Big lots, a median house from 1978, and nearly half the city's housing built between 1970 and 1989. Farmington Hills gives an addition more room than most communities we build in, provided you have accounted for the trees and the deed restrictions first.
4.9 star
Over 100 Reviews
5 year
Warranty on our workmanship
2014
Founded, and building here since
100%
In-house design, source & build
Farmington Hills built out steadily from the 1950s through the 1990s, with the largest single wave in the 1980s. Bel-Aire Hills and Farmington Hills Sub go back to the mid-1950s; Country Ridge, Churchill Estates and Colony Park came through the 1980s; Arbor Oaks and Crestwood Meadows through the 1990s and 2000s. Colonials and ranches dominate, with cape cods, tri-levels and tudors throughout.
The lots are the story. Farmington Hills zones by minimum average lot size, running from 8,500 square feet in RA-4 up to 33,000 in RA-1A. Compared with Royal Oak or Ferndale, an addition here usually has somewhere to go.
Two things reliably complicate projects, though: the tree ordinance, and subdivision deed restrictions that the city itself warns about.
01 - Kitchens
Reworking 1970s and 80s kitchens with custom cabinetry and layout changes.
$65,000 – $175,000+
02 - Bathrooms
Primary suites and hall baths, with waterproofing and a flood-tested pan on every shower.
$18,000 – $115,000+
03 - Additions
Additions on generous lots, planned around the tree ordinance and accessory structure caps.
$150,000 – $480,000+
04 - Whole-home
Full renovations of well-built 1970s and 80s houses.
$300,000 – $850,000+
Ranges shown are typical for Farmington Hills. Full tier-by-tier pricing is on each cost guide.
A protected tree in Farmington Hills is 6 inches diameter or greater; a landmark tree is 24 inches or greater and always requires a permit. A homeowner may remove two protected trees a year without a permit unless they are landmark trees, and dead trees are exempt. Where a tree survey is required it must be signed by both a land surveyor and a registered landscape architect or arborist, with every tree 6 inches DBH or larger tagged.
Where a property has no trees and no work falls within a dripline, an affidavit with photographs can be filed so that no tree survey and no tree permit are required. It saves real time and cost on a clear site. False statements on it can trigger a stop-work order, so it is filed carefully or not at all.
The city’s own guidance warns that subdivision deed restrictions may prohibit detached buildings entirely. Before any detached garage, studio or large shed is designed, the deed restrictions get checked. This is the single most common reason a Farmington Hills accessory building project dies late.
All accessory buildings together are limited to 50 percent of the dwelling’s floor area or 750 square feet, whichever is greater, with an absolute cap of 1,250 square feet and a 14-foot height limit in every district. Detached structures may not occupy more than 25 percent of the required rear yard, nor more than 40 percent of the rear yard beyond the setback.
Building, plumbing, electrical and heating permits are issued separately, and the building permit covers remodeling, window and door replacement, basement finishing, roofing and siding. Farmington Hills also requires a re-occupancy inspection at transfer of ownership, which matters if the renovation is being done ahead of a sale.
Requirements change and figures vary by zoning district. Confirm current specifics with the Farmington Hills Building Division, Zoning, or Planning before relying on any of the above.
We build throughout Farmington Hills and the surrounding communities — Novi, West Bloomfield, Franklin and Beverly Hills.
Farmington Hills is unusual in that the city itself tells homeowners their subdivision may prohibit detached buildings outright. On a detached garage, studio or pool house, that is a project-ending restriction and it is not in the zoning code, it is in the deed.
The tree ordinance is the other early check. At a 6-inch threshold with a surveyor-and-arborist-signed survey where one is required, it can add real time to a project that clears ground for an addition.
Both are quick to establish and expensive to discover late. We don't reface cabinets and we don't paint them, we're the right fit when a well-built house on a good lot deserves a proper renovation.
4.8 stars
Average customer review
2014
Founded in Metro Detroit
Old Woodward
Our office, in Birmingham
100%
In-house design, source & build
Can I build a detached garage?
Maybe, and the zoning code is not the deciding factor. Many Farmington Hills subdivisions have deed restrictions prohibiting detached buildings entirely, and the city warns homeowners about this directly. We check the deed restrictions before design.
Do I need a permit to remove a tree?
A protected tree is 6 inches diameter or more. You may remove two a year without a permit unless they are landmark trees of 24 inches or greater, which always require one. Dead trees are exempt. For construction work, a tree survey signed by a surveyor and an arborist may be required.
How large can an accessory building be?
All accessory buildings together are capped at 50 percent of the house's floor area or 750 square feet, whichever is greater, with an absolute limit of 1,250 square feet and a 14-foot height cap. Rear yard occupancy is limited as well.
Does anything happen when I sell?
Farmington Hills requires a re-occupancy inspection at transfer of ownership. If you are renovating ahead of a sale, that inspection is worth planning for rather than discovering at closing.
What if there are no trees near the work?
There is an affidavit route. Where a site has no trees and no work falls within a dripline, an affidavit with photographs can remove the need for a survey and permit entirely. It is a genuine time saver on a clear site.
Are you licensed and insured in Michigan?
Yes, licensed Michigan residential builder, Lic. 2102213502, fully insured, with our office on Old Woodward in Birmingham.
Planning a renovation in Farmington Hills?
