Section 408.30906a. Work permit; submitting plans and specifications to authority.

a.  Sections 106.1, 106.2, 106.3, 106.3.1 106.4, 106.4.3 and 106.4.4 of the

code are amended to read as follows:

106.1.     Permits required. A contractor licensed under 1984 PA 192, MCL 338.971 to 338.988 who desires to erect, install, enlarge, alter, repair, remove, convert, or replace a mechanical system, the installation of which is regulated by this code, or to cause such work to be done, shall first make application in accordance with the requirements of the act.

106.2.     Permits not required. A person is not required to obtain a permit to perform mechanical work on any of the following items:

(a)     A portable heating or gas appliance that has inputs of less than 30,000 Btu’s per hour.

(b)     Portable ventilation appliances and equipment.

(c)     A portable cooling unit.

(d)         Steam, hot water, or chilled water piping within any heating or cooling equipment or appliances regulated by the code.

(e)     The replacement of any minor part that does not alter the approval of equipment or an appliance or make such equipment or appliance unsafe.

(f)    A portable evaporative cooler.

(g)           Self-contained refrigeration systems that contain 10 pounds or less of refrigerant, or that are actuated by motors of 1 horsepower or less.

(h)     Portable fuel cell appliances that are not connected to a fixed piping system and are not interconnected to a power grid.

(i)   An oil burner that does not require connection to a flue, such as an oil stove and a heater equipped with a wick.

(j)   A portable gas burner that has inputs of less than 30,000 Btu’s per hour.

(k)   When changing or relocating a gas meter or regulator, a permit is not required when installing gas piping which shall be limited to 10 feet in length and not more than 6 fittings.

(l)        When installing geothermal vertical closed loops under the supervision of a mechanical contractor licensed in HVAC as long as the company meets both the following:

(1)     Has obtained a certificate of registration as a well drilling contractor pursuant to part 127 of the public health code.

(2)         Has installed the geothermal vertical closed loops in accordance with the department of environmental quality’s best practices regarding geothermal heat pump closed loops.

Exemption from the permit requirements of this code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for work to be done in violation of the provisions of this code or other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction.

106.3 Application for permit. Each application for a permit, along with the required fee, shall be filed with the code official on a form furnished for that purpose and shall contain a general description of the proposed work and its location. The contractor who is performing the work shall sign the application. The permit application shall indicate the proposed occupancy of all parts of the building and of that portion of the site or lot, if any, not covered by the building or structure and shall contain the information required by the act.

106.3.1 Construction documents. (1) Construction documents, engineering calculations, diagrams, and other data shall be submitted in 2 or more sets with each application for a permit. The code official shall require construction documents, computations, and specifications to be prepared and designed by a registered design professional in accordance with 1980 PA 299, MCL 339.101 to 339.2919.

Exceptions:

1.          The code official may waive the submission of construction documents, calculations, or other data if the nature of the work applied for is such that reviewing of construction documents is not necessary to determine compliance with the code.

2.     Construction documents shall not be required when obtaining a permit from the State of Michigan, bureau of construction codes for any of the following circumstance:

a.     One-and 2-family dwellings when the heating or cooling input rating is 375,000 Btu’s or less.

b.       Alterations and repair work determined by the mechanical official to be of a minor nature.

c.     Business, mercantile, and storage buildings having HVAC equipment only, with 1 fire area and not more than 3,500 square feet.

d.    Work completed by a governmental subdivision or state agency costing less than

$15,000.00.

Bureau code officials may require construction documents in unusual designs and where questions arise as a result of a system design beyond conventional system parameters.

(2)          Where special conditions exist, the code official may require additional construction documents to be prepared by a registered design professional.

(3)     Construction documents shall be drawn to scale and shall be of sufficient clarity to indicate the location, nature, and extent of the work proposed and show in detail that the work conforms to the provisions of this code.

(4)         Construction documents for buildings more than 2 stories in height shall indicate where penetrations will be made for mechanical systems, and the materials and methods for maintaining required structural safety, fire-resistance rating, and fire blocking.

106.4.          Permit issuance. The enforcing agency shall review the application, construction documents, and other data filed by an applicant for permit in accordance with the act. If the enforcing agency finds that the proposed work conforms to the requirements of the act, the code, and all other applicable laws and ordinances thereto, and that all fees prescribed by the act have been paid, then the enforcing agency shall issue a permit to the applicant.

106.4.3.    Expiration. Each permit issued by the code official under the provisions of the code shall expire by limitation and become null and void if the work authorized by the permit is not begun within 180 days from the date of the permit, or if the work authorized by the permit is suspended or abandoned at any time after the work is begun for a period of 180 days. Before work is recommenced, the permit shall be reinstated if the code has not changed. If the code has changed and the work was not started, a new permit shall be first obtained, provided no changes have been made or will be made in the original construction document and that suspension or abandonment has not exceeded 1 year.

106.4.4.      Extensions. A permittee holding an unexpired permit may apply for an extension of the time within which the permittee may begin work under that permit if for good and satisfactory reasons. The code official shall extend the time for action by the permittee for a period not exceeding 180 days if there is reasonable cause. No permit shall be extended more than once.

History:   1989 AACS; 1995 AACS; 1998-2000 AACS; 2001 AACS; 2003 AACS;   2007 AACS;