Dearborn particulars
Selling a house in Dearborn means passing a city inspection first. The city requires a Certificate of Occupancy before closing: an inspector completes a pre-sale inspection, and every cited violation must be corrected and re-inspected. Rentals follow the same inspection on a 3-year cycle. The page describes basic safety and property maintenance and does not list furnace items, so do not assume the furnace is checked. Mechanical permits cover anything that affects heating, air conditioning or ventilation, and most can be filed through BS&A Online Services at the Economic Development office, Dearborn Administrative Center, 16901 Michigan Ave, 311 or 313-943-2150.
The city's October 2025 fee file lists a $100 administrative fee plus an $80 minimum permit fee, with a tandem permit when heating and cooling are pulled together at a $110 minimum. Housing is old: 84.0 percent of homes predate 1980. DTE Electric and DTE Gas are the only utilities whose territory covers the city. Dearborn's nearest station in our table is Detroit Metro airport, at about 6,067 heating degree days (base 65 F).
The Home Rehabilitation Program offers income-qualified owners a zero-interest deferred loan that can cover furnace replacement; it is a loan, not a rebate. Melvindale and Allen Park are close, and our furnace repair page is the place to start.
Emergency HVAC in Dearborn: what to know
The customer service number on a Dearborn DTE bill is not the gas emergency line. For gas, DTE says to leave, call 911 from a safe place and then call the gas leak hotline at (800) 947-5000. Carbon monoxide follows DTE's separate rule: leave the building, breathe fresh air, call 911 and stay out until the all-clear. DTE also advises a yearly check of furnaces and other fuel-burning appliances.
Dearborn requires a Certificate of Occupancy before a home sale closes, with a city inspector completing a basic safety and property maintenance review. The page does not list furnaces, so do not assume one is checked. For a loss of heat tied to a shutoff, the winter utility shutoff guide sets out what we could document. An emergency replacement still needs the permit, and the $100 administrative fee applies.
Permits for emergency hvac in Dearborn
LARA's permit rule excepts replacement of minor parts, so an emergency part swap generally needs none.
What counts as an emergency
- You smell gas: leave, call 911 and your gas utility from outside.
- A carbon monoxide alarm sounds or several people feel flu-like without a fever.
- No heat but the house is not yet cold, with no smell and no alarm: check the thermostat and filter, then book a visit.
- A noisy furnace that still heats.
Checks while you wait
Try this first: put (800) 947-5000 into your phone as the gas leak line so it is not mixed up with the customer service number.
- Set the thermostat to heat, above the room temperature, with fresh batteries if it takes them.
- Change or clean the filter; ENERGY STAR says monthly.
- Note any light pattern or code on the furnace and stop; do not remove panels or relight after any gas smell.
What emergency hvac costs
The estimate below is the Michigan-wide one, adjusted for Michigan wages and not for Dearborn in particular. The same table is on the emergency hvac page. How we estimate costs. Prices as of Oct 19, 2026.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $120 to $285 per hour of labor, before any call-out fee | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan HVAC technician wage ratio (1.00). |
| Technician wage, Michigan mean | $31.01 an hour | Technician pay (BLS, May 2025), not a price. |
| Technician wage, Detroit-Warren-Dearborn mean | $32.06 an hour | Technician pay, not a price. |
| Technician wage, Grand Rapids-Kentwood mean | $30.86 an hour | Technician pay, not a price. |
| Furnace replacement permit, Grand Rapids | $21 plus a $52 application | If the repair becomes a replacement. Effective July 1, 2026. |
How we estimate costs: the figures here are estimates, not quotes, built from BLS wages, published city permit fees and federal energy-cost evidence. We are collecting the prices Michigan heating and cooling companies publish; we have not yet collected quotes from them, and we will say how many and from when once we do. Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (1 source), adjusted by Michigan's HVAC technician wage ratio to the US (1.00, BLS May 2025), plus the local permit fee where the city publishes one. Not a quote. We have too few Michigan company prices yet to show a range. Full method.
Questions about emergency hvac
What counts as an emergency HVAC repair?
Those go to 911 and your gas utility first. A furnace that has stopped in freezing weather is urgent but is a call to a heating company once you are sure there is no smell and no alarm.
What should I do if I smell gas near my furnace?
DTE and Consumers Energy both say 911 first. Do not look for the source or use switches, appliances or phones inside, and stay out until responders or the utility say it is safe.
Can I cancel a repair contract signed during an emergency?
Michigan law lets a buyer cancel a home solicitation sale until midnight of the third business day, but not when you request the work without delay because of an emergency and the conditions are met. It covers sales solicited at your home, which is our reading of the statute.