Grand Rapids Charter Township

Kent County, Michigan

Last verified September 17, 2026

Grand Rapids Charter Township is a jurisdiction in Kent County, Michigan, with an online portal for searching and pulling active or historical building permits. 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: 616-361-7391
Email: receptionist@grandrapidstwp.org
Department Site: Grand Rapids Charter Township Building Inspections (opens in a new tab)

Source: grandrapidstwp.org (opens in a new tab)

Permit Search

BS&A Online (opens in a new tab)

Certificate Holder Mailing Address

Grand Rapids Charter Township
1836 East Beltline NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49525

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

Additional Notes

Official township site states building permit applications are submitted to the township for review/approval, but inspection services are delegated to a contracted provider, Cascade Inspection Services, (616) 949-3765 (a third-party provider named on the official township page, not itself an official source but the delegation is stated by the township). BS&A Online is referenced on the township site for property information; a dedicated permit-specific uid link was not confirmed, so the generic BS&A URL is used. Distinct, separate government from the City of Grand Rapids, verified independently.

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 — Grand Rapids 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.

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