Bolthole Index

Berrien County, Michigan

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

Buchanan Township, Michigan (Berrien County) adopts and enforces its own zoning ordinance, and building structures there requires a building permit and a zoning compliance permit12. Berrien County does not administer zoning anywhere in the county3. Septic permits for homes without public sewer come from the Berrien County Health Department4.

At a glance

Zoning
Township-run: Chapter 300 zoning ordinance with AG, residential, commercial and industrial districts15
Building permit
Required, together with a zoning compliance permit2
Septic permit
Berrien County Health Department, where public sewer is not available46
R-1 minimum lot
40,000 square feet of net lot area, 100 feet wide7
R-1 minimum home size
960 square feet total, 864 on the main floor8
RV and tiny-home living
Not confirmed; ask the township zoning office9
Owner-builder
Michigan exempts owners building their own home from the residential-builder license, but a building permit is still required10

Who to call

Building permits

Buchanan Charter Township Building Official

Building permits and code inspections for land inside Buchanan Township; separate contracted inspectors handle electrical, plumbing and mechanical work

(269) 612-8156

[email protected]

15235 Main Street Buchanan, Michigan 49107

Zoning

Buchanan Charter Township Planning & Zoning

Zoning compliance permits, planning commission and zoning board of appeals applications, the zoning map and master plan

(269) 695-6442

15235 Main Street Buchanan, Michigan 49107

Septic permits

Berrien County Health Department, Environmental Health Office

Septic permits, fees and inspections for new and replacement systems countywide, including inside Buchanan Township

269-927-5623

2149 East Napier Ave, Benton Harbor, MI 49022

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Buchanan Township, Michigan have zoning?

Yes. Buchanan Township adopts and administers its own zoning, Chapter 300 of its code, and applies it by district1. The districts include AG (agricultural), R-1 through R-5 residential, RE, RS, MU, CS (commercial) and IND (industrial), plus planned unit development and overlay articles5. The township publishes a zoning map, which decides which district a parcel is in9. Berrien County itself does not run zoning, so the county has nothing to say about your parcel's district3.

In the R-1 Low Density (Rural) Residential District, the minimum net lot area is 40,000 square feet with at least 100 feet of lot width7. Buildings need a 40-foot front yard and a 30-foot rear yard, and side yards must total at least 20 feet with no side under 10 feet11. Residential buildings and accessory structures in R-1 may not exceed 35 feet in height12. Each R-1 dwelling needs at least 960 square feet, with 864 square feet usable on the main floor, unless the code says otherwise8.

Those figures apply to R-1 only11. Read the standards for your own district before you buy.

Do you need a building permit in Buchanan Township, and who issues it?

Yes. Buchanan Township's zoning code requires both a building permit and a zoning compliance permit for structures and buildings2. Michigan's construction code also requires a written permit application to the enforcing agency before construction, and again when a building's use or occupancy changes; ordinary repairs are exempt13.

Inside the township, the Buchanan Charter Township Building Official handles building permit applications, and the township lists separate contracted electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspectors14. The township's zoning page lists a Zoning Compliance Permit Application and states that applications must be originals accompanied by payment9. Berrien County has no county building program, so the county is not the office to call15.

A new or altered building cannot be occupied until the code official issues a Certificate of Occupancy16. We could not confirm the township's permit fees or review timeline; ask the Building Official.

How do septic permits work in Buchanan Township?

Septic permits in Buchanan Township come from the Berrien County Health Department, not the township4. The department regulates on-site sewage systems for homes where public sewer is not available6. No one may build, alter, extend or replace an individual sewage system in the county without a permit from the Health Officer17. The department inspects the site for geology, groundwater table and isolation distances before issuing the permit, and the Health Officer must be notified before the work is covered18.

The 2024 fee schedule lists a $350 septic system application per site and an $800 engineered system review19. A residential water well permit is $26520. Sewage permits expire 12 months after issuance17.

Where public sewer reaches your lot, the township's sewer chapter requires connection within five years of availability, or one year if the sewer came through a special assessment district21. Across Berrien County, USDA rates about 11% of soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system22.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Buchanan Township?

We could not confirm whether Buchanan Township allows living in an RV or a tiny home on private land, so ask the township zoning office before you plan around it9. What the township's code does say: using a garage or accessory building for dwelling or sleeping purposes is prohibited in every zoning district23. A guesthouse is a special use in R-1 and needs special use approval23.

Michigan's campground rules do not answer the question for a single RV on your own parcel. They license campgrounds of five or more recreational units, and local townships may add their own zoning approval requirements or camping ordinances24. For tiny homes, state guidance says local zoning, building, electrical and plumbing permits and approvals apply25.

