Lansing building department

Lansing’s Building Safety Office (BSO), part of the Economic Development & Planning Department, reviews plans and issues building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, demolition and sign permits for the City of Lansing. Its inspectors are state-licensed. The office is in Suite C-1 at 316 North Capitol Avenue, a different address from City Hall at 124 W. Michigan Avenue. Under the building code, multifamily buildings with three or more units are commercial buildings and go through commercial plan review.

How permits are issued

Contractors apply, pay and schedule inspections on BS&A Online (formerly AccessMyGov). Contractors new to Lansing permits start by email:

• commercial: [email protected]
• residential: [email protected]

Homeowners print a paper application and send it to the residential contact, or bring it to the front office for help.

Once a required plan review is approved, staff usually check a building permit application for completeness the same or the next business day. The permit holder is responsible for scheduling every inspection.

Demolition permits require a checklist, electrical and sewer disconnection notices, a site safety plan, contractor registration and, where applicable, a soil erosion permit. Sites must be left “development ready” when the demolition is finished. Sign permits require a site safety plan and construction drawings. An illuminated sign also needs an electrical permit.

The BSO welcomes pre-application conferences; call (517) 483-4355 to set one up.

City income tax on permitted work

Lansing reminds permit holders that wages for work done under a permit are taxable under the city income tax: 1% for residents and 0.5% for non-residents. Failing to withhold or pay it is a misdemeanor.

Commercial plan review

Lansing reviews commercial plans electronically.

1. The design professional, who must hold a Michigan license, emails the design professional registration packet to the commercial plan review contact.
2. File a Design Professional in Responsible Charge form for each project.
3. Combine the full drawing set into one PDF. The PDF must be flattened and still modifiable; files locked by signatures are rejected by the review software.
4. Once staff approve the application, pay the plan review fee. Plans do not enter the review queue until it is paid.

The city’s published turnaround is about 10 to 15 business days for a first review and 3 to 5 days for resubmittals. Submittals must include a COMCheck report and ASHRAE 90.1-2019 lighting compliance documentation. Simple commercial repairs such as reroofing or siding may not need plan review.

Adopted codes

For commercial and multifamily work, Lansing enforces:

• 2021 Michigan Building, Mechanical, Plumbing, Energy and Rehabilitation Codes
• the 2023 National Electrical Code with the state’s Part 8 rules
• the 2021 International Fire Code and 2021 International Fuel Gas Code
• ICC A117.1-2017 for accessibility

The city also publishes its own residential building code amendments, along with handouts on egress windows, guardrails and steps, handrails, smoke detectors, post-frame footings and front-yard setbacks.

Scheduling inspections

Inspections are booked on BS&A Online by permit number: choose Schedule an Inspection, pick the inspection type and an open calendar date, confirm the contacts and attach any files. You need to sign in to an account. BS&A emails a confirmation and sends notices if an inspection must be rescheduled. Pending inspections can be cancelled or moved under “View My Activity.”

Fee highlights (Schedule A, July 1, 2026)

Valuation	Building permit fee
$1–$2,000	$120
$2,001–$4,000	$140
$4,001–$10,000	$175
$10,001–$15,000	$220
$15,001–$50,000	$220 plus $7.50 per $1,000 over $15,000
$50,001–$1,000,000	$482.50 plus $6.50 per $1,000 over $50,000

Valuation includes all finish, roofing and trade work, and the city sets it using ICC square-foot cost data.

Plan review fees

• Residential: none on work valued at $3,000 or less; 20% of the permit fee above that.
• Commercial: 56% of the permit fee, paid at submittal. This covers the first review and one revision. Further reviews are billed at $100 an hour.

Other fees on the schedule

• Residential tear-off and re-roof, or residing: $130
• Pool: $120
• Additional inspection: $80
• Work started without a permit: $250 investigation fee
• Demolition: $120 for a garage or shed, $170 for a single-family home, plus a $265 demolition administration fee
• Contractor application fee: $35, charged on permits obtainable online (roofing and siding)

Appeals

The Building Board of Appeals hears appeals of inspector or plan analyst decisions, variance requests and proposals to use alternative methods or materials. It meets the second Tuesday of each month at 2 p.m. in the BSO conference room. Appeals and their non-refundable fee must be filed 20 days before the meeting; the fee can be paid on BS&A. The BSO fax is (517) 377-0169, and its email is [email protected].