inspections and violations under its own adopted codes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Wayne County inspect my building project?
What codes does the buildings division inspect against?
What happens if I build without plan review or inspection?
Who is responsible for enforcing Chapter 233?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Wayne County
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