Taking Your First Residential Building Job in Michigan: Builder Licenses, Permits, and Who to Call
You are lining up your first — or next — Michigan residential building or remodeling job as the contractor taking the contract. The example below follows one broad remodel-and-addition job and shows who decides each task, what to ask, what to have ready, and the official sources behind it. Company, license, structure, contract, crew, and job facts can change the list.
Check every M&A craft before it is advertised or contracted
Official check
Michigan publishes a defined M&A craft list, and the crafts for which a contractor is qualified appear on the license. One listed craft does not silently add another, and a familiar service name can contain work from several crafts or separate skilled trades.
Ask
“For each line of the scope, which exact craft appears on the active individual and company M&A records, and which part instead needs an RB, skilled-trade, or other path?”
Have ready
Line-by-line work and materials, plans and product details, M&A license and craft display, company license, qualifying officer, subcontractors, separate trade licenses, bid, contract, permit, and changes.
Who decides
Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Licensing Section
This tool cannot map a task to a craft, add a craft, verify the license display, or say the selected work is covered.
The individual, contracting company, scope of work, salesperson, and job permit must line up. The name taking the job must be traced through the bid, contract, deposit, license records, qualifying officer, permit, insurance, payments, subcontractors, and customer communications. A trade name or seller's reputation is not the legal-person answer.
Ask
“Which individual, sole proprietor, LLC, corporation, or partnership will advertise, contract, receive money, pull permits, employ or subcontract workers, and stand behind the work?”
Have ready
Legal name and assumed names, entity record and FEIN stored outside this tool, owners and officers, business and job addresses, individual and company licenses, qualifying officer, insurance, bids and contract, payment account, permit, and subcontractors.
Who decides
Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Licensing Section and the entity's qualified legal and insurance advisers
This route cannot identify the contracting party, form an entity, verify authority, bind insurance, interpret a contract, or approve an ownership structure.
Keep electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and boiler work in their own license lanes
Official check
A residential builder or M&A credential does not replace the separate contractor, master, journey, apprentice, permit, inspection, and local-registration paths that may apply to skilled-trade work. Subcontracting the work does not make the license and permit file disappear.
Ask
“For each selected trade, which licensed contractor and responsible licensed person will contract, supervise, perform, permit, and document the work at this address?”
Have ready
Exact trade scope, legal contracting parties, bids and subcontracts, contractor and responsible-person licenses, local registrations, workers, permit applications, plans, equipment, inspections, and change orders.
Who decides
Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Licensing Section and the trade enforcing agency for the job
This residential-builder route does not choose or verify a skilled-trade license, approve a subcontractor, issue a permit, or authorize trade work.
Michigan separates a residential builder that may build a complete residential structure from an M&A contractor limited to the crafts shown on the license. Residential or combined residential-commercial work, skilled trades, commercial-only work, wages-only labor, and owner work do not all use one lane.
Ask
“What structure is involved, what result is promised for pay, who contracts with whom, which exact tasks are included, and which license or official exception covers that combination?”
Have ready
Job address and use, owner, plans and line-by-line scope, price and materials, prime and subcontract roles, legal entities, individual and company licenses, M&A crafts, workers, permits, and any written LARA answer.
Who decides
Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Licensing Section
This route cannot classify a job, role, structure, license, craft, or exception from a title or short description.
Verify the individual residential-builder record against this job
Official check
The individual credential is the first license layer. An application, examination, former license, license held by a seller or employee, or credential with a limitation does not by itself cover a new offer or contract.
Ask
“Which active individual record covers this work, what type and status is shown today, and—if it is M&A—which selected crafts appear on the license?”
Have ready
Person's legal name, public license record and number, license type and status, expiration and limitations, education or application records if pending, selected work and M&A crafts, company relationship, qualifying-officer link, and job dates.
Who decides
Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Licensing Section
This tool cannot verify a person, license, status, limitation, craft, education, examination, application, or eligibility.
Use the residential-builder lane for the complete or overall project
Official check
LARA describes the Residential Builder license as the lane that allows construction of a complete residential structure and M&A work. A craft-limited M&A license should not be treated as a complete-project credential merely because several crafts are listed or subcontracted.
