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

Hampton Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Hampton charter township limits, under the township's own zoning ordinance (Ordinance 36A)

  • Quoted text is the township's combined ordinance as amended through 36A-33; later amendments were not checked.

  “section 6.04 area regulations all single-family homes shall conform to the area regulations as found in tables 3 and 4 of chapter 7 of this ordinance.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Residential zoning districts r-1, r-2, r-3, r-3a, r-4, r-5, r-6, r-7, agriculture and cto in Hampton charter township

  • The district list appears in Table 3; other district chapters (commercial, industrial, PUD) were not opened.

  “r-1 40 10 40 14,500 100 11,000 85 - - r-2 40 10 35 14,500 100 10,000 80 14,400 120 r-3 35 10 30 12,000 100 10,000 80 14,000 120 r-3a 35 10 30 12,000 100 10,000 80 14,000 120 r-4 35 8 30 12,000 100 9,000 70 12,000 100 r-5 35 8 30 12,000 100 9,000 70 12,000 100 r-6 30 8 30 12,000 100 8,400 70 12,000 100 r-7 40 10 40 12,000 100 10,000 80 14,000 120 agriculture 40 10 40 30,000 120 30,000 120 - - cto 17.5 7 15 5,000 50 5,000 50 - -”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwellings in the r-1 district of Hampton charter township

  • Table 4 lists the minimum floor area for one- and two-family dwellings; the printed table gives no unit, and square feet is assumed.
  • The two 'x' marks in the r-1 row do not show which of the three building-code columns (uniform standards, state construction code, HUD) applies to each row.
  • The agriculture district row of Table 4 was not opened and is not covered by this claim.

  minimum floor area, one-story dwelling without basement: >= 1196 sq ft (Table 4 (r-1 row); 1,092 for one-story with basement and 884 for two-story (first floor))

  “chapter 7 minimum floor area requirements for one & two family dwellings – table 4 applicable building code zone district 1 story w/out basement 1 story w/basement 1 story (1st floor) 2 story (1st floor) building width uniform standards state cosntr. code hud one family r-1 1196 1092 1092 884 24 x x”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  One-family homes in the r-1 district of Hampton charter township

  • Table 3 columns are read as: one-family homes general lot area and width; then lot within a recorded subdivision served by public water and sanitary sewer; then two-family homes (not allowed in r-1).
  • Lot area is footnoted with a combined building coverage limit of 25 percent of lot area.

  minimum lot area, one-family home: >= 14500 sq ft (minimum lot width 100 ft) · minimum lot area, one-family home in recorded subdivision served by public water and sanitary sewer: >= 11000 sq ft (minimum lot width 85 ft)

  “r-1 40 10 40 14,500 100 11,000 85 - - r-2 40 10 35 14,500 100 10,000 80 14,400 120 r-3 35 10 30 12,000 100 10,000 80 14,000 120 r-3a 35 10 30 12,000 100 10,000 80 14,000 120 r-4 35 8 30 12,000 100 9,000 70 12,000 100 r-5 35 8 30 12,000 100 9,000 70 12,000 100 r-6 30 8 30 12,000 100 8,400 70 12,000 100 r-7 40 10 40 12,000 100 10,000 80 14,000 120 agriculture 40 10 40 30,000 120 30,000 120 - - cto 17.5 7 15 5,000 50 5,000 50 - - * any side or rear yard adjacent to a street must satisfy the minimum requirement for a front yard.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — One-family homes in the agriculture district of Hampton charter township

    “agriculture 40 10 40 30,000 120 30,000 120 - -”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal one-family dwellings in the agriculture district of Hampton charter township

  • Any side or rear yard adjacent to a street must meet the front-yard minimum.
  • Farm animal pens and stables have separate setbacks in chapter 6 (not used here).

  front yard setback: >= 40 ft · side yard setback: >= 10 ft · rear yard setback: >= 40 ft

  “agriculture 40 10 40 30,000 120 30,000 120 - -”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Principal one-family dwellings in the r-1 district of Hampton charter township

    “r-1 40 10 40 14,500 100 11,000 85 - - r-2 40 10 35 14,500 100 10,000 80 14,400 120 r-3 35 10 30 12,000 100 10,000 80 14,000 120 r-3a 35 10 30 12,000 100 10,000 80 14,000 120 r-4 35 8 30 12,000 100 9,000 70 12,000 100 r-5 35 8 30 12,000 100 9,000 70 12,000 100 r-6 30 8 30 12,000 100 8,400 70 12,000 100 r-7 40 10 40 12,000 100 10,000 80 14,000 120 agriculture 40 10 40 30,000 120 30,000 120 - - cto 17.5 7 15 5,000 50 5,000 50 - - * any side or rear yard adjacent to a street must satisfy the minimum requirement for a front yard.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  One- and two-family homes in the residential districts listed in Table 3 of Hampton charter township (r-1 through r-7, agriculture, cto)

  • The footnote attaches to the lot-area column of every Table 3 row, so it is read as applying to each listed district.
  • Covers all buildings including accessory buildings and other structures.

  maximum combined building coverage: <= 25 percent of total lot area

  “** the total area occupied by all buildings, including accessory buildings and other structures shall not exceed a combined total of twenty-five (25) percent of the total lot area.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Two-story detached garages accessory to a dwelling in Hampton charter township

