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

Sec. 34-52 requires that all sidewalk, crosswalk, and driveway approach work, including any opening cut through a curb in a street or public way, follow the lines, grade, slope, and specifications set by the city engineer, and that the person doing the work first obtain a permit from the division of buildings and safety engineering, or a street excavation permit from the department of public service. The permit must be displayed prominently at the job site, and the city can revoke it if the work strays from the approved lines, grade, slope, or specifications.

This permit sits alongside a separate contractor's license requirement in Division 2 of the same article: any contractor laying, constructing, or replacing sidewalks, crosswalks, or driveway approaches, or cutting curbs, must first hold a city license from the office of the city clerk (Sec. 34-71), backed by a $1,500 bond (Sec. 34-74) and liability insurance of $250,000 per person/$500,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and $100,000 for property damage (Sec. 34-75). Work performed under a Sec. 34-52 permit must be completed within 90 days of issuance under Sec.

34-57, with cold-weather stoppages tolling that clock, and the engineering division must get 24 hours' notice before any concrete pour and must inspect the work before concrete is placed. Curb cuts also trigger Sec. 34-55, which requires the applicant to install a concrete driveway approach within 90 days of completing the cut as a condition of that permit.