Short answer: yes. Building permits issued by Michigan cities, townships and counties are public records, and they are available to anyone — including contractors — under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), MCL 15.231 et seq.
What the law says
The Michigan FOIA gives any person the right to inspect and receive copies of public records held by a public body. City and township building departments and county construction-code offices are public bodies, and the permits they issue — along with the applications and inspection results — are public records.
A public body must respond to a written FOIA request within 5 business days (it may extend once by 10 business days). It can charge for the actual cost of search, retrieval, redaction and copying, but many routine permit lookups are free or nominal.
This is general information, not legal advice. For a specific situation, consult an attorney or the public body’s FOIA coordinator.
What is in the public record
- Permit number, type, and status
- Property address and parcel ID
- Description or scope of work
- Estimated project valuation (when recorded)
- Applicant and licensed contractor of record
- Property owner
- Dates: applied, issued, expired, finaled
- Inspection results
What may be redacted or withheld
FOIA has exemptions. In a permit context you may see redaction of personal phone numbers, email addresses and dates of birth; information that would be an unwarranted invasion of privacy; certain security-sensitive building plans; and records tied to an active investigation. The core permit facts — address, scope, value, contractor, owner — are generally released.
How to look up a building permit in Michigan
1. Online portals. Many Southeast Michigan communities publish issued permits through BS&A Online, Accela Citizen Access, or eTRAKiT.
2. Call or email the building department. Ask for recent issued permits for a street, subdivision, or date range.
3. File a FOIA request. Put it in writing to the FOIA coordinator, be specific, and ask for electronic delivery to keep costs down.
4. County construction-code offices. For communities that use the county rather than running their own department, the county handles permits.
Can contractors legally use permit records for marketing?
Yes. Using public permit records to identify projects and contact the owner or GC is standard practice. Two things to keep clean: follow marketing law (Michigan and federal rules on telemarketing, robocalls and texting still apply — mail, door hangers, and manually dialed calls to a business are the safest lanes), and do not misrepresent (do not imply the city sent you).
The practical problem for contractors
The right to the records does not make them easy to use. A contractor covering southern Oakland and Macomb counties is looking at 20 to 30 jurisdictions, each with a different portal or FOIA process, refreshed daily. Build Siren does the aggregation for Southeast Michigan and delivers one scored report every weekday morning.
FAQ
Is there a statewide building permit database?
No single address-level state database. Permits are issued locally. SEMCOG compiles regional residential permit counts, and third parties like Build Siren aggregate the local records.
How much does a FOIA request cost?
A public body may charge actual costs for labor and copying; simple electronic requests are often free or a few dollars.
How long does a FOIA response take?
5 business days, extendable once by 10 business days.
Related
How to Get Construction Leads from Building Permits · Understanding SEMCOG Building Permit Data · Coverage areas
Request access to Build Siren — daily permit leads for Southeast Michigan contractors, from $99/month. Call (248) 290-8979.