Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Eagle Harbor Township, Michigan

Eagle Harbor Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Eagle Harbor township, Keweenaw County, MI

  • Township issues zoning permits only; county issues building, electrical, mechanical, culvert, soil erosion and 911 permits.
  • Ordinance listed as revision 1.7 as amended 12/8/2025; the ordinance text itself was not opened.

  “in 2006, the township board voted to separate from county-wide zoning, and started to enforce our own zoning ordinance, which was modeled after the county zoning ordinance.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rentals inside Eagle Harbor township

  • Permit required starting May 1, 2024; renewal March 1-31 each year, valid April 1 through March 31.

  “anyone operating or advertising an str in eagle harbor township must have a valid str permit.”

Rules another office applies inside Eagle Harbor Township

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

• Building permitRequired

  Building permits for construction inside Eagle Harbor township, issued by Keweenaw County

  • No building permit for accessory structures of 200 sq ft or less, but a zoning permit is still required.
  • Township zoning permit comes from the township; county zoning page describes the county's own zoning permit ($50) for county-zoned areas.

  “the county still issues building, electrical, mechanical, culvert, soil and erosion, and 911 permits.”

• Shed and accessory-building permit exemptionConditional

  Building permit for accessory structures inside Eagle Harbor township (county-issued)

  • Structures of 200 sq ft or less; zoning permit still required.

  accessory structure size: <= 200 sq ft (zoning permit still required)

  “although no building permit is required for accessory structures of 200 sq.ft. or less, a zoning permit is still required.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Eagle Harbor township
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Eagle Harbor township
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size

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.