Plumbing Contractor Permit Requirements in Detroit, MI

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC/corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Michigan Master Plumber / Plumbing Contractor License

   Required to contract for plumbing work in Michigan, issued by LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes under the Skilled Trades Regulation Act. A master plumber must be at least 18, hold a journey plumber license, have 4,000 hours of experience as a journey plumber over a period of not less than 2 years immediately preceding application, and pass the exam (MCL 339.6113) — not '4 years' as the original stated. A plumbing contractor must either hold a master plumber license or employ one as its representative, pass its own examination, and pay the license fee (MCL 339.6111); the contractor must display a sign at the business entrance naming the business and the licensed master plumber with license number in letters at least 3 inches high. No liability-insurance minimum is imposed as a licensing condition.

   Official government source

   $300.00 initial or renewal fee for a master plumber license and $300.00 for a plumbing contractor license; $100.00 examination fee for each (plumbing contractor, master plumber, or journey plumber); journey plumber $40.00 per year and apprentice plumber $15.00 per year; $100.00 relicensure fee if not renewed within 60 days of expiration (MCL 339.6121, Skilled Trades Regulation Act). A master plumber who is also the plumbing contractor pays only the contractor fee. There is no '$175 3-year license fee.'·Master plumber and plumbing contractor licenses are issued and renewed for periods of up to 3 years; renewal is due not more than 60 days after the renewal date, and fees are prorated yearly if an initial license is issued outside the April 30-June 30 renewal window

   $300.00 initial or renewal fee for a master plumber license and $300.00 for a plumbing contractor license; $100.00 examination fee for each (plumbing contractor, master plumber, or journey plumber); journey plumber $40.00 per year and apprentice plumber $15.00 per year; $100.00 relicensure fee if not renewed within 60 days of expiration (MCL 339.6121, Skilled Trades Regulation Act). A master plumber who is also the plumbing contractor pays only the contractor fee. There is no '$175 3-year license fee.'

   Master plumber and plumbing contractor licenses are issued and renewed for periods of up to 3 years; renewal is due not more than 60 days after the renewal date, and fees are prorated yearly if an initial license is issued outside the April 30-June 30 renewal window

2. Michigan Plumbing Contractor Insurance (no state-mandated minimum)

   Michigan sets no liability-insurance dollar minimum as a condition of plumbing contractor licensure. MCL 339.6111 enumerates the requirements — hold or employ a licensed master plumber, file the application, pass the examination, and pay the license fee — and insurance is not among them; LARA's application form BCC-329 likewise requires no proof of insurance. Employers with employees are subject to Michigan's Worker's Disability Compensation Act and should confirm workers' compensation coverage requirements with the Michigan Workers' Disability Compensation Agency. Individual clients, general contractors, and municipalities may impose their own coverage requirements.

   Official government source

   Not applicable as a state licensing requirement — no premium or coverage minimum is required to obtain or renew the license; obtain quotes from a licensed insurance agent for whatever coverage your clients require·N/A — no state insurance filing is part of the licensing process

   Not applicable as a state licensing requirement — no premium or coverage minimum is required to obtain or renew the license; obtain quotes from a licensed insurance agent for whatever coverage your clients require

   N/A — no state insurance filing is part of the licensing process

3. Michigan Business Entity Registration (LARA Corporations Division)

   Required by LARA's Corporations, Securities & Commercial Licensing Bureau, Corporations Division, for LLCs, corporations, limited partnerships, and limited liability partnerships. An LLC files Articles of Organization (form CSCL/CD 700); a for-profit corporation files Articles of Incorporation (form CSCL/CD 500). Filings are submitted through the MiBusiness Registry Portal, which replaced the old system on June 23, 2025 and now handles all annual reports and annual statements — LARA no longer accepts paper annual reports or statements. Sole proprietors and general partnerships operating under a trade name do not register an entity; they file an assumed name certificate with the county clerk — the Wayne County Clerk for a Detroit business. This entity filing is separate from plumbing licensure, which is handled by LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes under MCL 339.6121.

