Bolthole Index

Antrim County, Michigan

Building permits and land rules in Central Lake Township, Michigan

Central Lake Township, Michigan requires building permits, and Antrim County is the enforcing agency for township projects1. Antrim County has no countywide zoning, and its list of townships with their own zoning ordinances does not include Central Lake Township, but we could not confirm the township's current status, so ask the township office23. Septic permits and residential-well permits for every address in Antrim County, township or village, come from the Health Department of Northwest Michigan45.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for building construction and changes in use or occupancy1
Building department
Antrim County Construction Code Department16
Zoning
Current township rules could not be confirmed; ask the township office7
Septic
Site evaluation and permit through the Health Department of Northwest Michigan8
Private well
Health-department evaluation, permit and final review required5
RV or tiny home
Residential occupancy rules could not be confirmed; ask the township and county building offices76
Owner-builder
An own-use licensing exemption may apply, but required building permits remain required91

Who to call

Building permits

Antrim County Construction Code Department

Building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits and inspections

231-533-8373

[email protected]

203 E. Cayuga St. PO Box 188 Bellaire, MI 49615

Septic permits

Health Department of Northwest Michigan — Antrim County office

Septic site evaluations and permits, final reviews, and residential-well permits

800-432-4121

209 Portage Dr. Bellaire, MI 49615

Zoning

Central Lake Township office

Township land-use questions and confirmation of current local ordinances

(231) 544-6687

P.O. Box 155 Central Lake, MI 49622

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Central Lake Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Central Lake Township, Michigan?

Yes. Construction of a building or structure in Central Lake Township requires a written building-permit application, and a change in a structure’s use or occupancy also requires a permit.1 Antrim County is identified as the enforcing agency for building work in the township.1 The county’s process also covers regulated electrical, gas, mechanical and plumbing work, along with enlargement, alteration, repair, moving and demolition.10

Michigan’s construction codes govern buildings statewide, with one- and two-family dwellings covered by the Michigan Residential Code.11 An owner building a residence for personal use and occupancy may qualify for an exemption from residential-builder licensing, but that exemption does not erase the building-permit requirement.91

Who issues building permits in Central Lake Township?

The Antrim County Construction Code Department retains building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical permits and publishes permit requirements, fee schedules, inspection information and code-compliance checklists; the fee schedules are downloadable documents on the county page, so confirm the amounts with the department612. Contact the department before design work is final so staff can identify the applications and construction documents needed for the project. A set of construction documents normally accompanies an application, although the building official may waive that submission when the application description is enough to determine code compliance.13

Construction under a Michigan building permit is periodically inspected by the enforcing agency for compliance with the permit, code and other applicable laws.14 For a new Antrim County home, a blower-door test is required before the county can issue a certificate of occupancy.15

Does Central Lake Township have zoning?

Antrim County does not administer countywide zoning; local governments hold zoning authority instead2. The county's published list names five villages, including the Village of Central Lake, and seven of the fifteen townships (Banks, Elk Rapids, Forest Home, Helena, Kearney, Milton and Torch Lake) as having their own zoning ordinances; Central Lake Township is not among those seven3. That suggests the township itself may not be zoned, but we could not confirm it. That distinction matters because the village and township are separate jurisdictions, and village zoning should not be applied to township land.

We could not confirm a current township zoning ordinance, zoning map or current official statement that the township has no zoning. Ask the Central Lake Township office to confirm the parcel’s present land-use status before relying on assumptions about setbacks, minimum lot size, dwelling size, building height or lot coverage.7 County building codes, septic rules and other state requirements can still apply even if the township confirms that a parcel is not locally zoned.114

How do septic and well permits work in Central Lake Township?

The Health Department of Northwest Michigan has septic jurisdiction throughout Antrim County, including its townships, so it is the onsite-wastewater authority for Central Lake Township.4 Before installing a new or replacement septic system, the department evaluates the site and issues a permit; a final review checks that the installed system should operate as intended.8

Start with a site evaluation before treating a vacant parcel as buildable. Antrim County’s soil data show that about 8% of soils avoid a “very limited” rating for a conventional septic drain field, so site conditions may drive system design and cost.16 Private residential wells also require a health-department site evaluation and permit before installation, followed by final review.5 The health department's time-of-transfer septic evaluation, required when a property is sold, currently applies in only four named jurisdictions, and Central Lake Township is not listed17. Contact the Bellaire office for both septic and well planning.18

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Central Lake Township?