Ask
“Does the active individual and company Residential Builder record cover the legal contractor taking responsibility for this complete structure, addition, structural remodel, or multiple-craft project?”
Have ready
Complete scope and plans, residential and commercial uses, prime contract and price, individual and company licenses, qualifying officer, subcontractors and trade licenses, permits, insurance, and schedule.
Who decides
Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Licensing Section
This route cannot decide that work requires or is covered by a Residential Builder license or approve the contractor or project.
Do not classify the work from labels like handyman, painting, or drywall
Official check
A service that is not named on the current M&A craft list may still be part of licensed residential building, another listed craft, a skilled trade, an exception, or work outside this route. The actual task, structure, contract, price, and surrounding project decide what must be asked.
Ask
“How does LARA and the enforcing agency classify every task, and which license, craft, permit, or written exception applies before advertising or contracting?”
Have ready
Exact task steps and materials, structure and use, surrounding project, price and contracts, who performs and supervises, licenses and crafts, permits, and written agency answer.
Who decides
Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Licensing Section and the enforcing agency for the work
This route cannot classify handyman, painting, drywall, repair, installation, or other unlisted work.
Keep the company license matched to the company signing
Official check
LARA's current builder FAQ says a corporation, LLC, or partnership is a separate legal person and needs an additional RB or M&A company license. A license held by an owner, employee, seller, related company, or trade name does not by itself answer for the company signing the contract.
Ask
“What exact legal person will contract, and does its active company record match the name, license type, qualifying officer, scope, address, and dates of this job?”
Have ready
Entity formation and assumed-name records, legal name and addresses, company license and status, individual license, qualifying officer, owners and officers, bid and contract, payment account, insurance, permit, and proposed start.
Who decides
Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Licensing Section
This route cannot decide which entity needs a license, issue or verify a company license, or say another person's or company's license covers it.
Keep the qualifying officer and individual license active together
Official check
LARA says a builder or M&A company needs an active individually licensed qualifying officer, and its renewal guidance says the company cannot operate without one. The individual license, company link, scope, and dates all matter.
Ask
“Which active individual is linked as qualifying officer to this exact company, does that person's RB or M&A scope match the company's work, and is any departure, expiration, limitation, or change pending?”
Have ready
Company and individual public records, licenses and expiration dates, M&A crafts, qualifying-officer filing, ownership and employment relationship, departure or change documents, renewal records, contracts, permits, and job dates.
Who decides
Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Licensing Section
This route cannot verify or appoint a qualifying officer, approve a relationship, preserve a company license, or authorize operation during a change.
Match every ad to the licensed name, number, and actual business address
Official check
Michigan Administrative Rule 338.1532 requires a licensee's advertising to include the name, license number, and actual business address shown on the license; a telephone number or post-office box alone is not enough. A domain name, social-media handle, DBA, lead service, yard sign, truck, proposal, or seller's old ad can hide a mismatch.
Ask
“Does every place this job or service is advertised show the correct licensed name, license number, and actual licensed business address for the legal contractor taking the work?”
Have ready
Current license record, exact contracting name, actual licensed business address, assumed names, website and domain, social profiles, directory and lead-service listings, print and broadcast ads, trucks, signs, model homes, estimates, phone and mailbox information, and correction dates.
Who decides
Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Licensing Section
This route cannot review every communication, decide what counts as advertising, approve an assumed name, or say an advertisement complies.
LARA says a person who, for compensation, solicits or secures business for a residential builder or M&A contractor must be licensed to that contractor. Its examples include referral fees, certain home-center installation sales, and model-home solicitation, and it says a salesperson may be licensed to only one builder or M&A contractor at a time.
Ask
“Who spoke with the customer, advertised, referred, estimated, negotiated, or secured the job; who pays that person and how; and does the current salesperson record link that person to the exact contracting company?”
Have ready
People and companies involved, duties, ads and leads, compensation and referral terms, salesperson and contractor license records, employment or contractor agreements, estimate and contract communications, model-home or home-center arrangement, and dates.