   Official government source

   LARA's published Filing Fees schedule sets exact amounts, not a range: LLC Articles of Organization (form 700) $50; Professional Service LLC (form 701) $50; a for-profit corporation's Articles of Incorporation (form 500) is a $10 nonrefundable fee plus a share-based organization fee — $50 for 1-60,000 authorized shares (a $60 minimum), $100 for 60,001-1,000,000, $300 for 1,000,001-5,000,000 — so a corporation's total can exceed $100. A LARA Certificate of Assumed Name for an LLC or corporation is $25 (LLC) or $10 (corporation); a sole proprietor's assumed name filing with the Wayne County Clerk is $16 and is separate. Filing fees are waived for qualifying veterans.·LARA publishes no standard processing turnaround for Corporations Division filings. The only timings it publishes are optional expedited tiers, charged in addition to the filing fee: $50 for 24-hour formation/qualification documents, $100 same-day formation, $100 for 24-hour existing-entity documents, $200 same-day existing-entity, $500 two-hour, and $1,000 one-hour. Filing online through the MiBusiness Registry Portal (live since June 23, 2025) is the fastest standard route; mailed filings add transit time, and overnight packages route through the State of Michigan mail center, adding a day or more.

   LARA's published Filing Fees schedule sets exact amounts, not a range: LLC Articles of Organization (form 700) $50; Professional Service LLC (form 701) $50; a for-profit corporation's Articles of Incorporation (form 500) is a $10 nonrefundable fee plus a share-based organization fee — $50 for 1-60,000 authorized shares (a $60 minimum), $100 for 60,001-1,000,000, $300 for 1,000,001-5,000,000 — so a corporation's total can exceed $100. A LARA Certificate of Assumed Name for an LLC or corporation is $25 (LLC) or $10 (corporation); a sole proprietor's assumed name filing with the Wayne County Clerk is $16 and is separate. Filing fees are waived for qualifying veterans.

   LARA publishes no standard processing turnaround for Corporations Division filings. The only timings it publishes are optional expedited tiers, charged in addition to the filing fee: $50 for 24-hour formation/qualification documents, $100 same-day formation, $100 for 24-hour existing-entity documents, $200 same-day existing-entity, $500 two-hour, and $1,000 one-hour. Filing online through the MiBusiness Registry Portal (live since June 23, 2025) is the fastest standard route; mailed filings add transit time, and overnight packages route through the State of Michigan mail center, adding a day or more.

1. Michigan Plumbing Contractor License (state) + Detroit BSEED registration

   Detroit has no 'Department of Licenses and Inspections' — business and construction licensing is handled by BSEED — and Detroit requires no general business license. Plumbing contractors must hold a Michigan plumbing contractor license from LARA's Bureau of Construction Codes (which requires holding or employing a licensed master plumber and passing an exam, MCL 339.6111). BSEED then requires contractors performing work within city limits to be registered, renewed annually, and the registration is what allows the contractor to pull plumbing permits in Detroit.

   Official government source

   $0 for a Detroit business license — none applies. Detroit BSEED Plumbing Contractors Registration is $22, renewed annually (BSEED Fee Schedule eff. 1/1/2024, mod. 7/18/2025). The underlying state plumbing contractor license is $300 with a $100 examination fee (MCL 339.6121), issued for up to 3 years.·BSEED publishes no processing turnaround for contractor registration; the state license requires passing the LARA/PSI examination first (needs_review)

   $0 for a Detroit business license — none applies. Detroit BSEED Plumbing Contractors Registration is $22, renewed annually (BSEED Fee Schedule eff. 1/1/2024, mod. 7/18/2025). The underlying state plumbing contractor license is $300 with a $100 examination fee (MCL 339.6121), issued for up to 3 years.

   BSEED publishes no processing turnaround for contractor registration; the state license requires passing the LARA/PSI examination first (needs_review)

2. Detroit - BSEED Plumbing Contractor Registration for Permits

   Plumbing work in Detroit requires a state-issued Michigan LARA plumbing license (Master or Journeyman Plumber). Unlike electrical contractors, Detroit does not examine or license plumbing contractors itself, but BSEED does require the contractor to register with the department (verifying the active state license) before plumbing permits can be pulled.

   Official government source

   $22 BSEED Plumbing Contractors Registration (BSEED Fee Schedule eff. 1/1/2024, mod. 7/18/2025), plus the state LARA license fee and standard permit fees·Varies - confirm with the BSEED Construction Division

   $22 BSEED Plumbing Contractors Registration (BSEED Fee Schedule eff. 1/1/2024, mod. 7/18/2025), plus the state LARA license fee and standard permit fees

   Varies - confirm with the BSEED Construction Division

Official Sources

• Michigan Bureau of Construction Codes — Plumbing
• Detroit Buildings, Safety Engineering and Environmental Department

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