Zoning, building permits and septic rules in West Branch Township, Michigan

Rules another office applies inside West Branch Township

West Branch Township 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

  Building permits for construction inside West Branch township, issued by the Dickinson County Construction Code Commission after the county signature sequence

  • Zoning sign-off comes first: 'a zoning permit is required for new homes, additions, garages, storage sheds, and decks.' West Branch township is listed among the zoning contacts on the same page.
  • Health department, RESCheck, road commission and soil erosion sign-offs may also be required before the building permit issues.
  • Commercial building permits need plan review approval first.

  “dickinson county construction code signature is required for a building permit, electrical permit, plumping permit, and mechanical permit.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Inspections on permitted construction inside West Branch township under the Dickinson County Construction Code Commission

  • Inspections are scheduled by calling each inspector when the work is ready.
  • The page does not list which inspection types apply to a given project.

  “note: please call each inspector when ready for each inspection.”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Certificate of occupancy for construction inside West Branch township under the Dickinson County Construction Code Commission

  • Issued upon request only, and only after all permits are finalized and paid in full.
  • No mandatory occupancy-inspection requirement is stated on the page.

  “certificate of occupancy will be provided upon request when all permits are finalized and paid in full.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New homes built inside West Branch township where city water and sewer are not available and the owner uses a private well and septic

  • Health department signature is also required when more than one bedroom or bathroom is added or constructed.
  • A home or cabin demolished and rebuilt on the same well and septic still requires notice to and a signature from the health department.
  • The page imposes no health signature where city water and sewer are available.

  “health department signature from daren, shelia, or wade is required when a home is being built where city water and sewer are not available and the homeowner is putting in their own well and septic.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway access for new construction inside West Branch township, signed off by the road commission

  • Road commission signature is needed only when a driveway has not already been installed.
  • The page does not state driveway width, culvert, or spacing standards.

  “road commission signature is required when a driveway has not already been installed.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Permit sequence for construction inside West Branch township, through the Dickinson County Construction Code Commission

  • Approvals are signed in order: zoning, RESCheck for new homes and large additions, health department, road commission (if no driveway), soil erosion (near water or over one acre), then the county construction code signature.
  • A building permit may be issued only after all required signatures; certificate of occupancy is provided on request after permits are finalized and paid.

  “signature approvals must be obtained in the following order:”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for residential construction inside West Branch township
• Local zoning — Whether West Branch township (Dickinson County, MI) adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts of West Branch township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside West Branch township, main single-family residential district
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size inside West Branch township, main single-family residential district

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.