We could not confirm a current Central Lake Township rule allowing or prohibiting long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings. Ask the township office for the current local land-use answer for the exact parcel, including any rule on living in an RV while building.7

State guidance says a tiny house cannot be treated as a recreational unit even on wheels, and that local zoning, building, electrical and plumbing permits and health-department well and septic permits all apply19. Likewise, a tiny home used as a dwelling is not automatically outside the building-code system: construction of a building or structure and a change in use or occupancy require an application to the appropriate enforcing agency.20 Antrim County enforces the building code in Central Lake Township.1 Any onsite sewage system requires health-department review and a permit, and private residential wells have a separate permitting process.85 Confirm all three tracks—township land use, county construction code and district-health sanitation—before buying a small-home or RV site.

Building a home in Central Lake Township: what are the steps?

  1. Ask the Central Lake Township office to confirm the parcel’s current land-use status and any applicable local rules; current zoning, setbacks and minimum-size controls could not be confirmed.7
  2. Arrange a septic site evaluation and discuss the residential-well location with the Health Department of Northwest Michigan before fixing the house site.85
  3. Submit the building-permit application and construction documents to the Antrim County Construction Code Department, along with the separate regulated trade applications the project requires.136
  4. Keep work available for required county inspections; Michigan enforcing agencies periodically inspect permitted construction.14
  5. Complete the septic final review and the residential-well final review with the health department.215
  6. Do not occupy a new or altered building until the code official issues the required certificate of occupancy.22

What should you check before buying land in Central Lake Township?

Confirm jurisdiction first: land inside the Village of Central Lake is subject to village zoning, while township land needs a township-specific answer.23 Ask the township office to verify the parcel and current local rules in writing.7 Then make buildability contingent on a health-department site evaluation, because a septic permit depends on site conditions and conventional drain-field suitability is limited across much of Antrim County.816

For waterfront land, Antrim County requires elevations and flood certification before back-fill inspections.24 State permission may also be required before alteration, occupation, construction or fill in an applicable river, stream or drain floodplain.25 Finally, confirm legal road access and the road authority before planning a driveway; a new or reconstructed driveway in an Antrim County road right-of-way requires a Road Commission permit.26

Watch-outs

  • Do not use Village of Central Lake zoning documents for a parcel that is only in Central Lake Township; the county treats village and township zoning as separate local jurisdictions.23
  • Current township rules for RV living, tiny homes, minimum dwelling size and setbacks could not be confirmed; ask the Central Lake Township office before purchase.7
  • A septic site evaluation belongs early in due diligence because only about 8% of Antrim County soils avoid a severe limitation rating for conventional drain fields.16
  • Waterfront projects need elevations and flood certification before Antrim County’s back-fill inspection.24

Sources

  1. Building Permit Information (Central Lake Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  3. Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  4. Sewage Systems – Health Department of Northwest Michigan (Central Lake Township), quoted and re-checked
  5. Drinking Water and Wells (Central Lake Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Antrim County Construction Code Department (antrimcountymi.gov)
  7. Central Lake Township office (centrallaketownshipmi.gov)
  8. Sewage Systems (Central Lake Township), quoted and re-checked
  9. Frequently Asked Questions – Residential Builder, quoted and re-checked
  10. Building Information, quoted and re-checked
  11. Building Permit Information (Central Lake Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Building Information, quoted and re-checked
  13. Building Permit Information (Central Lake Township), quoted and re-checked
  14. MCL 125.1512, Inspection of construction (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Building Information, quoted and re-checked
  16. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  17. Sewage Systems – Health Department of Northwest Michigan (Central Lake Township), quoted and re-checked
  18. Health Department of Northwest Michigan — Antrim County office (nwhealth.org)
  19. michigan.gov (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Building Permit Information (Central Lake Township), quoted and re-checked
  21. Sewage Systems (Central Lake Township), quoted and re-checked
  22. Certificate of Occupancy Request (Central Lake Township), quoted and re-checked
  23. Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  24. Building Information, quoted and re-checked
  25. Floodplains (Central Lake Township), quoted and re-checked
  26. Permits – Antrim County Road Commission, quoted and re-checked

Written October 9, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Central Lake Township

Central Lake Township’s own rules

  • InspectionsRequired

    Building-code inspections for projects inside Central Lake Township, with Antrim County listed as the enforcing agency.

