Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Reading, Michigan

Reading’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New structures and the listed buildings/uses in §152.091 inside Reading city; the city's zoning instructions say a building permit is issued by the building inspector only after site-plan approval

  • Building permit issuance is conditioned on zoning-administrator or planning-commission site-plan approval for the structures listed in §152.091.
  • The instructions do not identify which office employs the 'building inspector'; §152.092 names the county building official for certificates of occupancy (see certificate_of_occupancy claim).
  • Construction may proceed after the permit is issued (status conditional).

  “the zoning administrator shall not issue a zoning compliance certificate nor shall the building inspector issue a building permit for the construction of the buildings and structures identified in this section unless a site plan has been reviewed and approved by the zoning administrator or planning commission.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land and structures inside Reading city limits, administered by the city under its own zoning chapter (Code Chapter 152)

  • The code print in src-zoning-ch152 is dated 1/2/2015; the code overview on American Legal Publishing states it is current through ord. 2014-01, passed 11-11-14. Later amendments were not checked.
  • Zoning compliance permits are issued by the city zoning administrator (src-city-planning-page).

  “this chapter shall be known as the city of reading zoning ordinance.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts established for land inside Reading city

  • Districts named in the city instructions: R-1, R-2, R-3 residential; O office; B-1 highway commercial; B-2 central business; I-1 and I-2 industrial (the I-2 district is a parks/industrial designation in the 2015 print).
  • District boundaries are on the city zoning map (§152.020), which was not opened.

  “zoning district r-1 residential r-2 residential r-3 residential b-2 central business”

• Off-grid sanitationAllowed (with conditions)

  On-site septic sanitation for a one-family dwelling inside Reading city where no public sanitary sewer serves the lot

  • Requires an approved on-site septic tank and drain field; the 15,000 sq ft one-family row is the one tied to this footnote.
  • Multiple-family buildings may not rely on septic (see utility_connection claim).
  • Approval authority and permit steps not verified (see septic_authority).

  minimum lot area, one-family dwelling without public sewer: 15000 sq ft (per dwelling unit; requires approved on-site septic)

  “without public sanitary sewer, but with an approved on-site septic tank and drain field”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Sewer connection for residential development inside Reading city: multiple-family buildings must be served by public sewer; single-family homes may use an on-site septic system where public sewer is not present

  • Multiple-family dwellings or buildings are not permitted unless served by a public sanitary sewer operated by the city (§152.074).
  • Schedule footnote: lots without public sanitary sewer may use an approved on-site septic tank and drain field (one-family row).
  • No city rule was located requiring a new single-family home to connect to public sewer or water when available; the zoning permit form asks only whether public sewer and public water are connected. The Title V Public Works chapter was not opened.

  “a multiplefamily dwelling or building shall not be permitted unless served by a public sanitary sewer operated by the city.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permit fee for construction or improvements inside Reading city

  • Site plan required for any proposed new structures; the fee is stated in the city's zoning permit instructions.
  • Building permit fees were not found.

  zoning permit fee: 20 USD (site plan required for new structures)

  “note: site plan required for any proposed new structures and a zoning permit fee of $20”

Rules another office applies inside Reading

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

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy of any land, building, or part thereof inside Reading city; the certificate is issued by the county building official under Reading's zoning chapter

  • Stated in the city zoning ordinance (§152.092); the issuing office named is the county building official, so this is a county-administered step applying inside Reading city.
  • Subsection (b) of §152.092 contains a [missing text] gap in the source copy; the rest of the requirement is quoted as printed.

  “no land, building, or part thereof shall hereafter be occupied by or for any use unless and until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the county building official.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Reading or Hillsdale County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for work inside Reading city
• Building code adopted — Which building code Reading city has adopted for construction inside city limits
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Reading city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area for a dwelling inside Reading city
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Reading city

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 Reading 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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