Welcome to your daily briefing on construction developments in Michigan. Today we're covering 7 key stories including updates on michigan construction headlines, background & context. Let's dive in.
4 stories
The city of Detroit, Michigan maintains an open data portal that includes a summary of building permits.
Construction professionals across MI can use this permit data to track development trends, benchmark project timelines, and identify market opportunities in the Detroit area.
A step-by-step video guide helps Michigan contractors navigate the licensing process successfully.
Understanding Michigan's specific licensing requirements protects MI construction professionals from compliance risks and enables business growth.
Michigan enforces strict contractor licensing and registration rules that businesses must follow to operate legally.
Construction professionals in MI who fail to meet these requirements risk penalties and lost business opportunities.
The Builders Exchange construction project database highlights the expertise and hard work that goes into creating finished buildings.
MI construction professionals can leverage this resource to showcase their capabilities and connect with projects that demonstrate the industry's technical skill.
Connect with contractors and builders
3 stories
A bid bond protects the owner if the bidder refuses to enter the contract; it pays the difference between the rejected bid and the next responsive bid. A performance bond covers contractor non-performance during the project. A payment bond protects unpaid subcontractors and suppliers. Each has different claimants and triggers.
Subs frequently file claims against the wrong bond and lose them on procedural grounds without ever reaching the merits. Knowing which bond covers your specific exposure is table stakes for collections.
"Substantial completion" is achieved when the owner can occupy the project for its intended use — not when a punch list is finished or a percentage is hit. The status starts warranty clocks, transfers risk of loss, and triggers retention release in most contracts. Disputes over whether SC has been achieved are common at month-end.
Premature certification of substantial completion commits the contractor to warranty coverage on incomplete work; delayed certification gives the owner leverage to extend retention. The legal definition controls, not the status meeting.
In most MI jurisdictions, the lien filing deadline runs from last day on the project OR last delivery of materials, whichever is later — but several states use a project-wide cutoff (substantial completion) regardless of when your specific work ended. Counting the wrong start date is the leading cause of waived liens.
A blown lien deadline drops your collateral down to a personal-guaranty claim, which often means recovery cents on the dollar. The window is short — 60 to 120 days in most states.
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