Commercial Construction

Michigan’s New Energy Code Changes Commercial Construction Projects Over 10,000 Square Feet

Michigan’s updated commercial energy code has changed how many medium and large projects are designed, built, and ultimately handed over to the owner. For projects over 10,000 square feet, the impact is especially clear, with stricter envelope, mechanical, and lighting requirements and expanded verification expectations on the construction side.

At JLR Group in the Southeast Michigan area, our teams work with owners, architects, and engineers to make sense of the current code and plan projects that meet the requirements without surprises during closeout. The earlier these conversations happen, the smoother the project tends to run from permit through final inspection.

The sections below cover what the Michigan energy code changes mean in practical terms, how commissioning and testing requirements affect the schedule, and what owners should expect to see reflected in their project budgets. Owners who have not built recently are often the most surprised by what has shifted, since the changes affect assemblies, equipment, and paperwork at nearly every stage of the project.

What the Michigan Energy Code Changes Mean for Commercial Construction

At its core, the updated Michigan energy code raises the performance floor for building envelopes, HVAC systems, lighting, and controls. Insulation values, window performance, air-barrier requirements, and equipment efficiency thresholds are all tighter than under earlier versions of the code.

For commercial construction projects over 10,000 square feet, these changes are not just about product selection. They influence wall assembly details, mechanical sizing, controls sequences, and how the design team documents compliance on the drawings that go out for permit and eventually out to bid.

JLR Group in the Southeast Michigan area works with design partners early in a project to verify that the assemblies and equipment shown on the documents meet the Michigan energy code changes, so no one is discovering a noncompliant detail during framing or rough-in.

Testing, Commissioning, and Commercial Construction Closeout

One of the more significant Michigan energy code changes is a stronger emphasis on testing and commissioning, especially for larger projects. Air-barrier testing, duct leakage testing, and commissioning of mechanical and lighting control systems are increasingly expected rather than optional on projects of any meaningful size.

These activities are not just paperwork. They often require a third-party commissioning agent, specific testing windows late in construction, and coordination among the mechanical, electrical, and controls trades to verify that equipment runs as the design intended. Deficiencies discovered during testing usually need to be corrected and retested, which adds calendar days the team may not have built into the original schedule.

Top commercial construction contractors JLR Group in Southeast Michigan coordinate testing and commissioning milestones into the master schedule from the beginning of the project, so they are never a last-minute obstacle to substantial completion or occupancy.

How Michigan Energy Code Changes Affect Design Decisions

Owners often feel the Michigan energy code changes first at the design stage. A wall assembly that worked on a previous project may no longer meet the required U-value, and an HVAC system sized against older code tables may now need different equipment or additional controls to satisfy current thresholds.

The best way to manage this is to address the code at the schematic stage, before drawings are far along. Integrated design reviews that bring the contractor, architect, and engineers together early tend to produce fewer surprises during permit review and construction.

JLR Group in the Southeast Michigan area encourages owners to include us during early design so the Michigan energy code changes are reflected in constructability discussions, not discovered after bids come in higher than the original budget.

Scheduling Commercial Construction Around New Requirements

The testing and verification expectations associated with the updated code add real time to the back end of a project. Envelope mockups, air-barrier testing, and commissioning activities all require sequencing that did not exist on many projects just a few years ago.

A project that ignores these activities in its baseline schedule may look on track through rough-in and then stall out in the final months as tests are scheduled, deficiencies are corrected, and re-tests are performed. Owners facing a hard occupancy deadline, a tenant move-in date, or a financing covenant tied to substantial completion feel this sharply when it happens.

Clients of JLR Group in the Southeast Michigan area benefit from schedules that treat commissioning and testing as genuine activities with crew time, not calendar placeholders, so the path to final inspection is realistic and achievable.

Budgeting for the Michigan Energy Code Changes on Larger Projects

The cost impact of the Michigan energy code changes shows up in several line items, including higher-performance envelope assemblies, more capable equipment, additional controls, and the fees associated with commissioning and third-party testing. None of these are optional on projects where they apply.

When they are accounted for at the start of a project, the total cost is usually modest relative to the long-term energy savings and building performance. When they are discovered late, change orders and rework can erase that advantage quickly, and contractors may not always be able to honor original pricing for scope that was understood differently at bid time.

At JLR Group in the Southeast Michigan area, we help owners budget realistically for the current code so their projects are financially predictable from preconstruction through closeout.

Commercial Construction | Southeast Michigan

The Michigan energy code changes have raised the bar for larger commercial projects, and meeting that bar goes much more smoothly when the whole team plans for it from day one.

If you are considering a commercial construction project over 10,000 square feet in the Southeast Michigan area and want a contractor who understands the current code and its schedule implications, reach out to JLR Group today. We would be glad to walk you through what to expect and help you build a plan that meets the code without compromising your budget or timeline.

Southeast Michigan Commercial Construction: 248.909.6183