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Ann Arbor permit search: look up, apply and check a permit

Ann Arbor’s Planning and Development Department issues building permits. Use STREAM Record Search for applications submitted after March 2022, with A2Trak holding older records. The city publishes a typical trade-permit review of 2-3 business days, with extra time possible for multiple applications and holiday weeks. Search permits on STREAM

InstaBids is an AI-run marketplace for homeowners and property managers: describe a home job once, by chat or through your own AI assistant, add photos, and get multiple written quotes on the same scope, compared apples to apples, with no phone calls or home visits before you pick.

Sources read: 2026-11-06Updated 2026-11-06

InstaBids assistantAI · builds your written scope with you

What home job do you need done in Ann Arbor, Michigan? Describe it once to start your written scope.

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  1. Describe it onceBy chat, or through your own AI assistant, and add photos.
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  4. You chooseContact details stay hidden until you pick and they confirm.

Ann Arbor permits at a glance

  • Typically 2-3 business days; multiple applications and holiday weeks may require additional time.Trade permit review — City of Ann Arbor; guidance read 2026-11-06Applications | City of Ann Arbor, City of Ann Arbor, read 2026-11-06
  • Two or four-hour window, available in STREAM on the inspection morning; no exact arrival time.Inspection arrival window — City of Ann Arbor; guidance read 2026-11-06Inspections | City of Ann Arbor, City of Ann Arbor, read 2026-11-06
  • Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.Construction inspection hours — City of Ann Arbor; guidance read 2026-11-06Inspections | City of Ann Arbor, City of Ann Arbor, read 2026-11-06
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What permits does Ann Arbor require?

Ann Arbor’s permit page says a building permit is needed for home improvements done by the homeowner or with a contractor, architect or construction worker. The city describes building permits as oversight for changes to structures, including renovation, installation and demolition. Permits (read 2026-11-06).

You must get a building permit if you plan on making home improvements yourself or with the help of a contractor, architect, or construction worker.

Source: Permits | City of Ann Arbor, read 2026-11-06

Describe your planned Ann Arbor home improvements on InstaBids so contractors can address the same work in their written bids.

Ann Arbor review and inspection figures

Trade permit review — City of Ann Arbor; guidance read 2026-11-06Typically 2-3 business days; multiple applications and holiday weeks may require additional time.Applications | City of Ann Arbor, City of Ann Arbor, read 2026-11-06
Inspection arrival window — City of Ann Arbor; guidance read 2026-11-06Two or four-hour window, available in STREAM on the inspection morning; no exact arrival time.Inspections | City of Ann Arbor, City of Ann Arbor, read 2026-11-06
Construction inspection hours — City of Ann Arbor; guidance read 2026-11-06Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.Inspections | City of Ann Arbor, City of Ann Arbor, read 2026-11-06

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Do I need a permit for a fence in Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor lists fences seven feet or less among projects that need a zoning compliance permit rather than a building permit. The exemption is specific to the listed height. Historic-district projects also require the city’s Certificate of Appropriateness. Zoning Compliance Permits (read 2026-11-06).

Fence (7 feet or less)

Source: Zoning Compliance Permits | City of Ann Arbor, read 2026-11-06

For a listed project in a historic district, the city also requires a Certificate of Appropriateness, submitted at the same time as or before the zoning compliance permit.

State the fence height and materials in your Ann Arbor InstaBids request so contractors can write bids for that scope.

Start my request for a fence in Ann Arbor

Do I need a permit for a shed in Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor lists sheds of two hundred square feet or less as needing a zoning compliance permit rather than a building permit. The listed size limit matters when reading that exception. A shed in a historic district also requires a Certificate of Appropriateness. Zoning Compliance Permits (read 2026-11-06).

Shed (200 square feet or less)

Source: Zoning Compliance Permits | City of Ann Arbor, read 2026-11-06

For a listed project in a historic district, the city also requires a Certificate of Appropriateness, submitted at the same time as or before the zoning compliance permit.

Include the proposed shed dimensions in your Ann Arbor request on InstaBids to give contractors a common scope for written bids.

Start my request for a shed in Ann Arbor

Can a homeowner pull their own permit in Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor’s STREAM instructions provide a homeowner application path: register an account, then skip Step 2 when applying as a homeowner. Step 2 is the contractor licensing submission described in that guide. The homeowner exception concerns that registration step; the guide still directs permit applications through STREAM. Permitting Process (read 2026-11-06).

