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City Departments

Building Department

Building Department Codes
The City of Southfield Building Department is responsible for the enforcement of all codes, laws and ordinances for the city relating to building, wiring, plumbing, heating and cooling.

The department issues all permits for building and construction, conducting inspections by registered inspectors to ensure sound work.

All plans are reviewed by this office before permits are issued. City of Southfield building employees meet with builders, architects and engineers prior to the start of a large construction project to reiterate city ordinances and codes.

Codes adopted by the City of Southfield:

  • Building
    • Commercial - Michigan Building Code (incorporating the 2003 edition of the International Building Code)
    • Residential- the Michigan Residential Code (incorporating the 2003 edition of the International Residential Code)
  • Plumbing -Michigan Plumbing Code (incorporating the 2006 edition International Plumbing Code)
  • Mechanical - Michigan Mechanical Code (incorporating the 2006 edition International Mechanical Code)
  • Health Regulations
    Oakland County Health Department
    27725 Greenfield Rd.
    Southfield, MI 48076-3625
  • Fire Prevention - International Fire Code (2006 Edition with amendments)
  • Electrical - Michigan Part 8 Rules incorporating the 2005 National Electrical Code)
  • Michigan Barrier Free Design (incorporating the 2003 International Building Code)

All of these books, except Health Regulations, are available for viewing or purchase at the City of Southfield Building Department.
 

Did You Know?

  • Temperature of water and time until skin damage
  • 120°                        4 minutes and 50 seconds
  • 125°                        50 seconds
  • 130°                        15 seconds
  • 135°                        5.5 seconds
  • 140°                        2.6 seconds
  • Greater than 140°     Less than 1 second

  • Residential plans are required to be kept by the Building Department for 10 years. As a courtesy, the plans are returned to the property owner after that time period.

  • The required width of an exit door in a residential home is 3 feet. This dimension was based on the ability to get a coffin through the door.

  • It's OK to be square.....sometimes.
    When the top and bottom are the same length and the sides are identical the job should be square (90 degree angles).

  • The weight of one cubic foot of concrete weighs 150 pounds.

  • The weight of the average house is 40 pounds per square foot.

  • The Building Code of Hammurabi, King of the Babylonian Empire, is the earliest known written Building Code of Law, written in 2200 B.C. It is noted that exact requirements for construction are not given; rather, the code assesses penalties if the building is not properly constructed. An example: In Hammurabi’s kingdom the ultimate penalty for unsafe construction was death.