Do You Have to Fix Code Violations Before Selling a House in Grosse Pointe Woods?
Not necessarily. Grosse Pointe Woods requires a Certificate of Occupancy whenever a home changes ownership, and a city code official inspects the property against the city's Property Maintenance Code before it is issued. But you can still close with open violations — the city publishes a Sale — Assuming Violations form that moves responsibility for correcting them to the buyer. What you cannot do is let the buyer move in before the certificate is issued. So the real question is not whether everything gets fixed. It is who fixes what, by when, and how that gets priced into the deal.
This catches a lot of Woods sellers late. The inspection is not part of the buyer's home inspection and it is not something your title company handles quietly in the background. It is a separate city process with its own application, its own fee, and its own timeline, and it belongs on your calendar the week you decide to sell — not three weeks before closing.
Here is how it actually works, and the three ways sellers handle what the inspector finds.
What the city requires
The Grosse Pointe Woods Building Department is direct about it: whenever there is a change of ownership of a home or business, or new residential construction, a Certificate of Occupancy is required. And the buyer or tenant cannot occupy the building until the Code Official has issued that certificate.
The mechanics, from the city's own forms:
You file an Application for Sale of Property. The owner or an authorized agent signs it, with a copy of a valid driver's license.
The fee is $200, due when the application is submitted.
A code official inspects the home against the city's residential Property Maintenance Code — Sections 8-54 through 8-72.
You pick how you want the violation list delivered — email, fax or mail — right on the application.
Once issued, a residential certificate is good for two years from the date of application.
The city also publishes a Property Maintenance Checklist, updated in 2024. It is worth reading before the inspector shows up, for the simple reason that most of what gets cited is small, visible and cheap to fix if you know about it in advance — and expensive to fix if you find out while you are under contract.
Grosse Pointe Woods Building Department
20025 Mack Plaza · (313) 343-2426 · building@gpwmi.us
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed 12:00–12:30 daily.
Fees and turnaround times change. Call before you plan around them.
The form most sellers have never heard of
This is the part that changes deals, and it is the reason the answer at the top of this page is "not necessarily."
Alongside the sale application, Grosse Pointe Woods publishes a Sale — Assuming Violations form. The buyer signs it, provides a copy of their driver's license, and takes on responsibility for correcting the outstanding violations by a date written into the form. In exchange, the sale can close with those items still open.
There is one hard condition attached, and it is not negotiable: nobody occupies the property until the Certificate of Occupancy or approval is issued. A buyer who signs that form is agreeing to fix the house before they move into it.
That is a genuine option, not a loophole. It is also a negotiation, which is exactly why it should be settled early. A buyer who learns about it in week one can price it and plan for it. A buyer who learns about it eight days before closing tends to ask for a credit, a delay, or both.
Three ways sellers handle it
1. Inspect first, fix, then list
You file the application before the house goes on the market, get the violation list while you still have time and leverage, and correct the items on your own schedule with your own contractors. The advantage is control: you are not negotiating repairs against a closing date. The cost is time up front, and money spent before you have a buyer.
This is usually the right call for a home in good condition where the list is likely to be short — loose handrails, a missing smoke detector, a gutter, a bit of soffit.
2. Price it in and let the buyer assume the violations
You disclose what the city is likely to cite, price the home accordingly, and use the assuming-violations form so the deal can close. This works well for homes that need real work, for estate and inherited properties where no one is local enough to manage contractors, and for sellers who simply do not want to run a repair project.
The trade is straightforward: you accept a lower number instead of writing checks. Whether that trade is good depends on what the repairs would actually cost versus what buyers discount them by — and those two numbers are rarely the same.
3. Sell as-is, off-market
Some homes are better sold to a buyer who expects a project and does not need the certificate issued before closing to make their plan work. That is a narrower buyer pool and usually a lower price, but it can be the cleanest path when the house needs more than a punch list, when the timeline is tight, or when privacy matters more than squeezing out the last few percent.
None of these is automatically right. Which one wins depends on the house, the list, and what you are actually trying to accomplish. That is the conversation worth having before the application goes in — see selling a house in Grosse Pointe Woods for how the local market shapes that decision, and your selling options for how the three paths compare in general.
Build it into your timeline, not your closing
The single most common mistake is treating the certificate as paperwork instead of a process. It involves scheduling an inspection with the city, receiving a list, doing work, and getting re-inspected. Every one of those steps takes days, and none of them speed up because you have a closing date.
A simple sequence that works:
Decide you are selling. Call the Building Department and confirm the current fee, application process and inspection lead time.
Read the Property Maintenance Checklist and walk your own house against it.
File the sale application early enough that the violation list arrives before you are negotiating with a buyer, not after.
Decide, deliberately, which of the three paths above you are taking — and tell your agent so it can be built into how the home is presented and priced.
If you also own or are moving to a home in St. Clair Shores, be aware the two cities handle this differently. Do not assume the Woods process applies elsewhere on the Eastside, or the reverse.
Frequently asked questions
Does Grosse Pointe Woods require an inspection before you sell a house?
Yes. The city requires a Certificate of Occupancy whenever a home changes ownership. The seller files an Application for Sale of Property, pays a $200 fee, and a city code official inspects the home against the residential Property Maintenance Code before the certificate is issued.
Can you sell a house in Grosse Pointe Woods with open code violations?
Yes. The city publishes a Sale — Assuming Violations form that lets the buyer take responsibility for correcting the violations by an agreed date, which allows the sale to close. The condition is that no one may occupy the property until the Certificate of Occupancy or approval is issued.
How much does the Grosse Pointe Woods sale inspection cost?
The Application for Sale of Property lists a $200 fee due at submission. Re-inspection and other charges may apply, so confirm current fees with the Building Department at (313) 343-2426 before you budget.
How long is a Grosse Pointe Woods Certificate of Occupancy valid?
A residential Certificate of Occupancy is valid for two years from the date of application. Commercial certificates run four years.
Who is responsible for the inspection, the buyer or the seller?
The application is filed by the property owner or an authorized agent, so in practice the seller starts the process. Responsibility for correcting any violations found can be shifted to the buyer through the city's assuming-violations form, but that is a negotiated term of the sale, not the default.
Not sure which path makes sense for your house?
That is the whole conversation. I will walk the house, tell you what the city is likely to cite, and price out the difference between fixing it, pricing it in, or selling it as-is — before you spend a dollar.
Options first. Recommendation second.
Call, text, or email to talk it through: (586) 238-3693 · aj@ajrittner.com · contact page
AJ Rittner · Real Estate Advisor
eXp Realty, LLC · 39555 Orchard Hill Place, Suite 600, Novi, MI 48375 · (586) 238-3693
Licensed Michigan Real Estate Salesperson since 2018 · License #6501416084 (Alexander Rittner)
Sources, checked 8 September 2026: City of Grosse Pointe Woods Building Department — Permit Information; Certificate of Occupancy Forms, including the Application for Sale of Property and the Sale — Assuming Violations form; Property Maintenance Checklist Guidelines (2024). All at gpwmi.us.
This article explains how a municipal process generally works. It is not legal, tax or financial advice. AJ Rittner is a licensed Michigan real estate agent and active real estate investor, not an attorney, accountant or tax adviser. City requirements, fees and forms change — confirm current details with the Grosse Pointe Woods Building Department, and consult a qualified professional about your own situation.
