For many homeowners and contractors, getting a permit is one of the hardest parts of starting a project. Even simple repairs can involve paperwork, waiting, and multiple steps that are difficult to understand. This laborious process slows projects down and makes small improvements feel more complicated than they need to be. Because of this, some people choose not to get a permit at all, while others may not even realize that a permit is required for the work they are doing.

In Detroit, the Buildings, Safety Engineering, and Environmental Department (BSEED) is responsible for permitting construction work and enforcing building codes and city ordinances. Anyone doing work on private property in the city typically needs a permit. A building permit is the application people complete so their project can be reviewed and inspected. Permits and inspections apply to a wide range of projects, from large new building construction to small home repairs.

The Same Day Permit initiative was created to make it easier for homeowners and contractors to get permits for small residential projects. In the past, even simple work like replacing a door or fixing gutters required going through a complicated process that involved submitting documents, waiting for plan review, and responding to comments from reviewers. This unnecessarily adds time and confusion, especially for straightforward projects.

You may have heard Mayor Mary Sheffield refer to this improvement as “Same Day Permits”. In practice, it does not take a full day. Once the application is completed and fees are paid, the permit is issued and work can begin. For most users, the process should take about 15 minutes, and even less time for those who have applied for permits before.

Same Day Permits are for 1 to 2 family homes and cover common projects like doors, windows, roofs, gutters, siding, porches with the same footprint, and certain interior repairs. These are projects that are considered low risk but were processed like much larger construction projects. By focusing on these types of jobs, the City can simplify the process while still making sure the work is safe and follows building rules.

With Same Day Permit, applicants do not need to upload documents, go through plan review, or communicate back and forth with plan review staff online. Instead, the online application is simple and straightforward, allowing users to complete it quickly.

Inspections are still an important part of the process. The City verifies that the work meets safety and building standards through inspections during and after construction.

Same Day Permits are not used for every type of project. Larger or more complex work, such as building additions, major structural changes, changing how a building is used, or commercial projects, still go through the full review process. But by removing many of the smaller projects, BSEED staff are able to focus more time on these larger and more complex permits, which helps improve turnaround times across all building permits.