Dearborn Building Department | Permits, Inspections & Contact

The City of Dearborn’s Economic Development and building-and-trade permit services are the local authority for construction, inspections, zoning-related permit routing, and occupancy compliance inside Dearborn. Dearborn uses the Michigan construction codes with city ordinances and programs. Wayne County or another municipality may be responsible for an address outside Dearborn, so confirm the city boundary before applying.

How to apply for a Dearborn building permit

Dearborn issues building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, demolition, renovation, installation, repair, and new-construction permits. The city now uses BS&A Online for many permits: applicants can submit, pay for, and obtain permits online, and building-and-trade inspections can be scheduled through the city-linked system. Choose the correct application, provide the property and project details, and upload or submit the required owner, contractor, plan, and affidavit documents.

Commercial projects may require additional land-use, special-use, sign, fire, or other approvals. Use Dearborn’s permit page for the current applicable-codes document, fees, applications, and owner affidavits. A permit authorizes the described work only after the city’s review and issuance requirements are complete.

Inspections, zoning, and certificates of occupancy

Schedule the inspections listed for the permit through BS&A or the city’s current instructions. Final inspection, correction of violations, and payment of required fees are necessary before a qualifying Certificate of Occupancy is prepared. Dearborn’s residential sale and rental programs also require city inspections and certificates before a property can be occupied or listed for rent; those housing inspections are separate from ordinary construction-permit closeout.

For zoning or plan-review questions, contact the city through the permit and department pages. A certificate of occupancy confirms the city’s code and safety requirements for the applicable occupancy; it does not replace state licensing or approvals that another agency may require.

Official contact information

Dearborn’s Administrative Center is at 16901 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, Michigan 48126, open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The city lists 311 or (313) 943-2150 as the public contact number. BS&A Online is the official city-linked portal for permit applications, records, and inspection scheduling.