Grand Rapids building department

The City of Grand Rapids Development Center handles building, trade, zoning, right-of-way, and land-use permits for property inside Grand Rapids city limits. It also schedules building and trade inspections. The office is on the third floor of 1120 Monroe Ave. NW and is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Kent County and the surrounding townships and cities, such as Wyoming, Kentwood, and Walker, are separate jurisdictions. An address outside the city goes to that community’s building department.

What needs a permit

The city’s home-renovation guide says permits are needed when you add or change walls, wiring, piping, ductwork, or HVAC equipment. That applies to garages and sheds as well as houses. The four common permit types work like this:

• Building: required for any structural change and for most new structures, including adding drywall or removing a wall. Ripping up carpet, adding a tile backsplash, or painting doesn’t need one.
• Electrical: required to alter or add to the home’s wiring. Swapping a fixture doesn’t need one.
• Mechanical: required for changes to water heaters, furnaces, boilers, exhaust fans, and kitchen hoods. Installing or removing gas appliances such as stoves and dryers doesn’t need one.
• Plumbing: required for anything beyond replacing a faucet, sink, toilet, or similar fixture. That includes new lines in walls and floors, water heater work, and water service upgrades. Underground plumbing outside the building footprint needs a separate inspection permit from the Water System.

A typical bathroom remodel needs building, electrical, and plumbing permits. A detached garage under 200 square feet needs only an Accessory Structure Zoning Permit. A garage of 200 square feet or more needs a building permit. Pools and hot tubs that can hold 24 inches of water or more need a building permit. A change of use without construction still needs a Change of Use permit. Parcels within 500 feet of a body of water or wetland need a Land Use Development (LUDS) site plan review.

Homeowners, landlords, and contractors

Homeowners can pull building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits for their own home and do the work themselves. Landlords generally can’t. In most cases a licensed and registered contractor must get the permits for rental property. The person who applies is responsible for the work, so if you hire a contractor, the contractor should apply. Deck applicants must be the owner-occupant or a licensed residential builder. The city publishes a list of currently registered and licensed contractors through Citizen Access.

Applying and plan review

Apply online through Citizen Access (Accela), on paper, or in person. Plans are reviewed electronically through ePlan Room. Paper applicants still need electronic plans, either on a USB drive or uploaded later. If you apply in person, the Development Center reviews plans in a few minutes. If you apply online, most plans are reviewed within three business days. Payment is usually due when you apply.

A project must begin within six months of permit issuance. The permit stays valid while work proceeds. It becomes invalid if work stops for six months or more. Extension requests must be made in writing before the permit expires. For general background, see how long a building permit takes.

Fences and decks

Fence permits are filed under Planning Applications in Citizen Access. The city’s rules:

• Height must be at least 30 inches and no more than 6 feet.
• The finished side faces out.
• The fence must sit entirely on your property, not in the right-of-way.
• The zoning ordinance bans chain link in the front yard. It also bans barbed, razor, concertina, and electrified wire, slats in chain link, used materials, and found objects.
• The city expects to respond within one to two business days.

Deck applications need a site plan showing setbacks, footing details, dimensions, and a cross-section with labeled materials. Zoning rules for decks are in Zoning Ordinance Section 5.2.05.F.3. Paper deck applications are accepted only in person.

Fees (FY2027, effective July 1, 2026)

Item	Fee
Building permit base fee (first $1,000 of cost)	$54 plus zoning permit fee
Each additional $1,000 of construction cost	$6.80
Zoning permit added to 1–2 family building permits	$25 (typical)
Residential deck, pool, re-roof, or re-side (flat fee, 2 inspections)	$66 (deck and pool also add the zoning fee)
Plan review	10% of permit fee, $50 minimum
Residential demolition	$250 plus $70 sewer inspection fee
Electrical, mechanical, or plumbing application (1 inspection)	$52
Additional trade inspection	$42
Working before a trade permit is issued	$173 administrative fee

Fences and accessory structures between 120 and 200 square feet need a Level I zoning permit ($25). The city’s online fee estimator covers building, plan review, and zoning fees but not trade fees.

Inspections

You can schedule foundation, rough-in, final, and trade inspections in three ways:

• Online in Citizen Access
• By calling the inspector listed on your permit
• By calling the Development Center at (616) 456-4100. From inside the city, you can also call 311.

To schedule online, you must be listed as a contact on the permit. Online time blocks are 8:30 a.m. to noon and 12:30 to 3 p.m. Have the following ready:

• The permit number or address
• What you need inspected
• An on-site contact
• Access instructions, such as a lockbox code

A remodel must be inspected before drywall covers insulation, wiring, or piping. Deck footing holes must be inspected before concrete is poured. Keep the permit posted and the approved plans on site. Fire alarm, fire operational permit, and pyrotechnics inspections go through the Grand Rapids Fire Department at (616) 456-3818.

Codes

Residential work is reviewed under the Michigan Residential Code. The state’s Bureau of Construction Codes adopted the 2021 Michigan Residential Code, based on the 2021 IRC with Michigan amendments. The city’s fee schedule is set under City Code Chapters 131 through 134.