Michigan Owner-Builder Permit Guide

By a retired general contractor with 15+ years building custom homes — about the author. Last updated: August 2026.

Michigan is a friendlier owner-builder state than its reputation suggests. Yes, the state licenses residential builders — but the homeowner exemption is right there in the Occupational Code, and unlike a few states, Michigan also lets you do your own electrical, plumbing, and HVAC on the home you'll live in. The trade-off is a single statewide code (no patchwork to shop), a deep 42-inch frost line, and real winter weather to design around.

The 2015 Michigan Residential Code is adopted at the state level under the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act (PA 230 of 1972). Enforcement, though, runs the opposite direction from what most people assume: under MCL 125.1508b(1) the LARA director is responsible for administering and enforcing the code, and a city, township, or county becomes the enforcing agency only by adopting an ordinance to take that responsibility on. Since December 28, 1999, any such ordinance also needs Construction Code Commission approval (MCL 125.1508b(6)). Every parcel in Michigan therefore has an enforcing agency; what varies is whether it's local or the State.

That is not the same as saying everything needs a permit. Buildings incidental to agricultural use are exempt by statute (MCL 125.1510(8)), and the code's own rules exempt a fair amount of minor work — detached accessory structures of 200 square feet or less, fences under 7 feet, retaining walls under 4 feet, and more (R 408.30505). But there is no jurisdiction where a dwelling escapes the code, the way it can in rural Ohio or unincorporated Texas.

Michigan Building Code Overview

Current Code Adoption

Here's the wrinkle worth understanding: Michigan tried to move to the 2021 code editions, but the residential update has been tied up by a stipulated court order, so as of 2026 the 2015 MRC and 2015 IECC residential provisions remain the codes you build to. This is unusually long for a code to stay frozen, and it's the single most important thing to confirm with LARA or your local building department before you draw plans — if the order lifts, the energy requirements in particular get more stringent. Check the LARA Bureau of Construction Codes code books page for the current adopted edition.

Who Enforces: the State by Default, Locals by Ordinance

Michigan does not have unregulated counties, but the mechanism is the reverse of what "local building department" suggests. Under MCL 125.1508b(1), the LARA director is responsible for administering and enforcing the code. A city, township, or county becomes the enforcing agency only by adopting an ordinance to assume that responsibility, and since December 28, 1999 such an ordinance also requires Construction Code Commission approval (MCL 125.1508b(6)). Where no local unit has done that, the State enforces — not as a stopgap for the places nobody wanted, but as the baseline the statute starts from.

Then the part that trips up nearly everyone: enforcement is assigned separately for each of the four disciplines — building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing. A township can take building and leave plumbing with the State. Of Michigan's 1,824 units of government, 252 have at least one discipline split to a different agency than the others. The State is the plumbing enforcing agency for 264 units but the building enforcing agency for only 59. If you assume your township handles all four because it handled your building permit, you will file trade permits in the wrong place and lose weeks finding out.

Michigan-Specific Amendments

The MRC modifies the base 2015 IRC in several areas that matter for owner-builders:

1. Frost depth: A flat 42 inches below grade statewide for exterior footings (MRC R403.1.4) — one of the deeper requirements in the country, and notably deeper than Ohio or Indiana
2. Energy: The Michigan Uniform Energy Code amends the 2015 IECC, including on air and duct leakage (verified figures below). It is also widely applied as allowing R-38 ceilings in Climate Zone 5A rather than R-49, with a uniform U-0.32 window maximum — confirm both with your enforcing agency before you order insulation or windows
3. Radon: MRC Appendix F (passive radon controls) is mandatory only in the designated Zone 1 counties and recommended elsewhere — the list below is the one commonly cited; confirm with your enforcing agency
4. Sprinklers: Residential fire sprinklers are not mandated in one- and two-family dwellings (the IRC sprinkler requirement was not adopted)
5. Snow loads: Ground snow loads run high in the north and the lake-effect belts; roof structural design must reflect local ground snow load values

Michigan Owner-Builder Laws

Michigan regulates home construction under Article 24 of the Occupational Code (Public Act 299 of 1980), administered by the LARA Bureau of Construction Codes. A "Residential Builder" is broadly defined as someone who, for compensation other than wages for personal labor, builds or contracts to build a residential structure for another person.

