Van Buren Township certificate of occupancy to sell a home
No. Van Buren Township does not require a city inspection or certificate of occupancy to sell an owner-occupied home. No residential resale or re-occupancy inspection fee exists; the 2026 Building Department fee schedule lists re-occupancy inspections for businesses only and a temporary C of O for permit work, so C of O applies to new construction/commercial.
Verified against Van Buren Township Fee Schedules - 2026 Building Department Fee Schedule on October 27, 2026. Fees, forms and timelines are set by the city and change without notice. Confirm with the Building Department (Municipal Services) before you list, sign or close; this page is general information from a licensed broker, not legal advice, and Match Realty is not responsible for decisions made in reliance on it.
The Van Buren Township rule at a glance
| Required to sell? | Not required |
|---|---|
| What the city calls it | Certificate of Occupancy |
| When it applies | No residential resale or re-occupancy inspection fee exists; the 2026 Building Department fee schedule lists re-occupancy inspections for businesses only and a temporary C of O for permit work, so C of O applies to new construction/commercial. |
| Fee | Temporary Certificate of Occupancy $300; Business Re-Occupancy Inspection $75/hr building + $75/hr fire |
| Department | Building Department (Municipal Services) |
Van Buren Township requirements (official) · City website
“Business Re-Occupancy Inspection: Building Fee (per Hr.) $75.00” — Van Buren Township, Van Buren Township Fee Schedules - 2026 Building Department Fee Schedule
What this means for your closing
Nothing is owed to the city for an ordinary resale, so the only inspection in play is the buyer's own. The seller still has Michigan's statutory disclosure duty, and any open building permit should be closed out before listing: it is the one thing a title company or lender in Van Buren Township will still ask about.
The tax bill changes hands too: after a sale the taxable value uncaps, so the buyer's bill is not the seller's. See Van Buren Township property taxes for the 2025 millage and the uncapped bill on a $350,000 home. For the state transfer tax owed at closing, use the Michigan transfer tax calculator.
Nearby in Wayne County
- Allen Park Required to sell
- Belleville Required to sell
- Brownstown Township Limited cases
- Dearborn Required to sell
- Detroit Not required
- Ecorse Required to sell
- Flat Rock Required to sell
- Gibraltar Required to sell
- Grosse Ile Township Limited cases
- Grosse Pointe Required to sell
- Grosse Pointe Farms Required to sell
- Grosse Pointe Park Required to sell
All Wayne County municipalities are on the C of O hub.
Common questions
Do I need a certificate of occupancy to sell a house in Van Buren Township?
No. Van Buren Township does not inspect or certify an ordinary residential resale. No residential resale or re-occupancy inspection fee exists; the 2026 Building Department fee schedule lists re-occupancy inspections for businesses only and a temporary C of O for permit work, so C of O applies to new construction/commercial.
What is a point-of-sale (pre-sale) inspection in Van Buren Township?
It is the same thing as the certificate of occupancy requirement: a city inspector checks the home against the property-maintenance code before the sale closes or the new owner moves in, and the city issues a certificate (or a temporary one with repairs escrowed) when it passes. Michigan has no statewide rule; each city or township sets its own, which is why Van Buren Township's answer differs from its neighbours'.
Is this Van Buren Township information current?
It was read from Van Buren Township's own published requirements on October 27, 2026, and that source page is re-checked automatically every week. Cities change fees and forms without notice, so confirm with the Building Department (Municipal Services) before you rely on it.
Point-of-sale and certificate-of-occupancy rules are local ordinances. Match Realty LLC compiles them from each municipality's own publications and does not guarantee completeness or accuracy. Always verify with the municipality. This page is general information from a licensed broker, not legal advice.