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

Comstock Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Comstock Charter Township.

  • Regulations may apply township-wide or by zoning district.

  “The Zoning Ordinance regulates the usage of properties and buildings while determining the parameters for new construction or installation in Comstock Township.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Comstock Charter Township.

  • The zoning map must be consulted to identify a particular property's district and applicable uses and regulations.

  “For the purpose of this Ordinance, Comstock Township is hereby divided into the following Zoning Districts, which may be referred to either as districts or zones:”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Township planning and zoning applications inside Comstock Charter Township.

  • The fee schedule is established by the Township Board of Trustees and may be amended from time to time.

  “The Fee Schedule is established by the Comstock Charter Township Board of Trustees, as amended from time to time.”

Rules another office applies inside Comstock Township

Comstock Township 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 occupancyLimited

  Construction permitting process inside Comstock Charter Township.

  • The guide states that a certificate is not applicable in every case.

  “certificate of occupancy is issued. (not applicable in every case)”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Land in the AGR Agriculture-Residential district inside Comstock Charter Township.

  • See Sections 3.2 and 3.10 for additional information.

  maximum building lot coverage: <= 10 percent

  “lot coverage by buildings maximum percentage: 10”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  New or replacement well and/or septic systems serving an accessory dwelling unit inside Comstock Charter Township.

  • This evidence is specific to an ADU served by a well and/or septic system.

  “when the adu will be served by a well and/or septic system, written verification of an existing system’s adequacy to serve the adu and/or a permit from the kalamazoo county environmental health department for new or replacement well and/or septic system shall be provided to the township.”

• Septic permitLimited

  A new or replacement septic system serving an ADU inside Comstock Charter Township.

  • For an ADU served by septic, the Township requires written verification of an existing system's adequacy and/or a County Environmental Health Department permit for a new or replacement system.

  “when the adu will be served by a well and/or septic system, written verification of an existing system’s adequacy to serve the adu and/or a permit from the kalamazoo county environmental health department for new or replacement well and/or septic system shall be provided to the township.”

• Well permitLimited

  A new or replacement well serving an ADU inside Comstock Charter Township.

  • For an ADU served by a well, the Township requires written verification of an existing system's adequacy and/or a County Environmental Health Department permit for a new or replacement well.

  “when the adu will be served by a well and/or septic system, written verification of an existing system’s adequacy to serve the adu and/or a permit from the kalamazoo county environmental health department for new or replacement well and/or septic system shall be provided to the township.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — General residential construction inside Comstock Charter Township.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders inside Comstock Charter Township.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption applicable inside Comstock Charter Township.
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Comstock Charter Township.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Comstock 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 Comstock 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.

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.