Southfield, MI Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Encroachment Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Director, Department of Public Service
- Required filings
- Cash deposit plus liability insurance policy
- Amounts set by
- Resolution of city council
- Applies to
- Occupying a street with materials/machinery for any purpose
- Deposit refund
- Unused balance returned after final inspection
Summary
Occupying a Southfield street with construction materials or machinery, or for any other purpose, requires a permit from the director of public service, plus a cash deposit and a liability insurance policy in amounts set by city council resolution. Unused deposit funds are refunded once a final inspection confirms the work is done.
No person shall occupy any street with any materials or machinery incidental to the construction, demolition or repair of any building adjacent to such street, or for any other purpose, without first obtaining a permit from the director and posting a cash deposit and filing an insurance policy as required by section 4.3. ... Where liability insurance policies are required to be filed in making application for a permit, they shall be in not less than the amounts as provided by resolution of the council. ... Where cash deposits are required with the application for any permit under this section, such deposit shall be in the amount as established by resolution of the council, and such deposit shall be used to defray all expenses to the city arising out of the granting of the permit and work done under the permit or in connection therewith.
Full Breakdown
Southfield City Code § 4.26 requires anyone occupying a street with materials or machinery incidental to construction, demolition, or repair of a nearby building, or for any other purpose, to first get a permit from the director of the department of public service. That permit application must include the cash deposit and liability insurance policy required by § 4.3. Section 4.3 sets the mechanics: the insurance policy must meet amounts set by council resolution, with a duplicate filed at the city clerk's office, and the cash deposit, also set by resolution, defrays the city's expenses arising from the work.
Once the city confirms completion through a final inspection, any unspent deposit balance is refunded; if costs run over the deposit, the applicant pays the difference. A permit may be required under this article even where the street or right-of-way is under county, state, or federal jurisdiction. Applying for the permit is itself treated as an agreement to promptly complete the work, follow city rules, repair any street damage, including to trees, and hold the city harmless from resulting claims.
Violations & Fines
The director can revoke the permit for noncompliance with Chapter 33 or the director's lawful orders (§ 4.3). Unauthorized street encroachments can be removed and any excavation refilled by the city, with the expense charged to the abutting landowner and collected under the procedure in § 1.13 (§ 4.42). Chapter 33 carries no penalty section of its own, so occupying the street without the required permit falls to the citywide default misdemeanor penalty in § 1.15: up to a $500 fine, up to 90 days in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to put a dumpster or scaffolding in the street during construction in Southfield?
What do I have to post to get the permit?
Do I get my deposit back?
What happens if I block the street without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Southfield
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Encroachment Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Oakland County handle encroachment permits.