Bolthole Index

Ingham County, Michigan

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in the Village of Webberville, Michigan

The Village of Webberville, Michigan (Ingham County) runs its own zoning under Chapter 153 of its village code1. Building permits for homes inside the village are issued through the Livingston County Building Department, not the village office2. Septic and well permits come from the Ingham County Health Department, and the village code defers to it3.

At a glance

Zoning
Village of Webberville zoning code (Chapter 153) inside village limits1
Zoning districts
R-1A, R-1B, R-M1, B-1, B-2, M-1, Village Core and Highway Commercial4
Building permit
Required; issued through the Livingston County Building Department25
Septic
Ingham County Health Department; the village code defers to county and state health rules3
Tiny homes
Must meet the Michigan building code for a dwelling unit and village size standards6
Accessory buildings
At least 4 feet from side and rear lot lines7
Owner-builder
Available under Michigan law for your own residence8

Who to call

Zoning

Village of Webberville Office (zoning permits)

Zoning permits and code enforcement questions inside village limits

(517) 521-3984

115 S. Main St

Building permits

Livingston County Department of Building and Safety Engineering

Building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits for construction in Webberville

(517) 546-3240

2300 E Grand River, Suite 104, Howell, MI 48843-7580

Septic permits

Ingham County Health Department - Environmental Health Division

Well and septic permits and evaluations for Ingham County

(517) 887-4311

5303 S. Cedar Street, Lansing, MI 48911

Online permits →

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Webberville have zoning, and what does it mean for homes, tiny homes and lot size?

Yes. Inside the Village of Webberville, zoning is set by the village's own Chapter 153 Zoning Code1. The code lists R-1A and R-1B residential districts, R-M1, B-1 and B-2 business districts, M-1, Village Core Mixed Use and Highway Commercial districts4. Every dwelling in the village needs a core living area at least 20 feet by 20 feet, on top of the minimum square footage for its district9.

A tiny home used as a dwelling in Webberville must meet the Michigan building code requirements for a dwelling unit6. Accessory buildings, including detached garages, must sit at least 4 feet from side and rear lot lines7. Accessory buildings may cover up to 15% of a lot in R-1A and R-1B and up to 30% in the other districts10.

We could not confirm minimum lot sizes, building heights, or any RV rule; ask the Village Office at (517) 521-398411.

Do you need a building permit in Webberville, and who issues it?

Yes. Michigan requires a building permit for construction of a building or structure and for a change in use or occupancy12. Inside the Village of Webberville, the village states that building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are all issued through the Livingston County Building Department, reachable at (517) 546-32402. The Village Office, not the county, handles the zoning permit that comes first11.

Michigan law lets an individual who builds a residence for their own use act as an owner-builder8. New or altered buildings also need a certificate of occupancy13.

How do septic permits work inside Webberville?

The village code requires a safe water supply and safe waste disposal for any dwelling, and says the facilities must conform to the county and state health department standards14. Ingham County Environmental Health administers on-site sewage and well permits15. A new or repair septic permit costs $1,00016.

The village code does not say whether a home must connect to public sewer. We could not confirm that, so ask the Village Office at (517) 521-3984 before you plan a septic system11. Septic permits come from17.

Building a home in Webberville: the steps, in order

  1. Call the Village Office at (517) 521-3984 and file a zoning permit application at 115 S. Main St11.
  2. Get the Ingham County Health Department's septic and well permits, unless the village confirms a public connection15.
  3. Apply to the Livingston County Building Department for your building permit2.
  4. Request the electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits separately from the same county office2.
  5. Pass inspections and obtain a certificate of occupancy13.

What stays with Ingham County, and what to check before you buy

Land outside the village limits follows the county and township rules, not Webberville's; see the Ingham County page. A driveway onto a state highway needs a Michigan Department of Transportation permit18. Work in a 100-year floodplain needs state approval19. Ingham County's effective property tax rate is 1.9%20.

Watch-outs

  • Building permits for Webberville homes go through the Livingston County Building Department, not Ingham County, so call (517) 546-32402.
  • We could not confirm Webberville's minimum lot sizes, height limits, RV rules or manufactured-home rules; ask the Village Office at (517) 521-398411.
  • Electrical, plumbing and mechanical permits are separate from the building permit2.

Sources

  1. Chapter 153: Zoning Code, Village of Webberville Code of Ordinances (Village of Webberville), quoted and re-checked
  2. Livingston County Department of Building and Safety Engineering (webbervillemi.com)
  3. § 153.080 Miscellaneous Regulations, Village of Webberville Code of Ordinances (Village of Webberville), quoted and re-checked
  4. Chapter 153: Zoning Code, Village of Webberville Code of Ordinances (Village of Webberville), quoted and re-checked
  5. Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act, MCL 125.1510 (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. § 153.081 Supplementary Use Regulations, Village of Webberville Code of Ordinances (Village of Webberville), quoted and re-checked
  7. § 153.081 Supplementary Use Regulations, Village of Webberville Code of Ordinances (Village of Webberville), quoted and re-checked
  8. Frequently Asked Questions – Residential Builder (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. § 153.080 Miscellaneous Regulations, Village of Webberville Code of Ordinances (Village of Webberville), quoted and re-checked
  10. § 153.081 Supplementary Use Regulations, Village of Webberville Code of Ordinances (Village of Webberville), quoted and re-checked
  11. Village of Webberville Office (zoning permits) (webbervillemi.com)
  12. Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
  13. Certificate of Occupancy Request (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. § 153.080 Miscellaneous Regulations, Village of Webberville Code of Ordinances (Village of Webberville), quoted and re-checked
  15. Ingham County Environmental Health, quoted and re-checked
  16. Ingham County Health Department - Permits and Licensing, quoted and re-checked
  17. Ingham County Health Department - Environmental Health Division (health.ingham.org)
  18. Infrastructure permits (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Floodplains (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Village of Webberville