Who decides
Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes Licensing Section
This route cannot classify a conversation or payment, verify a salesperson license, approve a referral arrangement, or apply an exception to a paid person.
Use written, signed agreements and written, signed changes
Official check
Michigan Administrative Rule 338.1533 says agreements and changes between a builder or contractor and customer must be in writing and signed by the parties, with copies provided to the customer. The written terms must state the transaction and specifications, including cost, type and amount of work, and type and quality of materials when construction is involved.
Ask
“Do the signed agreement, every signed change, customer copies, plans and specifications, price, payment, license information, permit responsibility, and subcontract records all name the same legal contractor and complete scope?”
Have ready
Ads and estimate, written signed agreement and customer copy, written signed changes and copies, legal company and actual business address, individual and company license numbers, plans and specifications, cost, work quantities, material types and quality, payment and receipts, permits, subcontractors and licenses, insurance, notices, warranties, and delivery records.
Who decides
The contractor and customer with the licensing and enforcing offices and qualified contract counsel when needed
This route cannot draft or interpret a contract, approve payment terms, decide cancellation or lien rights, settle a dispute, or say a file satisfies every law.
02Before ordering equipment, building, or changing the site
Find the enforcing agency and settle the permit before work
Official check
Michigan says the permit application goes to the appropriate enforcing agency, which may be the state or a local unit. A contractor license is not the job permit, and a permit application or issued permit is not proof that the individual, company, qualifying officer, crafts, or salesperson are properly licensed.
Ask
“Which office enforces each part of this job, what permit or written no-permit answer covers the exact scope, and which inspections and approved plans control before work is concealed or used?”
Have ready
Exact address and legal municipality, owner, complete work scope, contract, individual and company licenses, plans and specifications, trade contractors, permit applications and numbers, inspection sequence, changes, and written agency answers.
Who decides
The building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, zoning, or other enforcing agency responsible for the job
This route cannot identify every permit from a short description, waive a permit, review plans, inspect work, or authorize construction.
Check the pre-1978 lead-safe renovation path before advertising or work
Official check
EPA's Renovation, Repair and Painting rule can apply to paid work that disturbs painted surfaces in pre-1978 housing and child-occupied facilities. It addresses firm certification, trained renovators, customer education, work practices, and records; a builder license does not replace it.
Ask
“What year and use is the building, which painted surfaces and quantities will be disturbed, and which certification, notice, work-practice, testing, cleanup, and record rules apply to this firm and job?”
Have ready
Address, construction year and evidence, occupancy and child-occupied use, scope and surface area, paint testing, firm and renovator certifications, subcontractors, renovation notice, containment and cleanup plan, verification, and records.
Who decides
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Program
This route cannot determine that paint is lead-free, apply an exception, certify a firm or renovator, approve practices, or clear a work area.
Get the asbestos inspection and notification answer before disturbance
Official check
EGLE's asbestos program requires a thorough inspection before subject renovation or demolition and has project-specific notification rules. Building type, ownership, work, material, quantity, and worker activity matter, so a house age or visual walk-through alone is not an answer.
Ask
“Does this exact renovation or demolition require a thorough survey, accredited inspector, EGLE or MIOSHA notification, licensed abatement work, handling controls, or disposal records before disturbance?”
Have ready
Building and ownership, use and construction dates, full work area, prior surveys and samples, inspector credentials, asbestos-containing materials and quantities, contractor and worker roles, notification, work plan, waste shipment records, and written agency answer.
Who decides
Michigan EGLE Air Quality Division and MIOSHA asbestos program
This route cannot identify asbestos, decide applicability or an exception, review a survey, approve abatement, or authorize disturbance.
Check the whole parcel before digging, grading, or changing drainage
Official check
The customer contract and building permit do not settle soil erosion, common-plan construction stormwater, wetlands, floodplains, drains, shoreline work, dewatering, road access, utility locating, or contaminated soil. These follow the real parcel and whole project.
Ask
“What is the entire disturbance and common plan, where will water and soil go, what sensitive features or contamination clues exist, and which local, road, drain, Part 91, construction-stormwater, or EGLE steps come first?”