Building for someone else for money without that license is not a minor ticket, and the figure you'll see quoted around the internet is the wrong one. MCL 339.601(6) opens "Notwithstanding subsections (4) and (5)" and sets a penalty scale written specifically for unlicensed residential builders and maintenance-and-alteration contractors: a fine of $5,000 to $25,000 and up to 1 year in jail for a first offense, up to 2 years for a second, and a felony carrying up to 4 years where the violation results in death or serious injury. The commonly repeated "$500 fine or 90 days" is MCL 339.601(4) — the general Occupational Code penalty for unlicensed practice, which subsection (6) expressly overrides for builders.

MCL 339.2412 does something different and, for anyone hiring out work, just as consequential: an unlicensed person may not bring or maintain an action to collect compensation for work requiring a builder's license, and may not place a construction lien. The same section authorizes a separate civil action of $5,000 to $25,000 against a person who acts as a builder without a license.

None of this reaches you when you're building your own residence under the exemption. It's worth knowing anyway, because it explains why the licensed contractors you hire will be immovable about pulling their own permits under their own license.

The Homeowner Exemption (MCL 339.2403)

The key statute is MCL 339.2403, which lists who may build without a license. Subsection (b) is the one that matters:

"An owner of property, with reference to a structure on the property for the owner's own use and occupancy."

That's it — short, clear, and statewide. Because the exemption is written into state law, you don't depend on a friendly local policy the way Ohio owner-builders do; the right travels with you to any jurisdiction in Michigan.

The same statute (subsections g, h, i) also exempts licensed electrical, plumbing, and mechanical contractors from the builder license when they're doing their own trade — which is why your subs need their trade license but not a builder's license.

Critical Restrictions and Requirements

The exemption is keyed to occupancy. The phrase "own use and occupancy" is doing real work. The exemption is for the home you will actually live in — not a house you build to sell. Michigan does not put an explicit "you can't sell for X years" number in the statute, but building a home you never intend to occupy and selling it is exactly what the Residential Builder license is for. If you build, occupy, and later sell for legitimate reasons, that's a homeowner who moved. If you build to flip, you needed the license. Build the home you mean to live in.

The forms you'll sign — and which parts are actually statutory. Act 230 contains no statewide homeowner occupancy affidavit, despite how often people describe one. The homeowner-permit forms building departments hand you are ordinance-level instruments adopted under MCL 125.1508b(11), and they vary from agency to agency — some are a paragraph on the application, some are a separate page of acknowledgments. Don't assume the form one township uses is the form the next one uses.

Two things are statutory. First, every construction permit application in Michigan carries the section 23a warning: MCL 125.1523a makes conspiring to circumvent the code an offense, and that notice is printed on the application you sign. Second, the mechanical permit application carries a genuine statutory homeowner affirmation under MCL 339.5819: you affirm that you own the home, that you occupy or will occupy it, and that you will personally perform the installation. That is the real homeowner affidavit in Michigan law, and it lives on one trade's application — not on the building permit.

You can't have a licensed contractor work under your homeowner permit. This is the big one and it's the opposite of how some states operate. The mechanism sits in the code act: under MCL 125.1510(2)–(3), a person is not recognized as your builder or your agent for permit purposes unless a written instrument naming them — and stating their license number — has been filed with the enforcing agency. A licensed contractor working under a permit issued to you as a homeowner has no such instrument on file, so nobody is properly permitted for that work. LARA states the operating rule plainly: a homeowner must secure a permit for work they are performing at their residence, and mechanical contractors are responsible for permits on work they are performing on behalf of an owner.

So the practical model is simple: pull homeowner permits for the work you will genuinely do yourself, and have each licensed sub you hire pull their own under their own license.

Liability is yours. Homeowner-permit forms typically spell out that as permit holder you assume the liability and responsibility a licensed contractor would normally carry, including correcting any code violations. Even where a form is silent on it, that's the practical position — the enforcing agency's remedy for defective work runs against the permit holder, and the permit holder is you.

Doing Your Own Trade Work

This is where Michigan is genuinely good for hands-on builders. State law lets an owner-occupant do their own electrical, plumbing, and mechanical work on a single-family home they own and live in — each under a homeowner permit:

Liability and Insurance

Seller Disclosure

Michigan's Seller Disclosure Act (MCL 565.951 et seq.) requires sellers of one- to four-unit residential property to complete a Seller's Disclosure Statement covering the condition of the home and known defects. Owner-built homes don't have to be labeled as such, but known defects, unpermitted work, or code issues must be disclosed when you sell.

