Bolthole Index

Wayne County, Michigan

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Dearborn, Michigan

Dearborn, Michigan requires a building permit before construction1, and the city sets its own zoning districts2. Residential structures inside city limits must connect to the public sewer and water systems3, so septic permits, which Wayne County issues where sewer is unavailable4, rarely come into play here.

At a glance

Building permit
Required before construction; the city enforces it15
Zoning
Dearborn's own zoning ordinance, with R-A, R-P and R-B residential districts among others26
Sewer and water
Residential structures must connect to public sewer and water3
Septic
Wayne County Environmental Health permits septic systems where sewer is unavailable4
Minimum lot, R-A
7,500 sq ft and 60 ft wide, with exceptions7
Minimum lot, R-B
6,000 sq ft and 50 ft wide, with exceptions8
Manufactured homes
Allowed in R-A and R-B on a permanent foundation9
Owner-builder
State licensing exemption for your own home; permit still required10

Who to call

Building permits

City of Dearborn building and trade permits (Dearborn Administrative Center)

Building and trade permit applications through the city's BS&A online portal, and inspection scheduling

313-943-2150

[email protected]

16901 Michigan Ave, Dearborn, MI 48126

Septic permits

Wayne County Health, Human and Veterans Services - Environmental Health Section

Septic and well permits for Wayne County, wherever public sewer is not available

(734) 727-7400

33030 Van Born Road, Wayne, MI 48184

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Dearborn means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Dearborn, Michigan?

Yes. Michigan's construction code requires an owner or the owner's builder to obtain a building permit before building a structure in Wayne County1, and the code also requires a Certificate of Occupancy before a new building is used11. Dearborn's zoning ordinance refers to the building code the city has adopted12, and permit applications run through the13 office's BS&A online portal13.

The owner-builder exemption in Michigan relates to residential-builder licensing for a person building their own home; it does not remove the separate building-permit requirement10.

Who issues building permits in Dearborn?

The City of Dearborn issues building permits inside city limits, not Wayne County5. The city says almost all permits can be applied for online through BS&A, and that your account must be linked to the city first; email [email protected] for help13. The Dearborn Administrative Center is at 16901 Michigan Ave, and the phone is 313-943-215013.

We could not confirm the city's fee schedule, review times or inspection steps from the code, so ask the building office before you budget.

Does Dearborn have zoning, and what does it mean for homes?

Dearborn has its own zoning ordinance and divides the city into districts shown on an official zoning map2. Residential districts include R-A and R-B one-family districts and R-P residential preservation6. The zoning map is the final word on any parcel, so check it before you buy.

In the R-A district, a lot needs at least 7,500 sq ft and 60 ft of width, with a 6,000 sq ft, 50 ft exception for a freestanding one-family dwelling, and homes need at least 1,200 sq ft of usable floor area714. In R-B the minimums are 6,000 sq ft, 50 ft wide and 1,000 sq ft of floor area815.

Manufactured homes are allowed in R-A and R-B on a permanent foundation and must meet the same area and bulk rules as site-built homes9. Tiny homes, accessory dwellings and RV living are not confirmed in the ordinance we reviewed, so ask the city before planning one.

How do septic permits work in Dearborn?

Residential structures in Dearborn must connect to the public sewer and water systems3, so a conventional septic system or private well is unlikely for a home inside city limits. We could not confirm whether the city grants exceptions; ask the building office.

Where public sewer is unavailable, Wayne County acts as the local permitting agency for residential onsite sewage systems4, and the Environmental Health Section is the office to call16. Michigan also has county well-permit ordinances administered by local health departments17.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Dearborn?

We could not confirm a Dearborn rule on living in an RV, camping on private land or occupying a tiny home. Michigan's temporary-campground license applies to groups of five or more recreational units, which is not an answer for a single RV on a lot18. Tiny houses used as cabins or similar need local zoning, building and plumbing approvals19. Ask the city's building office and zoning staff in writing before you buy a lot for this purpose.