Have ready
Survey and parcel, plans and phases, disturbed area, grading and fill, runoff outlet, lakes, streams, wetlands, floodplain, drains, shoreline, dewatering, utilities, drive and road work, soil history, erosion controls, owner, schedule, and approvals.
Who decides
Local Part 91, drain, road, zoning and code offices and Michigan EGLE
This route cannot measure the project, locate a regulated feature, classify soil or water, or approve land work.
Check each work vehicle, trailer, driver, load, and trip
Official check
A contractor or driver license does not settle title, plate, registered and rated weights, trailer combinations, chauffeur or CDL status, medical qualification, inspections, carrier registrations, special loads, or interstate travel.
Ask
“For this real vehicle, trailer, driver, load, and trip, which title, plate, weight, license, medical, insurance, inspection, carrier, load, and route steps apply before travel?”
Have ready
VIN and title, ownership, factory ratings, empty and loaded weights, registered weight, axles, trailer, load, origin and destination, driver records, insurance, inspections, carrier numbers, and citations.
Who decides
Michigan Department of State, Michigan State Police Commercial Vehicle Enforcement, and federal agencies when applicable
This route does not classify a vehicle, driver, carrier, load, route, or credential.
Open the first-employee file before the first paid shift
Official check
A builder or company license does not open withholding and unemployment accounts, settle workers' compensation, complete hiring records, choose pay practices, or prepare job-specific safety work.
Ask
“Which employer identity, tax, unemployment, I-9, new-hire, pay, leave, insurance, poster, training, and safety steps must be ready before this person starts?”
Have ready
Legal employer and FEIN, worker relationship, offer and start date, job and pay, work locations, payroll accounts, I-9 process, insurance, hazards, training, equipment, and supervisor.
Who decides
Michigan Treasury, UIA, Workers' Disability Compensation Agency, MIOSHA, and federal hiring agencies
This route does not classify a worker or complete employer, payroll, immigration, wage, insurance, or safety duties.
Set the job-specific safety plan before anyone is exposed
Official check
Residential construction can involve falls, scaffolds, ladders, electrical contact, trenches, tools, vehicles, silica, lead, asbestos, lifting, and changing site conditions. A license, subcontract, insurance certificate, or general handbook does not identify and control each real hazard.
Ask
“Who employs and directs each person, what hazards exist in each phase, and which controls, competent people, training, equipment, inspections, communication, emergency steps, and records must be ready before exposure?”
Have ready
Employers and worker relationships, phases and schedule, site and plans, hazard assessment, fall and excavation details, utilities, tools and equipment, products and SDSs, lead and asbestos records, written programs, competent persons, training, PPE, inspections, emergency plan, and insurance.
Who decides
Each employer and controlling contractor, with MIOSHA Consultation Education and Training
This route cannot classify a worker or employer, inspect the site, select controls or PPE, provide training, approve a safety program, or say work is safe.
Some questions have no safe generic answer without the exact address, records, people, or equipment. The interactive check keeps each one visible instead of turning it into a silent gap:
The exact legal name that will advertise, contract, receive money, permit, and perform is not confirmed.
The separately labeled actual business or licensed address is not confirmed.
The exact job address and legal city, village, or township are not both confirmed.
The written signed agreement, written signed changes, customer copies, legal-company, license, scope, cost, specifications, permit, and subcontractor file is incomplete.
Coverage receipt
What this guide covers
This call sheet follows one legal contractor and one real job. It is not permission for this company, person, crew, or license to take every future project.
Checked
This check screened 22 of 25 contractor-and-job planning areas and named 4 open questions.
Still decided elsewhere
LARA and the Bureau of Construction Codes, the real enforcing agency, skilled-trade offices, EPA, EGLE, MIOSHA, courts, and local officials still decide their own licenses, permits, inspections, orders, and duties.
Not checked
This route does not verify or issue a license, classify every building or exception, decide a contract or cancellation right, set a deposit, give lien advice, issue a permit, pass an inspection, supervise work, settle a complaint, or provide legal, code, engineering, tax, insurance, or safety advice.