    • Inspection details and scheduling were not located in the available official material.
    “Your permit remains VALID as long as work is progressing and inspections are requested and conducted. A permit shall become INVALID if the authorized work is not commenced within 6 months after issuance of the permit or if the authorized work is suspended or abandoned for a period of 6 months after the time of commencing the work. A permit will be cancelled when no inspection are requested and conducted within the six months of the date of issuance or the date of a previous inspection.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    New or altered buildings inside Central Lake Township.

    • The permit holder or authorized agent must make a written request after project completion.
    • The request must include applicable building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing, boiler, elevator, plan-review, and school fire-service identifiers.
    • All fees must be paid, permits finaled, and work completed in accordance with the permit, code, and applicable laws and ordinances.
    • Certificates are not established here for work exempt from permits.
    “A new building or a building that is altered shall not be used or occupied until a Certificate of Occupancy is issued by the code official.”

Rules another office applies inside Central Lake Township

Central Lake Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Building permitRequired

    Building construction and occupancy changes inside Central Lake Township, where Antrim County is the listed enforcing agency.

    • Applications must be submitted to the appropriate enforcing agency.
    • The state page notes exceptions in the licensing law.
    • The Statewide Jurisdiction List assigns Antrim County to Central Lake Township for building enforcement.
    “Before construction of a building or structure, an owner, or the owner's builder, architect, engineer, or agent, shall submit an application in writing to the appropriate enforcing agency for a building permit. A permit is also required when the use or occupancy of a structure or portion thereof is changed.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Required — Construction of a building or structure, and changes in use or occupancy, inside Central Lake Township.
      “Before construction of a building or structure, an owner, or the owner's builder, architect, engineer, or agent, shall submit an application in writing to the appropriate enforcing agency for a building permit. A permit is also required when the use or occupancy of a structure or portion thereof is changed.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Construction in Central Lake Township is subject to the Michigan Building Code and Michigan Residential Code through the applicable enforcing agency.

    • The Statewide Jurisdiction List identifies Antrim County as the building, electrical, mechanical, and plumbing enforcing agency for Central Lake Township.
    • One- and two-family dwellings are governed by the Michigan Residential Code as stated on the official state page.
    “The Michigan Building Code controls all matters concerning the construction, alteration, addition, repair, removal, demolition, use, location, occupancy, and maintenance of all buildings and structures and their service equipment. Presently, provisions for one- and two-family dwellings are included in the Michigan Residential Code.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Adopted — Buildings and structures inside Central Lake Township under Michigan's statewide construction-code system.
      “The Michigan Building Code controls all matters”
  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Land inside Central Lake Township in Antrim County that uses or proposes an onsite sewage system.

    • Health Department of Northwest Michigan serves Antrim County.
    • A permit is required before installing, repairing, altering, or extending a sewage treatment and disposal system.
    • The application requires compliance with the District Sanitary Code for the county and applicable Michigan law.
    “The Health Officer shall have jurisdiction throughout Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet and Otsego Counties, including all cities, villages and townships”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • County — Septic and onsite wastewater regulation inside Central Lake Township through the Health Department of Northwest Michigan and its four-county District Sanitary Code.
      “The Health Officer shall have jurisdiction throughout Antrim, Charlevoix, Emmet and Otsego Counties, including all cities, villages and townships, in the administration and enforcement of these regulations, including all amendments hereafter adopted unless otherwise specifically stated.”
    • County (with conditions) — Septic permitting and administration inside Central Lake Township in Antrim County, through the Health Department of Northwest Michigan.
      “Prior to installing a sewage (septic) system, HDNW works with the property owner to evaluate the site and issue a permit. A final review provides assurance that the system will operate as intended. To apply for a permit, please complete one of the below applications. Antrim, Charlevoix, & Emmet Counties Application”
  • Septic permitRequired

    New or replacement septic systems inside Central Lake Township.

    • The property owner must have the site evaluated and obtain the permit before installing the septic system.
    • A final review is part of the process.
    “Prior to installing a sewage (septic) system, HDNW works with the property owner to evaluate the site and issue a permit. A final review provides assurance that the system will operate as intended.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Required — Installation of a sewage or septic system inside Central Lake Township.
      “Prior to installing a sewage (septic) system, HDNW works with the property owner to evaluate the site and issue a permit. A final review provides assurance that the system will operate as intended.”
  • Septic inspectionLimited

    Septic inspections and evaluations for land inside Central Lake Township in Antrim County.

