City of Reading

Hillsdale County, Michigan

Last verified September 17, 2026

City of Reading is a jurisdiction in Hillsdale 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: 517-283-2604
Email: melani@reading.mi.us
Department Site: Planning and Zoning Department (opens in a new tab)

Source: reading.mi.us (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

City of Reading City Hall
113 S. Main St.
Reading, MI 49274

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

Additional Notes

Interim Zoning Administrator: Melani Matthews. Fax (517) 283-3601. Hours Mon-Thu 8am-noon and 1pm-5pm, closed Fridays. Site offers zoning compliance, special use, and fence permit applications; construction-code (building) permit administrator not explicitly named on the page reviewed — may be handled directly by the city or via Hillsdale County, unconfirmed. Do not confuse with adjoining but separate Reading Township.

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 — City of Reading'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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