Home Improvements & Your Property Taxes

Michigan's Mathieu-Gast Home Improvement Act guarantees that the cost of normal repairs and maintenance on your home cannot be considered by an assessor in determining the true cash value of property until the property is sold. This means your property taxes don't rise with every home improvement.   The following home repairs and improvements cannot be considered for assessment purposes while you own your home.

• Outside painting
• Repairing or replacing siding, roof, porches, steps, sidewalks and drives
• Repainting, repairing or replacing existing masonry
• Replacement of awnings
• Adding or replacing gutters and downspouts
• Replacing storm windows or doors
• Insulation or weather-stripping
• Complete rewiring
• Replacing plumbing and light fixtures
• New furnace, replacing a furnace of the same type or replacing oil or gas burner
• Plaster repairs, inside painting or other redecorating
• New ceiling, wall or floor surfacing
• Removing partitions to enlarge rooms
• Replacing automatic hot water heater
• Replacing dated interior woodwork

NOTE: Structural additions are not considered to be normal repairs or maintenance