Farmington Hills, Michigan Building Department 2026: Permits, Inspections & Services

Farmington Hills Building Permits, Inspections and Online Services

If you are remodeling a house, replacing a roof, finishing a basement, adding a deck, installing a furnace, changing electrical wiring, opening a business or building a new structure in Farmington Hills, the City Building Division is usually the place that handles the construction permit and required inspections.

Farmington Hills Building Department Contact Information

The Building Division reviews construction plans, issues building and trade permits, conducts inspections and registers contractors performing work in the City. It is part of Farmington Hills Planning and Community Development.

Do You Need a Building Permit in Farmington Hills?

Many projects that look like routine home improvements still require a permit. The City’s published permit guidance lists the following examples.

Projects that may not need a building permit but still need a zoning check

Farmington Hills specifically lists playhouses, playground equipment, wading pools, patios, flag poles and basketball backboards as examples where a building permit may not be required but zoning compliance still needs to be checked.

Driveways and poured concrete without footings are another example: the City says a building permit is not required for that work, but you should contact Engineering at 248-871-2560 if a right-of-way permit may be involved. Residential fence questions go to Zoning at 248-871-2520; commercial fence questions go to Planning at 248-871-2540.

See the City’s official permit-required list before starting work.

How to Apply for a Farmington Hills Building Permit Online

Farmington Hills shifted building permit applications to BS&A Online in 2026. You can prepare most of the application before opening the portal, which helps avoid stopping midway to locate plans, contractor information or a notarized homeowner form.

1. Open the official portal. Start from the City’s BS&A Online link so you enter the Farmington Hills municipality record.
2. Sign in or create an account. Contractors must have a BS&A account linked to the City’s contractor record. Homeowners may also create an account.
3. Find the property. Search by address, parcel number or owner name. If an address does not appear, the City’s homeowner instructions suggest entering the house number plus the first few letters of the street name. Numbered streets may be stored as words, such as “Twelve Mile.”
4. Open the Building Department tab. Select the property, then choose the option to apply for a permit.
5. Select the permit type. Enter the work description and required project information. For applicable residential work, choose the residential usage category; commercial projects use the appropriate commercial category.
6. Enter applicant information. Check your email, phone and other contact details carefully because status notices may be sent electronically.
7. Add the applicable fee items. BS&A asks applicants to identify the work being performed so estimated permit charges can be associated with the application.
8. Upload plans and supporting documents. Depending on the project this may include drawings, a site plan, affidavits, engineering information or other requested files.
9. Submit the application. A successful submission produces a confirmation screen. Submission is not the same as permit issuance; wait for processing and approval before starting work that requires a permit.
10. Pay the invoice after processing. Once the City processes the application, sign in, open your activity/invoice area and follow the online payment link.

Can a Homeowner Pull Their Own Permit?

Yes, but Farmington Hills places limits on when a homeowner can act in place of a licensed contractor. The City’s permit guidance says the person must be the registered legal homeowner, the property must be the homeowner’s primary residence, and the homeowner must reside in the house.

The City’s August 2026 online instructions also tell homeowners performing their own work to attach a signed and notarized Homeowner Affidavit with the permit application along with any required plans.

The affidavit states, among other things, that the homeowner accepts responsibilities normally handled by a licensed contractor, will request required inspections and will keep work exposed until the Building Division approves it.

Open the City’s forms page and locate Homeowner Affidavit under the Building section before submitting a homeowner permit.

Contractor Registration and BS&A Account Linking

Contractors should not create an online account and immediately assume they can apply. Farmington Hills requires contractors to register and have the BS&A account connected to the City’s contractor record.

1. Create or sign in to the contractor’s BS&A Online account.
2. Make sure the contractor is registered with Farmington Hills.
3. Ask the Building Division to link the contractor name record to the online account or provide the required Web PIN.
4. Make sure current state license information is on file when the trade requires state licensing.
5. After the account is linked, search the project property and begin the permit application.

The City’s BS&A application page states that contractors who have not yet registered with Farmington Hills must complete City contractor registration and that residential building and trade contractors must have current state license information on file.

If the account will not connect to the contractor record, call the Building Division at 248-871-2450 before submitting under the wrong applicant type.

Farmington Hills Building Permit Fees

The Building Division’s currently linked building fee schedule is marked effective July 1, 2023. Because the City still links that document from its current Building page, it is useful for estimating charges, but always verify the amount shown in BS&A or with the Building Division before paying.

The same schedule contains separate charges and bonds for demolition, pools, temporary certificates of occupancy, special inspections and other situations. For a project-specific amount, use the fee estimator during the BS&A application and confirm the final invoice before payment.

View the official Farmington Hills Building Fee Schedule (PDF).