Plans, Sealed Drawings, and the Part 91 Gate

You probably don't need an architect's seal

Michigan exempts most houses from the sealed-drawings requirement, and the exemption is considerably bigger than it looks. Under MCL 339.2012(1)(d) and MCL 339.2014(e), plans for a one- or two-family dwelling with under 3,500 square feet of "calculated floor area" require no architect's or professional engineer's seal.

The leverage is in the definition. MCL 339.2012(2) defines calculated floor area as habitable space only, expressly excluding basements, garages, attics, bathrooms, closets, hallways, and utility rooms. Subtract the finished basement, the three-car garage, four bathrooms, the hallways, and the mechanical room, and a house a builder would market as 4,200 square feet can land comfortably under the threshold. Do that arithmetic before you assume a stamped set is a line item in your budget.

There is a second exemption with no area limit at all: an owner performing design work on their own building for their own use. If you're drawing your own house to live in, the seal requirement doesn't reach you regardless of size.

Part 91 gates your building permit

This is the sequencing mistake that costs Michigan owner-builders weeks, and it catches people who did everything else right.

Under R 323.1711(2) of the Michigan Administrative Code, a local agency "shall not issue a building permit … until the county or local enforcing agency has issued the required state-prescribed permit" for soil erosion and sedimentation control. The Part 91 soil erosion permit is not a parallel track you can catch up on while plan review runs — it is a hard precondition to the building permit issuing at all.

You need one if your project involves either of these (R 323.1704(1)):

• An earth change of one acre or more — which a house, driveway, septic field, and staging area reach more easily than people expect
• Any earth change within 500 feet of the water's edge of a lake or stream, regardless of size

"Lake" is defined broadly: a body of water of one acre or more of surface area (R 323.1701(1)(d)). In Michigan that sweeps in a great many ponds nobody thinks of as lakes, including ones on neighboring parcels. Apply to your county's soil erosion agency early — it's a cheap permit that holds up an expensive one.

Permit Costs in Michigan

Michigan permit fees are moderate — higher than Ohio or Indiana, lower than the coasts. Most local jurisdictions calculate the building permit from construction valuation rather than a flat per-square-foot rate, then add separate electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permit fees plus a state-mandated surcharge.

Where the State is your enforcing agency, the valuation does not come from the ICC's Building Valuation Data tables. The Bureau of Construction Codes publishes its own Square Foot Construction Cost Table and uses that. For a typical house — Use Group R-3, Type VB construction — the table sets $95.34 per square foot, and unfinished basement area counts at 20% of that rate. That's a meaningful difference from the ICC figures if you're pricing a build from national guidance.

Major Metro Areas

Estimates below are for a typical 2,000 sq ft home (roughly $300K–$400K construction valuation).

Suburban & Outstate Counties

Rural & State-Enforced Areas

Where no local unit has assumed a discipline by ordinance — most of rural Michigan for building, and 264 units statewide for plumbing — the LARA Bureau of Construction Codes issues the permits and inspects directly under its own statewide fee schedule. Remember that this can apply to some of your permits and not others.

Hidden Fees

Processing Timelines

Energy Code Requirements

Foundation and Frost Depth

Inspection Requirements

Radon Requirements

Radon is a real issue in Michigan — elevated levels have been found in every county. But the mandatory radon-resistant construction requirement in MRC Appendix F applies only in the counties the code designates as Zone 1 (the highest EPA radon zone). The nine-county list below is the one commonly cited; it was not independently verified in this update, so confirm it with your enforcing agency before you decide the rough-in is optional:

Where required (or where you choose to do it), passive radon-resistant construction means:

• Gas-permeable layer (4" of clean gravel) under the slab
• Soil-gas-retarder membrane (polyethylene) over the gravel
• A 3" or 4" vent pipe routed from the sub-slab up through the roof
• An electrical junction box near the vent pipe for a future fan
• Sealing and labeling at penetrations

Special Michigan Considerations

Lake-Effect & Heavy Snow Loads

Roof structural calculations must account for:

• Ground snow load: roughly 30–40 psf across much of the Lower Peninsula, and substantially higher (50–70+ psf) in the western Upper Peninsula and lake-effect belts — use your local value
• Roof snow load (per ASCE 7): derived from the ground snow load, slope, and exposure
• Drift loads: significant at roof step-downs, dormers, and against walls
• Ice dams: cold-climate detailing — generous attic insulation, continuous ventilation, and ice-and-water shield at eaves — is essential, not optional

Deep Frost & Basements

Michigan's 42-inch frost line (see above) makes full basements the default. Build the basement: it's the cheapest conditioned-or-conditionable square footage you'll ever add, it gets you below the frost line anyway, and it's where Michigan buyers expect mechanical systems and storage to live.

Radon (Statewide Concern)

Covered above — mandatory in the Zone 1 counties, smart everywhere. Michigan's EGLE (Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy) runs the Indoor Radon Program and offers test kits; design the passive rough-in regardless of your county, and you never have to care whether the county list moved.

Wetlands, Inland Lakes & Shoreline

Michigan has more inland lakes and freshwater shoreline than almost any state, and strong environmental rules to match. If your lot is near water or wetlands:

• Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control (SESC) permits are required under Part 91 of NREPA for one or more acres of earth change, or any earth change within 500 feet of the water's edge of a lake or stream — administered by the county, and a precondition to your building permit issuing at all (see the Part 91 section above)
• Wetland, inland lake & stream, and high-risk erosion / critical dune permits may be required from EGLE for work in regulated areas
• Floodplain development near rivers and the Great Lakes triggers additional review

Septic Systems (Rural Areas)

County health departments (under the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services framework) regulate on-site septic, and rules vary significantly by county — confirm locally before you buy a rural lot, because a lot that won't perc under one county's standard may be fine under the next county's.

Michigan is one of the very few states without a uniform statewide standard for onsite wastewater. The Senate Fiscal Agency's analysis of SB 771 (2026) puts it this way: "according to testimony, Michigan is the only state that does not have a uniform standard." That's testimony recorded in a fiscal analysis rather than a finding of fact, so treat the "only state" claim as attributed rather than settled — but the practical consequence is real and it's yours to manage: your county's rules are the rules.

Wells

Michigan regulates well construction statewide under Part 127 of the Public Health Code (PA 368 of 1978) and its administrative rules — but the permit is local. You apply to your county or district health department, and the permit has to be issued before drilling starts.

Two things owner-builders routinely miss:

• You may drill your own well. MCL 333.12703(2) lets a person construct a water well on their own property for their own permanent residence without registering as a well drilling contractor, provided you file the required well drilling record within 60 days of completion. Whether it's a good idea on a deep Michigan well is a separate question — but the statute allows it, and it's not obvious from the county's paperwork.
• The coliform sample is yours to collect. Post-construction bacteriological testing of a new well is a statewide requirement, and under R 325.1661(2)–(3) the owner is responsible for collecting and submitting the sample. Don't assume the driller handles it; an untested well can sit between you and your certificate of occupancy.

Top Counties for Owner-Builders

1. Livingston County (between Detroit and Lansing)

• Pros: Fast-growing exurb, good schools, reasonable fees, strong resale, easy commute to both metros
• Cons: Land prices climbing; deep frost and snow like the rest of the state
• Best for: Owner-builders wanting metro access with a rural feel

2. Ottawa County (Holland / Grand Haven, west Michigan)

• Pros: Booming west-Michigan economy, lakeshore proximity, strong appreciation, efficient building departments
• Cons: Lake-effect snow belt — engineer roofs carefully
• Best for: West-Michigan owner-builders prioritizing growth and lifestyle

3. Kent County (Grand Rapids metro)

• Pros: Strong economy, good resale, professional building departments, lots of qualified trades
• Cons: Higher metro fees; competitive land market
• Best for: Owner-builders wanting a city with momentum

4. Oakland County (Detroit's affluent north suburbs)

• Pros: Best resale values in the state, excellent schools, deep pool of trades
• Cons: Among the highest fees and land prices; stricter township review in some communities
• Best for: Owner-builders prioritizing long-term resale

5. Grand Traverse County (Traverse City, northern Lower Peninsula)

• Pros: Desirable second-home/retirement market, strong values, beautiful setting
• Cons: High snow loads, shorter building season, premium land
• Best for: Owner-builders building a forever home or northern retreat

