Novi, MI Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)

Section 31-1(a) makes it unlawful to place any article, thing or obstruction in a public right-of-way, or to excavate, construct or maintain anything within, over or below a street, highway, alley, parkway, sidewalk, bikepath, park, easement or other public place under city jurisdiction, without first getting a written permit from the city engineer. Emergency work is the one exception to the paperwork-first rule: the city engineer can grant verbal permission on the spot, but the applicant still has to file a written application within twenty-four hours.

Subsection (b) exempts a short list of activities from the permit requirement entirely, including work the city performs itself, single-family home construction already covered by a site restoration bond under Section 26.5-34, "de minimis activities" like mowing grass, clearing snow or installing a lawn sprinkler system, lawful vehicle parking, and ordinary landscaping. For everything else, Section 31-3 spells out what an application needs: a written request to the engineering division identifying the location, nature, size and purpose of the work, backed by plans, an application fee set by council resolution, a performance guarantee under Chapter 26.5, and a certificate of insurance.

Single-family owners doing "minor disruption," defined in Section 31-3(d) as excavation of less than two feet, are exempt from that application process. Section 31-4 layers on design standards for anything actually installed, covering placement, clearance from utilities, and sight-triangle visibility.