Union Township
Grand Traverse County, Michigan
Last verified September 17, 2026
Union Township is a jurisdiction in Grand Traverse 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
- 989-350-6825
- uniontwpzoning@gmail.com
- Department Site
- Union Township Zoning Administrator (opens in a new tab)
Certificate Holder Mailing Address
Union Township Zoning Administrator5460 Choctaw Ct.
Gaylord, MI 49735
Use this address when the jurisdiction needs to be listed as a certificate holder on a contractor's insurance documentation.
Additional Notes
Zoning Administrator Eric Johnson's mailing address (5460 Choctaw Ct., Gaylord, MI, Otsego County) is what the township's own official site (uniontownshipgt.com/zoning-1) lists for land-use/zoning permits, even though Union Township Hall itself is at 5020 Fife Lake Rd, Fife Lake, MI 49633 (Grand Traverse County) -- likely a contracted zoning administrator serving multiple jurisdictions; flagging as unusual but sourced directly from the township's own site. Actual building/construction permits (distinct from zoning/land-use permits) are likely processed through the Grand Traverse County Construction Code Dept (231-995-6044, https://www.gtcountymi.gov/879/Construction-Code) and searchable via the county's EnerGov portal above; this county-level delegation is a reasonable inference for townships without their own building department but was not explicitly confirmed naming Union Township, so it is hedged.
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 — Union 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 Grand Traverse County
See Grand Traverse County property and court records →
Other building permit jurisdictions in Grand Traverse County: