Portage Charter Township

Houghton County, Michigan

Last verified September 17, 2026

Portage Charter Township is a jurisdiction in Houghton County, Michigan, which does not currently list an online permit database — contact the department directly by phone or email. Use the contact information below to reach the local building department, or the mailing address if the jurisdiction needs to be listed as a certificate holder on a contractor's insurance documentation.

Contact

Phone
906-482-2260
Email
building@houghtoncounty.gov
Department Site
Houghton County Building Department (issues all Building/Electrical/Mechanical/Plumbing permits countywide) (opens in a new tab)

Source: houghtoncounty.net (opens in a new tab)

Permit Search

No online permit database on file — contact the department directly by phone or email.

Certificate Holder Mailing Address

Houghton County Building Department
Houghton County Courthouse, 1st Floor, 401 E. Houghton Ave.
Houghton, MI 49931

Use this address when the jurisdiction needs to be listed as a certificate holder on a contractor's insurance documentation.

Additional Notes

Houghton County Building Department issues all building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing permits for the entire county (including Portage Charter Township); a permit must be obtained before work begins or a 50% penalty fee applies. Building Official: Todd LaRoux (inspector@houghtoncounty.gov); Department Manager: Sara Huuki (building@houghtoncounty.gov). No township-specific building department or online permit portal was found. This Portage Charter Township (Houghton County, Upper Peninsula) is unrelated to the City of Portage (Kalamazoo County) below and to a separate, unrelated Portage Township in Mackinac County.

What You Need Before Applying for a Permit

Most building departments ask for the same core package before they'll issue a permit: a completed application naming the property owner and contractor, the contractor's state license number and proof of insurance (general liability, and workers' comp if employees are on the job), a notice of commencement or equivalent recorded filing for larger jobs where the state requires one, and scaled plans or a site plan for anything beyond minor repairs. Roofing, fence, pool, and solar permits typically have their own simplified checklists — Portage Charter Township's department (above) can confirm exactly what applies to your project.

Why this matters for insurance: permit history is one of the first things an underwriter or adjuster checks. Unpermitted work — a finished basement, an added bedroom, a rebuilt roof — can complicate a claim or even void coverage for that portion of the loss, and it routinely surfaces during a home inspection. Pulling the right permit up front, and keeping the closed-permit record on file, protects both the property's value and its insurability at resale.

More in Houghton County

See Houghton County property and court records →

Other building permit jurisdictions in Houghton County:

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