Rochester Water Damage Restoration

The median Rochester home was built in 1983, and the city has 5,928 housing units.

The two largest age groups are 1,268 homes built from 1990 to 1999 and 1,068 built from 2000 to 2009.

About 704 homes predate 1950: 501 were built in 1939 or earlier and 203 in the 1940s.

Another 468 homes date from the 1950s and 939 from the 1960s, so about 2,111 of 5,928 homes were built before 1970.

Of 5,610 occupied homes, 3,765 are owner-occupied and 1,845 are rented, so about one in three occupied homes is a rental.

Only 3,023 of 5,928 housing units are detached houses. Buildings with 5 to 19 units hold 1,575 units (875 in 5-to-9 and 700 in 10-to-19 unit buildings).

Utility gas heats 4,445 of 5,610 occupied homes and electricity heats 984.

The median value of an owner-occupied home is $473,200, and 318 of 5,928 housing units are vacant.

Chapman Mill Pond, east of downtown, disappeared into Paint Creek when its dam broke during the flood of 1946.

Paint Creek reaches the Clinton River in Rochester, so the city sits at the junction of the two streams.

The 2022 Master Plan says a large floodplain area along the Clinton River on the southeast side of the city is unbuildable.

The Master Plan says homes well outside FEMA-designated floodplains are still vulnerable, and that 20 percent of flooding happens outside those floodplains.

The Master Plan recommends a system for tracking where flooding occurs in the city to target higher-risk areas.

About 36 percent of Rochester was covered by impervious surfaces in 2010, the second highest share among surrounding communities, according to the Master Plan.

Properties that abut the Clinton River, Paint Creek or Stony Creek need a 30-foot stabilization zone between development and the water edge.

The Master Plan notes one 11-acre stand of invasive phragmites in a city subdivision. Dense stands trap sediment and cut the storage capacity of detention ponds.

Rochester holds Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit coverage administered by EGLE.

The 2022 Master Plan says the city should work with DTE for greater resiliency against power outages, citing more intense storms and a growing threat to power lines.

On Saturday evening, May 18, 2024 a propane tank connected to an outdoor heater exploded outside a bar on Main Street between University and Fourth, around 8:45 p.m.

Seven people were injured in the May 2024 downtown explosion and five were hospitalized. Main Street was closed from Fourth to University for several hours.

Main Street closed between Fourth and University for several hours after the May 2024 explosion.

Abandoned vacant buildings must be registered with the Fire Department within 45 days of vacancy under Chapter 20, Article VI of the city code. The fee is $100 plus a $50 inspection.

Rochester has adopted the State of Michigan building codes and is the enforcing agency for the codes in effect.

A permit is needed to erect, alter, enlarge, structurally repair, move or change the use of a building. Replacement windows, door walls and roofs (unless under 25 percent) need permits.

No permit is needed for replacing less than 25 percent of a roof, redecorating or sheds under 100 square feet.

Inspections are scheduled online through BS&A and are held on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday only. Phone and email requests stopped in June 2023.

Permit applications go by mail, drop box, in person or online through BS&A. Emailed permits are not accepted. The Building Department number is 248-733-3700 option 4.

Every building contractor, residential or commercial, must register with the city. Registration expires on the date the state license expires.

The required building inspections include footing, drainage systems, backfill (as-built required before backfill), rough building and final.

After hours, a water or sewer emergency goes to the Police Department at 248-651-9621.

City Hall at 400 Sixth Street is at 248-733-3700. DPW and Parks are at 248-651-5165 and the police non-emergency line is 248-651-9621.

The Department of Public Works is at 1141 N. Wilcox, open Monday to Friday 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.