Most Expensive / Challenging Areas

• City of Ann Arbor / Washtenaw County: Strict review, higher fees, and mandatory radon-resistant construction
• City of Detroit: Older lots, possible lead/asbestos remediation on existing structures, complex utility connections
• Affluent Oakland County townships: High valuations push valuation-based permit fees up; some communities review aggressively
• Western Upper Peninsula & lake-effect belts: Extreme snow loads, short building season, expensive rural utilities
• Inland-lake and Great Lakes shoreline lots: EGLE wetland/shoreline/dune permitting adds time and cost

Key Resources

• Statewide Jurisdiction List (LARA BCC): the free PDF naming the enforcing agency for each of the four disciplines in every unit of government, revised after each Construction Code Commission meeting — start here, at michigan.gov/lara under the Bureau of Construction Codes
• Square Foot Construction Cost Table (LARA BCC): the valuation basis for permit fees in state-enforced jurisdictions
• LARA Bureau of Construction Codes (BCC): code adoption, residential builder and trade licensing, state-enforced permits and inspections — michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/bcc
• Michigan Legislature: the Occupational Code (Act 299 of 1980, Article 24) and the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act (Act 230 of 1972) at legislature.mi.gov
• EGLE (Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy): radon program, wetlands, inland lakes/streams, shoreline, and floodplain permits
• County soil erosion (SESC) agency: the Part 91 permit that must issue before your building permit can
• County health department: septic and well permits (rules vary by county)
• County road commission: driveway / road tie-in permits
• Your city, township, county, or state field office building department: plan review, permit issuance, inspections, homeowner permit forms — and remember it may not be the same agency for all four disciplines

Common Questions

Do I need a license to build my own house in Michigan? No. Michigan requires a Residential Builder license to build homes for others, but a homeowner building their own residence is exempt under MCL 339.2403(b). You act as your own builder, pull homeowner permits, and build to the 2015 Michigan Residential Code.

Can you build your own house without a permit in Michigan? Not a house. Michigan has statewide code coverage under PA 230 of 1972: the State is the enforcing agency by default and local units assume enforcement by ordinance, so every parcel has an agency responsible for it. There are no unregulated counties as there are in some other states. Some work is exempt — buildings incidental to agricultural use (MCL 125.1510(8)), detached accessory structures of 200 sq ft or less, fences under 7 feet, retaining walls under 4 feet (R 408.30505) — but a dwelling always needs a permit.

Do I need an architect to draw my Michigan house plans? Usually not. A one- or two-family dwelling under 3,500 sq ft of "calculated floor area" needs no architect's or engineer's seal (MCL 339.2012(1)(d), 339.2014(e)), and calculated floor area counts habitable space only — basements, garages, attics, bathrooms, closets, hallways, and utility rooms are excluded. Separately, an owner designing their own building for their own use is exempt with no size limit at all. You still need a complete, code-compliant plan set for review.

What is the Michigan owner-builder exemption? It's the homeowner exemption in MCL 339.2403(b): "an owner of property" may build "a structure on the property for the owner's own use and occupancy" without a Residential Builder license. It's keyed to occupancy, so it covers the home you intend to live in, not a spec house to flip.

Can a homeowner do their own electrical, plumbing, and HVAC in Michigan? Yes — on a single-family home you own and occupy (or will occupy), you can pull homeowner electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits and do the work yourself without a trade license. But you cannot have a licensed contractor work under your homeowner permit; that pro pulls their own.

How much does a Michigan owner-builder permit cost? Building permits are usually valuation-based: roughly $1,100–$2,400 for a typical 2,000 sq ft home in major metros, plus $450–$950 in trade permits. In state-enforced jurisdictions the valuation comes from the Bureau of Construction Codes' own Square Foot Construction Cost Table ($95.34/sq ft for R-3 Type VB, unfinished basements at 20%). Water/sewer tap fees ($4,000–$15,000) are usually the biggest single add-on in metro areas.

Which Michigan counties are best for owner-builders? Livingston, Ottawa, and Kent offer the best combination of growth, resale, and efficient building departments. Oakland has the strongest resale but the highest costs. Watch snow loads in west Michigan and the north, and radon-mandate counties like Washtenaw.

