Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Arvon Township, Michigan

Arvon Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New dwellings, additions, alterations and remodels inside Arvon township limits

  • Building permit not required for farm buildings not for human habitation and used strictly for agriculture.
  • Building permit not required for ordinary maintenance and repairs not involving structural changes.
  • Building permit not required for one-story detached accessory tool/storage/playhouse structures up to 120 square feet floor area.
  • Plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits are obtained from the State of Michigan, not the township.
  • A township building permit requires a 911 address, approved well and septic plan, and fees paid before issuance.

  exempt accessory structure floor area: <= 120 sq ft (one-story detached tool/storage/playhouse structures)

  “all new construction of dwellings, additions, alterations, remodels and new or replacement plumbing, mechanical or electrical systems”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Arvon township limits

  • Inspections for plumbing, mechanical and electrical work are handled by the State of Michigan, and county departments also inspect; the township building inspector performs the interim code inspections.

  “the building permit includes overall approval of the project, interim inspections for code during construction and the final certificate of occupancy (coo)”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Completed construction inside Arvon township limits

  • Issued only after all State of Michigan and county inspections are complete.

  “once all inspections are complete from the state of michigan and county departments, the township building inspector will issue the coo as part of the final inspection”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Arvon township limits: the township administers its own zoning ordinance (Arvon Township Zoning Ordinance)

  • The township page states the ordinance is effective December 5, 2024.
  • The zoning PDF checked is labelled a final draft dated Sept. 5 2024 with a blank adoption date; district and dimensional text cited below comes from that draft and should be checked against the adopted copy.
  • The township page also lists a 'Planning & Zoning - NOT IN USE' page; it was not relied on.

  “zoning ordinance effective december 5, 2024”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Arvon township limits

  • Districts named in the schedule include GR, RR, SR, B-1, FF and FR; the zoning map is an appendix to the draft ordinance.
  • Draft text checked; confirm against adopted copy.

  “gr general residential 30 ft. 10 ft. 25 ft. 30 ft. rr recreational residential 30 ft. 10 ft. 35 ft. 30 ft. sr scenic resource 30 ft. 15 ft. 35 ft. 30 ft. b-1 general business 30 ft. 5 ft. 20 ft. 30 ft. fr forest resource 40 ft. 20 ft. 35 ft. 30ft. ff farm & forest 40 ft. 20 ft. 35 ft. 30 ft.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots in the Recreational Residential (RR) district inside Arvon township limits

  • Source is the draft text of the zoning ordinance; check against adopted copy.

  minimum lot size: 40000 sq ft · minimum lot width: 100 ft

  “rr recreational residential 40,000 sq. ft. 100 ft.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Occupying a mobile home or travel trailer as a dwelling inside Arvon township limits

  • Allowed as a temporary dwelling only until the owner or occupant completes a conventional housing unit with a building or zoning permit.
  • Trailers stored unoccupied are not restricted by this provision.

  “mobile homes or travel trailers may be used as a temporary dwelling in any district until the owner or occupant thereof completes the construction or erection of a conventional housing unit for which a building or zoning permit has been issued.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured (mobile) homes as permanent dwellings inside Arvon township limits

  • Must be mounted on a continuous masonry foundation or solid masonry pilings, skirted, securely anchored, and taxable as real estate.
  • Other mobile home placement not addressed in the text read.

  “mobile homes shall be considered “permanent” dwellings when the unit is mounted on a continuous masonry foundation or on a foundation of solid masonry pilings spaced to meet at least the minimum manufacturer’s specifications.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units inside Arvon township limits

  • Permitted by right in the GR district; special land use approval in the SR and RR districts.
  • Maximum one ADU per lot with one single-family residence.
  • A detached ADU must meet principal-building setback and lot coverage requirements and be located not less than ten feet from the principal dwelling (text cut off in the read).

  “accessory dwelling units (adus) are permitted may be permitted by right in the gr district, and may be approved as a special land use in the sr and rr districts”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Dwellings inside Arvon township limits without public sewer

  • Occupancy is unlawful unless the dwelling is equipped with an approved sewage system.
  • The approved system is issued by the western upper peninsula health department.

  “please note that it is unlawful to occupy a dwelling that is not equipped with an approved sewage system.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rentals of non-owner-occupied dwellings inside Arvon township limits

  • Allowed in the GR, RR, SR, FR and FF districts only if the listed standards are met.
  • A zoning permit and fee established by the township board are required.
  • A fire safety inspection at application and every five years after.
  • Proof of an approved well and septic permit from the health department is required (text cut off in the read).

  “may be permitted in the gr, rr, sr, fr, & ff zoning districts, provided they meet the following requirements and standards”

• Permit feesPublished

  Zoning and building permit fees inside Arvon township limits

  • The township page links a zoning and building permit fee schedule; the linked 2019 building permit fee schedule was not opened.
  • The building inspector sets the fee from the standard schedule at application.

  “zoning and building permit fee schedule building permit information from state of michigan”

• Permit processPublished

  Building permit application process inside Arvon township limits

  • Required items: 911 address, approved well and septic plan, soil erosion approval where applicable, construction plans, and fees.
  • Plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits are obtained from the State of Michigan.

  “required items before you apply for a building permit are:”

Rules another office applies inside Arvon Township

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

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Septic systems serving land inside Arvon township limits

  • The zoning ordinance Section 1207 also refers to the western u.p. district health department sanitary code and state or federal requirements.
  • Health department service area was not separately verified on an official page.

  “the western upper peninsula health department issues all septic and well permits”

• Septic permitRequired

  New dwellings inside Arvon township limits

  • A site evaluation visit by the health department determines well and septic location.
  • A township building permit will not be issued until there is an approved sewage system permit.
  • Occupying a dwelling not equipped with an approved sewage system is unlawful.

  “a township building permit will not be issued until there is an approved sewage system permit”

• Well permitRequired

  Private wells for new dwellings inside Arvon township limits

  • An approved well and septic plan from the health department is required before the township building permit is applied for.

  “approved well and septic plan from western upper peninsula health department”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Arvon township limits
• Building code adopted — Construction inside Arvon township limits
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwelling minimum floor area inside Arvon township limits
• Setbacks — Yard setbacks for dwellings inside Arvon township limits
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Arvon township limits

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.