InstaBidsDetroit permit search
Detroit’s BSEED handles residential building permits through Accela/eLAPS. Use the public record form to search by site address, parcel or record information. Detroit’s residential tutorial says a permit can take about 5 days after application submission; its general help page describes up to 20 calendar days. Search Detroit permits on eLAPS
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- Compare line by lineEvery quote is written against the same scope.
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MCP connector · REST API · plain HTMLHand any of these to your assistant and it can help you write this job's request; you send the request yourself. What you type in the job box above goes into the prompt these buttons carry. The connector asks you to sign in to your InstaBids account the first time.
- MCP connector URL
https://instabids.ai/api/agent/mcp - Agent API (OpenAPI)
https://instabids.ai/openapi.json - Start-request link
https://instabids.ai/intake?from=permits-mi--wayne--detroit--building-permits&utm_source=permits&utm_medium=page&utm_campaign=permits-v3 - Prompt for any AI, with your job
- ChatGPTOpens with the prompt
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- GrokOpens with the prompt
- GeminiCopies the prompt, then opens
Every page is plain HTML. Steps for every assistant: add to your assistant.
Detroit permit timing at a glance
| Residential building permit — City of Detroit; guidance read 2026-11-01 | About 5 days after submitting the applicationBuilding Permits | City of Detroit, City of Detroit (authority grain), read 2026-11-01 |
|---|---|
| General permit process — City of Detroit; guidance read 2026-11-01 | Up to 20 calendar days; application completeness affects timingOnline permitting and licensing system help | City of Detroit, City of Detroit (authority grain), read 2026-11-01 |
| Inspection scheduling — City of Detroit; guidance read 2026-11-01 | At least two business days out; cutoff and calendar limits applyOnline permitting and licensing system help | City of Detroit, City of Detroit (authority grain), read 2026-11-01 |
Detroit permit requirements
Detroit’s building-permit tutorial identifies residential construction, commercial construction and signs as permit categories.
Building Permits are needed for things like: Residential construction Commercial construction Sign
Source: Building Permits | City of Detroit, read 2026-11-01
How to search a permit by address in Detroit
Detroit’s eLAPS public record form accepts site address, parcel and record information. The captured route is labelled Schedule an Inspection on the portal home but opens Search for Records. Choose the address search for a property lookup.
When performing an address search in Accela, less is more. Attempt to search for the property by ONLY entering the "Street No." and "Street Name". Leave the "Direction", "Street Type", "Unit Type", "Unit No.", "City", "State", "Zip", and "Parcel Number" blank.
Source: Online permitting and licensing system help | City of Detroit, read 2026-11-01
The city’s troubleshooting advice is deliberately narrow: start with the street number and street name, leaving the other location fields empty. This avoids asking the search to match direction, street type, unit or parcel information at the same time.
Detroit permit status
For a Detroit application under review, BSEED directs applicants to watch for requests for more information and to log into Accela for revision requests. Respond through the account when the city asks for corrections. The final permit becomes available in Accela/eLAPS.
To view the downloadable permit within its record, select Record Details, then Attachments. That document route is separate from responding to revision requests during review.
Within the Permit, select Record Details > Attachments to view the downloadable Permit
Source: Online permitting and licensing system help | City of Detroit, read 2026-11-01
Do I need a permit for a fence in Detroit?
Detroit’s construction guide places the following fence line in the no-permit column for DIY work. Its height condition and Special Review District restriction belong together; the guide separately requires a permit for exterior work in a local historic district.
Fences that are 7’ high or less and not in a Special Review District
Source: Do I Need a Building or Trade Permit?, read 2026-11-01
For a property within a local historic district, the guide directs the applicant to the Historic District Commission for exterior work. Use that district-specific instruction alongside the fence line.
Do I need a permit to repair or replace a roof in Detroit?
Detroit’s guide puts roof replacement or removal of a substantial amount of shingles in the permit-needed construction column. It also lists a narrower exception for replacing a few shingles. These are separate scopes in the guide, so identify whether the proposed work is replacement or a minor shingle repair.
Roof replacement/ removal of a substantial amount of shingles (with exemptions listed)
Source: Do I Need a Building or Trade Permit?, read 2026-11-01
Replacing a few shingles (any roof-work that could be done in a matter of minutes)
Source: Do I Need a Building or Trade Permit?, read 2026-11-01
The guide’s historic-district instruction also applies to exterior work: a property in a local historic district needs a permit for that work.