How to Schedule a Building Inspection

Farmington Hills no longer uses the former building inspection voicemail line for routine scheduling. Building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspection requests are now submitted electronically through BS&A.

1. Open Farmington Hills BS&A Online.
2. Locate the active permit using the permit/property information.
3. Open the inspection-request function for that permit.
4. Select the inspection type that matches the stage of work.
5. Choose the available inspection day and submit the request.
6. Make sure the work is ready, accessible and left exposed where inspection is required.

The City schedules inspections by day, not by a guaranteed appointment time. Farmington Hills states that inspectors are generally in the field from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m..

Do not cover framing, wiring, piping or another installation that must be inspected until the required approval is received. The posted fee schedule lists a $45 reinspection fee when work is not ready for inspection. It also lists no charge for the first reinspection of an original violation and $45 for subsequent reinspections.

Building Codes Used in Farmington Hills in 2026

Farmington Hills administers permits under Michigan’s statewide construction-code system together with local zoning and City ordinances. As of November 2026, Michigan LARA lists these current editions:

Check Michigan LARA’s current code list before designing a project because code editions can change.

Building a New Home? Prepare More Than a Building Permit

A new house in Farmington Hills involves several coordinated approvals. The City’s current new-home instructions identify multiple permits and documents rather than a single building application.

Documents listed for the residential building permit

• Building plans drawn to scale.
• Engineering site plan.
• Completed residential energy worksheet.
• Residential Drainage and Approach Plan.
• Signed/notarized Homeowner Affidavit when the homeowner is acting as the applicant under the applicable homeowner rules.

Other permits or approvals that may be involved

• Residential soil-erosion permit with a site plan.
• Residential right-of-way permit.
• Tree-removal permit, or the applicable tree affidavit when no trees are being removed.
• Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner water-connection process.

For the water connection, the City’s published instructions say the applicant submits the required application to the Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner and includes a copy of the issued building permit. WRC approval must then be provided back to Farmington Hills before final inspection approval where applicable.

How to Search Existing Permits and Building Records

BS&A can also be useful when you are buying a property, checking whether previous work was permitted, confirming an open permit or looking for inspection activity.

1. Open the Farmington Hills BS&A portal.
2. Search the property by address, parcel number or owner name.
3. Select the correct property result.
4. Open the Building Department information associated with that property.
5. Review available permit, application or inspection information.

The Building Division also maintains permit and plan records under Michigan record-retention requirements. If the document you need is not available online, contact the Building Division first. For a formal public-record request, the City provides its FOIA request process through the City Clerk.

For non-police/non-fire City records, the Clerk’s published FOIA contact is FOIA-Clerk@fhgov.com, and the Clerk’s Office phone is 248-871-2410.

Check Zoning Before You Finalize the Project

A technically valid building design can still have a zoning problem. Farmington Hills Planning reviews construction permits for Zoning Ordinance compliance, while the Zoning and Code Enforcement Division handles zoning requirements and property-related ordinance enforcement.

Zoning issues can affect setbacks, lot coverage, accessory structures, fences, signs, property use and where improvements can be located.

1. Open the City’s Planning Office page.
2. Use the interactive zoning map or zoning district map to identify the property’s district.
3. Review the City’s Zoning Ordinance for the project type and district.
4. If the requirement is unclear, call Zoning at 248-871-2520 before paying for final plans.

This is particularly important for sheds, fences, additions, detached structures, commercial tenant changes and projects near property lines.

Make Sure Farmington Hills Is Actually Your Permitting Authority

A mailing address alone is not always the best way to determine jurisdiction. Confirm that the parcel is inside the City of Farmington Hills before submitting fees or plans. Other Oakland County municipalities operate their own permit systems.

If the property is outside Farmington Hills, these existing Michigan permit guides may help: Bloomfield Hills Building Department, Bloomfield Township Building Department, and Commerce Township Building Department.

Before You Submit: Practical Farmington Hills Permit Checklist

• Confirm the property is within Farmington Hills jurisdiction.
• Check whether both building and trade permits are required.
• Check zoning before finalizing setbacks or structure locations.
• Prepare plans and supporting documents in electronic form.
• Homeowner-applicants should prepare the required notarized affidavit when applicable.
• Contractors should make sure their City registration, state license information and BS&A account linking are complete.
• Submit through BS&A and wait for actual permit issuance before starting regulated work.
• Download approved/stamped plans from the portal and keep required plans available at the job site.
• Schedule each required inspection online before covering the work.
• Keep the final approval or closed-permit record with your property documents.

Frequently Asked Questions

Information status: Official City of Farmington Hills and Michigan LARA resources were reviewed for this 2026 guide. Permit fees, forms, code editions and procedures can change, so the City’s current portal and issued permit control for a specific project.

Independent resource: USBuilding.org is an informational website and is not affiliated with the City of Farmington Hills or another government agency.