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

At a glance

Building permit

Required for construction; ordinary repairs are exempt within stated limits¹

Zoning

Yes; confirm the applicable county, township or municipal rules for the parcel⁵⁶

Septic & well permits

Barry-Eaton District Health Department, not the county³

Minimum lot size (Rural Residential district)

1 acre without sewer service, 150-ft width⁷

Minimum home floor area

720 sq ft, with a 24x24-ft core living area⁷

RV as temporary residence while building

Allowed with a permit, up to 6 months, renewable⁷

Certificate of occupancy

Required statewide before you can move in⁸

Soils suited to a conventional septic field

About 0.5% of soils rate free of severe limits⁹

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 29, 2026.

Do you need a building permit 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 work involving structural changes, required exits, specified trade work, or public health and safety falls outside that exception¹. Michigan's Building Code and Residential Code govern applicable construction, including residential provisions for one- and two-family dwellings¹⁰. Starting work without the required permit triggers a penalty fee¹¹. A new or altered building cannot be occupied until the code official issues a certificate of occupancy⁴.

Who issues permits in Barry County, and how do you reach them?

Barry County directs building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permit questions to Professional Code Inspection (PCI) at 269-948-4088². The county page does not publish a complete application, inspection or approval workflow, so ask PCI which forms, plans, fees and inspections apply before scheduling work². Zoning questions go to Barry County Planning & Zoning at the Barry County Courthouse, 220 W. State St., Hastings, MI 49058, phone (269) 945-1290¹². Well and septic permits are handled separately by the Barry-Eaton District Health Department³. Barry-Eaton's residential-development paperwork lists health, roads, drainage, zoning and building as approvals that may need coordination¹³.

Does Barry County have zoning?

Yes. Barry County administers a county zoning ordinance through Planning & Zoning⁵. Michigan also allows counties, townships, cities and villages to establish zoning districts, and the available information does not establish the complete mix of township and municipal zoning within Barry County⁶. Ask Planning & Zoning which government and ordinance control a specific parcel before relying on a district name or dimensional standard¹². Where the cited county ordinance applies, its Rural Residential table lists a single-family dwelling, farm and farm operation as permitted uses; without sewer it lists a 1-acre lot, 150-foot width, and front, side and rear or waterfront setbacks⁷. The same ordinance text states a 720-square-foot dwelling minimum with a 24-by-24-foot core living area⁷. Barry County has also posted a 2026 draft ordinance, so confirm the current text before designing a project¹⁴.

How do septic and well permits work in Barry County?

Septic and well permits in Barry County go through the Barry-Eaton District Health Department's Environmental Health Division³. Only about 0.5% of Barry County soils rate free of severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so obtain a site evaluation before fixing the house location or assuming a conventional system will work⁹. Barry-Eaton's paperwork lists $283 for a vacant-land site evaluation, $253 for an initial conventional sewage permit and $614 for an initial low-pressure dose mound permit¹³. After a new onsite sewage system is installed, the owner or contractor must notify the health department; the system may be covered only after final approval and an approved tag from the sanitarian¹⁵. New water-supply construction also requires a Barry-Eaton permit¹³.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Barry County?

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 exceptions⁷. One exception allows temporary quarters during construction under a permit lasting 6 months and renewable in 6-month terms with administrator approval⁷. 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 dwelling⁷. Because the available information does not establish a single countywide RV or camping rule for every township and municipality, confirm the parcel's controlling ordinance with Planning & Zoning⁶¹². A tiny house is not automatically treated as an RV under Michigan guidance, and applicable local zoning, building, electrical and plumbing approvals still matter¹⁶. Confirm both occupancy and minimum-size rules before buying or building.

How do you build a home in Barry County, step by step?

1. Ask Barry County Planning & Zoning which ordinance, district and dimensional rules govern the parcel¹²⁶.
2. Obtain the Barry-Eaton septic site evaluation and well or sewage permits before fixing the house location³⁹.
3. Call Professional Code Inspection at 269-948-4088 for the required building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical applications, plans, fees and inspection sequence; the county page provides the contact but not the full workflow².
4. If you plan to stay in an RV during construction, obtain a zoning answer for that parcel before moving onto the land¹²⁶.
5. Have Barry-Eaton perform the final inspection of a newly installed septic system before it is covered¹⁵.
6. After permitted work is complete and finaled and applicable fees are paid, request the certificate of occupancy in writing before moving in⁸.

What should you check before you buy land in Barry County?

Barry County's land runs gentle: about 89% of it sits at 15% slope or less, and just under half is wooded, so most rural parcels are buildable without heavy grading¹⁷¹⁸. Federal land covers only about 0.2% of the county, so federal land-access rules aren't a factor here¹⁹. Soils are the real caveat: with only about 0.5% rated free of severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, budget for a site evaluation and likely an engineered system⁹. The county gets about 37.7 inches of precipitation a year and sits in severe drought only about 1.3% of years, with an average annual temperature of 48.2°F and a projected 2.3 days a year at or above 100°F by mid-century^20212223. At about 115.4 people per square mile, Barry County is genuinely rural, and the nearest city of 100,000 or more people is about 31 miles away²⁴²⁵. Typical property tax runs about 1.1% effectively, with a median bill near $2,706 a year, and typical homeowner's insurance runs about $1,177 a year²⁶²⁷²⁸. Farmland here has recently valued around $6,027 an acre, and the typical home value is about $307,208²⁹³⁰.

Watch-outs

• Barry County has posted a 2026 draft rewrite of its zoning ordinance; confirm with Planning & Zoning whether it has been adopted before relying on the district standards in this guide for your parcel¹⁴.
• Barry County directs permit questions to Professional Code Inspection, but its page does not give a complete application, inspection or approval workflow; get the project-specific sequence from PCI before work starts².
• With only about 0.5% of Barry County's soils rating free of severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, most rural parcels should budget for a Barry-Eaton site evaluation and the possibility of an engineered system before assuming a standard drain field will work⁹.

Sources

1. Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
2. A Building Permit, quoted and re-checked
3. Barry-Eaton District Health Department - Residential Property Development (Well/Septic) (2026 county census)
4. Court Approves LARA's Restraining Order Against Harbor Banks Winery Barn, quoted and re-checked
5. Barry County - Zoning Ordinance & Amendments (2026 county census)
6. Michigan Zoning Enabling Act (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. Barry County Zoning Ordinance (adopted July 25, 2008, as amended) (barrycounty.org)
8. Certificate of Occupancy Request (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
10. Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
11. Barry County - Apply for a Building Permit (2026 county census)
12. Barry County Planning & Zoning Department (barrycounty.org)
13. Barry-Eaton District Health Department, Environmental Health Division (barryeatonhealth.org)
14. Barry County Zoning Ordinance & Amendments document center (barrycounty.org)
15. On-Site Sewage Systems, quoted and re-checked
16. 2022 ARVC - General (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
18. Wooded share of land: Bolthole Index county data
19. Federal land share: Bolthole Index county data
20. Annual precipitation: Bolthole Index county data
21. Share of years in severe drought: Bolthole Index county data
22. Average annual temperature: Bolthole Index county data
23. Projected mid-century days at or above 100°F: Bolthole Index county data
24. Population density: Bolthole Index county data
25. Distance to the nearest metro area: Bolthole Index county data
26. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
27. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
28. Typical home insurance premium: Bolthole Index county data
29. Farmland value per acre (USDA census): Bolthole Index county data
30. Typical home value (Zillow): Bolthole Index county data

Written September 29, 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.