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

Flushing Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Residential and other construction in Flushing charter township handled by the township construction and development services department

  • Construction may proceed after the permit is issued and inspections are called.
  • Permit fees are based on the township fee schedule; plan review must be approved first.

  “requirements for obtaining building permits from the construction & development services department residential structures”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction in Flushing charter township, with inspections called by the permit holder

  • Inspections are requested at least one day ahead; requests by 4:00 pm the previous day go to the next business day.
  • The sheet lists five inspections (foundation, backfill, rough, insulation, final) for most structures.

  minimum number of inspections: >= 5 inspections (on most structures)

  “a minimum of five (5) inspections are required on most structures.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New or altered buildings in Flushing charter township

  • The permit holder must request the certificate in writing after completion.
  • A certificate cannot be issued until fees are paid, permits are finaled and the work is complete.

  “a new building or a building that is altered shall not be used or occupied until a certificate of occupancy is issued by the code official.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Flushing charter township limits (the township's own zoning ordinance, Chapter 36 of its code)

  • The zoning ordinance PDF on the township site shows an update through December 2014 per its search listing; later amendments (e.g., Ordinance 2025-02, adopted September 9, 2025) are in the township's public notices. Current codified text was not opened.
  • Section 20-403 and Article IV site regulations are the township's own rules; county or state rules do not replace them inside township limits.

  “the second reading and adoption of the amendment to the zoning ordinance was at the township board of trustees meeting on tuesday, september 9, 2025”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts of Flushing charter township, including RSA (Residential Suburban Agricultural), RU-1 to RU-4, SR, C-1 to C-3, M-1 and M-2

  • Zoning map is kept at the township office; the district list comes from the use schedule in the zoning PDF.
  • The published map was not opened; the 2025-02 notice confirms RSA exists.

  “an ordinance to amend the zoning ordinance to rezone parcel no. 08-11-100-005 from ru4 to rsa residential suburban agricultural district.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family residence on a lot not served by municipal water and sanitary sewers, in Flushing charter township (sec. 20-403 general lot rule; district-by-district figures are in the Table of District Regulations, which was not legible in the captured text, so the RSA and RU-1 districts are not separately stated here)

  • Applies to lots not served by municipal water and sanitary sewers; served lots are governed by the district table, not captured.
  • Lot must have at least 100 feet of frontage on a dedicated public road.

  minimum lot size (lots without municipal water and sewer): >= 30000 square feet (lots served by municipal water and sanitary sewers) · minimum frontage on dedicated public road: >= 100 feet

  “lots which are not served by municipal water and sanitary sewers, a minimum lot size of 30,000 square feet, with at least 100 feet of frontage on a”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Structures measured from the edge of the street right-of-way in Flushing charter township (sec. 20-411); side and rear setbacks come from the district table (sec. 20-702), not captured

  • Block-average exception: where buildings have been built on the majority of parcels in the block closer than permitted, the applicant may build to the block mean-average setback line.
  • Corner and side-street lots may not reduce buildable width below 24 feet.

  setback from right-of-way edge to nearest point of any structure: 25 feet (block-average setback exception in sec. 20-411(1))

  “the setback shall be 25': (1) when buildings have been built upon the majority of the parcels in the block closer than permitted by this chapter”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Occupying a travel trailer or recreational vehicle on private land in Flushing charter township

  • Occupancy is allowed only in a licensed travel trailer or recreational vehicle park, or as otherwise provided in the chapter (e.g., a temporary visitor permit under sec. 20-1800(c) for up to 30 days).
  • Occupancy of a parked RV is also limited by sec. 20-319(b)-(l), including clearance and water and sanitary facility rules.

  visitor RV permit duration: 30 days (discretionary temporary travel trailer permit (sec. 20-1800(c)))

  “no person shall park, or permit the parking on, any occupied travel trailer or other recreational vehicle, or use, occupy or permit the use or occupancy of any travel trailer or other recreational vehicle on any site, lot, field or tract of land not specifically licensed as a travel trailer or recreational vehicle park, except as otherwise provided in this chapter.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Parking or using an RV or trailer for camping on private land, or a temporary dwelling, in Flushing charter township

  • RV parking longer than 48 hours on private land not licensed as a park requires a temporary trailer special use permit.
  • A temporary dwelling structure needs a non-discretionary special use permit from the zoning administrator.

  RV parking limit without permit: 48 hours (on land not licensed as a travel trailer or recreational vehicle park)

  “no person shall park, or cause to be parked, any travel trailer or other recreational vehicle over forty-eight (48) hours on any street, alley, highway or other public place or any site, lot, field or tract of land not specifically licensed as a travel trailer or recreational vehicle park without a temporary trailer special use permit”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile and manufactured homes in Flushing charter township, including mobile home parks

  • Mobile home parks have their own site regulations (mobile home commission rules, screening, 10-foot boundary setback, 2.5-story/25-foot height cap).
  • Individual lots outside a park were not checked in the opened text.

  minimum mobile home park land area: >= 15 acres (new mobile home park zoning)

  “no zoning for mobile home parks shall be approved for any land area of less than fifteen (15) acres”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Structures on land divided into parcels inside Flushing charter township

  • Land divisions must comply with the state Land Division Act (Act 288 of 1967) and the township's own rules; the township will not issue a building permit on land divided in violation of that act.

  “no building permit shall be issued for the construction of any structure on any lot, tract, or parcel of land subdivided in violation of act no. 288 of the public acts of michigan of 1967”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Lots without sufficient public road frontage using a common driveway in Flushing charter township

  • Common driveway serves up to two residences by administrative action of the zoning administrator.
  • Requires a recorded access easement and maintenance agreement before a zoning permit issues.

  common driveway right-of-way width: 33 feet

  “a single 33 foot right–of–way may serve as ingress and egress for not more than two residences lacking sufficient frontage on a public road as required by this ordinance by administrative action of the zoning administrator.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Structures built in mapped flood hazard areas of Flushing charter township

  • Must meet the township flood damage control ordinance; the flood insurance rate map is the reference.

  “(g) all structures built within the flood hazard areas of the township as identified in the township flood insurance rate map, shall meet the requirements of the flood damage control ordinance.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit fees for construction in Flushing charter township

  • The permit sheet is dated December 2017 and cites a fee schedule dated December 22, 2017; the township's 2025 user fee schedule (User Fee Board approved July 15, 2025) and a 2026 user fee schedule also exist and supersede it, but their building fee lines were not verified.
  • Fees are obtainable from the township online or by phone at (810) 659-0800.

  “they can be obtained online @ www.flushingtownship.com or by calling (810)-659-0800.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit application and plan review in Flushing charter township

  • Permit is valid only while work is progressing; it becomes invalid if work does not start within 180 days of issuance.
  • Application needs two sets of plans; plan review must be approved before permit issuance.

  permit validity without commenced work: 180 days

  “a permit shall become invalid if the authorized work is not commenced within 180 days after issuance of the permit”

Still unanswered

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

• Building code adopted — Construction inside Flushing charter township
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings in Flushing charter township, all zoning districts
• Lot coverage — Residential lots in Flushing charter township
• Building height — Single-family homes in Flushing charter township
• Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy inside Flushing charter 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.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Flushing Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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