A building permit is an agreement between the the City of Milan and the applicant whereby the applicant agrees to follow all codes and the City agrees to inspect the construction to ensure that all codes are followed. A building permit issued by the Building Department serves as a formal and legal authorization to start the construction work.
The applicant must submit construction documents to show what they intend to do. In some cases, the construction documents will be required to be prepared by a registered architect and/or engineer who is licensed in the State of Michigan. When the construction documents are approved, the construction must conform to the construction documents.
You need one for your own protection. A building permit guarantees the work will be inspected by the City Building Inspector. The building inspector may discover shoddy work, faulty materials, deviations from construction documents and violations of the codes that may result in unsafe or hazardous conditions for you and your family. Another consideration that cannot be overlooked is the fact that it is a violation of City Code not to have a building permit when the work being performed requires one. Failure to obtain the necessary building permits may result in prosecution.
A building permit is required when any structural change or major alteration is made to an existing building or when any new construction is undertaken. Normal building maintenance does not require a building permit in most instances. Separate permits for plumbing, mechanical and electrical work are also required when applicable. If you are unsure, please contact the Building Department.
An application for a building permit is made in person at the Building Department. The application can be made by the Owner or a licensed Contractor. It is, however, the Owner's responsibility to see that a building permit is secured and posted on the project job site.
Construction documents should be in sufficient detail to show the location of the property lines, dimensions of the project, kind and size of materials used and building elevations.
All information concerning building permit cost is based upon the current permit fee schedules for the Milan Building, Zoning and Assessing Department.