  • The garage must meet the main building rear yard setback for its district.
  • The second story must be subordinate and may be used only by occupants of the principal building; no sleeping quarters in a detached garage.

  maximum peak height, two-story detached garage: <= 24 ft (text reads '24 at the peak'; unit inferred as feet) · maximum sidewall height, two-story detached garage: <= 20 ft (text reads 'sidewalls shall not exceed 20'; unit inferred as feet)

  “the height of a two-story detached garage shall not exceed 24 at the peak’. sidewalls shall not exceed 20’.”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Recreational vehicles (campers, travel trailers, motor homes) parked or stored on residential lots in Hampton charter township, when used as living quarters

  • The ban covers stored or parked recreational equipment; it does not address a camper occupied on a lot under a separate permit.
  • Front-yard storage is limited to one recreational vehicle in a residential district and is barred for more than 72 hours in any 30-day period between October 1 and April 30.
  • Storage is limited to a parcel with an inhabited dwelling unit and vehicles owned by the occupant.

  “recreational equipment parked or stored shall not have fixed connections to electricity, water, gas or sanitary sewer facilities, and at no time shall this equipment be used for living or housekeeping purposes.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile home condominium developments and mobile home parks inside Hampton charter township, in the zoning districts where they are allowed

  • Allowed only in the zoning districts where mobile home parks are permitted.
  • Must comply with the Mobile Home Commission Act (Act 96 of 1987) and the township ordinance.
  • Single-family and two-family dwellings in the r-4 and r-5 districts may be built to HUD mobile home standards (section 3.16).

  “mobile home condominium development shall be allowed under the same terms and conditions as any other mobile home park within the applicable zoning districts.”

• Accessory dwellingsProhibited

  Sleeping quarters in a detached garage on a residential lot in Hampton charter township

  • Applies to detached garages; the ordinance does not address sleeping quarters in attached garages or other accessory buildings in this excerpt.

  “under no conditions shall any part of a detached garage be used for sleeping quarters.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  One- and two-family homes built inside Hampton charter township

  • Connection to public water and sewer is required only if service is available ('if available').
  • If public water and sewer are not available, a well and/or septic system approved by the Bay County Health Department is used instead.
  • The ordinance states no distance threshold for availability.

  “it shall be connected to public water and sewer service, if available, and/or a well or septic system approved by the bay county health department as required by the township plumbing code.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit fees for new construction and alterations inside Hampton charter township

  • The published Table 1-a is dated as adopted July 25, 2005; no newer building permit fee schedule was found on the form.
  • Other inspections and fees on the form: re-inspection and unlisted inspections $50.00 per hour (minimum one-half hour); plan review changes $40.00 per page; outside consultants at actual cost.
  • Zoning permit applications carry a separate fee, not opened here.

  building permit fee, total valuation $25,001 to $50,000: 516.09 USD (plus $13.31 for each additional $1,000.00 or fraction thereof, to and including $50,000.00)

  “$25,001.00 to $50,000.00 $516.09 for the first $25,000.00 plus $13.31 for each additional $1,000.00, or fraction thereof, to and including $50,000.00”

• Permit processPartial

  Building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical permit and inspection process in Hampton charter township

  • Inspections are scheduled by appointment; the office is at 801 W. Center Road, Essexville, MI 48732 (phone 989-893-7541).
  • The page does not give step-by-step permit review timelines; the process is only partly published.

  “Inspections are scheduled by appointment.”

Rules another office applies inside Hampton Township

Hampton 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 code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Building, plumbing, mechanical and electrical construction inside Hampton charter township; the township enforces the state codes locally

  • The township does not adopt its own building code on this page; it enforces the state codes adopted by the bureau of construction codes.
  • Inspection services are provided under Act 230 of 1972 (State Construction Code Act), as the inspection page states.

  “The Township enforces the State Building, Plumbing, Mechanical and Electrical Codes as promulgated and adopted by the Bureau of Construction Codes.”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Septic systems serving land inside Hampton charter township; the Bay County Health Department approves them (the township applies this rule inside its limits)

  • Applies to one- and two-family homes in the township when public sewer is not available or the owner uses a septic system.
  • Scope is countywide because the county health department's service area covers the township; this is not a county rule for the unincorporated area recorded as a township ordinance.

  “it shall be connected to public water and sewer service, if available, and/or a well or septic system approved by the bay county health department as required by the township plumbing code.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Septic system serving a home inside Hampton charter township, approved by the Bay County Health Department

  • The township ordinance requires septic systems to be approved by the Bay County Health Department; the county permit application and fee were not opened.

  “NEW SEWAGE PERMIT (Vacant Land Evaluation required for permit)”

• Well permitRequired

  Private well serving a home inside Hampton charter township, approved by the Bay County Health Department

  • The ordinance requires a well approved by the county health department where public water is not used; the county well permit application was not opened.

  “WELL PERMIT - Residential New Replacement”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for a homeowner building their own home inside Hampton charter township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Hampton charter township
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Hampton charter township
• Tiny homes — Occupancy of a tiny home inside Hampton charter township
• Septic inspection — Septic system inspection for a home inside Hampton charter township

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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.