Do I need site plan approval to build a house in Royal Oak?

No. One- and two-family dwellings, and their accessory storage buildings, are exempt from site plan approval (§ 770-12A(2)). You still need a building permit and must meet the district's dimensional standards, but you do not go before the Planning Commission for a site plan.

For projects that do need site plans:

• The Planning Commission approves site plans generally (§ 770-12)
• Minor modifications smaller than 500 sq ft or 10% of gross floor area, whichever is less, may receive administrative review by the Zoning Administrator (§ 770-12D)

A new house must still satisfy the One-Family standards: setbacks, the 30 ft height limit, lot coverage, and the 3,500 sq ft maximum usable floor area (§ 770-34D). The minimum floor area depends on adjacent homes and is parcel-specific (§ 770-23A), so confirm that calculation with the city.

The Planning Division at 248-246-3280 can walk you through permit requirements.

In the One-Family Large Lot Residential (1FL) district, an existing single-family dwelling may be expanded to add a senior accessory dwelling of up to 600 square feet of usable floor area without regard to the 3,500-square-foot single-family floor-area cap. All other area and bulk requirements still apply, and the addition remains subject to § 770-71. This district-specific exception was added by Ordinance 2026-05, adopted May 18, 2026 (§ 770-35D(10)).