Residential building permits including:

• new residential
• residential addition
• residential alteration
• accessory/detached structures and demolitions

any individual may apply (proof of ownership required)
[Note: the cities of Belding and Portland issue their own permits.]

Commercial building permits:

Residential electrical, mechanical, and plumbing (trade) permits:

• owner/occupant may apply IF he/she will be doing the work
• licensed contractor must apply if owner has retained a contractor

Commercial electrical, mechanical, and plumbing (trade) permits:

Each application is a multi-page document which outlines page-by-page the required items. (Note: not every item may apply to your project.) Click here to go to our forms page to download any forms you may require. Review the pertinent application(s) to obtain detailed information. Please feel free to call or stop by if you have questions as we would be more than happy to offer further assistance.

Each building permit application (residential as well as commercial) must include two (2) sets of blue prints or drawings.  Plans (blue prints) for all commercial projects or a residential structure at or above 3500 square feet must contain the original signature and raised seal of an architect or engineer licensed by the state of Michigan.  Plans (blue prints or drawings) for a residential structure fewer than 3500 square feet certainly may be professionally drawn; however, you may submit your own hand-drawn plans. The drawings will need to include:

• the foundation plan
• side elevations
• the floor plan
• a wall section

Click here to view several sample drawings which will assist you with the foundation and wall section. As the floor plan and side elevations are unique to each project, you will need to prepare your own drawings for these two items.  The building official will review your plans for code compliance and will note on the plans any items you need to include or change. One set of the plans will be returned with your issued permit and plan review and one set will be retained by the county.

An electrical, mechanical, or plumbing (trade) permit will typically be issued within 24 hours of receiving the application along with the accompanying payment. The permit is mailed to the applicant and, unlike a building permit, posting on the premises is not required.

Depending on the scope of your individual building project, various other permits, documents, etc. may need to accompany your application for a building permit. How and when these items are received may impact when we are finally able to issue your permit.  However, now that Ionia County offers the service of `one-stop' permitting, obtaining other applicable permits, etc., may, with our assistance, be accomplished simultaneously with the building official's plan review process. This new `one-stop' method will typically expedite the application process and is intended to free the applicant from having to make multiple stops at other county departments.  Residential building permit applicants are advised the building official's plan review process may take 5-to-7 business days while the plan review process for a commercial building permit application, due to its complexity, typically takes additional time. There may be times when the building official has completed his work but one or more required documents or other permits remain to be obtained before the building permit can be issued. In such cases, we will call the applicant with an update.  Payment for a building permit is required when the permit is picked up or mailed; however, payment will be accepted upon application if the fee is a standard fee such as a mobile home installation on piers.

With each issued building permit, the building official provides a Plan Review document, which outlines various code requirements specific to your project. It also outlines the types and timing of each required inspection. Please take the time to familiarize yourself with this document; however, we would be more than happy to answer any questions or refer you to an inspector if you have technical code questions.  Some trade permits are issued as "single" inspection permits, therefore you will need to schedule the inspection when the project is complete.  If your project involves multiple inspections, e.g., building a new home or pole building, it is very important for you, or your contractor, to call for ALL required inspections.  Your ultimate goal is to receive a Certificate of Occupancy or Certificate of Final Inspection. This is also the goal of all involved county departments because remember, when a certificate is issued it closes your file, and this is a desirable conclusion. If a file remains open, it will eventually expire, which means you, or possibly even a future owner, will be the unfortunate recipient of a letter that will advise of possible violations of state codes and/or county ordinances - certainly not a desirable conclusion.

Permits from 1995 to the present are physically located in our office - Health & Human Services Building, 2nd floor, 175 E. Adams St., Ionia. An Excel spreadsheet provides an index to permits issued from 1995 through 2007. Beginning in 2007, we began using new software to track permits. We can search the data by address, parcel number, property owner, or contractor.  Pre-1995 permits (1976-1994) are archived in our storage facility. We are currently in the process of populating an Excel spreadsheet with information found on old index cards. It is our hope to eventually scan all documents (old as well as new) so retrieval will be just a key-stroke away.

While Community Development staff is available to assist you in all aspects of the permit application process, we are not trained code specialists or state licensed inspectors. The county of Ionia has appointed code officials and contracts with Associated Government Services, Inc. to provide the services of licensed building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing inspectors. These individuals are available to answer your specific code questions. Inspectors can be reached at 616.527.5374 and typically are in the office during early morning hours.

The initial fee entitles you to the required number of inspections appropriate for your project. For each inspection, the permit holder is responsible for arranging access to the project and ensuring the minimum code requirements are fulfilled. If an inspector is unable to gain access (project is locked or otherwise inaccessible) or determines the work does not meet code requirements or is not ready for inspection, a re-inspection fee will be assessed. The "Correction Notice," left at the job site or mailed will indicate whether a re-inspection fee is required and if so, the amount due. An invoice is not typically mailed unless the fee remains unpaid for a period of time. The fee must be paid before requesting a re-inspection.

The re-inspection fees are as follows:

• Building $75
• Electrical $63
• Mechanical $63
• Plumbing $63

All building and trade permits are originally issued for a period of 180 days. The expiration date is automatically extended as inspections are scheduled; however, if there is no activity for a total of 6 months (180 days) - either work not started or work abandoned - the software will change the permit status to "expired." We suggest that when a permit is issued you note its expiration date on your calendar. If your project has not been completed by that date, you should request an extension by calling or stopping by this office. If, perhaps, you don't recall the expiration date, please feel free to call as it only takes a brief moment to find this information.

[Note: depending on the situation, the building official may wish to confirm that construction is ongoing prior to granting an extension. If the permit has been in an "expired" status for a substantial period, filing for a new permit may be required.]

The chief legislative and policy-making body of Ionia County Government is the 7-member Board of Commissioners.

Commissioners are elected to 2-year terms from districts that are roughly equal in population. A Chair and Vice-Chair are elected at the first meeting of each new year. The Chair appoints each Commissioner to standing committees.

Among the Commissioners' other duties are:

• Approving a mission statement for the County.
• Adopting the annual County budget.
• Raising the money to fund the County's operations by levying property taxes, setting fees, selling bonds or borrowing.
• Appointing citizen members to County boards, commissions and committees, which provide oversight for significant County services.
• Selecting a County Administrator to supervise the day-to-day operations of County departments.
• Determining the sites of County buildings, and purchasing or disposing of County-owned property and facilities.
• Representing the County, and managing its property and business by adopting rules, regulations, ordinances and policies.