Village of Webberville’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Webberville village limits; the village's own Chapter 153 Zoning Code administers zoning there

    • Zoning districts and dimensional standards are in the schedule of regulations (§ 153.066), which was not retrieved; see other claims.
    “chapter 153: zoning code section general provisions 153.001 short title 153.002 purposes 153.003 definitions”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Districts of the Village of Webberville zoning ordinance (Chapter 153), inside village limits

    • Districts listed in the table of contents: R-1A, R-1B, R-M1, B-1, B-2, M-1, VC (Village Core Mixed Use), HC-1 (Highway Commercial). The zoning map was not retrieved.
    “153.056 r-1a district, one-family low density residential 153.057 (reserved) 153.058 r-1b district, medium density residential”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    All dwellings inside Webberville village, in every district

    • Each dwelling must also comply with the minimum square footage requirements of Chapter 153 for the district in which it is located; those district figures were not retrieved.
    • The core-area standard applies unless otherwise provided in the code.

    core living area minimum dimension: >= 20 feet (20 feet by 20 feet within the principal portion of the building having exterior wall construction)

    “all dwellings shall comply with the minimum square footage requirements of this chapter for the district in which it is located, and have a core living area with a minimum dimension of 20 feet by 20 feet within the principal portion of the building having exterior wall construction, unless otherwise provided.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Accessory buildings and structures on any lot in any zoning district inside Webberville village (not principal-building setbacks)

    • No accessory building may project into any front yard; on corner lots the secondary street frontage is treated as a side yard.
    • Fences and walls have separate height limits in § 153.081(b)(3)(c).

    accessory building minimum setback from side or rear lot line: >= 4 feet (side or rear lot line, all districts)

    “no accessory building, including detached garages, shall be closer than four feet to a side or rear lot line.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Total lot coverage by accessory buildings, inside Webberville village

    • Principal-building lot coverage limits were not retrieved (§ 153.066).

    accessory building lot coverage, R-1A and R-1B districts: 15 % (R-1A and R-1B districts) · accessory building lot coverage, all other districts: 30 % (all districts other than R-1A and R-1B)

    “the total lot coverage of accessory buildings shall not exceed 15% in the r-1a and r-1b districts and 30% in all other districts.”
  • Tiny homesLimited

    Any structure used for dwelling purposes, including a tiny home, inside Webberville village

    • The structure must meet the State of Michigan building code requirements for a dwelling unit.
    • Dwellings must meet the district minimum square footage and the 20-by-20-foot core living area standard of § 153.080(d).
    • No district-by-district rule for tiny homes or occupancy on private land was retrieved.
    “no structure shall be used for dwelling purposes that does not meet the state of michigan building code requirements for a dwelling unit.”
  • Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

    Land divisions and subdivisions of land inside Webberville village

    • The chapter text (Chapter 152) was not opened; only its existence in the code table of contents was verified.
    “chapter 151: building regulations chapter 152: subdivision control”

Rules another office applies inside Village of Webberville

Village of Webberville 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 septicMixed (with conditions)

    Onsite water supply and sanitary waste facilities for land inside Webberville village

    • The village code defers to the county health department and the state health department for installation standards; it names no village septic authority.
    • Schema note: a county-kind authority cannot carry municipality-specific geography, so authority_kind is recorded as other. The rule-maker is the county health department (Ingham County, per the queue jurisdiction) plus the state health department.
    “all the installations and facilities shall conform with the minimum requirements of the county health department and the state health department.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Dwellings, business, industrial or recreational structures on any lot inside Webberville village, including lots without public sewer

    • Water supply must be safe, sanitary and potable, and waste collection, treatment and disposal must be safe and effective.
    • Facilities must conform to the minimum requirements of the county health department and the state health department.
    • The code does not say whether a public sewer connection is required; see utility_connection.
    “after the effective date of this chapter, no structure shall be erected, altered, or moved upon a lot or premise and used in whole or in part for dwelling, business, industrial, or recreational purposes unless it shall be provided with a safe, sanitary and potable water supply and with a safe and effective means of collection, treatment, and disposal of human excrete and domestic, commercial, and industrial wastes.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Webberville or Ingham County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permit for new home construction inside Webberville village
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of own home inside Webberville village
  • Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside Webberville village
  • Inspections — Building inspections for new homes inside Webberville village
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new dwelling inside Webberville village
16 more unanswered
  • Minimum lot size
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Village of Webberville publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Ingham County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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