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

Williams Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Excavation, erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, improvement, removal, conversion, or demolition of a building or structure inside Williams Township.

  • A separate permit is required for each building or structure.
  • Requirement is subject to applicable provisions of the State Construction Code, as amended.

  “No person, firm or corporation shall excavate, erect, construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, improve, remove, convert, or demolish any building or structure in Williams Township or cause the same to be done without first obtaining a separate building permit for each such building or structure from the zoning administrator as required by applicable provisions of the State Construction Code, as amended.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Construction or work inside Williams Township for which a permit is required.

  • Inspections are as required by the State Construction Code, as amended.
  • The listed foundation, frame, lath/wallboard, and final inspections occur at the stated construction stages.
  • The Building Inspector may make or require additional inspections.

  “All construction or work for which a permit is required shall be subject to inspections by the building inspector as required by the State Construction Code, as amended.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Williams Charter Township.

  • The ordinance is administered and enforced by the Township Zoning Administrator.

  “SECTION 12.01. ZONING ADMINISTRATION. The provisions of this Ordinance shall be administered and enforced by the Zoning Administrator.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Occupancy of a travel trailer, recreational vehicle, or similar unit inside Williams Charter Township.

  • It may not be occupied as a permanent dwelling.
  • It may not be occupied as a guest facility for more than 30 days in one calendar year.

  guest-facility occupancy limit: <= 30 days per calendar year (Travel trailer, recreational vehicle, or similar unit)

  “Occupy a travel trailer, recreational vehicle, or any other similar unit as a permanent dwelling, or as a guest facility for more than thirty (30) days in one calendar year.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile/manufactured-home occupancy inside Williams Charter Township.

  • A mobile home that does not conform to Section 2.12(a) may be occupied only in a mobile-home park or mobile-home plat zoned for that use.
  • Mobile-home parks are special uses in the R-3 district.

  “Occupy a mobile home which does not conform to the standards of Section 2.12 (a) of this Ordinance unless located within a mobile home park or a mobile home plat zoned for such uses.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land division and resulting parcels inside Williams Charter Township.

  • Applicable parcels must comply with Township Ordinance No. 126, as amended, the Charter Township of Williams Land Division Ordinance.

  “Land on which pond construction has been completed may be divided in such manner that the property lines of the resulting parcels do not comply with the pond setback requirements set forth in subpart 4. a. of subsection B. of Section 3.26. as long as the resulting parcels comply with all other applicable requirements of this ordinance and those of Ordinance No. 126, as amended, the Charter Township of Williams Land Division Ordinance.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permits inside Williams Charter Township.

  • Fees follow a Township Board fee schedule.
  • Where State Construction Code-required work starts before the building permit, the permit fee is doubled.

  late permit fee multiplier: 2 times standard fee (Work requiring a State Construction Code permit started before permit issuance)

  “Building permit fees shall be charged and collected by the zoning administrator in accordance with the fee schedule adopted by resolution of the Township Board as permitted by the State Construction Code. Where work for which a permit is required by the State Construction Code is started prior to obtaining a building permit, the permit fees shall be doubled.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Williams Charter Township.

  • Applicant must submit a written application on the Township form.
  • Application identifies work, land, intended use or occupancy, valuation, plans/specifications, and other information required by the Zoning Administrator.
  • Issuance requires conformity with the ordinance, State Construction Code, other pertinent laws and ordinances, and payment of the fee.

  “To obtain a permit, the applicant shall first file an application in writing on a form furnished for that purpose.”

Rules another office applies inside Williams Township

Williams 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)

  Buildings and premises inside Williams Charter Township.

  • The Township administers and enforces the State Construction Code as amended.

  “The zoning administrator shall administrate and enforce the provisions of this ordinance and the State Construction Code, as amended, and shall have the power to grant such permits and certificates of occupancy as are required by this ordinance and the State Construction Code”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  On-site sewage systems at Bay County sites inside Williams Charter Township that are not served by municipal sewage collection.

  • The Bay County department requires a permit before work begins where the site is not served by municipal water supply and/or sewage collection.
  • Township regulations must also be checked.

  “If you are planning to build at a site located in Bay County which is not served by a municipal water supply and/or sewage collection system, you are required to obtain a permit from this department.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New construction inside Williams Charter Township that is not served by municipal water supply and/or sewage collection and needs an on-site sewage disposal system.

  • Permit must be secured from the Bay County department before work begins.
  • A site soil evaluation is conducted.
  • The permit contains specific minimum standards.
  • The system must be at least 50 feet from water-supply wells.
  • Permit changes require approval.

  minimum isolation from water supply well: >= 50 feet

  “The permit(s) must be secured from this department prior to beginning any work.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Installation of on-site sewage disposal systems inside Williams Charter Township where Bay County permits are required.

  • Final inspection must occur before the system is covered.

  “A Final Inspection of the onsite sewage disposal system installation must be conducted by this department prior to covering the system.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  On-site sewage disposal for sites inside Williams Charter Township not served by municipal sewage collection.

  • A Bay County permit is required before work begins.
  • The system must meet permit-specific minimum standards and obtain final inspection before being covered.

  “The permit which is issued to you by this department will contain specific minimum standards. Onsite sewage disposal systems must be isolated a minimum of fifty (50) feet from all water supply wells. Any changes from the permit issued by this office must first be approved.”

• Well permitRequired

  Private water wells at Bay County sites inside Williams Charter Township not served by municipal water supply.

  • Permit must be secured from Bay County before work begins.
  • Well must be installed by a Registered Well Driller.
  • The department must be notified after installation for final inspection and water sampling.

  “If you are planning to build at a site located in Bay County which is not served by a municipal water supply and/or sewage collection system, you are required to obtain a permit from this department. The permit(s) must be secured from this department prior to beginning any work.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development within Williams Charter Township's FP Floodplain District.

  • The district is along the listed waterways as defined by the cited Flood Hazard Boundary Map.
  • All development must strictly comply with Williams Charter Township Ordinance No. 45, Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance.

  “All development within this district shall be in strict accordance with the provisions of Charter Township of Williams Ordinance No. 45 Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders undertaking residential construction inside Williams Charter Township.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Williams Charter Township.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Williams Charter Township.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Williams Charter Township.
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Williams 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 Williams 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.

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