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13 permits · verified 2026-09-28

What permits do you need to open a contractor or trade in Oakland County?

In short

No permit applies to every contractor or trade in Oakland County, MI. All 13 depend on your premises, the work you do or how you are set up. Oakland County Clerk / Register of Deeds, Vital Records charges $10 one-time filing fee for the assumed name (dba) certificate. 4 of the 13 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-28 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a contractor or trade in Oakland County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Contractor Licensing — Michigan LARA (Oakland County)only if it applies to youOakland County Government — Business Development and Facilities ManagementNo feenot applicable2026-09-28
Road Right-of-Way Construction Permitonly if it applies to youRoad Commission for Oakland County (RCOC)The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) calculates the permit fee per project against its own published permit specifications and guidelines, based on the scope of work — constructing, operating, maintaining or removing a facility, or performing any work other than sidewalk installation or repair, within a county road right-of-way.per project; the permit covers only the specific right-of-way work described in the approved application2026-09-28
Residential Builder Licenseonly if it applies to youMichigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Bureau of Construction Codes$195 application; $150 to renew every three years3 years — expires 31 May2026-09-03

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 Oakland County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
General Business License — Oakland County Positiononly if it applies to youOakland County Government — Business Development and Facilities ManagementNo feenot applicable — the county's Business Development page states that Oakland County does not require a business license2026-09-28
Zoning Approval — City, Village or Township Issues (Oakland County)only if it applies to youOakland County Government — Business Development and Facilities ManagementNo feenot applicable2026-09-28
Assumed Name (DBA) Certificateonly if it applies to youOakland County Clerk / Register of Deeds, Vital Records$10 one-time filing fee5 years, renewable2026-09-28
On-Site Sewage Disposal (Septic) Permitonly if it applies to youOakland County Health Division (OCHD), Environmental Health Services UnitVaries — formula on the Oakland County pageper project, for new construction, repair/replacement or alteration of an on-site sewage disposal system; the installer license itself renews annually2026-09-28
Water Well Permitonly if it applies to youOakland County Health Division (OCHD), Environmental Health Services UnitVaries — formula on the Oakland County pageper well, for the specific construction, replacement, augmentation, irrigation, geothermal or abandonment project applied for2026-09-28
Building/Construction Permit — Local Community Issues (Oakland County)only if it applies to youOakland County Government — Business Development and Facilities ManagementNo feenot applicable2026-09-28

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

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youMichigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau$50 one-time filing, non-refundableno expiry, but an annual statement is due every 15 February2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youMichigan 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 sharesno expiry, but an annual report is due every 15 May2026-09-03
General Business License — Michigan state positiononly if it applies to youMichigan Department of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentNo feenot applicable at state level2026-09-03
Annual Report or Annual Statementonly if it applies to youMichigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing BureauVaries — formula on the MI pageannual — 15 February for an LLC, 15 May for a corporation2026-09-03

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 Oakland County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a contractor or trade in Oakland County, MI, 0 apply to every business of this type and 13 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

4 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 5 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Road Right-of-Way Construction Permit: The Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) calculates the permit fee per project against its own published permit specifications and guidelines, based on the scope of work — constructing, operating, maintaining or removing a facility, or performing any work other than sidewalk installation or repair, within a county road right-of-way.

The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Oakland County permits page and the MI state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Oakland County?

Permits for a contractor or trade in Oakland County, MI come from 7 separate offices: Oakland County Government — Business Development and Facilities Management, Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC), Oakland County Clerk / Register of Deeds, Vital Records, Oakland County Health Division (OCHD), Environmental Health Services Unit, 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.

What does a contractor or trade need in Oakland 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 Oakland County: Contractor Licensing — Michigan LARA (Oakland County), Road Right-of-Way Construction Permit and Residential Builder License.

Contractor Licensing — Michigan LARA (Oakland County)

No fee applies at the county level. Oakland County's Business Development 'Tools & Templates' page states that 'Oakland County does not require a business license' and that 'Licensing is managed by the State of Michigan,' and directs a new business to check with its city or township for any local license. Contractor licensing and registration in Michigan — for residential builders, maintenance and alteration contractors, electricians, plumbers and mechanical contractors alike — is administered by the state Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA). A contractor still needs a building permit from the city, village or township where the work occurs; an OCHD-issued septic installer license specifically if installing or repairing on-site sewage disposal systems, recorded with the septic permit below; and, for work touching a county-maintained road specifically, the Road Commission for Oakland County's road right-of-way construction permit, recorded separately. Neither of those is a general contractor license.

Road Right-of-Way Construction Permit

A contractor performing work that touches an RCOC-maintained road — constructing, operating, maintaining or removing a facility, or any work other than sidewalk installation or repair, within the county road right-of-way — needs a Road Right-of-Way Construction Permit from the Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC), a distinct county-affiliated body separate from OCHD. This is not a general contractor or building permit; general building construction and permitting remains a city, village or township function throughout Oakland County, and this permit covers only work that touches county road right-of-way. RCOC calculates the actual dollar fee per project from its own permit specifications and guidelines against the scope of the submitted work, rather than publishing one flat rate for every project.

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 6 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Oakland County, MI; what each one involves is set out on the Oakland 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 Oakland County?

The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A contractor or trade also needs Contractor Licensing — Michigan LARA (Oakland County), Road Right-of-Way Construction Permit and Residential Builder License. A auto repair shop needs Auto Repair Facility Registration — Michigan Department of State (Oakland County), Motor Vehicle Repair Facility Registration and Mechanic Certification, which a contractor or trade does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Oakland County, MI, compared with a contractor or trade
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a contractor or tradeOnly a contractor or trade needsOnly it needs
Auto repair shops3033
Childcare centres2032
Coffee shops6036
Fitness studios2032
Food trucks7037
Restaurants5035
Retail stores2032
Salons and barbers5035
Veterinary clinics5035

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 Oakland County permits page and the MI state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Business Development, Tools & Templates — states 'Oakland County does not require a business license' and directs businesses to check with their city or townshipOakland County, Michigan · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  2. Application to Work in Road Right-of-WayRoad Commission for Oakland County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
  3. Michigan LARA Bureau of Construction Codes — builder license feesMichigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  4. 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.