City of Harper Woods

Wayne County, Michigan

Last verified September 17, 2026

City of Harper Woods is a jurisdiction in Wayne 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: 313-343-2526
Email: building@harperwoods.net
Department Site: Building Department, City of Harper Woods (opens in a new tab)

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

Permit Search

BS&A Online (opens in a new tab)

Certificate Holder Mailing Address

City of Harper Woods Building Department
19617 Harper Ave.
Harper Woods, MI 48225

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

Additional Notes

The city's official site lists Jim LaPalm as Chief Building Official, but his listed email domain is safebuilt.com, suggesting building-official/inspection services may be staffed or contracted through SAFEbuilt — worth confirming directly if used for outreach. Office hours listed as Mon-Thu 9am-5pm, closed Friday.

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 Harper Woods'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.

See something out of date? Submit a correction →