Typical Owner-Builder Timeline

Total: 9–12 months (part-time owner-builder), longer if winter interrupts foundation/shell work. Full-time in a single building season, 7–9 months.

Final Thoughts for Michigan Owner-Builders

Michigan is a solid, fair owner-builder state. It licenses builders, but it hands homeowners a clean statutory exemption and — better than most states — lets you do your own electrical, plumbing, and HVAC on the home you'll live in. The single statewide code means no jurisdiction-shopping for the rules, and because the State enforces wherever a local unit hasn't taken the job on, you'll never build somewhere with zero oversight (which protects your resale and your financing).

The big decisions:

1. Pull the Statewide Jurisdiction List first: Four disciplines, assigned separately, 252 units with a split. Know which agency holds building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing for your parcel before you do anything else.
2. Confirm the code edition before you draw plans: Michigan is still on the 2015 MRC and 2015 IECC because the 2021 adoption is stuck in court. If that changes, your energy package changes — check with LARA. And confirm the NEC edition your agency applies to dwellings before you buy wire.
3. Get the Part 91 permit moving early: One acre of earth change, or anything within 500 feet of a lake or stream, and the soil erosion permit has to issue before your building permit can. It's cheap and it gates everything.
4. Do the sealed-plans arithmetic: Under 3,500 sq ft of habitable space — basements, garages, baths, and hallways don't count — needs no architect's seal, and an owner designing their own home is exempt at any size.
5. Build the basement: With a 42-inch frost line, you're digging deep anyway — a full basement is the best value square footage in the state and the expected norm.
6. Engineer for snow: Drift and ground snow loads are real, especially in the lake-effect belts and the UP. Don't eyeball the roof.
7. Do the radon rough-in: Mandatory in the Zone 1 counties, smart in all 83. It's cheap during construction and a selling point later.
8. Remember the homeowner-permit rule: Pull homeowner permits for what you'll do; have each licensed sub you hire pull their own under their license. Nobody is your agent without a written instrument on file naming their license number.

Methodical owner-builders do well in Michigan. The code is established and stable, the building officials are used to homeowner permits, and the homeowner exemption is right there in black-letter statute. Build the home you mean to live in, design for the winter, and Michigan is a genuinely good place to build it yourself.

Michigan Owner-Builder FAQs

Can you build your own house in Michigan without a license?

Yes. Michigan requires a Residential Builder license to build homes for other people, but a homeowner building their own residence is exempt under MCL 339.2403(b), which allows 'an owner of property' to build 'a structure on the property for the owner's own use and occupancy.' You still need building permits and must build to the 2015 Michigan Residential Code. Your enforcing agency's homeowner-permit form is an ordinance-level instrument that varies by agency; the one statutory homeowner affirmation in Michigan is on the mechanical permit application under MCL 339.5819, where you affirm ownership, occupancy, and that you'll do the installation yourself.

Do you need a builder's license to build your own home in Michigan?

No. The Residential Builder license (under Article 24 of Public Act 299 of 1980) is required to build homes for others for compensation, but it does not apply to an owner building their own residence. The homeowner exemption is written into MCL 339.2403(b) and applies statewide. If you instead build to sell rather than to occupy, you would need the builder license — the exemption is keyed to your own 'use and occupancy.'

Can a homeowner do their own electrical and plumbing in Michigan?

Yes. Michigan lets an owner-occupant pull homeowner electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits and do the work themselves on a single-family home they own and occupy (or will occupy), without holding a trade license — the work is inspected to the same code as a licensed contractor's. The one firm rule: a licensed contractor cannot perform work under your homeowner permit. Under MCL 125.1510(2)-(3), nobody is recognized as your builder or agent unless a written instrument naming them and stating their license number is on file with the enforcing agency, so a pro working under your homeowner permit leaves the work unpermitted. If you hire a licensed contractor for a scope, that contractor pulls their own permit under their own license.

What is the Michigan owner-builder exemption?

It is the homeowner exemption in MCL 339.2403(b) of the Occupational Code: a property owner may build a structure on their property 'for the owner's own use and occupancy' without a Residential Builder license. Because it's a statewide statute rather than a local policy, the right applies in every Michigan jurisdiction. It is keyed to occupancy, so it covers the home you intend to live in, not a spec house you plan to sell.

Can you build a house without a permit in Michigan?

