Frequently Asked Questions

Building

FAQ's About Inspection Services

Q: Is it necessary to meet with the scheduled Inspector for an inspection?

A: No, but it is strongly encouraged in the event a minor adjustment can be made at that time or for clarification of the violations observed. Access must be provided to the inspector on the scheduled inspection day.

Q: When should I call for a building inspection?

A: Call the Inspection Hotline by no later than 4:00pm of the day prior to the date of the requested inspection. That telephone number is (248) 593-9350.

Q: May I request a specific time of day for a building inspection?

A: Time requests for building inspections are limited to two-hour ranges; however, depending on the amount and type of inspection, time requests may not be honored. Please keep in mind that certain inspections may take longer, or other problems may arise, that will create delays in the schedule. If the situation dictates, please call the building department and discuss the situation with the inspector for time arrangements.

Q: Are inspectors available to help me if I have any questions about building in Bloomfield Hills?

A: Building code interpretation or code related questions shall be addressed by the Building Official during regular office hours. Trade Inspectors are available by requesting a telephone conference through this office.

Q: What information is required when calling in an inspection?

A: You must know the permit number that has been assigned to the job, the type of inspection, address of the job site, and give the name of the person calling and a phone number where you can be reached.

Q: What should I do with my copy of my building plans when the City gives me an approved copy back?

A: Your copy should be on site for all inspections.

Q: Does my building permit also include the electrical and plumbing and heating permit?

A: No. Each mechanical permit MUST be pulled separately.

Q: Why do I have to post a bond and when will I get it back?

A: A building bond may be required depending on the building project. The bond will be returned after a final inspection is approved.

Q: As a homeowner can I pull my own building/mechanical permits?

A: Yes. You will be required to fill out a Homeowners Application claiming that you will be doing the work, and bare full responsibility for the work that is done. All work must conform to code and you will be held personally liable.

Q: Can the City recommend a good building, plumbing, electrical or mechanical company?

A: No. The City will not recommend any company, however you may look at our records of licensed contractors.

Q: What do I have to pull a building permit for?

A: Any new structures such as a new home, addition, renovation, garage, deck or any structural changes. Also, replacing furnace, installing air conditioning. Electrical up grades or wiring, install ceiling fan or new fixture. Installing new plumbing fixtures, water heaters, and irrigation systems. Also, tear-off roof replacements require a building permit.

Q: What code has the City of Bloomfield Hills adopted?

A: The City of Bloomfield Hills has adopted the 2003 Michigan Building Code, 2003 Michigan Residential Code, the 2003 Michigan Plumbing and Mechanical Code and the 2002 Michigan Electrical Code. Copies are available for purchase at www.michigan.gov/cis

Q: How can I verify if my contractor is licensed?

A: Call the State of Michigan at (517)241-9427 to see if your contractor is licensed.

Q:  What time frame should I allow for a building permit to be issued?

A: Please allow up to ten business days for a review of the submitted building plans. If revisions are requested for further review, the revisions will be reviewed in the order they are received. Commercial plans for alterations need to be reviewed by all trade disciplines and the Fire Marshal. Therefore please allow for an additional two weeks. New Commercial construction reviews will take considerably longer.

Q:  As a homeowner, may I apply for a building permit?

A: Yes. However, the permit holder is responsible for the work to be constructed in compliance to the codes and a Homeowners Affidavit must be signed. If a State of Michigan licensed builder is hired by the homeowner to supervise the work, then we strongly recommend the permit be issued to the licensed builder.

Q: Can I start work without a permit being issued?

A: Starting work without a permit is a violation of the State Construction Code and Township Ordinance.

Q:  What type of fees should I anticipate when applying for a building permit?

A: An application fee, a department plan review fee, and a registration fee for licensed contractors will be required at time of application. In addition, if consultant plan reviews (City Planner and City Engineer) are required, then an escrow deposit to be applied against their fees will also be required. A fee schedule is available upon request at the Building Department and on the published list on this we site.

Q: Do I need to apply for a permit in person?

A: Applications are accepted by mail; however, all licensed contractors and builders need to provide photo identification (driver's license and current Residential Builder's Board State license) with each application. In any instance, the applications must be signed and accompanied by a check for the required application fees.

Q: Why do I need a permit for a swimming pool?

A: The Michigan Residential Code mandates that an application for a building permit be submitted for all above ground and in ground swimming pools containing 2 or more feet of water. An electrical permit is required for the grounding and additional circuits that will need to be installed. Mechanical permits will be required for any heating equipment for the pool. All outside pools must be provided with a safety enclosure in compliance with the Building Code.

Cable Television

Q: To whom do I address complaints about my cable television?

