City of Clare
Clare County, Michigan
Last verified September 17, 2026
City of Clare is a jurisdiction in Clare 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.
Certificate Holder Mailing Address
Clare County Community Development225 W Main St.
Harrison, MI 48625
Use this address when the jurisdiction needs to be listed as a certificate holder on a contractor's insurance documentation.
Additional Notes
Building/electrical/plumbing/mechanical permits for the City of Clare are handled by Clare County Community Development (confirmed on cityofclare.gov/building-code/), not City Hall directly. City Hall (202 W. Fifth Street, Clare, MI 48617, 989-386-7541) can still accept forwarded applications; city Zoning/Code Enforcement Officer is Terry Acton and County Building Official is Mark Fitzpatrick per the city site. Phone 989-539-2761 belongs to the county department, not city hall.
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 Clare'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 Clare County
See Clare County property and court records →
Other building permit jurisdictions in Clare County: