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Design-build in Shelby Township, Michigan
Shelby Township Homes, From Postwar Ranches to 2000s Colonials
Designed, sourced & built under one roof.
Shelby's housing splits almost in half: a large 1940s and 50s cohort of small ranches and capes, and a large 1980s through 2000s cohort of subdivision colonials, with an unusual gap in between. Those two groups need completely different projects.
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5 year
Warranty on our workmanship
2014
Founded, and building here since
100%
In-house design, source & build
Local design-build
Two housing markets in one township, and very little in between.
Shelby Township is one of the fastest-growing communities in Metro Detroit, at nearly 80,000 residents across 35 square miles drained by the Clinton River. Its unincorporated settlements go back to Preston Corners in 1826 and the lost village of Disco, platted in 1849.
The building pattern is genuinely bimodal. There is a large 1940s and 1950s cohort of modest ranches and capes, then a very large wave from the 1980s through the 2000s, with a marked dip in the 1970s. Little sits between them.
That means two distinct kinds of work: whole-house transformation of small postwar homes, and kitchen, bath and primary suite renovation in newer colonials that were built well and have simply aged.
What we build in Shelby Township
Services
01 - Kitchens
Custom cabinetry and layout work in both postwar ranches and 1990s colonials.
$70,000 - 160,000+
02 - Bathrooms
Primary suites and hall baths, with waterproofing and a flood-tested pan on every shower.
$20,000 – $105,000+
03 - Additions
Additions on the township's generous 12,000 to 30,000 square foot lots.
$200,000 – $420,000+
04 - Whole-home
Full renovations, particularly of small postwar homes with room to grow.
$280,000 – $750,000+
Ranges shown are typical for Shelby Township. Full tier-by-tier pricing is on each cost guide.
building in Shelby Township
What Building Here Actually Involves
01
Front yards are measured from the road centreline
This is the single most distinctive rule in Shelby Township and it catches out-of-area contractors constantly. Front and street-side yards are measured from the centreline of the road or easement, not from the property line. A front-facing addition that pencils correctly against the lot line can be substantially wrong once measured properly.
02
Gas piping work needs a sizing worksheet before inspection
Permits for gas piping, tankless water heaters, generators, pool heaters and combination boilers all require a completed Gas Pipe and Gas Meter Sizing Worksheet on file before an inspection can even be scheduled. On a kitchen remodel with new appliances or a whole-house generator, this is a common and entirely avoidable cause of a blocked inspection.
03
Permits run 180 days
Since September 2025, all Shelby permits are valid for an initial period of 180 days. On a long-running renovation that is a date worth tracking rather than assuming.
04
No historic review, but forty-eight active associations
Shelby has no Historic District Commission and no local historic district, the Historical Committee is documentary rather than regulatory. What it does have is forty-eight registered homeowners’ associations, and the township directs applicants to check deed restrictions with the Macomb County Register of Deeds. Private architectural review is the real parallel approval track here.
05
Soil erosion runs through Macomb County, and pools count
Soil erosion permits are issued by Macomb County Public Works rather than the township, and the county explicitly names swimming pools among the projects it permits. Engineering approval is also required before both building permits and tree permits are issued, so that step sits ahead of the others in sequence.
Requirements change. Confirm current specifics with the Shelby Township Building Department, Planning and Zoning, or Macomb County Public Works Soil Erosion before relying on any of the above.
where we work
Where We Work in Shelby Township
We build throughout Shelby Township and the surrounding communities: Rochester Hills, Oakland Township and Washington.
Regency Hills
Beacon Pointe
Mill Creek of Shelby
Covington Woods
Fox Chase
Lake Arrowhead East
Barclay Lake Village
Cedar Cove
Hunters Grove
North Pointe Estates
Briarwood Knolls
Lake Pointe Woods
straight answer
Measure from the centreline, not the lot line
Shelby's front yard setbacks are measured from the road centreline. It is an older Michigan township convention, it is unusual in our service area, and it is the mistake most likely to send a front-facing addition back to the drawing board.
The other thing worth knowing early is the association. With forty-eight registered HOAs across the township, deed restrictions and private architectural review run alongside the municipal permit on most streets, and that timeline is usually the longer one.
We don't reface cabinets and we don't paint them. We're the right fit whether the project is transforming a small postwar house or bringing a 1990s colonial properly up to date.
4.8 stars
Average customer review
2014
Founded in Metro Detroit
Old Woodward
Our office, in Birmingham
100%
In-house design, source & build
Good to know
Shelby Township FAQ
Why is my front setback different from what I calculated?
Because Shelby measures front and street-side yards from the centreline of the road, not from the property line. It is an older township convention and it is unusual around here. We measure it correctly at the survey stage.
Why is my inspection not scheduling?
If the work involves gas piping, a tankless water heater, a generator, a pool heater or a combination boiler, Shelby requires a completed Gas Pipe and Gas Meter Sizing Worksheet on file before an inspection can be scheduled. We file it with the permit rather than after.
Is my house in a historic district?
No. Shelby Township has no Historic District Commission and no local historic districts. The Historical Committee documents township history but does not review exterior work.
Will my association need to approve this?
Very likely. Shelby has forty-eight registered homeowners' associations, and the township itself directs applicants to check deed restrictions with the Macomb County Register of Deeds. We build the association review into the schedule.
How long is my permit good for?
Since September 2025, permits are valid for an initial 180 days. On a longer renovation that is worth tracking rather than assuming.
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 Shelby Township?