Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Parchment, Michigan

At a glance

Building permits

Required for construction subject to Michigan code; apply through KABA¹²

Zoning

Parchment’s own zoning ordinance applies inside city limits³

Septic permits

County Environmental Health; required before onsite system installation⁶

Water and sewer

Public connections or private facilities approved by the local health department⁵

Owner building

Personal construction allowed subject to state codes and county health rules⁷

Lot size

District requirements apply; an existing-lot exception may apply⁸

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Parchment, MI?

Parchment construction subject to Michigan’s construction code requires a building-permit application before work begins, submitted to the appropriate enforcing agency.¹ KABA is Parchment’s building authority and handles building, mechanical, plumbing and electrical permits; contact KABA for pricing.²

Parchment also ties temporary buildings to a valid building permit for a permanent building or new land use on the same site.⁹ That temporary-building condition does not establish a general exemption for permanent homes.⁹ Ask KABA which building and trade applications your proposed home, addition or alteration needs before ordering materials.

Who handles Parchment building permits and zoning review?

For Parchment building and trade permits, contact KABA at 269-216-9511 or its office at 2322 Nazareth Road, Kalamazoo MI.² For development review, Parchment’s City Manager is the city contact at 269-492-3263.¹⁰ Parchment offers free conceptual review meetings during Planning Commission meetings; request one through the City Manager.¹⁰

Bring the proposed use and a sketch of the lot to that discussion, and ask which city zoning approvals must precede the KABA application. Parchment’s zoning ordinance governs buildings, structures, land and uses inside city limits.³ Septic approval remains a separate county Environmental Health responsibility where municipal wastewater service is unavailable.⁴

Does Parchment have zoning and minimum lot sizes?

Parchment has its own zoning ordinance, and buildings and land uses inside the city must conform to that ordinance.³ Parchment lot-area and width requirements depend on the applicable zoning district; the ordinance recognizes an exception for existing lots of record, with conditions for permitted principal uses and special lot-area requirements for conditional uses.⁸

Ask Parchment City Hall to identify the parcel’s district and confirm the applicable lot width, setbacks, home size and permitted uses before buying. Do not assume an undersized existing lot qualifies for every proposed use: Parchment’s existing-lot provision distinguishes principal uses from conditional uses with special lot-area requirements.⁸

How do septic permits and water approval work in Parchment?

Parchment requires a dwelling to connect to public sewer and water supply or to private facilities approved by the local health department.⁵ Where municipal wastewater service is unavailable, Kalamazoo County requires an onsite sewage permit before installation, with installation by a registered company or the property owner.⁶

For a Parchment lot proposed for private facilities, ask county Environmental Health for a vacant-land evaluation before committing to a house location. The county evaluation assesses parcel size, topography, soils and depth to high groundwater to identify limitations for onsite water and sewage systems.¹¹ Private sanitation in Parchment requires health-department approval; a plan to live off grid does not remove that condition.¹²

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Parchment?

We could not confirm permission for private-property RV occupancy, tiny-home occupancy or an accessory dwelling in Parchment; ask City Hall for a written answer for the proposed parcel and use. Parchment’s prohibition on camping and camping equipment applies to city parks and does not establish the rule for camping on a private lot.¹³

A temporary building in Parchment requires a valid building permit for a permanent building or new use on the same site; that provision does not itself authorize living in an RV while building.⁹ A dwelling in Parchment must also meet the public-utility or approved-private-facility requirement.⁵ Ask separately about residential occupancy, duration, sanitation and final occupancy approval.

Building a home in Parchment: what are the steps?

1. Ask Parchment City Hall to confirm the lot’s zoning district, proposed use and existing-lot status; city zoning and district lot requirements apply.³⁸
2. Confirm public water and sewer availability, or seek health-department approval for private facilities before settling the site plan.⁵
3. Submit the building-permit application to KABA before construction, and ask KABA which trade applications and inspection stages apply.¹²
4. Arrange required inspections during permitted construction and obtain the certificate of occupancy before using a new or altered building subject to the code.¹⁴¹⁵

Parchment allows personal construction work subject to state electrical and plumbing codes and county health requirements.⁷ Michigan’s own-use, own-occupancy residential-builder licensing exception does not eliminate building-permit requirements.¹⁶

What should you check before buying land in Parchment?

Start with the intended use: Parchment’s zoning ordinance applies inside city limits, including to new uses of land and buildings.³ Ask City Hall about driveway access, floodplain review and district dimensions, and ask KABA for current building-permit fees. KABA’s pricing comes through its office.² We could not confirm Parchment’s full floodplain development standards or a city-specific tiny-home approval rule; request parcel-specific answers before making either central to your purchase.

For land outside Parchment, use the Kalamazoo County guide: the absence of countywide zoning does not remove locally administered zoning or other applicable requirements.¹⁷ For a Parchment parcel needing private water or sewage, request county Environmental Health’s vacant-land evaluation.¹¹

Watch-outs

• Parchment’s city-park camping ban does not answer whether an RV can be occupied on private land; ask City Hall about the proposed use.¹³
• Parchment’s permission to do your own construction work still requires compliance with state electrical and plumbing codes and county health regulations.⁷
• Do not occupy a new or altered Parchment building subject to Michigan’s construction code before the code official issues a certificate of occupancy.¹⁵

Sources

1. Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act, MCL 125.1510 (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
2. Kalamazoo Area Building Authority (KABA) (parchment.org)
3. Appendix A - Zoning, Article 12, Section 12.2 - Building regulations (Parchment), quoted and re-checked
4. Sewage Treatment | Kalamazoo County, MI, quoted and re-checked
5. library.municode.com (Parchment), quoted and re-checked
6. Sewage Treatment | Kalamazoo County, MI, quoted and re-checked
7. Appendix A - Zoning, Article 12, Section 12.3 - Building appearance, structure completion, and personal construction authority (Parchment), quoted and re-checked
8. Appendix A - Zoning, Article 14, Section 14.5 - Lot area (Parchment), quoted and re-checked
9. Appendix A - Zoning, Article 12, Section 12.2 - Building regulations (Parchment), quoted and re-checked
10. Parchment City Manager — Development Review (parchment.org)
11. Kalamazoo County Environmental Health — Vacant Land Evaluations (kalcounty.gov)
12. library.municode.com (Parchment), quoted and re-checked
13. Chapter 42, Article IV, Section 42-151 - City parks regulations (Parchment), quoted and re-checked
14. MCL 125.1512, Inspection of construction (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Certificate of Occupancy Request (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Frequently Asked Questions – Residential Builder (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
17. Zoning & Building Inspection Resources | Kalamazoo County, MI, quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 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.