Bolthole Index

Berrien County, Michigan

Zoning, building permits and septic in New Buffalo Township, Michigan

New Buffalo Township, in Berrien County, Michigan, has its own zoning ordinance, with district rules such as AG-R and R-11. Building permits are required across Michigan2, and the township runs a Building and Zoning Department3. Septic permits for homes without public sewer come from the Berrien County Health Department, not the township4. The separate City of New Buffalo is not covered here.

At a glance

Zoning
Township zoning ordinance with AG-R, R-1 and other districts1
Building permit
Required statewide; township has a Building and Zoning Department23
Septic
Berrien County Health Department4
Minimum lot, AG-R
2 acres, 150 feet wide5
Minimum lot, R-1
15,000 square feet, 100 feet wide6
Sewer connection
Required for new structures within 400 feet of public sewer7
RV and tiny home living
Not confirmed; ask the township zoning administrator8

Who to call

Building permits

New Buffalo Township Building and Zoning Department

Township building inspections and zoning administration for land in New Buffalo Township

269-469-3112

17425 Red Arrow Highway, New Buffalo, MI 49117

Septic permits

Berrien County Health Department, Environmental Health Office

Septic (on-site sewage disposal) permits and inspections in Berrien County

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 New Buffalo Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does New Buffalo Township have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

New Buffalo Township, Michigan has its own zoning ordinance, Chapter 455 of the township code, so zoning here is decided by the township and not by Berrien County19. Rules depend on the district.

In the agricultural residential (AG-R) district, the minimum lot is 2 acres and 150 feet wide, with 20% maximum lot coverage510. A main building there needs a 30-foot front setback, 15-foot side setback and 50-foot rear setback, and may stand 35 feet tall1112.

In the low density residential (R-1) district, the minimum lot is 15,000 square feet and 100 feet wide, with 35% maximum lot coverage613. Main buildings need a 30-foot front, 10-foot side and 25-foot rear setback14.

Land along the Galien River may sit in the F-1 floodplain overlay, which restricts development in areas that flood15. Find your parcel's district with the township's zoning map before you make an offer.

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

Michigan requires an owner or builder to apply for a building permit before constructing a building or structure, subject to exceptions in the construction code2. A new building also needs a certificate of occupancy before anyone uses it16.

New Buffalo Township has a Building and Zoning Department with a building official and inspectors3. Call the department at 269-469-31123 to confirm how to apply, which forms apply and what it charges. We could not confirm the township's permit fees or its written permit process.

An owner who builds a home for their own use and occupancy on their own property falls outside Michigan's residential-builder licensing definition, but the building permit is still required17.

How do septic permits work inside New Buffalo Township?

The Berrien County Health Department, not the township, issues septic permits for homes in the county without public sewer4. Homeowners or contractors must file an application with the Health Department to put in a septic system18. Call the Environmental Health Office at 269-927-562318.

Check sewer first. Township code requires newly constructed structures within 400 feet of an available public sanitary sewer to connect to it7. If sewer is available at your lot, a septic system may not be an option.

Berrien County's published septic application fee was $350 for each site in its 2024 schedule19. Berrien County also requires a final inspection of a septic system before it is covered and put into service20.

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

We could not confirm whether New Buffalo Township allows long-term RV living or a tiny home as a dwelling. Zoning here is township-level1, so the answer sits in the township's zoning ordinance and depends on your district.

Michigan's tiny house guidance points to local zoning, building, electrical and plumbing permits and final approvals8. Statewide campground rules are about licensed campgrounds, not living on your own parcel, so they do not answer this question21. Ask the township's Zoning Administrator at 269-469-31123 before buying land for this purpose.

Building a home in New Buffalo Township: the steps, in order

  1. Find the parcel's zoning district on the township zoning map and read that district's lot, setback and height limits1.
  2. Ask the township whether public sewer is available; new structures within 400 feet must connect7.
  3. If there is no sewer, apply to the Berrien County Health Department for a septic permit22.
  4. Apply for a building permit through the township Building and Zoning Department32.
  5. Arrange inspections as work proceeds23.
  6. Obtain a certificate of occupancy before moving in16.

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

Septic permits, and the county health department's role in wells, stay with Berrien County and Michigan, not the township424. A driveway that crosses a Berrien County road right-of-way needs a county right-of-way permit25; a driveway onto a state highway needs a state permit26.

For land outside the township, see the Berrien County page; its rules differ. County figures, not township ones: Berrien County's effective property tax rate is 1.1%27, and only about 10.8% of its soils are rated not limited for a conventional drain field28. That low share means many lots need a site evaluation or an engineered septic system.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm New Buffalo Township's permit fees, its written permit process, or which construction codes the township adopts, so call the Building and Zoning Department at 269-469-3112 before you plan a budget3.
  • The City of New Buffalo is a separate municipality with its own rules; the township's zoning does not cover land inside the city1.
  • We could not confirm township rules on RV living, tiny homes, accessory dwellings, minimum home size or short-term rentals; ask the Zoning Administrator3.
  • Land near the Galien River may fall in the F-1 floodplain overlay15.

