Do I need a permit for a full kitchen remodel in
Holland, Michigan?

Holland kitchen remodels — the key details

Holland requires a single building permit application that triggers three sub-permits: building, plumbing, and electrical. You'll submit one application to the City of Holland Building Department (online via their permit portal), and fees are calculated separately for each trade. Building permits in Holland are priced on valuation — typically $300–$800 for the building portion alone, plus $150–$400 for plumbing and $150–$500 for electrical, depending on the scope (new circuits, gas lines, fixture count). The total usually lands $300–$1,500 all-in for a full kitchen. Plan review takes 3–6 weeks for kitchens because reviewers must verify load-bearing wall details, plumbing vent routing, electrical-circuit capacity, and gas connections if applicable. The city's online portal requires digital PDF plans with dimensions, material callouts, and plumbing/electrical schematic drawings — paper submittals are not accepted for kitchen work.

Load-bearing walls are the single biggest trigger for rejections and delays in Holland kitchens. If you're removing or moving a wall that carries any floor or roof load above it, you must obtain a structural engineer's letter or a beam-sizing calculation showing that the replacement header (beam) is properly sized per the 2020 IRC R602 rules for snow load, floor live load, and dead load. Holland's code official will not approve wall removal on engineer's opinion alone — you need written calculations. The frost depth in Holland ranges from 42 inches (south) to 48 inches (north), but this affects only new foundation posts if you're adding a load-bearing island; for wall-bearing kitchens, the frost depth is irrelevant. However, if your kitchen remodel includes a new island with a load-bearing post, that post must be footed below frost depth, and your plumber's vent stack and electrical roughing must coordinate around it.

Plumbing relocation is the second-highest-cost item and the most inspection-heavy. If you're moving a sink, dishwasher, or any drain line, your plumbing plan must show the new drain routing with trap-arm slopes (1/4 inch per foot minimum), vent-stack sizing per IRC P3101, and tie-in to the main vent or a new secondary vent. Rough plumbing inspection happens before drywall, and final plumbing inspection after fixtures are set. If your kitchen is on the second floor or over a basement, the vent routing becomes complex (venting up through the roof or back to the main stack), and Holland's plumbing inspector will reject plans that don't show this clearly. Lead-pipe solder or lead-based solder was common in pre-1980s homes; if your home is pre-1978, you must disclose this to your contractor and ensure all new plumbing solder is lead-free (per Michigan plumbing code). The city does not require lead-safe work practices for interior remodeling (that's EPA/EPA RRP for pre-1978 homes, a federal rule), but your contractor must comply with RRP if they're disturbing painted surfaces — this is separate from the building permit but must happen before drywall disturbance.

Electrical work in kitchens is heavily regulated by NEC Article 210 (branch circuits and outlets). Holland's electrical sub-permit requires you to show at least two dedicated 20-amp small-appliance branch circuits serving the kitchen countertop receptacles, one dedicated circuit for the dishwasher, one for the range or cooktop (typically 40–50 amp, 240V), and GFCI protection on all countertop outlets (within 6 feet of a sink or water source per NEC 210.8). If you're adding an island with receptacles, those must also be GFCI-protected and served by a separate circuit if the island is more than 12 feet from the sink. Counter receptacles must be spaced no more than 48 inches apart (center-to-center). Range-hood venting with a new exterior duct requires a separate circuit if the hood has a 120V motor; if it's hardwired 240V, it's included in the cooktop circuit. Rough electrical inspection happens before drywall, and final inspection after fixtures and GFCI outlets are installed. Holland's electrical inspector will request photos of GFCI outlet placement and a final continuity test of all circuits.

Gas-line work triggers the mechanical sub-permit in Holland if you're modifying gas service (moving a range, adding a gas cooktop, or rerouting the gas line). Gas connections per IRC G2406 require black-iron pipe or flex stainless steel with a sediment trap and manual shutoff valve immediately upstream of the appliance. Gas lines must be tested at 3 PSI air pressure with soapy-water bubbling to verify no leaks. If your kitchen gas line is buried under flooring or embedded in drywall, you must show routing on the plan and get approval before installation. Many kitchens also require range-hood ducting with a wall-thimble exit cap and damper — this is a mechanical detail that must be shown on the plan and inspected after installation. Holland does not allow recirculating (ductless) range hoods without a mechanical variance; all hoods must vent to exterior in Holland per local amendment to the Michigan Mechanical Code.

