9 permits · verified 2026-10-10
What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Ingham County?
In short
No permit applies to every contractor or trade in Ingham County, MI. All 9 depend on your premises, the work you do or how you are set up. Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau charges $50 one-time filing, non-refundable for the articles of organization (llc). 5 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-10 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Ingham County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Permit (outside the five municipal enforcing agencies)only if it applies to you | Ingham County Drain Commissioner | Commercial permit: 6-month $500 first acre + $50 each additional acre; 9-month $580 + $58; 12-month $660 + $66; transfer $115; compliance inspection escrow $620 (under half an acre), $1,800 (half to one acre), $3,600 (1-5 acres), $5,800 (5-10 acres), plus $2,950 each additional 10 acres. Residential permit: 6-month $240; 9-month $300; 12-month $320; transfer $25. Commercial minor disturbance $375; residential minor disturbance $55; renewal at half rate; waiver at no fee (Ingham County Fee Schedule Effective January 1, 2026). | 6, 9 or 12 months as selected; renewal at half rate if renewed before the expiration date | 2026-10-10 |
| Drain Crossing and Tap-In Permits; Commercial Site Plan and Drainage Reviewonly if it applies to you | Ingham County Drain Commissioner | Commercial site plan review $750; commercial drainage review $750 first acre + $90 each additional acre (fractions rounded up); re-submission $250 plus actual costs; drain crossing permit, commercial $550 plus $1,500 inspection deposit; tap-in permit, commercial $450 plus $1,500 inspection deposit (Ingham County Fee Schedule Effective January 1, 2026). | per permit or review | 2026-10-10 |
| Residential Builder Licenseonly if it applies to you | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes | $195 application; $150 to renew every three years | 3 years — expires 31 May | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Ingham County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water Well and On-Site Septic Permits (conditional — premises on a private well or septic system)only if it applies to you | Ingham County Health Department, Environmental Health | Varies — formula on the Ingham County page | per permit | 2026-10-10 |
| County Road Right-of-Way and Commercial Driveway Permitonly if it applies to you | Ingham County Road Department | Varies — formula on the Ingham County page | per permit | 2026-10-10 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
MI registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau | $50 one-time filing, non-refundable | no expiry, but an annual statement is due every 15 February | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau | $60 one-time minimum — a $10 fee plus an organization fee from $50, banded by authorised shares | no expiry, but an annual report is due every 15 May | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Michigan state positiononly if it applies to you | Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development | No fee | not applicable at state level | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Report or Annual Statementonly if it applies to you | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau | Varies — formula on the MI page | annual — 15 February for an LLC, 15 May for a corporation | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a contractor or trade in Ingham County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a contractor or trade in Ingham County, MI, 0 apply to every business of this type and 9 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
5 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Permit (outside the five municipal enforcing agencies): Commercial permit: 6-month $500 first acre + $50 each additional acre; 9-month $580 + $58; 12-month $660 + $66; transfer $115; compliance inspection escrow $620 (under half an acre), $1,800 (half to one acre), $3,600 (1-5 acres), $5,800 (5-10 acres), plus $2,950 each additional 10 acres. Residential permit: 6-month $240; 9-month $300; 12-month $320; transfer $25. Commercial minor disturbance $375; residential minor disturbance $55; renewal at half rate; waiver at no fee (Ingham County Fee Schedule Effective January 1, 2026).
Drain Crossing and Tap-In Permits; Commercial Site Plan and Drainage Review: Commercial site plan review $750; commercial drainage review $750 first acre + $90 each additional acre (fractions rounded up); re-submission $250 plus actual costs; drain crossing permit, commercial $550 plus $1,500 inspection deposit; tap-in permit, commercial $450 plus $1,500 inspection deposit (Ingham County Fee Schedule Effective January 1, 2026).
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Ingham County permits page and the MI state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Ingham County?
Permits for a contractor or trade in Ingham County, MI come from 6 separate offices: Ingham County Health Department, Environmental Health, Ingham County Drain Commissioner, Ingham County Road Department, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Ingham County Health Department, Environmental HealthIssues 1 permit on this page: Water Well and On-Site Septic Permits (conditional — premises on a private well or septic system)5303 S. Cedar St., Lansing, MI 48911 · 517-887-4312health.ingham.org/health/environmental_health/permits_licensing.php
- Ingham County Drain CommissionerIssues 2 permits on this page: Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Permit (outside the five municipal enforcing agencies), Drain Crossing and Tap-In Permits; Commercial Site Plan and Drainage Review517-676-8395drain.ingham.org/departments_and_officials/drain_commission/fees,_forms,_and_related_information.php
- Ingham County Road DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: County Road Right-of-Way and Commercial Driveway Permit517-676-9722roads.ingham.org/departments_and_officials/roads/permits.php
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing BureauIssues 3 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report or Annual Statement2407 North Grand River Avenue, Lansing, MI 48906 · (517) 241-6470www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cscl/corps
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentIssues 1 permit on this page: General Business License — Michigan state positionDeborah A. Stabenow Building, 6th Floor, 525 West Allegan Street, PO Box 30017, Lansing, MI 48909 · (800) 292-3939www.michigan.gov/mdard/licensing/food/food-establishment-license
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction CodesIssues 1 permit on this page: Residential Builder License2407 North Grand River Avenue, Lansing, MI 48906 · (517) 241-9316www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/bcc/sections/licensing-section
What does a contractor or trade need in Ingham County that other businesses do not?
