Essex Township
Clinton County, Michigan
Last verified September 17, 2026
Essex Township is a jurisdiction in Clinton 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
- 989-224-5181
- buildingdept@clinton-county.org
- Department Site
- Clinton County Building Department (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
Clinton County Building Department100 E State Street, Suite 1300
St. Johns, MI 48879
Use this address when the jurisdiction needs to be listed as a certificate holder on a contractor's insurance documentation.
Additional Notes
Clinton County's Building Department page states it serves 13 General Law Townships and cities/villages within them, and its Planning & Zoning page separately lists Essex among the townships it serves for zoning — Essex was not individually named on the building-department page itself, so its inclusion in the county building-permit program is a reasonable but not 100% page-explicit inference. An online BS&A permit portal exists (roofing/siding/window-door permits online; other trades by email to permits@clinton-county.org), but the exact portal URL was not confirmed on an official page in this pass.
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 — Essex 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 Clinton County
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Other building permit jurisdictions in Clinton County: