Building permits, zoning and land rules in Barry County, Michigan

Yes. Before constructing a building or structure in Barry County, the owner or the owner's representative must apply to the appropriate enforcing agency; a permit is also required for a change in use or occupancy¹. Ordinary repairs do not require a permit, but structural changes, egress changes and work affecting public health or general safety fall outside that exception¹. The Michigan Building Code and Michigan Residential Code govern applicable construction, including residential provisions for one- and two-family dwellings¹. Starting work without the required permit triggers a penalty fee². Michigan’s owner-builder licensing exemption is available to a person building a residential structure on that person’s property for personal use and occupancy; the exemption does not waive building permits¹⁰. The agricultural exemption confirmed here is narrow: it covers shade-cloth structures for nursery or agricultural purposes, excludes service systems and does not override other codes or ordinances¹¹.

Barry County directs building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permit questions to Professional Code Inspection (PCI) at 269-948-4088; ask PCI for project-specific forms, fees and inspection scheduling². For zoning approval, contact Barry County Planning & Zoning at 220 W. State St., Hastings, MI 49058, phone (269) 945-1290⁴. In Yankee Springs Township, township residential site-plan review applies to covered projects, and an exemption from that review does not remove a building-permit requirement¹². Septic permitting stays with Barry-Eaton District Health Department throughout Barry County, including cities, villages and townships⁵. Barry-Eaton also evaluates well sites, issues well permits and inspects completed wells⁶.

Barry County maintains a zoning ordinance, but coverage varies by local government³. Middleville and Yankee Springs Township administer their own zoning^13,14. Septic and well permits remain with Barry-Eaton District Health Department^5,6. The Village of Nashville states that it has been under Barry County Planning & Zoning since March 1, 2024; the Hastings Area Overlay coordinates zoning among the county and participating local governments³. For unincorporated land, ask Planning & Zoning whether the county ordinance governs the parcel; we could not confirm every township’s arrangement^3,4. Where the county ordinance applies, Rural Residential allows a single-family dwelling, farm and farm operation, with a 1-acre lot and 150-foot width without sewer⁸. RR front and side setbacks are 50 and 20 feet respectively³. Minimum lot area varies by district: CR requires 20 acres, while RL lists 12,000 square feet without sewer³. The ordinance states a 720-square-foot dwelling minimum and a 24-by-24-foot core living area⁸. Confirm operative standards with Planning & Zoning because a 2026 revision is posted as a draft¹⁵.

Barry-Eaton District Health Department evaluates a Barry County septic site first; after a suitable evaluation, submit the sewage-permit application and fee so a sanitarian can authorize construction⁷. Alternative septic systems have additional standards, and some require certified installers⁷. Only about 0.5% of Barry County soils rate free of severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so obtain the evaluation before fixing the house location¹⁶. Barry-Eaton’s 2022 paperwork lists $283 for a vacant-land evaluation, $253 for an initial conventional sewage permit and $614 for an initial low-pressure dose mound permit; ask Environmental Health for current fees¹⁷. Request inspection after tanks, sewers and distribution lines are placed, before covering or operating the distribution system; the code provides for inspection within 2 working days of notification⁵. Backfill within 48 hours after approval unless the Health Officer approves otherwise⁵. Public sewer available within 200 feet of the structure requires connection⁵. Barry-Eaton well permits cover new systems and extensive changes, expire within 1 year and are not transferable; where public water is unavailable, well approval must precede the building permit and construction⁶.

Barry County's ordinance text generally bars an RV or trailer as a principal or seasonal dwelling where that ordinance applies, while allowing specified temporary exceptions⁸. One exception allows temporary quarters during construction under a permit lasting 6 months and renewable in 6-month terms with administrator approval⁸. The ordinance also describes temporary use of no more than 1 recreational unit per parcel and requires 7 feet of clear space around a temporary dwelling⁸. We could not confirm a single countywide RV or camping rule for every township and municipality, so ask Planning & Zoning which ordinance controls the parcel^4,18. A tiny house is not automatically treated as an RV under Michigan guidance, and applicable local zoning, building, electrical and plumbing approvals still matter¹⁹. Off-grid does not mean sanitation-free: an approved onsite system is required where municipal wastewater is unavailable, while public sewer must be used when available within 200 feet of the structure^5,7.

1. Ask Barry County Planning & Zoning which authority, ordinance and district govern the parcel^3,4.
2. Have Barry-Eaton evaluate the septic site, then submit the sewage-permit application and fee for construction authorization⁷.
3. Obtain Barry-Eaton well-construction approval where public water is unavailable before the building permit or construction; obtain the well permit before installation⁶.
4. Call PCI at 269-948-4088 for building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical applications, fees and inspection scheduling².
5. Request Barry-Eaton’s septic inspection before covering or operating the distribution system, and arrange final inspection of the completed well^5,6.
6. After permitted work is complete and finaled and applicable fees are paid, request the certificate of occupancy in writing before moving in²⁰.

About 89% of Barry County land sits at 15% slope or less, and just under half is wooded; these countywide figures do not establish the buildability of a particular parcel¹⁶. Soils are the main caveat: with only about 0.5% rated free of severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, budget for a site evaluation and the possibility of an engineered system¹⁶. Ask whether a larger development needs Drain Commissioner review: the county's stormwater standards cover plats and several other development types, including sites disturbing at least 1 acre, but exempt individual one- and two-family homes and modifications to them²¹. At about 115.4 people per square mile, Barry County is rural, and the county center is about 31 miles in a straight line from the nearest city of 100,000 or more people¹⁶. Typical property tax runs about 1.1% effectively, with a median bill near $2,706 a year, while farmland has recently valued around $6,027 an acre¹⁶.