City Engineering Division

A primary responsibility of the DPW City Engineering Division is to regulate and inspect work performed within the public right-of-way.  The public right-of-way is generally the area that includes the sidewalk, berm (area between sidewalk and curb), curb and the street.  A permit from City Engineering is required to perform work in the many of the public rights-of-way.  This work includes curb cuts, excavations, utility cuts, sidewalk & driveway approach construction/reconstruction or street and alley construction/reconstruction.

The contractor or homeowner may be required to obtain a permit for right-of-way work from either the State of Michigan or the County of Wayne instead of the City of Detroit, depending on the site location.  Clerks at the permit counter in City Engineering can provide this and other information to contractors or homeowners who appear in person at 65 Cadillac Square, Suite 701 Cadillac Tower, Detroit, MI 48226 or who call (313) 224-3935.  The permit office is open Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. (except on City holidays) and is closed for lunch from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.

Contractors that perform work in the public right-of-way must be bonded to the City of Detroit by executing a Surety Bond in the amount of $2,500.  The bond process must be completed before any work can be performed in the public right-of-way.  The documents to complete a bond may be obtained from:

City Engineering Division – Permit Office located at 65 Cadillac Square - Suite 701
Business License Center, Coleman A. Young Municipal Center, Room 105

Contractor’s Permits
Contractors may obtain a permit application from the City Engineering Division (CED) of DPW – Permit Office, 65 Cadillac Square - Suite 701.  The permit application shall include the locations and dimensions of the proposed openings and should be accompanied by three (3) copies of each right-of-way drawing.  It shall identify the proposed structures to be placed therein.  The application shall state the purpose of the proposed open cut or other excavation to be made; the type of pavement or surface to be disturbed; and a close estimate of the start and finish dates of the work. The approval of other departments may be required before a permit can be issued.  The applicant must obtain stamped approval on the drawings from those departments.  Drawings may be carried by hand, mailed, or faxed to CED.  For information regarding faxing, contact the Permit Section at (313) 224-3935.  Permit issuance requires advance payment of fees to cover estimated Inspection costs.  After the permit is issued, the permit holder must contact the Inspection Bureau before starting any project work in the right-of-way.

Sidewalk Permits
Homeowners must present drawings of the sidewalk and/or driveway approach, with dimensions (length x width) of area to be replaced, to the permit counter at City Engineering.  The Permit Clerk will review the drawings to determine square footage.  The cost of the sidewalk permit is 50 cents per square foot.  A minimum amount of $50 is charged for permits if the area is between 73-100 square feet.  If the area to be replaced is less than 72 square feet, a permit is not required.

Sidewalk permits are only issued to homeowners from May 1 through November 1 of each year.  If the proposed work is in violation of existing building codes, the homeowner will be referred to the Zoning Division of Buildings and Safety Engineering Department for a waiver approval before a permit can be issued.

Right-of-Way Specifications
City Engineering Division publishes a manual of Standard Plans and Specifications for Paving and Related Construction.  Right-of-way construction work must comply with the specifications described in this manual.  The manual is available for sale for $25 from the City Engineering Division – Permit Center located at 65 Cadillac Square, Suite 701.

Right-of-Way Changes
The City Engineering Division evaluates requests for status changes (easements, dedications, vacations and encroachments) for alley and street closings. Status changes in the public right-of-way (streets and alleys) require the resolution/approval of City Council and may require additional permits.  Questions regarding right-of-way changes should be directed to the DPW-City Engineering Division, Survey Bureau, at (313) 224-3970.

Central Business District
All contractors working in the Central Business District – the area bounded by the Detroit River (south), Lodge Freeway (west), Fisher Freeway I-75 (north), and Chrysler Freeway I-375 (east) – must first submit a set of plans to Traffic Engineering, 2633 Michigan Avenue. The plans are then reviewed by the Project Management Team (PMT) and Technical Review Committee (TRC) for right-of-way requests, traffic congestion, emergency vehicle access, downtown events, parking, etc. prior to granting the permit.

People Mover
All contractors working within 50 feet of the Detroit People Mover must obtain a permit/sign-off from the Detroit People Mover, 1250 Park Place, Detroit, MI, 48226.  The telephone number is (313) 963-0171.

Americans with Disability (ADA) Ramp Requirements
The main ADA requirements that pertain to public sidewalks and sidewalk curb ramps are as follows:

Sidewalk requirements:

- The sidewalk cross slope shall be 2%.

- The minimum clear width of the sidewalk shall be six feet.

- If the longitudinal slope of the sidewalk exceeds 1:20 it is considered a ramp and a level landing must be provided for every 30-inch change in elevation and in some cases handrails may be required.

Sidewalk Curb Ramp requirements:

- A landing must be provided at the top of ramp with slope that does not exceed 2% in any direction.

- The cross slope must not exceed 2%.

- The longitudinal slope must not exceed 1:12.

- The curb flare must not exceed 1:10.

- There shall be no than a ½” lip where the ramp meets the road/gutter.

- The ramp shall have a detectable warning surface that spans the full width of the ramp.

The current MDOT detail R-28-E Sidewalk Ramp and City of Detroit special provision for Sidewalk Ramps are included in this website. All ramps constructed in The City of Detroit are required to meet these design standards. City Engineering is working with contractors, consultants, and other City departments to improve ADA awareness and construction practices.

Following is a link to a website that outlines ADA Accessibility Guidelines: http://www.access-board.gov/adaag/html/adaag.htm

Sections 4.3, 4.7, and 4.8 pertain to sidewalks and sidewalk curb ramps.