Building a home in Buchanan Township: the steps, in order

  1. Find your parcel's zoning district on the township zoning map and read that district's lot, setback and floor-area standards9.
  2. If there is no public sewer at the lot, apply to the Berrien County Health Department for a septic permit and a well permit1726.
  3. Apply to the township for a building permit and a zoning compliance permit2.
  4. Hire or arrange the township's contracted electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspections as your plans require14.
  5. If the driveway meets a county road, a Berrien County Road Department right-of-way permit is needed for work inside the right-of-way27.
  6. Request a Certificate of Occupancy once the permits are finaled and fees are paid; the building cannot be occupied before it is issued16.

Michigan lets an owner build a home for personal use and occupancy without a residential-builder license, but the permits above still apply10.

What stays with Berrien County, and what to check before you buy

Septic permits, well permits and sewage inspections stay with the Berrien County Health Department626. The county's own page for rules on land outside the township is Berrien County. A driveway onto a state trunkline highway also needs a Michigan Department of Transportation permit in addition to the local building permit28.

Before you buy, confirm the parcel's district on the township zoning map, ask the Building Official about fees and inspections, and check floodplain status: Michigan requires an EGLE permit for work in the 100-year floodplain of larger streams, and new residential construction is prohibited in the floodway29. Berrien County's effective property tax rate is 1.1%30.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm Buchanan Township's building permit fees, review timeline, lot-coverage limits or whether farm buildings are exempt; ask the Building Official and the zoning office14.
  • Setbacks, lot sizes and floor-area minimums differ by zoning district, and the figures here are for R-1 only11.
  • Where public sewer is available to an abutting building, the township requires connection rather than a private septic system21.
  • Michigan campground rules do not answer whether you can live in an RV on your own land; the township's zoning office has the answer24.

Sources

  1. Chapter 300: Zoning, Township of Buchanan, MI (eCode360) (Buchanan Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 300: Zoning, Township of Buchanan, MI (eCode360) (Buchanan Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. Request for Proposals — Berrien County Planning Commission Master Plan 2021, quoted and re-checked
  4. Article V: R-1 Low Density (Rural) Residential District, Township of Buchanan, MI (eCode360) (Buchanan Township), quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 300: Zoning, Township of Buchanan, MI (eCode360) (Buchanan Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. On-Site Septic, quoted and re-checked
  7. Article V: R-1 Low Density (Rural) Residential District, Township of Buchanan, MI (eCode360) (Buchanan Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Article V: R-1 Low Density (Rural) Residential District, Township of Buchanan, MI (eCode360) (Buchanan Township), quoted and re-checked
  9. Buchanan Charter Township Planning & Zoning (buchanantownship.net)
  10. Frequently Asked Questions – Residential Builder (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Article V: R-1 Low Density (Rural) Residential District, Township of Buchanan, MI (eCode360) (Buchanan Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Article V: R-1 Low Density (Rural) Residential District, Township of Buchanan, MI (eCode360) (Buchanan Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
  14. Buchanan Charter Township Building Official (buchanantownship.net)
  15. Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
  16. Certificate of Occupancy Request (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Berrien County Sewage Disposal Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  18. Sewage Disposal Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  19. Environmental Health: Schedule of Fees – 2024, quoted and re-checked
  20. Environmental Health Schedule of Fees – 2024, quoted and re-checked
  21. Chapter 200: Sewers, Township of Buchanan, MI (eCode360) (Buchanan Township), quoted and re-checked
  22. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  23. Article XVIII: General Provisions and Exceptions, Township of Buchanan, MI (eCode360) (Buchanan Township), quoted and re-checked
  24. Temporary campgrounds (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. michigan.gov (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  26. Before you start a well drilling business (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  27. Permits, quoted and re-checked
  28. Infrastructure permits (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  29. Floodplains (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  30. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Buchanan Township

Buchanan Township’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Structures and buildings in Buchanan township under Chapter 300

    • Section title only was read (§ 300-18.31); the text of that section, including the issuing office and any exemptions, was not opened.
    • Site plan review (§ 300-23) and special use permits apply to some uses per § 300-5.03 and § 300-5.04(h).
    “§ 300-18.31 building permit and zoning compliance permit required.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Buchanan township limits (Township of Buchanan, Berrien County, MI). The township adopts and administers its own Chapter 300 Zoning.

    • Zoning applies by district (Articles IV through XIV); district-specific limits are recorded in separate claims.
    • Chapter history cites adoption by the township board on 10-21-2010 and amendment through ord. no. 110-2017.
    “chapter 300 zoning [history: adopted by the township board of the township of buchanan 10-21-2010, as amended through 12-7-2017 by ord. no. 110-2017.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts of Buchanan township, Chapter 300 (AG, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4L/R-4R, R-5, RE, RS, MU, CS, IND, plus PUD and overlay-type articles).