Not a house. Michigan has statewide building-code coverage under the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act (PA 230 of 1972), and it works the opposite way from how people usually describe it: under MCL 125.1508b(1) the State is the enforcing agency by default, and a city, township, or county assumes enforcement only by adopting an ordinance — separately for each of the four disciplines. Unlike some states, there are no unregulated rural counties. Certain work is exempt: buildings incidental to agricultural use under MCL 125.1510(8), and under R 408.30505 detached accessory structures of 200 square feet or less, fences under 7 feet, and retaining walls under 4 feet, among others. A dwelling always needs a permit and inspections.

What building code does Michigan use?

Homes are built to the 2015 Michigan Residential Code (based on the 2015 IRC, effective February 8, 2016) with the 2015 Michigan Uniform Energy Code (2015 IECC) for energy. Michigan adopted the 2021 editions but the residential update was delayed by a court order, so the 2015 editions remain in effect in 2026. Electrical is separate: Michigan's Part 8 rules adopt the 2023 NEC effective March 12, 2024 for the trades generally, but which edition governs one- and two-family dwellings is genuinely unsettled — the Residential Code's chapter 44 still references NFPA 70-2014 and R 408.30500 deletes the residential AFCI sections. Confirm the NEC edition your enforcing agency applies to dwellings before you buy wire or breakers, and confirm the current adopted code edition with LARA before drawing plans.

How deep do footings have to be in Michigan?

The Michigan Residential Code (R403.1.4) requires exterior footings and foundation systems to extend at least 42 inches below grade statewide — one of the deeper frost-depth requirements in the country. The building official can require deeper footings based on soil and site conditions. The deep frost line is a big reason most Michigan homes are built over full basements.

How much does a Michigan owner-builder permit cost?

Building permits in Michigan are usually valuation-based, running roughly $1,100-$2,400 for a typical 2,000 sq ft home in major metros, plus $450-$950 in combined electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits and a small state surcharge. Where the State is the enforcing agency, the valuation comes from the Bureau of Construction Codes' own Square Foot Construction Cost Table — $95.34 per square foot for Use Group R-3, Type VB construction, with unfinished basement area counted at 20% — not from the ICC Building Valuation Data tables. Water/sewer tap and connection fees ($4,000-$15,000) are usually the largest single add-on in metro areas. Treat all of these as planning estimates and confirm with your agency.

Does Michigan require radon mitigation in new homes?

Only in the designated Zone 1 counties. Michigan Residential Code Appendix F requires passive radon-resistant construction in the EPA Zone 1 counties, commonly listed as Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Hillsdale, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lenawee, St. Joseph, and Washtenaw — confirm the current list with your enforcing agency. It is recommended but not mandated elsewhere. Because elevated radon has been measured in all 83 Michigan counties, installing the passive rough-in (a sub-slab gravel layer, membrane, and a vent pipe to the roof with an outlet for a future fan) is worth it everywhere — about $400-$900 during construction.

Do Michigan house plans need to be stamped by an architect?

Usually not. Under MCL 339.2012(1)(d) and MCL 339.2014(e), plans for a one- or two-family dwelling with under 3,500 square feet of 'calculated floor area' need no architect's or professional engineer's seal. Calculated floor area is defined at MCL 339.2012(2) as habitable space only, expressly excluding basements, garages, attics, bathrooms, closets, hallways, and utility rooms — so a house marketed at 4,200 square feet can fall under the threshold. There is also a second exemption with no area limit: an owner performing design work on their own building for their own use. You still need a complete, code-compliant plan set for review; the exemption is about whose seal is on it.

Do I need a soil erosion permit before my Michigan building permit?

Often yes, and it is a hard gate rather than a parallel task. Under R 323.1711(2) of the Michigan Administrative Code, an agency shall not issue a building permit until the county or local enforcing agency has issued the required state-prescribed soil erosion and sedimentation control permit. You need one under Part 91 if the project involves an earth change of one acre or more, or any earth change within 500 feet of the water's edge of a lake or stream (R 323.1704(1)). 'Lake' means a body of water of one acre or more of surface area (R 323.1701(1)(d)), which includes many ponds. Apply to your county's soil erosion agency early.

Who issues building permits in Michigan?