A: Residents of Bloomfield Hills now can contact the Michigan Public Service Commission regarding their video / cable customer complaints.  If you have a complaint, you should first attempt to resolve the complaint by directly contacting your video / cable provider.  If you are not able to resolve the issue with the video / cable provider, you may want to contact the Michigan Public Service Commission for assistance.  The Michigan Public Service Commission can be reached by the following means: 
Telephone: (866)552-7725
Fax: (517)241-2400
Mail:  Michigan Public Service Commission
          Attn: Video Franchising
          6545 Mercantile Way
           Lansing, Michigan 48909

The Michigan Public Service Commission also has a user-friendly website dedicated to providing information on video / cable issues. The website is located at: www.michigan.gov/mpsc.

City Clerk

Q: How Do I Register to Vote?

A: Qualified Electors may register to vote or change their address in the following manners:

In Person:

• At the City Clerk's Office or at the office of the County Clerk during normal business hours.
• At any Secretary of State Branch office located throughout the State during normal business hours.
• At the military recruitment offices for persons enlisting in the armed forces.

By Mail:

• By obtaining and completing a Mail Voter Registration Application and forwarding to the election official for your jurisdiction by the close of registration deadline. Mail voter registration applications may be obtained by contacting the clerk's office or at www.michigan.gov/sos. Please note that a person who registers to vote by mail is required to vote in person unless they have previously voted in person in the City where they live or are at least 60 years of age or are handicapped.
• Effective April 1, 2000, Public Act 118 of 1999 amended the Michigan Vehicle Code to clarify that a person's driver license address must correspond to his or her voter registration address. An address change submitted by an individual on a voter registration application form will automatically carry over to the individual's driver license record. Similarly, an address change submitted by an individual to update his or her driver license record will automatically carry over to the individual's voter registration record.

Q: How do I Obtain an Absent Voter Ballot for an Election?

A: Absent Voter Ballots are available through the Clerk's office prior to an election by first completing an application for said ballot, indicating why the ballot is needed and signing the form. The application is then processed and a ballot is issued and mailed to the individual or handed to the voter if obtained in person at the clerk's office.

Q: Where do I vote?

A: Registered voters in Precinct #1 vote at City Hall, 45 E. Long Lake Road Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304. Registered voters in Precinct #2 vote at The Congregational Church of Birmingham, 1000 Cranbrook Road Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304. Your voter registration cards denotes the assigned precinct.

Q: What are the requirements to register to vote?

A: 1. A person must be a citizen of the United States
2. A person must be a resident of the State of Michigan and will be at least a 30 day resident of the City by election day.
3. Will be at least 18 years of age by election day.
4. If false information is provided, a person has committed perjury and is subject to a fine or imprisonment or both under Federal or State Law.

Finance

Q: Property values in my neighborhood have been decreasing. Will my property valuation be decreasing as well?

A: Unfortunately, there isn’t a yes or no answer to that question. If you’ve owned your property for a significant amount of time, more than likely your State Equalized Value (SEV) far exceeds your Taxable Value. If this is the case, a decrease in valuation, caused by a slow real estate market, will be reflected in the SEV. The taxable value is required by the Michigan Constitution to increase each year by the rate of inflation or 5%, whichever is lower. In the case of a longtime property owner, the SEV could decrease, while the Taxable Value will continue to increase.

Q: If the SEV decreases, will I pay more or less in property taxes?

A: Your property taxes are based on the Taxable Value, rather than the SEV. So, in the previous scenario you would pay more in taxes even though your SEV decreased.

Q: Why won’t my taxes decrease if my property value is going down?

A: Proposal A allowed residents to pay property taxes on less than half of their market value by "capping" the Taxable Value, while still allowing the assessor to determine the market value by adjusting the SEV. This has caused, for many long-time property owners, a great disparity between the SEV figure and the Taxable Value figure. The assessor can reduce the SEV to reflect the change in property value, but if the Taxable Value is still well below the SEV, it will keep increasing until the two figures meet. Since property taxes are based on Taxable Value, you end up paying more in taxes.

Q: Will my taxes ever go down?

A: If a property’s SEV decreases each year, it will eventually meet the Taxable Value. The law states that the Taxable Value can be equal to, but cannot exceed the SEV. So, when this happens, a decrease in SEV will cause decreases in Taxable Value, which in turn lowers your property tax bill. Due to the gap between the SEV and the Taxable Value figures, it would take several years of depressed market conditions to make the SEV and Taxable Value equal. If you happen to be a property owner who purchased a property in the last few years and you have decreasing property value, the SEV and Taxable Value figures could meet sooner than someone who has owned the property for a long period of time.

Treasurer

Q: What is a Homestead Affidavit, and why do I have to file it?

A: Every person in Michigan is allowed to claim a Homestead on their primary residence which reduces the tax rate by 18 mils per thousand on their tax bill. In order to enjoy the lower tax rate you must own and occupy the residence for which you are claiming.