3 of the 3 permits particular to a contractor or trade here apply to no other business type we cover in Ingham County: Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Permit (outside the five municipal enforcing agencies), Drain Crossing and Tap-In Permits; Commercial Site Plan and Drainage Review and Residential Builder License.
Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Permit (outside the five municipal enforcing agencies)
The county's soil erosion jurisdiction map states that 'The Office of the Ingham County Drain Commissioner is the designated County Enforcing Agency for soil erosion and sedimentation control in areas of Ingham County not served by a Municipal Enforcing Agency.' The same map lists the municipal enforcing agencies as Delhi Charter Township, the City of East Lansing, the City of Lansing, Meridian Charter Township and Lansing Charter Township, which issue their own soil erosion permits. Elsewhere, under the Drain Commissioner's 'Ingham County Fee Schedule Effective January 1, 2026 — Fees Set By The Ingham County Board of Commissioners', a commercial permit costs $500, $580 or $660 for the first acre (6, 9 or 12 months) plus $50, $58 or $66 for each additional acre, with a compliance inspection escrow from $620 to $5,800 by site size; a residential permit costs $240, $300 or $320. A commercial minor disturbance permit is $375 and a residential minor disturbance permit $55. The schedule states that a waiver, issued for projects that do not require a permit, must be presented to the local building inspector, and that projects by licensed builders, contractors and developers that start without the required approvals pay double the normal fees; follow-up inspections to a violation notice or cease and desist order are $350 each.
Drain Crossing and Tap-In Permits; Commercial Site Plan and Drainage Review
A commercial project that crosses or connects to a county drain, or whose site plan and drainage go to the Ingham County Drain Commissioner for review, pays the fees in the Drain Commissioner's 'Ingham County Fee Schedule Effective January 1, 2026 — Fees Set By The Ingham County Board of Commissioners'. Commercial site plan review is $750 and commercial drainage review $750 for the first acre plus $90 for each additional acre, with a $250 re-submission fee plus actual costs for a third review of the same deficiency. A commercial drain crossing permit is $550 and a commercial tap-in permit $450, each with a $1,500 inspection deposit. The schedule states that fees and deposits do not cover outside legal or engineering consultants, which are billed to the applicant, or the 5% maintenance and 8% inspection costs, and that project fees may be adjusted based on site factors. The Drain Commissioner's fees page links the 2026 permit application for crossing, connection and encroachment permits.
Residential Builder License
Michigan licenses residential builders and not commercial ones — the construction codes bureau states it directly — so a purely commercial contractor needs no state license, while the skilled trades are licensed either way. The qualifier is that a residential builder's definition reaches a combined residential and commercial structure, so mixed projects are inside the regime. Veterans have the application fee waived. A sixty-hour prelicensure course is required, and continuing education is twenty-one hours in each of the first two renewal cycles then three hours thereafter. A company license needs an individual license holder as its qualifying officer, and if that individual lapses the company is suspended. Exemption threshold: an aggregate contract price under $600. A physical Michigan address is required — a post office box will not do.
The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Ingham County, MI; what each one involves is set out on the Ingham County permits page. The 4 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across MI and are covered on the MI state page.
How does a contractor or trade compare with other businesses in Ingham County?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control Permit (outside the five municipal enforcing agencies), Drain Crossing and Tap-In Permits; Commercial Site Plan and Drainage Review and Residential Builder License. A auto repair shop needs Pollution Prevention (P2) Status Sheet, Reporting and Inspection (conditional — 56 gallons / 450 pounds or more), Motor Vehicle Repair Facility Registration and Mechanic Certification, which a contractor or trade does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a contractor or trade | Only a contractor or trade needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto repair shops | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Food trucks | 6 | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Ingham County permits page and the MI state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Ingham County Fee Schedule Effective January 1, 2026 — Fees Set By The Ingham County Board of Commissioners (Drain Commissioner)Ingham County Drain Commissioner · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Ingham County Soil Erosion Permitting Agencies (jurisdiction map)Ingham County Drain Commissioner · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Drain Commissioner — Fees, Forms, and Related InformationIngham County Drain Commissioner · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes — builder license feesMichigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes — builders FAQ, confirming Michigan licenses residential but not commercial buildersMichigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.