Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Alger County, Michigan

Yes. The Alger County Building Codes Department issues building permits for new construction and alterations to homes, camps, garages, decks, porches and storage buildings, and all commercial work requires a permit¹. Michigan's statewide construction-code framework applies, with ordinary repairs subject to a limited permit exception⁴. Alger County enforces building and electrical codes, while mechanical and plumbing are state jurisdictions¹⁰. A building incidental to the agricultural use of its land can be exempt from the building permit if it is not used for retail trade, but that exemption does not waive zoning, septic, soil-erosion, driveway or trade-permit requirements¹¹. Michigan's owner-builder licensing exemption can apply when an individual builds on their own property for their own use and occupancy, but permits, inspections, code, zoning and utility requirements remain⁸. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are separate requirements from the building permit¹. Health approval for a well or septic comes before the building permit, and soil-erosion approval applies within 500 feet of a lake or stream or for excavation of at least 1 acre¹.

The Alger County Building Codes Department, run by the county's Building Codes Inspector, is at 101 Court Street, Munising, MI 49862, reachable at (906) 387-2727 or buildingcodes@algercounty.gov¹. This same office issues driveway permits for any access onto a county or state road, and 911 address-sign applications tie in through the county Sheriff's Department¹. Applications need two sets of construction documents, though a licensed design professional's seal isn't required for most one- and two-family dwellings under 3,500 square feet⁷. The first $100 of a permit application is non-refundable, a re-inspection runs another $100, and a certificate of occupancy costs $50 once the county signs off on your finished build⁷. Zoning approval is handled separately by your township, the City of Munising, or the Village of Chatham, not by this office, so contact that local government too before you build^1,2.

Not at the county level. Alger County has no countywide zoning ordinance or county-administered zoning system¹. Au Train, Burt, Grand Island, Mathias, Munising, Onota and Rock River Townships, the Village of Chatham and the City of Munising have separate zoning contacts, while Limestone Township is listed with no zoning². Setbacks, dwelling size, height and permitted uses therefore depend on the parcel's local jurisdiction². Au Train Township's district minimums range from 15,000 square feet to 5 acres, with special rules for nonconforming and waterfront lots¹². The City of Munising allows one accessory dwelling unit of 200 to 600 square feet on a residentially zoned lot, subject to design, parking, building and fire-safety standards¹³. Limestone Township's lack of zoning does not remove county building, state or health approvals¹.

Dimensional rules differ by township, so the figures below apply only where named. In Au Train Township's R1/R2 districts, the minimum lot is 15,000 square feet, and front setbacks are 30 feet and side and rear setbacks 10 feet; lots on Lake Superior need structures at least 50 feet from the ordinary high-water mark and inland lakes or rivers at least 30 feet¹². In Rock River Township, structures on lots abutting a body of water must keep a 75-foot setback from the ordinary high-water mark, and accessory buildings cannot sit inside the minimum front yard¹⁴. Burt Township requires a single- or two-family dwelling to have at least 600 square feet of floor area, not counting unfinished basements, garages, porches and breezeways, under an ordinance revised in 2015 that the township should confirm is still current¹⁵. We could not confirm height or lot-coverage limits at the county level, so ask the zoning administrator for your parcel's township².

Septic and well approvals in Alger County go through the LMAS District Health Department, and health approval is required before Alger County issues a building permit^1,9. New, modified and replacement sewage systems need a permit and a site evaluation for soil suitability, placement and environmental impact^3,16. Only 2.5% of Alger County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so make the site evaluation an early purchase contingency¹⁷. For an existing system, LMAS begins with record review and may require an on-site evaluation; the tank generally must be pumped unless it was pumped within the prior 3 years and the licensed-hauler records are available¹⁸. LMAS does not permit cesspools, lagoons, constructed wetlands, pump-and-haul, septic-tank-only systems or waterless toilets, while a privy is limited to a remote site without utilities or plumbing and must meet local and state rules⁹. New, repaired and replacement residential wells also go through LMAS¹⁶.

RV occupancy is local, not countywide. Au Train Township limits RV occupancy outside an approved campground to 180 days¹². Burt Township's Inland Buffer Zone allows up to 14 days per year without residential-dwelling requirements if the RV is self-contained and waste goes to an approved dumping station; longer occupancy must meet dwelling, foundation, water and sewage requirements¹⁵. Munising Township permits registered RV dwelling use on a lot without a principal building for up to 120 consecutive days in specified districts and permits an RV as a temporary residence while its residential building permit remains valid¹⁹. In the City of Munising, the limit is 120 total calendar days in H-1 and H-2 districts, or 30 total days in other applicable districts, with registration and setback conditions¹³. We could not confirm RV rules for every other township or the Village of Chatham, so ask the parcel's zoning administrator². We could not confirm a countywide tiny-home occupancy rule; ask the local zoning administrator and the county Building Codes Department before buying or placing one¹.

1. Confirm the parcel's township or municipality and its zoning rules, because Alger County has no countywide zoning system^1,2.
2. Order a septic and, if needed, well site evaluation from LMAS, then obtain the required health approval before applying to the county^1,3,16.
3. Obtain soil-erosion approval if the project is within 500 feet of a lake or stream or involves at least 1 acre of excavation¹.
4. Apply for the required fire-number address sign, which must be visible from the street⁷.
5. Submit two sets of construction documents and the health approval to the Alger County Building Codes Department^1,7.
6. Obtain a driveway permit if access connects to a county or state road¹.
7. After construction, inspections and fee payment, request the certificate of occupancy before moving in^6,7.

Confirm the parcel's township or municipality and its local zoning rules before buying, because Alger County has no countywide zoning ordinance^1,2. Only 2.5% of Alger County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so make an LMAS site evaluation part of your due diligence¹⁷. Ask LMAS about the well location too: a residential well application must show the proposed well and contamination sources within 200 feet¹⁶. If the driveway will connect to a county or state road, confirm the required driveway permit and which agency will issue it¹. For land in a regulated river, stream or drain floodplain, Michigan can require a Part 31 permit; new homes are prohibited in the floodway, while a residential floor in the 100-year floodplain must be elevated 1 foot above the flood elevation²⁰. The effective property-tax rate is about 1%, and the median annual bill is about $1,652¹⁷.