Q: What is a Property Transfer Affidavit?

A: When Proposal "A" passed in 1994, which reduced the school property taxes, the new law requires full disclosure. It is law that the "PTA" is file, or else stiff penalties will be applied by the State.

Q: My accountant tells me that I do not qualify for a homestead, should I still file it?

A: Accountants often confuse the Homestead Affidavit with the "Homestead Property Tax Credit". These are two separate entities that do not relate to one another. The Homestead affidavit is allowable for every resident in Michigan on his or her place of domicile to reduce the school portion of the tax bill. The "Homestead Property Tax Credit" relates to the filing of your yearly income tax with the federal government and has nothing to do with your eligibility for reduced property taxes on your home.

Q: I no longer have a business in the City of Bloomfield Hills, yet I am still receiving tax bills for the personal property.

A: If you were in business in the City of Bloomfield Hills as of December 31st of the prior year, you will be responsible for both the summer and winter taxes in the year following. Tax Day is December 31st and taxes are paid on whatever is on a particular property in the following tax collection (or year).

Q: When are taxes delinquent?

A: Taxes are due and payable July 1st through August 31st in the summer, and December 1st through February 14th in the winter for any given tax year. All taxes are turned over delinquent to Oakland County on March 1st of any given tax year.

Q: What is the Millage rate in Bloomfield Hills?

A: The Millage rate for the City of Bloomfield Hills in the Bloomfield Hills School District can be found on our Tax Millage Rates page.

The Millage rate for the City of Bloomfield Hills in the Birmingham School District is:
2006- Homestead is 33.6240 per thousand
2006-Non-Homestead is 41.7471 per thousand

Q: If I do not receive my tax bill and I miss the due date am I liable for the interest and penalties?

A: Yes, failure to receive the bill does not eliminate the penalties. As a property owner it is your responsibility to make sure you receive, and pay your taxes in a timely fashion. If you do not receive your tax bill by the third week of July or December, you should call the Treasurer's Office for another copy.

Q: Is there any relief in taxation for Senior Citizens?

A: You may apply for a summer deferment which will allow you to pay without penalty until February 28th of the current tax year. This form is available at the Treasurer's Office and must be re-filed each year. Once you have the deferment you will receive a new form each year enclosed with your July tax bill.

Q: Where do I get my Dog License?

A: Dog licenses are available at the City of Bloomfield Hills Administrative Offices. Dog must be licensed in Oakland County each year. The Treasurer's Office provides this service as a convenience to our residents. New licenses must be purchased between December 15th and March 1st each year. A valid rabies certificate must be presented in order to purchase the license. Important Changes to the Michigan Dog Law:  A Dog must now be licensed at four months of age, instead of six months of age.

SPARE

Q: Why participate in SPARE?

A: SPARE has the potential to decrease 0n-site response time, lessen property damage and reduce the potential for injury or loss of life in response to a fire, medical or security emergency.

Q: What is a SPARE plan?

A: A SPARE plan is simply the floor plan pages with critical areas highlighted in RED. Each floor is detailed on a separate page. A separate sheet would provide other specific information critical to the structure and its occupants.

Q: How are plans prepared?

A: Any plan author (architect) can digitally prepare the plans and have them copied into CD/ROM format. Since the inception of CAD drawings, this is an especially easy and cost effective production. Otherwise, if you have a copy of the floor plan pages, the required details can be provided in RED and then transferred to a CD by a local reprographic center with large format scanning capability.

Q: Why not just use the building plans the City has stored in the Planwell system instead?

A: The plans that were used to construct your home have many pages. And, the details are extensive. It would take far too long for a responder to locate the appropriate page in your home’s "file", and then sift through the plan pages for the areas of concern. Simply having the SPARE file on record can save precious minutes in just about any kind of emergency situation.

Q: What plans are required?

A: Simply provide plan pages that depict an overview of each separate level of your home. Show detached accessory buildings on separate pages as well. Do not provide and exterior views (elevations) or cut-views (sections). Addresses must be clearly shown on each page and owner’s names MUST be omitted.

Q: Is SPARE a mandatory program?

A: No, participation in SPARE is strictly voluntary.

Q: How are SPARE plans secured?

A: All building plans in the City of Bloomfield Hills are being electronically stored in the Planwell System, hosted locally by Dunn Blue Reprographers. The System has national security clearance and has provided the same service for numerous sensitive federal buildings. This is a highly secure site with several layers of protection and only City officials and the Public Safety Department have access to the site.

Q: What is the cost to have a SPARE plan included in the program?

A: There is no charge to City residents who provide CD/ROMS with SPARE plans. And, there is no charge to replace SPARE plans with updated versions of floor plans as structures change over time.