I live in Algonac, MI and have 8 - 12 projects I'd like to do a couple of houses including roof, siding, windows, sidewalk, sheds, and other. I also recently had a new driveway, a new Furnace and 2 AC units installed. The city required permit for the driveway, something the contractor said he had to do in the past and he has been installing driveways for over 30 years. The total permit / inspections was around $1,100. Now the City wants to charge me permits ($50) + 2 inspection ($75 each) for a total of $200 per project. This comes out to around 4 - 6 percent of my project costs. For now though, let's focus shed. From what I see th e Michigan Building Code does not require a permit for a single-story out building if the shed is less than 200 square feet. I am requesting to build one at 12x10, below that limit. The City says I need a zoning permit for the shed, and I'll need a compaction/sand inspection and final inspection for a total of $200. They state the policy is per "the Michigan Building Code is not a negotiable board policy. The city of Algonac did not make up these rules, these rules are put in place by the state. Local government cannot choose to delete, amend, revise, ignore, add to, change, exempt certain persons from, or modify the codes." Question: Is a zoning permit required to build an 12x10 shed? Are 2 inspections required?