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

Lincoln Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Grading, excavation, or construction inside Lincoln Township where a building permit is required by state law.

  • A zoning permit must issue first.
  • Building-permit issuance applies where required by state law.

  “where required by state law, the Building Inspector certifies proposed structures and buildings comply with the building code through the issuance of a Building Permit.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Structures and uses inside Lincoln Township.

  • The occupancy permit must be received from the Building Inspector pursuant to the building code before occupancy.

  “No structure or use shall be occupied, in whole or in part, without first receiving a permit for occupancy from the Building Inspector”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Lincoln Township, Clare County, Michigan.

  • The ordinance establishes a permitting system for regulated land uses and development.

  “This Ordinance shall be known and cited as the Lincoln Township Zoning Ordinance.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Lincoln Township.

  • The official zoning map controls district placement.

  published districts: RR; R-1; R-2; R-2A; R-MF; R-MHC; C-1; C-2; I-1; I-2; PUD

  “Other Districts PUD Planned Unit Development District”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Human-occupied buildings inside Lincoln Township using non-public water or wastewater facilities.

  • The building must have potable water and a wastewater-disposal system providing safe and effective collection, treatment, and disposal.
  • Facilities must meet County Health Department and other applicable-agency standards.

  “said building shall be provided with a potable water supply and waste water disposal system”

• Shed and accessory-building permit exemptionConditional

  Small accessory structures inside Lincoln Township.

  • The exemption is from the zoning permit only.
  • The structure remains subject to ordinance standards and building-code compliance where applicable.
  • It must lack a foundation, footings, or a similar permanent anchoring system and be under 60 square feet.

  maximum area: < 60 square feet (Only where the structure has no foundation, footings, or similar permanent anchoring system.)

  “does not have a foundation, footings or similar permanent anchoring system, and is less than sixty (60) square feet in area.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Lincoln Township short-term-rental licensing.

  • The cited fee schedule is for short-term-rental administration and enforcement, not general building permits.

  initial STR license/application fee: 350 USD · annual STR renewal fee: 150 USD · STR reinspection fee: 75 USD · late STR renewal fee: 500 USD

  “Initial (New) Short-Term Rental License/Application $350.00 Annual Renewal of License/Application $150.00 Reinspection Fee $75.00 Late Renewal Fee $500.00”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Township zoning permits.

  • Single- and two-family dwelling applications use a plot plan.
  • Other uses, structures, and buildings generally require site-plan review.
  • Special land uses also follow Article 7; variances must be acted on before a zoning permit issues.

  “An application for a zoning permit shall include the submittal of a plot plan or site plan.”

Rules another office applies inside Lincoln Township

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

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Principal land uses and principal buildings in the R-1 Low Density Residential District in Lincoln Township.

  • Table 3-4 and its footnotes apply.

  maximum building coverage: 25 percent · maximum lot coverage: 30 percent

  “35 ft.3 BC: 25% 50 ft.5 10 ft.6 25 ft. Low Density Residential LC: 30%4”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Principal land uses and principal buildings in the RR Rural Residential District in Lincoln Township.

    “40 ft.3 BC: 25% 90 ft.5 50 ft.6 50 ft. Rural 35%4”

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal land uses and principal buildings in the RR Rural Residential District in Lincoln Township.

  • Table 3-4 and its footnotes apply.

  maximum building height: 40 feet · maximum stories: 3 stories

  “ResidentialLC: 40 ft.3 BC: 25% 90 ft.5 50 ft.6 50 ft. Rural 35%4 3 stories”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Potable-water and sewage-disposal facilities serving buildings inside Lincoln Township.

  • Facilities must meet County Health Department requirements and standards of other applicable agencies.

  “All sewage disposal and potable water facilities shall be constructed and maintained in accordance with the requirements and standards of the County Health Department”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction in Lincoln Township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Lincoln Township.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Lincoln Township.
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes used as dwellings inside Lincoln Township.
• Manufactured homes — Manufactured homes used as dwellings inside Lincoln 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.