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

Paradise Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Paradise township's limits (Kingsley, Grand Traverse County, MI). The township's own zoning page lists a Paradise Township Zoning Ordinance, a Zoning Map and a Schedule of Regulations; Resolution 08-07-09 is listed as the adoption document.

  • The township's own page lists the ordinance and its resolution number but states no effective date; the currency of the ordinance and its amendments was not verified.
  • Zoning ordinance text, schedule of regulations and map PDFs were listed on the township page but could not be opened; their contents were not verified.
  • Zoning-administrator contact listed on the same township zoning page; zoning applications (variance, special use, site plan) are offered there.

  “paradise township zoning ordinance document seq 0.00 resolution 08-07-09 document seq 0.00”

Rules another office applies inside Paradise Township

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

• Who permits septicCounty

  On-site septic systems for residential and commercial properties in Paradise township (the county health department serves the whole county, including the township, for on-site systems)

  • Applies to properties without access to municipal sewer systems, per the county septic page.
  • Township-level rules may add requirements; the county page says a permit is needed to install or replace a system and that payment is due at submission.

  “the grand traverse county health department (gtchd) environmental health division is responsible for issuing permits and designing and ensuring the proper installation of on-site septic systems for residential and commercial properties.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New or replacement on-site septic systems on properties inside Paradise township

  • Final inspection is included in the septic permit.

  “final inspections are required before being approved for use, which is included in the permit.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Septic permit and site-evaluation fees charged by the county health department for properties inside Paradise township

  • Payment is due at submission; the county page refers to a 2026 fee schedule (amounts not opened).
  • Turnaround can take up to 30 days for permit issuance and site evaluations.

  “please take a look at the 2026 fee schedule before submitting your permit application, as payment is due at the time of submission.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Construction-code building permit process for work in Grand Traverse County; whether it applies to Paradise township work depends on the township's enforcement status, which was not verified

  • Plan review for trade permits is handled separately from building plan review; trade plan review fee is $75/trade per the county page.
  • Plan review estimated wait: minimum of 2 weeks (commercial may take longer), per the county page.

  “estimated wait for plan review: minimum of 2 weeks, commercial plan review may take longer.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — New construction and alterations inside Paradise township, Grand Traverse County, MI
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a dwelling inside Paradise township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Paradise township, Grand Traverse County, MI
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new dwellings inside Paradise township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area in Paradise township's main single-family residential district (district not yet identified)

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.