Building a home in Dearborn: the steps, in order

  1. Look up the parcel on Dearborn's official zoning map and confirm the district2.
  2. Check lot area, width and minimum floor area for that district against your plans8.
  3. Confirm sewer and water connection with the city, since both are required for residential structures3.
  4. Link a BS&A account to the city and apply for the building permit online13.
  5. Schedule inspections through the city and get a Certificate of Occupancy before moving in11.
  6. If the lot is near a river, stream or drain, ask about state floodplain permits20.

What stays with Wayne County, and what to check before you buy

Septic and well permits stay with Wayne County Environmental Health16, and driveway work in a county road right-of-way needs a county permit21. Outside Dearborn, the county's answers apply to unincorporated land; see the Wayne County page.

Wayne County's effective property tax rate is 1.6%22, with a median annual bill of $2,79423. Ask the city about floodplain district rules too, since Dearborn's code has a floodplain district we have not reviewed.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Dearborn's permit fees, owner-builder handling inside city limits, or rules for RVs, tiny homes and accessory dwellings; call the building office at 313-943-215013.
  • Dearborn's lot-size figures have exceptions for lots in recorded plats, so confirm them against the printed zoning schedule7.
  • A private septic system or well is unlikely inside city limits because residential structures must connect to public sewer and water3.

Sources

  1. Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
  2. Dearborn, MI Code of Ordinances, Zoning Ordinance Sec. 9.01 Creation of districts (Dearborn), quoted and re-checked
  3. Dearborn, MI Zoning Ordinance Sec. 2.05 Residential design standards (Dearborn), quoted and re-checked
  4. Septic/Onsite Sewage - Wayne County, Michigan, quoted and re-checked
  5. Michigan LARA - Building Permit Information (2026 county census)
  6. Dearborn, MI Code of Ordinances, Zoning Ordinance Sec. 9.01 Creation of districts (Dearborn), quoted and re-checked
  7. Dearborn, MI Zoning Ordinance Sec. 29.02 Schedule of regulations (Dearborn), quoted and re-checked
  8. Dearborn, MI Zoning Ordinance Sec. 29.02 Schedule of regulations (Dearborn), quoted and re-checked
  9. Dearborn, MI Zoning Ordinance Article 10.00 R-A and R-B One Family Residential Districts (Dearborn), quoted and re-checked
  10. Frequently Asked Questions – Residential Builder (2026 county census)
  11. Certificate of Occupancy Request (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. Dearborn, MI Zoning Ordinance Sec. 2.05 Residential design standards (Dearborn), quoted and re-checked
  13. City of Dearborn building and trade permits (Dearborn Administrative Center) (dearborn.gov)
  14. Dearborn, MI Zoning Ordinance Sec. 29.02 Schedule of regulations (Dearborn), quoted and re-checked
  15. Dearborn, MI Zoning Ordinance Sec. 29.02 Schedule of regulations (Dearborn), quoted and re-checked
  16. Wayne County Health, Human and Veterans Services - Environmental Health Section (waynecountymi.gov)
  17. Before you start a well drilling business (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Temporary campgrounds (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. michigan.gov (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Floodplains (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Construction Permits, quoted and re-checked
  22. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Dearborn

Dearborn’s own rules

  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Residential structures and attachments inside Dearborn city limits

    • The zoning ordinance refers to 'the adopted building code of the city' without naming the edition.
    • Chapter 5 (Sec. 5-26 adoption) was seen only in a search snippet, not opened, so the adopted code editions were not verified.
    “the foundation shall be constructed in accordance with the adopted building code of the city.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Dearborn city limits; the city's own zoning ordinance divides the city into zoning districts

    • The official Zoning Map is the final authority on the zoning status of land (Sec. 9.02).
    “for the purposes of this ordinance, the city is hereby divided into the following zoning districts as shown on the official zoning map:”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Dearborn city limits

