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

Rules another office applies inside Wilmot Township

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

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Wilmot township's limits (outside the village of Wolverine): Cheboygan County Zoning Ordinance No. 200 administered by the county planning and zoning department, applying because the township has no zoning of its own

  • County zoning applies because the township has not adopted its own zoning; the county statement names only Burt Township, the villages of Mackinaw City and Wolverine, and the City of Cheboygan as excluded.
  • The county page says the image of zoning districts is not the official zoning map; confirm the district for a parcel with the county planning and zoning department at (231) 627-8489.
  • The ordinance copy used is an energyzoning.org mirror dated 2022-07-18 showing amendments through #163; the county planning page refers to a January 2025 hearing on Amendment #182, so later amendments may apply.

  “cheboygan county zoning authority covers all townships except burt township and those areas outside of the incorporated villages of mackinaw city and wolverine and the city of cheboygan.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Recreational vehicles and travel trailers used as a dwelling on a lot in Wilmot township under county Zoning Ordinance No. 200

  • Allowed as a temporary dwelling only while the owner completes construction of a single family or two family dwelling on the lot.
  • Requires a zoning permit under section 21.3 and full setback compliance; only one unit on the lot during construction; a building permit must have been issued (section 17.7.1.d, text cut off in capture).

  “17.7.1.c no more than one (1) tent, travel trailer, camper, recreational vehicle or undersized mobile home is located on the lot while construction is ongoing.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Tents, travel trailers, campers, recreational vehicles and undersized mobile homes outside a campground on land in Wilmot township under county Zoning Ordinance No. 200

  • Use as a temporary dwelling is limited to construction of a single family or two family dwelling on the lot (section 17.7.1), with a zoning permit, setbacks compliance, and one unit at a time.
  • Other uses listed in section 17.7 (caretaker office, contractor office or storage, vacation and hunting stays, short-term stays on a lot with a principal single family dwelling) were not fully reviewed; the time limits in the rest of section 17.7.1 were not captured.

  “a tent, travel trailer, camper, recreational vehicle or undersized mobile home may be used as a temporary dwelling while the owner of the lot completes construction of a single family or two family dwelling on that lot, provided all of the following requirements are met:”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Guest house accessory to a single family dwelling on land in Wilmot township under county Zoning Ordinance No. 200

  • Maximum 600 sq ft total floor area.
  • Lot must meet the minimum lot area of its zoning district.
  • No more than two bedrooms.
  • Single family dwelling and guest house must both be served by potable water and a sanitary sewer system meeting health department requirements.
  • No more than one guest house per lot.

  maximum guest house floor area: <= 600 sq ft (total floor area)

  “it does not exceed six hundred (600) square feet in total floor area.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit requirement for new construction in Wilmot township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homes in Wilmot township
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for land inside Wilmot township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction in Wilmot township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in Wilmot 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.