It depends on your parcel, and the default is the opposite of what most people assume. Under MCL 125.1508b(1) the State — LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes — is responsible for enforcing the code; a city, township, or county becomes the enforcing agency only by adopting an ordinance, which since December 28, 1999 also requires Construction Code Commission approval. Enforcement is assigned separately for each of four disciplines (building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing), and 252 of Michigan's 1,824 units of government have at least one discipline split to a different agency. The State is the plumbing agency for 264 units but the building agency for only 59. LARA publishes the answer for every unit in a free PDF called the Statewide Jurisdiction List, revised after each Construction Code Commission meeting — look yours up before you file anything.

Which Michigan counties are best for owner-builders?

Livingston, Ottawa, and Kent counties offer the strongest combination of economic growth, resale value, and efficient building departments. Oakland County has the best resale values but the highest fees and land prices. Watch high snow loads in west Michigan and the north, and remember Washtenaw is one of the nine radon-mandate counties.

Related State Guides

Building in a nearby Midwest or Mid-Atlantic state? Check the requirements for:

• Ohio Owner-Builder Permit Guide
• Indiana Owner-Builder Permit Guide
• Wisconsin Owner-Builder Permit Guide
• Illinois Owner-Builder Permit Guide
• Pennsylvania Owner-Builder Permit Guide

Compare owner-builder exemption & permit rules for all 50 states →

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Last updated: August 2026. Verified this pass against legislature.mi.gov, the Michigan Administrative Code, LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes, and EGLE:

Michigan requires a Residential Builder license to build homes for others (Article 24 of the Occupational Code, PA 299 of 1980), but a homeowner building their own residence is exempt under MCL 339.2403(b) ("an owner of property, with reference to a structure on the property for the owner's own use and occupancy"). Unlicensed-builder penalties come from MCL 339.601(6) — $5,000–$25,000 and up to 1 year for a first offense, 2 years for a second, and a felony up to 4 years where death or serious injury results — not from the general $500/90-day penalty at MCL 339.601(4); MCL 339.2412 separately bars an unlicensed person from suing to collect compensation or placing a lien and authorizes a $5,000–$25,000 civil action.

Enforcement: the State is responsible by default under MCL 125.1508b(1), with local units assuming enforcement by ordinance (Construction Code Commission approval required for ordinances since Dec 28, 1999, MCL 125.1508b(6)), assigned separately across the four disciplines — see LARA's Statewide Jurisdiction List. Agent/builder recognition requires a written instrument on file under MCL 125.1510(2)–(3); the section 23a conspiring notice is MCL 125.1523a; the statutory homeowner affirmation is on the mechanical permit application at MCL 339.5819. Sealed plans are not required under 3,500 sq ft of calculated floor area (habitable space only) per MCL 339.2012 and MCL 339.2014(e). The Part 91 soil erosion permit gates the building permit under R 323.1711(2), triggered at 1 acre or within 500 feet of a lake or stream (R 323.1704(1), R 323.1701(1)(d)). Energy: duct leakage 4 cfm @ 25 Pa per 100 sq ft, mandatory (R 408.31066); air leakage 4 ACH50, prescriptive (R 408.31069). Wells: MCL 333.12703(2) permits owner-drilled wells for one's own permanent residence with a drilling record filed within 60 days; the owner collects the coliform sample under R 325.1661(2)–(3). Exemptions from permitting include agricultural buildings (MCL 125.1510(8)) and minor structures under R 408.30505.

Homes follow the 2015 Michigan Residential Code (2015 IRC base, effective Feb 8, 2016) and the 2015 Michigan Uniform Energy Code (2015 IECC), with the 2021-edition adoption delayed by court order; statewide frost depth is 42 inches (MRC R403.1.4); codes are adopted under the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act, PA 230 of 1972 and administered by the LARA Bureau of Construction Codes.

Not independently verified in this pass, and hedged in the text accordingly: the nine Zone 1 radon counties, the R-38 Zone 5A ceiling amendment, and the U-0.32 fenestration maximum. The NEC edition governing one- and two-family dwellings is genuinely contested between Part 8's 2023 NEC adoption and the Residential Code's chapter 44 reference to NFPA 70-2014 — confirm with your enforcing agency. All cost and timeline tables are illustrative planning estimates compiled from public fee schedules, not quotes. Permit fees, processing times, and homeowner trade-permit practice vary by jurisdiction — verify with your specific enforcing agency before relying on any figure here.