Sources

  1. Township of New Buffalo, MI table of contents - eCode360 (New Buffalo Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act, MCL 125.1510 (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  3. New Buffalo Township Building and Zoning Department (newbuffalotownship.org)
  4. On-Site Septic, quoted and re-checked
  5. Township of New Buffalo, MI: Zoning Districts and Map (New Buffalo Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Township of New Buffalo, MI: Zoning Districts and Map (New Buffalo Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Township of New Buffalo, MI: Connection to Sewage Disposal System (New Buffalo Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. michigan.gov (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Request for Proposals — Berrien County Planning Commission Master Plan 2021, quoted and re-checked
  10. Township of New Buffalo, MI: Zoning Districts and Map (New Buffalo Township), quoted and re-checked
  11. Township of New Buffalo, MI: Zoning Districts and Map (New Buffalo Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Township of New Buffalo, MI: Zoning Districts and Map (New Buffalo Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. Township of New Buffalo, MI: Zoning Districts and Map (New Buffalo Township), quoted and re-checked
  14. Township of New Buffalo, MI: Zoning Districts and Map (New Buffalo Township), quoted and re-checked
  15. Township of New Buffalo, MI: Zoning Districts and Map (New Buffalo Township), quoted and re-checked
  16. Certificate of Occupancy Request (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Frequently Asked Questions – Residential Builder (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Berrien County Health Department, Environmental Health Office (berriencounty.org)
  19. Environmental Health: Schedule of Fees – 2024, quoted and re-checked
  20. Berrien County Sewage Disposal Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  21. Legislation governing campgrounds in Michigan (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. Berrien County Sewage Disposal Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  23. MCL 125.1512, Inspection of construction (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. Before you start a well drilling business (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. Permits, quoted and re-checked
  26. Infrastructure permits (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  27. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  28. 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

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 New Buffalo Township

New Buffalo Township’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside New Buffalo township limits: the township's own zoning ordinance (eCode360 Chapter 455 Zoning) with district tables for AG-R, R-1 and other districts

    • Use and dimensional rules apply by zoning district; see district-specific claims.
    • Chapter 455 index entry lists §§ 455-1.1 through 455-13.1; only the district tables were opened, not every article.
    • The City of New Buffalo is a separate municipality and is not covered by this township claim.
    “chapter 455 zoning (§ 455-1.1 – § 455-13.1)”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Agricultural residential (AG-R) district lots inside New Buffalo township

    • Lot width 150 feet minimum also applies in this district.
    • Stated in the district lot occupation table.

    minimum lot area: >= 2 acres · minimum lot width: >= 150 feet

    “agricultural residential (ag-r) lot occupation standard minimum lot width (feet) 150 minimum lot area 2 acres maximum lot coverage 20%”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Low density residential (R-1) district lots inside New Buffalo township
      “low density residential (r-1) lot occupation standard minimum lot width (feet) 100 minimum lot area 15,000 square feet maximum lot coverage 35%”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Main buildings in the agricultural residential (AG-R) district inside New Buffalo township

    • Accessory buildings: side or rear yard; front yard only if the lot is at least 250 feet deep and the accessory setback is at least one-half the distance from the front lot line to the main building.
    • Accessory building side setback 15 feet and rear setback 50 feet; setback from buildings on lot 10 feet; accessory maximum height 30 feet.

    main building front setback: >= 30 feet · main building side setback: >= 15 feet · main building rear setback: >= 50 feet

    “main building standard front setback (feet) 30 side setback (feet) 15 rear setback (feet) 50 maximum height (feet) 35”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Main buildings in the low density residential (R-1) district inside New Buffalo township
      “main building standard front setback (feet) 30 side setback (feet) 10 rear setback (feet) 25 maximum height (feet) 35”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Lots in the agricultural residential (AG-R) district inside New Buffalo township

    • Stated in the district lot occupation table.

    maximum lot coverage: <= 20 percent

    “agricultural residential (ag-r) lot occupation standard minimum lot width (feet) 150 minimum lot area 2 acres maximum lot coverage 20%”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Lots in the low density residential (R-1) district inside New Buffalo township
      “low density residential (r-1) lot occupation standard minimum lot width (feet) 100 minimum lot area 15,000 square feet maximum lot coverage 35%”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Main buildings in the agricultural residential (AG-R) district inside New Buffalo township

    • Accessory building maximum height is 30 feet in this district.

    maximum main building height: <= 35 feet

    “main building standard front setback (feet) 30 side setback (feet) 15 rear setback (feet) 50 maximum height (feet) 35”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — Main buildings in the low density residential (R-1) district inside New Buffalo township
      “main building standard front setback (feet) 30 side setback (feet) 10 rear setback (feet) 25 maximum height (feet) 35”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Newly constructed structures inside New Buffalo township that are within 400 feet of an available public sanitary sewer

    • Applies to newly constructed structures; the ordinance text bars discharge from a newly constructed structure built after May 1, 2010 within 400 feet of an available public sanitary sewer.
    • The only exceptions stated are discharge of noncontact cooling water or discharge from a groundwater remediation activity.
    • Chapter 345 defines 'available' sewer at a 200-foot measure for existing structures and sets a 90-day connection window; those provisions were seen only in a search snippet and are not cited here.
    • Water connection requirement not verified in this research.

    distance to available public sanitary sewer (mandatory connection): <= 400 feet (only noncontact cooling water or groundwater remediation discharge is excepted)

    “it is mandatory that all newly constructed structures within 400 feet of an available public sanitary sewer shall connect to the available public sanitary sewer.”
  • Building in a floodplainLimited

    Land in the township's floodplain overlay district (F-1) along the Galien River

    • The F-1 overlay restricts development in areas subject to predictable flooding; the specific permitted and prohibited uses were not opened.
    • Chapter 207 floodplain management (§ 207-1 to § 207-3) is listed in the eCode360 index but not opened.
    “this district is intended primarily to protect those undeveloped areas of new buffalo township which are subject to predictable flooding in the floodplain area of the galien river”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — New residential construction inside New Buffalo township
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside New Buffalo township
  • Building code adopted — Building code adoption for New Buffalo township
  • Inspections — Building inspections for new homes inside New Buffalo township
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside New Buffalo township
16 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • 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 New Buffalo 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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