Bolthole Index

Branch County, Michigan

Building permits, zoning and sewage rules in Village of Union City, Michigan

Village of Union City, Michigan requires building permits for construction and changes of use or occupancy, and the village has its own zoning regulations.12 For land in the Branch County portion of the village, septic installation requires health-agency approval as well as the Village Clerk’s permit; qualifying properties must connect to public sewer after notice.345 Start with the Village Office for zoning and confirmation of the building-permit enforcing agency.61

At a glance

Building permits
Required for construction and changes of use or occupancy; ordinary repairs have a limited exemption1
Zoning
Village zoning applies; obtain the regulations from the Village Office2
Public sewer
Qualifying properties must connect within 90 days after official notice5
Septic permits
Village Clerk permit required; Branch County septic installations also require the district health agency’s permit43
Owner-builder
Michigan licensing exemption available for construction for your own use and occupancy on your own property; other approvals still apply7
Private wells
Branch County well installations require the district health agency’s permit8

Who to call

Planning & zoning

Village of Union City Village Office — Planning and Zoning

Village zoning and planning questions; ask the Village Office to identify the building-permit enforcing agency and route Village Clerk sewage-permit questions.

517-741-8591

101 S Broadway St

Online permits →

Septic permits

Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency — Branch County

Septic installation permits for properties in Branch County; separate from the village sewage approvals.

517-279-9561 ext. 106

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of Union City means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Village of Union City, MI?

Village of Union City requires a written building-permit application to the appropriate enforcing agency before construction of a building or structure, and a permit when use or occupancy changes.1 Ordinary repairs are exempt, but structural work, changes affecting exits, utility work and work affecting public health or general safety fall outside that exemption.1

Michigan’s owner-builder licensing exemption covers a person building for their own use and occupancy on their own property; the exemption does not remove building-permit, inspection, zoning or utility requirements.7 Treat the licensing question and the approval of your proposed home as separate decisions.7

Who handles building-permit and zoning questions in Village of Union City?

The Village Office is the contact for Village of Union City zoning and planning questions, at 517-741-8591 and 101 S Broadway St.6 We could not confirm the building-permit enforcing agency for an address inside the village; ask the Village Office to identify that agency before submitting the required application.61

The village publishes zoning-compliance, site-plan-review, zoning-board-appeals and sign-permit applications.9 Ask which application fits your project, what supporting plans are needed, and what the current building-permit and zoning fees will be.9 A village zoning application should not be treated as approval from the building-permit enforcing agency.91

Does Village of Union City have zoning, lot-size and setback rules?

Village of Union City has adopted village zoning regulations by reference, and those regulations are available at the Village Office for public inspection and copying during normal business hours, excluding holidays.2 The Village Office handles zoning and planning questions.6

Before choosing a house footprint or buying a vacant lot, ask the Village Office for the parcel’s zoning district, the applicable minimum lot size, setbacks, lot coverage and building-height limits.26 We could not confirm those dimensional requirements for Village of Union City, so obtain the applicable district provisions before committing to a design.2 For land outside village limits, use the Branch County guide and confirm the applicable local jurisdiction rather than carrying village zoning rules across the boundary.10

How do sewer connections and septic permits work in Village of Union City?

Village of Union City properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation or another purpose that abut a street, alley or right-of-way containing an existing or future public sanitary sewer must install suitable sewage facilities and connect at the owner’s expense within 90 days after official notice.5 Sewer connections require a written village permit, and the building sewer must be inspected and approved before covering.5

Village of Union City also requires a Village Clerk permit before constructing or placing a cesspool or septic tank in use, with construction conforming to the village’s sewage provisions.4 Private septic facilities are generally unlawful except as the sewer subchapter allows, so ask the Village Clerk whether septic is an available option for the specific parcel.54 For a parcel in Branch County, the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency separately requires a septic-installation permit, with the fee paid at application.3

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Village of Union City?

We could not confirm permission for residential RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny homes, manufactured homes or accessory dwellings on a private lot in Village of Union City; ask the Village Office about the proposed use under the village zoning regulations.26 Request the applicable district provisions and an answer for your actual plan, including whether the unit will be occupied while a permanent home is being built.26

Village of Union City’s building-permit requirement also covers changes of use or occupancy.1 Sewage plans must satisfy the village’s public-sewer requirements or the applicable private-system approvals; an unconventional dwelling does not establish permission to bypass sewage approval.54

What are the steps to building a home in Village of Union City?