Explain which Ann Arbor work you plan to handle yourself in your InstaBids request so bids address the remaining tasks.

What work does not need a permit in Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor’s zoning page distinguishes building-permit exemptions from zoning compliance. Listed examples include fences, sheds and floating or detached decks within the printed limits. Those projects still need a zoning compliance permit, and the city adds a Certificate of Appropriateness requirement for historic-district projects. Zoning Compliance Permits (read 2026-11-06).

Source: Zoning Compliance Permits | City of Ann Arbor, read 2026-11-06

For a listed project in a historic district, the city also requires a Certificate of Appropriateness, submitted at the same time as or before the zoning compliance permit.

Describe the structure and its intended work in your Ann Arbor InstaBids request so written bids share the project details.

How do I apply for a building permit in Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor directs permit applications through STREAM. Register an account using Guest, then Register. When starting an application, use the search bar and Show Categories filter to select the permit category and type. The STREAM Dashboard manages permits, inspection requests and invoices. Permitting Process (read 2026-11-06).

Use the work described in your Ann Arbor application to frame the project you post on InstaBids.

How do I check my permit status in Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor’s application guidance explains that IN REVIEW means the building department has received the plans and is reviewing them. REQUIRES RE-SUBMIT means an email has been sent; the city directs applicants to their STREAM dashboard for further instructions about that status. Applications (read 2026-11-06).

Mention the current Ann Arbor permit stage in your InstaBids request when it helps contractors understand the planned work.

How do I find building permit records in Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor directs applications submitted after March 2022 to STREAM and older applications to A2Trak. The A2Trak archive identifies its period as approximately 2008 through March 2022. For TrakIt permits that were not closed or inspected, the city says reapplication through STREAM is required. Permits (read 2026-11-06).

Search older records in A2Trak: Search Permits.

Use the relevant Ann Arbor permit history to describe existing project conditions in your request on InstaBids.

What do I need before I apply in Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor’s residential application guidance calls for an Impervious Area Worksheet when a job adds more than 200 square feet of impervious area. The city also directs permit applications through STREAM, where the application search and Show Categories filter help locate the appropriate permit type. Applications (read 2026-11-06).

For residential jobs adding more than 200 square feet of impervious area, also complete and submit the Impervious Area Worksheet.

Source: Applications | City of Ann Arbor, read 2026-11-06

Describe the added surfaces in your Ann Arbor InstaBids request so contractors can address the same proposed work.

How long does a permit take in Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor publishes a typical trade-permit review range of 2-3 business days, with additional processing time possible for multiple applications and holiday weeks. The city separately states a minimum of 24-48 hours for review and processing; these statements concern electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits. Applications (read 2026-11-06).

Trade permits must be posted at the job site. For a trade permit associated with a building project, the city conditions its release on the building permit reaching the required plan-review stage.

Name the electrical, mechanical or plumbing work in your Ann Arbor request on InstaBids so written bids address those tasks.

How do I request an inspection in Ann Arbor?

Ann Arbor uses the STREAM dashboard for inspection requests. The city provides an arrival window through STREAM on the inspection morning and does not provide an exact inspection time. Construction inspections take place Monday through Friday during the city’s published daytime inspection hours. Inspections (read 2026-11-06).

The city says next-day inspections cannot be scheduled after 2:30 PM on the previous day. A two or four-hour arrival window is available in STREAM on the morning of the inspection.

Include the work awaiting inspection in your Ann Arbor InstaBids request when it helps define what contractors should bid on.

How much does a permit cost in Ann Arbor?

City of Ann Arbor government permit fees — effective October 2019; revised July 15, 2025

Published city fee lines; these are government application and review charges.

Base Application Fee for all permits (non-refundable with no inspections included) ............................. $15

Source: Ann Arbor Building Permit Fees, revised July 15, 2025, read 2026-11-06

Historic district staff review (if located in an historic district) .................................................................. $35

Source: Ann Arbor Building Permit Fees, revised July 15, 2025, read 2026-11-06

Ann Arbor’s Fees page links a Building fee schedule. The document states an October 2019 effective date and a July 2025 revision. Use that linked schedule to read the city’s government charges alongside the application requirements. Building (read 2026-11-06).

Describe the proposed Ann Arbor work on InstaBids so contractors can address the project scope in their written bids.

Sources

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