Madison Heights project guide
Home Additions in Madison Heights
Madison Heights’ permit guidance makes contractor registration, owner work, and site drawings important early addition decisions.
Clarify who is responsible
The City says owner-occupants may obtain permits for work they perform themselves, while hired contractors must be licensed and registered. For an addition, ask who files the application, manages trade permits, and responds to inspection corrections.
Test a realistic footprint
Use a survey or plot plan to show the proposed room and its distance to property edges. Compare at least two layouts for the same need, including what each does to the yard and the rooms next to the new space.
Document the existing structure
Photograph the wall to be opened, the roof above, and the foundation or basement below. Ask how floors, weather protection, and mechanical systems will connect. Unknown conditions should be investigated or clearly allowed for in the proposal.
Keep the reviewed plan current
Use the City’s residential permit forms and confirm the current submission route. If the design changes after review, ask whether revisions are needed before construction follows the new plan.
Build an early brief from the site
A complete early brief should identify the new room’s use, approximate dimensions, required access, and the existing rooms it will affect. Add photos from the yard and from inside the wall to be opened. Those materials help the City and design team answer the right questions before a finish budget dominates the conversation.