Before You Build in Detroit, MI: Permit & Rule Checklist (2026)

Detroit's Fence and Hedge Guidelines require fence construction permits from the Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department (BSEED, formerly Building and Safety Engineering); fences in local historic districts also require a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Historic District Commission before BSEED will issue the permit.

Retaining walls over 4 feet in height (measured from bottom of footing to top of wall) require a BSEED building permit and engineered drawings.

Michigan Residential Code Appendix G and Detroit Building Code require a minimum 4-foot barrier around all swimming pools (in-ground and above-ground over 24 inches deep).

Detroit's general fence height standards live in Chapter 50, Article XIV (Secs. 50-14-381 and 50-14-385); in historic districts the Historic District Commission's Fence and Hedge Guidelines cap fences at 6 feet at the side, 8 feet at the rear, and 3 feet in the front (corner lots only).

Michigan has no residential Good Neighbor Fence Act. MCL §43.51 covers agricultural partition fences (township fence viewers). Boundary disputes resolved through common law.

Michigan Residential Code Appendix G requires 48-inch (4-foot) minimum barrier around all pools. Openings under 4 inches. Gates self-closing, self-latching with latch 54 inches above grade.

Detroit BSEED requires a building permit for any in-ground swimming pool and for above-ground pools exceeding 24 inches deep. Electrical and plumbing permits separate.

Above-ground pools in Detroit holding over 24 inches of water require a BSEED building permit and must comply with Appendix G barrier rules.

Hot tubs and spas in Detroit require an electrical permit from BSEED for the 240V connection. Units with locking safety covers meeting ASTM F1346 are exempt from the 48-inch barrier rule.

Detroit pools must comply with Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act (VGBA) anti-entrapment drain covers. Michigan Public Health Code MCL 333.12701 governs public pools.

Under Detroit's current Chapter 50 Zoning Ordinance, accessory dwelling units are not permitted by right in R1 or R2 districts; only pre-1940 carriage-house dwellings are recognized, and a 2025 'Let's Build More Housing' text amendment expanding ADUs is still working through City Council.

Converting a Detroit detached garage into living space generally creates a second dwelling unit that is not permitted in R1 districts, and requires a BSEED building permit plus zoning approval; today most conversions are denied because Chapter 50 does not allow new detached ADUs in R1/R2.

Detroit has no separate 'tiny home' use category in Chapter 50; tiny dwellings are regulated either as standard single-family detached dwellings (the model used by Cass Community Social Services on Elmhurst, Monterey, and Richton) or as accessory dwelling units under the October 2025 'Let's Build More Housing' amendment. All tiny homes must be on permanent foundations and comply with the Michigan Residential Code; tiny houses on wheels are not recognized as permanent dwellings by Chapter 50.

Detroit regulates carports as accessory buildings/structures under Chapter 50 (Zoning Ordinance), placing them in the rear yard subject to the city's accessory-structure setbacks and a one-story, fifteen-foot height cap typical of detached accessories in R1/R2 districts. A BSEED building permit is required for carport construction, with the Michigan Residential Code applied to single- and two-family lots.

Detroit Chapter 50, Article XIII limits detached accessory buildings in R1 and R2 to 15 feet in height and one story, requires 10 feet of separation from the principal dwelling, and prohibits occupying more than 50% of the required rear setback area.

Open burning of yard waste, leaves, and refuse is prohibited in Detroit. Michigan's Part 115 solid-waste law bans open burning of yard waste in every municipality over 7,500 population, and Detroit's Fire Prevention and Protection Code (Chapter 19, Division 5) reinforces the ban. Only contained recreational campfires burning clean wood for cooking or recreation are allowed; open piles, leaf burning, and burning of construction debris are not.

Detroit regulates recreational fires under the Detroit Fire Prevention and Protection Code (City Code Chapter 19), which adopts NFPA 1 Fire Code with local amendments. Open Burning and Outdoor Fire Activities are covered in Division 5 of the chapter. A 'campfire' is defined as an outdoor fire in a fire pit for recreation or cooking — not for waste disposal — and may only burn clean wood.

Street trees and trees in the public right-of-way in Detroit are city-owned and may only be removed by the General Services Department Forestry Division. Trees on private property are generally the owner's responsibility, supported by the Dead, Dangerous, and Diseased Tree Program.

Property owners are responsible for trimming trees on private property and maintaining clearance over sidewalks (8 feet) and streets (14 feet) under Detroit Chapter 57.

The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD) does not impose mandatory odd/even or time-of-day outdoor watering restrictions citywide. Conservation is encouraged through voluntary tips; supply comes from the Great Lakes Water Authority via Lake Huron.