  1. Ask the Village Office for the parcel’s zoning regulations and whether a zoning-compliance or site-plan-review application is needed.296
  2. Resolve sewage service with the village: check public-sewer connection requirements before proposing septic, and obtain the Village Clerk’s permit if an eligible private system is proposed.54
  3. For a Branch County parcel needing septic or a private well, obtain the applicable installation permit from the district health agency.38
  4. Confirm the building-permit enforcing agency and submit the written construction application before starting work.1
  5. Arrange the enforcing agency’s inspections as construction proceeds; Michigan requires inspections of construction undertaken under an issued building permit.11

Watch-outs

  • Village of Union City septic approval comes from the Village Clerk as well as the district health agency for Branch County installations; do not treat either approval as a substitute for the other.43
  • We could not confirm Village of Union City’s minimum dwelling size or residential RV rules; ask the Village Office before purchasing a lot for either plan.26
  • Branch County private-well installations require a health-agency permit; resolve that requirement before drilling on a Branch County parcel inside Village of Union City.8

Sources

  1. Building Permit Information (Village of Union City), quoted and re-checked
  2. § 152.01 Zoning Regulations Adopted by Reference (Village of Union City), quoted and re-checked
  3. Sewage Disposal Systems, quoted and re-checked
  4. § 50.40 Permit Required (Village of Union City), quoted and re-checked
  5. § 50.02 Use of Public Sewers Required (Village of Union City), quoted and re-checked
  6. Village of Union City Village Office — Planning and Zoning (visitunioncity.com)
  7. Frequently Asked Questions – Residential Builder (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Water Wells and Water Testing, quoted and re-checked
  9. Forms (Village of Union City), quoted and re-checked
  10. ZONING OFFICIALS, quoted and re-checked
  11. courts.michigan.gov (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 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 Village of Union City

Village of Union City’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Union City village.

    • The village adopted its zoning regulations by reference on August 13, 2001.
    • The adopted zoning regulations are kept at the Village Office and available for public inspection and copying during normal business hours, excluding holidays.
    “The zoning regulations of the village, adopted August 13, 2001 are hereby adopted and incorporated as part of this code of ordinances as fully as if set out at length herein.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Construction, placement, or use of a cesspool or septic tank within Union City village corporate limits.

    • A permit must be obtained from the Village Clerk before construction or placing the system in use.
    • The construction must conform to the village subchapter.
    “It shall be unlawful for any person, firm, or corporation to construct, build, or place in use, on any premises occupied by such person, firm or corporation, within the corporate limits of the village, any cesspool, and/or septic tank, for the disposal of sewage, without first having obtained, from the Village Clerk, a permit for such construction, and no construction shall be authorized by such Village Clerk that does not conform with the requirements of this subchapter.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    Properties inside Union City village used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or another purpose that abut a street, alley, or right-of-way containing an existing or future public sanitary sewer.

    • The owner must install suitable sewage facilities and connect directly to the public sewer at the owner's expense.
    • Connection must occur within 90 days after official notice.
    • Private septic tanks and similar sewage facilities are generally unlawful except as provided by the subchapter.
    • A written village permit is required for sewer connections, and the building sewer must be inspected and approved before covering.

    connection deadline: 90 days (after receiving official notice)

    “The owner of all houses, buildings, or properties used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purpose situated within the village and abutting on any street, alley, or right-of-way in which there is now located or may in the future be located a public sanitary sewer of the village, is hereby required at his or her expense to install suitable sewage facilities therein and to connect such facilities directly with the proper public sewer in accordance with the provisions of this subchapter within 90 days after date of receiving official notice to do so.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Village zoning and site-plan applications inside Union City village.

    • The village publishes applications for site-plan review, zoning-board appeals, zoning compliance, and sign permits.
    • The opened forms page does not state the full review timeline, approval standards, fees, or enforcing department.
    “Sign Permit Application (PDF) Site Plan Review Application (PDF) Zoning Board of Appeals Application (PDF) Zoning Compliance Application (PDF)”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Union City

Village of Union City does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction of a building or structure, and changes in use or occupancy, inside Union City village.

    • A written application must be submitted to the appropriate enforcing agency before construction.
    • A permit is also required when use or occupancy changes.
    • Ordinary repairs are exempt, but the state page excludes structural, egress, utility, and other work affecting public health or general safety from ordinary repairs.
    • Residential construction generally requires a licensed Residential Builder, subject to exceptions in 1980 PA 299.
    “Before construction of a building or structure, an owner, or the owner's builder, architect, engineer, or agent, shall submit an application in writing to the appropriate enforcing agency for a building permit. A permit is also required when the use or occupancy of a structure or portion thereof is changed.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Union City or Branch County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder licensing exemptions for residential construction inside Union City village.
  • Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Union City village.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Union City village.
  • Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size inside Union City village.
  • Setbacks — Required setbacks inside Union City village.
14 more unanswered
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Village of Union City publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Branch County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Branch County: county rules, score and offices