    • Articles 10.00 through 27.00 and Article 29.00 hold the individual district rules; only Articles 9, 10, 29 and the 2.05 design standards were opened for this record.
    “r-a one family residential district r-p residential preservation district r-b one family residential district”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-A one family residential district, Dearborn city

    • Minimum is minimum usable floor area per unit from the Sec. 29.02 schedule.

    minimum usable floor area per unit: >= 1200 sq ft

    “r-a one family 7,500 g. 60' a. a. c. 25' b. a. a. a. 1,200 5.8”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-A one family residential district, Dearborn city (one principal dwelling per lot)

    • Footnote g allows a one-family dwelling that is the principal occupancy of a freestanding building on a lot of not less than 6,000 sq ft and at least 50 ft wide, so the schedule's 7,500 sq ft figure is read with that footnote.
    • Footnote g also allows lots in a Wayne County recorded plat, each at least 3,500 sq ft, to carry a one-family dwelling if rear and side yards are met; no lot in such a plat under 6,000 sq ft may be divided to create a single-dwelling site on less than the whole lot.
    • Footnote g text in the 29.02 schedule should be read with the R-A row in full; the schedule extraction was partly garbled, so confirm the figures against the printed code.

    minimum lot area: >= 7500 sq ft (footnote g: 6,000 sq ft freestanding one-family dwelling, subject to footnote g conditions) · minimum lot width: >= 60 ft (footnote g: 50 ft minimum width for a freestanding one-family dwelling)

    “r-a one family 7,500 g. 60' a. a. c. 25' b. a. a. a. 1,200 5.8”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    R-A one family residential district, Dearborn city

    • Height limits vary by lot width under footnote a; only the narrowest and widest lot rows are listed here.
    • Stories: 2 for lots under 46 ft wide; 2.5 for lots over 180 ft wide.
    • The table column headings were not cleanly extracted; confirm the eave and midpoint columns against the printed code.

    maximum midpoint of roof height, lots under 46 ft wide: <= 24 ft (footnote a) · maximum eave height for second story, lots under 46 ft wide: <= 20 ft (footnote a) · maximum stories, lots under 46 ft wide: <= 2 stories (footnote a) · maximum midpoint of roof height, lots over 180 ft wide: <= 31 ft (footnote a) · maximum stories, lots over 180 ft wide: <= 2.5 stories (footnote a)

    “less than 46 feet 3 12 20 20 24 2 46 - 50 feet 3 13 21 20 24 2”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Manufactured homesAllowed

    Manufactured homes placed on land in the R-A and R-B one-family residential districts inside Dearborn city limits

    • Must be placed on a permanent foundation forming a complete enclosure under the exterior walls, built to the city's adopted building code; the mobile home must be securely anchored and towing parts removed (Sec. 2.05 item 2).
    • Must comply with HUD mobile home construction and safety standards, 24 CFR 3280, as amended (Sec. 2.05 item 3).
    • Must meet the same area and bulk rules as site-built homes in the district (Sec. 2.05 item 1).
    “3. manufactured homes, subject to the provisions in section 2.05.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

    Residential structures, including manufactured dwellings and mobile homes not located in mobile home parks, inside Dearborn city limits

    • The rule has no distance or availability qualifier in Sec. 2.05 item 6.
    • Non-residential premises and the Chapter 19 sewer-connection rules were not opened for this record.
    “all residential structures shall be connected to the public sewer and water systems.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Dearborn or Wayne County directly.

  • Building permit — New construction inside Dearborn city limits
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a home inside Dearborn city limits
  • Inspections — Inspections of new residential construction inside Dearborn city limits
  • Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of new homes inside Dearborn city limits
  • Living in an RV — Occupancy of recreational vehicles inside Dearborn city limits
15 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Dearborn publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Wayne County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Wayne County: county rules, score and offices