    • The chapter lists a zoning map as Attachment 1 and says district boundaries are set by the zoning map under § 300-3.03.
    • Article XI (RS) and Article XIa (MU) district text was not opened.
    “article v r-1 low density (rural) residential district § 300-5.01 description and purpose.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Each dwelling unit in the R-1 Low Density (Rural) Residential District inside Buchanan township

    • Applies 'unless specified elsewhere' in the code.

    minimum total floor area per dwelling unit: >= 960 square feet (unless specified elsewhere) · minimum usable floor area on main floor: >= 864 square feet (unless specified elsewhere)

    “g. minimum floor area. each dwelling unit, unless specified elsewhere, shall have a total minimum of 960 square feet with a minimum of 864 square feet of usable floor area on the main floor.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    R-1 Low Density (Rural) Residential District lots with single-family detached dwellings inside Buchanan township

    • Minimum lot width is 100 feet, measured at the front building line, unless specified elsewhere (§ 300-5.04(f)).
    • Development standards section 300-5.04 applies to any building or structure erected in the district.

    minimum net lot area: >= 40000 square feet

    “e. lot area. the minimum net lot area in this district shall be 40,000 square feet.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    R-1 Low Density (Rural) Residential District buildings inside Buchanan township

    • Front, side and rear yard figures are from § 300-5.04(b) through (d).
    • Side-yard rule: total side yards at least 20 feet with no side under 10 feet.
    • No accessory-structure setback is stated in § 300-5.04; § 300-18.24 (accessory buildings) and § 300-18.22 (projections) were not opened.

    front yard: >= 40 feet · total side yards: >= 20 feet (no single side yard less than 10 feet) · rear yard: >= 30 feet

    “c. side yard. for residential buildings and structures, there shall be total side yards of not less than 20 feet; provided, however, that no side yard shall be less than 10 feet.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-1 Low Density (Rural) Residential District residential buildings and accessory structures inside Buchanan township

    • Height rule is in § 300-5.04(a).

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet

    “a. height regulations. no residential building or accessory structure shall exceed 35 feet in height.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory dwellings in garages or accessory buildings in any zoning district inside Buchanan township

    • Use of a garage or accessory building for dwelling or sleeping purposes is prohibited in any zoning district.
    • Guesthouse is a permitted special use in R-1 (§ 300-5.03(f)), subject to special use approval; § 300-18.28 guesthouse rules were not opened.
    • Detached dwelling units in other forms were not verified.
    “§ 300-18.21 illegal dwellings. the use of any portion of the basement of a partially completed building found not to be in compliance with the building code, any garage, or accessory building for dwelling or sleeping purposes in any zoning district is prohibited.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Privies, septic tanks and cesspools for buildings inside Buchanan township

    • The general rule is 'except as hereinafter provided', so exceptions in the same Chapter 200 article were not opened.
    • Where public sewer is available to an abutting building, connection is required (see utility_connection claim), so on-site disposal is not an alternative there.
    • Where sewer is not available, on-site septic is allowed only as the Berrien County Health Department permits (Article V, see septic_authority claim).
    “b. except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspools or other facilities intended or used for the disposal of sewage.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Buildings for human occupancy inside Buchanan township that abut a street, alley or right-of-way where public sanitary sewer is available

    • Connection deadline is one year if the system comes through a special assessment district; otherwise five years after availability (§ 200 subsection c(2) as shown on the page).
    • The Township Board may require connection sooner to protect public health, safety and welfare.
    • Water connection is not verified here: Chapter 260 (Water) and the R-1 cross-reference to it were not opened.

    connection deadline after sewer availability (no special assessment district): 5 years (one year if the system is created by a special assessment district)

    “(2) if the sanitary sewer system becomes available as a result of, or in conjunction with, the creation of a special assessment district, said connection shall be made within one year of the availability of the system. in all other cases, connection to the system shall be made within five years of the availability of the system.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    New structures, parcels, land divisions, subdivision lots and condominium units inside Buchanan township (R-1 cross-reference)

    • Land division ordinance (Chapter 142) and site condominium rules (Article XVI) appear in the code but were not opened; subdivision approval steps are not verified here.
    • The quoted rule is an access-management cross-reference, not a full subdivision approval standard.
    “j. access management. all new structures, parcels of land, land divisions, subdivision lots, or condominium units shall meet the requirements of § 300-18.34, access management, of this chapter.”

Rules another office applies inside Buchanan Township

Buchanan 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 septicCounty (with conditions)

    Homes on on-site septic inside Buchanan township, where the Berrien County Health Department permits the system (applies inside Buchanan township)

    • The township code says homes may use on-site wells and septic 'as permitted by the berrien county health department'; the health department's own permit rules were not opened.
    • Article XVIII § 300-18.19 says lot area may be increased for Berrien County Health Department requirements on lots without public water and sewer (second evidence entry).
    “utilities may be encouraged for extension in this area or homes may utilize on-site well and sanitary septic systems as permitted by the berrien county health department.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption in Buchanan township
  • Building code adopted — Building code adoption in Buchanan township
  • Inspections — Building inspections in Buchanan township
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy in Buchanan township
  • Lot coverage — Building or lot coverage limit in Buchanan township
12 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Buchanan Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Berrien County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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