    • HDNW conducts inspections of permitted facilities.
    • A residential site evaluation is used to determine whether vacant property without municipal wastewater services can be considered for an onsite sewage system.
    • The official HDNW page states that time-of-transfer evaluations are currently required only in Milton Township, Torch Lake Township, Village of Elk Rapids, and Elk Rapids Township; Central Lake Township is not listed.
    • The official page states that the evaluation is good for five years from completion and that pumping may be required before an evaluation if pumping within the prior five years cannot be documented.

    time-of-transfer evaluation validity: 5 years (from the date of completion)

    “Currently the evaluation will only be required if you decide to sell property in Milton Township, Torch Lake Township”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Required — Final review and inspection of new or replacement septic systems inside Central Lake Township.
      “Prior to installing a sewage (septic) system, HDNW works with the property owner to evaluate the site and issue a permit. A final review provides assurance that the system will operate as intended.”
    • Limited — Septic-related inspections and evaluations inside Central Lake Township in Antrim County.
      “Currently the evaluation will only be required if you decide to sell property in Milton Township, Torch Lake Township, Village of Elk Rapids, and Elk Rapids Township.”
  • Well permitRequired

    Installation of an onsite residential well inside Central Lake Township.

    • HDNW evaluates the site and performs a final review after installation.
    • Existing-system remodel, repair, or change applications are required only when an existing system's demand or setup changes.
    “On-site wells that serve a single-family residence are called residential wells. For safety reasons, HDNW regulates residential wells. Before a resident or business installs a well, we evaluate the site and issue a permit, as well as do a final review once the well is installed.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Subdivision plats and land divisions affecting land inside Central Lake Township.

    • The Michigan Land Division Act applies statewide.
    • Developers, owners, or proprietors must notify MDOT and other state and local governments for subdivision plats or condominium projects.
    • The appropriate local governing body and other agencies may have additional review responsibilities.
    “The Office of Land Survey and Remonumentation administers the applicable provisions of the Land Division Act, 1967 PA 288 in order to ensure the orderly development of subdivisions in the State of Michigan. Staff conducts final reviews of plat maps to ensure compliance with the Act and authorizes final plats to be submitted to the Register of Deeds for proper recordation.”
  • Building in a floodplainRequired

    Alteration, occupation, construction, or fill within applicable 100-year floodplains inside Central Lake Township.

    • A Part 31 permit is required before alteration or occupation of the 100-year floodplain of a river, stream, or drain.
    • The state authority applies to rivers, streams, and drains with drainage areas of at least 2 square miles.
    • Other statutes may apply to Great Lakes, inland lakes, smaller watercourses, wetlands, dams, shorelands, submerged lands, sand dunes, or soil erosion.
    • New residential construction is prohibited in the floodway.
    • The lowest residential floor must be at least one foot above the 100-year flood elevation.
    • Local ordinances and building standards and compensating excavation requirements may also apply.

    minimum residential lowest-floor elevation: >= 1 foot above 100-year flood elevation (some communities or counties may impose a higher standard) · minimum drainage area for Part 31 floodplain authority: >= 2 square miles (other state statutes may still apply below this threshold)

    “The State of Michigan's Floodplain Regulatory Authority, found in Part 31, Water Resources Protection, of the Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Act (NREPA), 1994 PA 451, as amended, requires that a permit be obtained prior to any alteration or occupation of the 100-year floodplain of a river, stream or drain.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building-permit applications for structures inside Central Lake Township, processed by the appropriate enforcing agency identified by the Statewide Jurisdiction List.

    • A written application is required before construction or a change in use or occupancy.
    • The applicant should verify the current enforcing agency because the jurisdiction list is updated as enforcement changes.
    • Construction documents are generally required, subject to stated statutory exceptions.
    “A set of construction documents is required with each application for a permit. The submission of construction documents may be waived by the building official when code compliance can be determined based on the description in the application.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Partial — State building-permit application process applicable inside Central Lake Township.
      “construction documents is required with each application”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Central Lake Township or Antrim County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Central Lake Township.
  • Local zoning — Land inside Central Lake Township.
  • Zoning districts — Zoning-district publication for land inside Central Lake Township, Antrim County, Michigan.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Central Lake Township.
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size inside Central Lake Township.
14 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Central Lake Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Antrim County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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