Can a homeowner pull their own permit in Detroit?
Detroit’s residential building-permit instructions expressly distinguish a homeowner applicant from a contractor applicant. The homeowner does not need the contractor credential described in that line; contractors have separate city registration and builder credential requirements.
Contractors must have a Builder's License and City registration, homeowners applying for a permit do not require contractor's license
Source: Building Permits | City of Detroit, read 2026-11-01
The residential submission instructions still call for a scope of work and sealed architectural plans through ProjectDox, or completion and submission of the permit application in the DRC office. The homeowner applicant rule does not replace those submission instructions.
What work does not need a permit in Detroit?
Detroit’s guide identifies accessory detached structures no more than one story and 200 square feet in the DIY construction exemption column. The examples include garages and sheds. It also identifies a few-shingle roof repair and a fence that meets the printed height and district conditions.
Accessory detached structures no more than 1 story and 200 square feet (i.e. garages, sheds)
Source: Do I Need a Building or Trade Permit?, read 2026-11-01
Read those examples with the guide’s local historic-district rule: exterior work at a property in such a district requires a permit. The fence exemption also excludes a Special Review District.
How much is a permit and how long does it take in Detroit?
City of Detroit permit fees — effective January 1, 2024; modified July 18, 2025
The city schedule bases these building and residential permit brackets on estimated design and construction cost. The quoted base and valuation increment apply to the printed brackets.
The following general building permit fees are based on the project cost (design and construction cost) estimated using the square foot cost table copy attached:
Source: BSEED Fee Schedule — effective January 1, 2024; modified July 18, 2025, read 2026-11-01
$2,000 or less Flat $271.43 Over $2,000 but not over $25,000 First $2,000 Base $271.43 Per $1,000 or fraction thereof over $2,000 Per $1,000 $34.09
Source: BSEED Fee Schedule — effective January 1, 2024; modified July 18, 2025, read 2026-11-01
Detroit’s residential tutorial says about 5 days after application submission, while its general help page says the permit process can take up to 20 calendar days. The help page ties processing time to the quality and completeness of the application when initial review starts.
The permit process can take up to 20 calendar days. The biggest determinants of processing time are the quality and completeness of the application by the time it reaches the Cycle 1 review (initial review).
Source: Online permitting and licensing system help | City of Detroit, read 2026-11-01
For an inspection, the city requires scheduling at least two business days out. A request after 2PM is treated as submitted the next business day; holidays and full calendars affect the available dates.
Before you apply in Detroit: checklist
Create an Accela account if you do not already have one. For the residential building-permit submission, prepare the scope of work and sealed architectural plans for ProjectDox, or complete and submit the permit application in the DRC office as the city instructions describe.
Submit scope of work and sealed architectural plans in ProjectDox portal or Complete and submit permit application in DRC office
Source: Building Permits | City of Detroit, read 2026-11-01
When the application requires plan review, Detroit requires project documents in ePLANS (ProjectDox) in addition to eLAPS (Accela). Submitting through eLAPS alone does not meet that document instruction for an application requiring plan review.
If the application requires Plan Review, the applicant is required to upload project documents to ePLANS (ProjectDox) in addition to eLAPS (Accela) for the application to be accepted.
Source: Online permitting and licensing system help | City of Detroit, read 2026-11-01
How do I contact the Detroit building department?
Detroit’s building-permit tutorial identifies BSEED and links the City Directory for contact information. The online permitting help page covers address-search problems, document uploads and account questions. Use the city’s directory to reach the department for a question about your specific property.
City Directory — City of Detroit directory, read 2026-11-01.
Sources
- City of Detroit - Building, Safety, and Environmental Department (aca-prod.accela.com), read 2026-11-01
- Do I Need a Building or Trade Permit? (detroitmi.gov), read 2026-11-01
- Building Permits | City of Detroit (detroitmi.gov), read 2026-11-01
- BSEED Fee Schedule — effective January 1, 2024; modified July 18, 2025 (detroitmi.gov), read 2026-11-01
- Accela Citizen Access (aca-prod.accela.com), read 2026-11-01
- Online permitting and licensing system help | City of Detroit (detroitmi.gov), read 2026-11-01