Three Holland kitchen remodel (full) scenarios

Holland's two-circuit small-appliance branch circuit requirement — why it matters and how it trips up DIYers

The NEC Article 210.52 rule requiring at least two dedicated 20-amp small-appliance branch circuits in kitchens is Federal code that Holland enforces strictly. Many DIYers and even some contractors assume one circuit is enough or try to share circuits between the kitchen counters and a nearby bathroom or hallway. Holland's electrical inspector will reject any plan that doesn't show two distinct 20-amp circuits serving only the kitchen countertop and island receptacles — no shared loads, no exceptions. Each circuit must have its own breaker, its own run of wire (14 AWG for 15 amp, 12 AWG for 20 amp), and its own GFCI protection at the first outlet on that circuit.

The reason this matters in Holland specifically is that the city's electrical sub-permit application requires a one-line diagram showing breaker assignments before you start work. Unlike some neighboring jurisdictions that allow you to 'show us at rough-in inspection,' Holland wants this detail on the plan. If your diagram shows only one small-appliance circuit, the reviewer will either reject it and require a resubmit (adding 1–2 weeks to your timeline) or issue a provisional approval with a mandatory note: 'Two small-appliance branch circuits must be verified at rough electrical inspection.' Most contractors prefer to get it right on the plan rather than risk an inspection failure.

The practical upshot: when you're planning your kitchen, identify where the countertop receptacles and island outlets will go, then run two separate circuits from your panel to serve them. If you have 12 countertop outlets and 4 island outlets, split them: Circuit 1 serves the north and east walls (6 outlets), Circuit 2 serves the south and west walls and island (10 outlets). Each circuit is wired independently and protected by a 20-amp breaker and a GFCI outlet. This adds approximately $300–$600 to your electrical labor cost compared to trying to daisy-chain everything, but it prevents rejection and inspection failures.

Range-hood venting in Holland — why recirculating hoods are not permitted and what duct termination requires

Holland enforces a strict exterior-venting requirement for range hoods per a local amendment to the Michigan Mechanical Code. Recirculating (ductless) hoods that filter air and return it to the kitchen are not permitted, even though they are legal in some other Michigan cities. This is a point of contention for homeowners who prefer not to cut exterior walls or who live in older homes where exterior ducting is difficult. Holland's code official will not approve a recirculating hood, so you must plan for an exterior duct. This duct must terminate through an exterior wall with a wall thimble (metal collar) and a damper-equipped hood cap that prevents backdraft and insect entry.

The duct routing must be shown on your building permit plan with the exact wall location (north, south, east, west), the diameter (typically 6 inches for a standard 30-inch hood), and the exterior termination detail. Holland's inspector will inspect the duct roughing before drywall and the final installed hood cap after drywall. Common rejection reasons: duct runs horizontally with improper pitch (ductwork must slope up toward the exterior exit to avoid grease and condensation pooling), duct diameter is undersized (reducing from 6 inches to 4 inches to fit between studs is a code violation), or the exterior cap is missing or lacks a damper. If you're installing a downdraft cooktop (which vents down and to the rear), the duct must exit through the floor (typically to a basement or crawlspace and then to exterior) — this is more complex and requires careful coordination with your structural system.

In Holland's climate (zone 5A/6A), a properly installed exterior duct cap with a damper is critical because winter backdraft (cold air entering the kitchen through the duct) is a common complaint. The damper ensures that when the hood is off, outside cold air doesn't flow back through the ductwork into your kitchen. Some homeowners try to avoid the exterior penetration by venting the hood into the attic or through a soffit — both are code violations in Holland and will fail inspection. Stick with the correct method: duct to exterior wall, thimble, damper, and hood cap.

Common questions