Southfield, MI Swimming Pools & Spas: Pool Permits (2026)

Before pouring or setting a residential swimming pool in Southfield, the owner must file a building permit application with the Department of Building and Safety Engineering. Plan review is charged under Sec. 8.168 at a base $75.00 for residential additions, alterations and pools, plus 0.0018 times the estimated cost of construction, calculated from the International Code Council's building valuation data table in effect on July 1 of the current year. Separate from the plan review fee, Sec. 8.203 requires a cash deposit at the time of application, with the amount set by pool type: $150.00 for an above-ground pool and $500.00 for an in-ground pool, a higher deposit that reflects the greater excavation, structural and drainage work an in-ground installation involves.

The deposit is held by the department to insure payment for plan examination, issuance of additional permits, reinspection fees, and any damage to public property caused during construction, and it is returned once the pool passes final inspection, minus any fees or administrative costs the city applies against it first. Southfield treats above-ground and in-ground pools as distinct construction categories throughout its permit fee schedule, so an applicant should confirm which deposit tier and plan-review calculation apply before submitting drawings. The same application fee schedule that governs new single-family homes, additions and accessory structures under Sec.

8.203 also lists separate deposit tiers for garages, decks, sheds and demolitions, so a pool built alongside other work will trigger more than one deposit line.