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

Rules another office applies inside Houghton Township

Houghton 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

  Construction in Keweenaw County, including land inside Houghton township

  • Some minor work is exempt from a building permit (for example, garden storage sheds of 200 square feet or less and repairs with like materials), but a zoning permit is still required for accessory structures of 200 sq.ft. or less.
  • A zoning permit must be issued before applying for a building permit.

  “you are required by law to get permits for construction in keweenaw county”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction administered by the Keweenaw County Zoning & Construction Codes Department, including land inside Houghton township

  • The county page lists the code under its permit laws and regulations; the statewide Michigan code is administered through the county, not a township code.

  “2003 michigan building code/incorporating the national building code act 347”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction in Keweenaw County, including land inside Houghton township

  • Requests for inspections require at least 72 hours notice.
  • Inspections include plumbing, electrical, fire and construction inspections.

  inspection request notice: >= 72 hours

  “requests for building inspections require at least 72 hours notice.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy of buildings other than single-family homes in Keweenaw County, including land inside Houghton township

  • Single-family homes, individual units in an apartment building and individual suites in an office building do not require a certificate of occupancy (see the separate single-family claim).

  “you must get a certificate of occupancy before occupation and use of the building.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Not required — Single-family homes in Keweenaw County, including those inside Houghton township

    “certificate of occupancy inspections, related to the use of the building, is required for occupancy of all buildings except single-family homes, individual units in an apartment building and individual suites in an office building do not require certificates of occupancy.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Houghton township, which is an unincorporated township of Keweenaw County, under the county zoning ordinance, unless the township has adopted its own zoning ordinance

  • Townships and villages are permitted to adopt independent zoning; if they do, land in those jurisdictions is no longer subject to the county ordinance.
  • Whether Houghton township has adopted its own ordinance was not verified (see the separate unknown claim).

  “this ordinance shall apply to all land and water within the unincorporated areas of the townships of keweenaw county, and within the village of ahmeek by continuation of a long-standing agreement between the village council and the keweenaw county board of commissioners.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts for land inside Houghton township under the county zoning ordinance

  • The county publishes the ordinance (schedule of district regulations in Article 5) and a zoning map; the district list was not read.

  “keweenaw county zoning ordinance (.pdf) keweenaw county zoning map zoning & construction contacts”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots in the agricultural zoning district under the county zoning ordinance, inside Houghton township

  • Applies only where county zoning governs the land; the residential district minimum was not located on the pages read.
  • Verify against ordinance Article 5, Table 5-1 to 5-3.

  minimum lot size, agricultural zoning district: >= 5 acres

  “a minimum lot size for agricultural zoning district is five (5) acres.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Structures on lake or river frontage under the county zoning ordinance, inside Houghton township

  • Applies to all structures, except in zoning district RS-1 as the source states.

  setback from high water mark on lake or river frontage: 75 feet (except for zoning district RS-1)

  “all structures are required to be 75 feet from high water mark on any lake front or river front, except for zoning district rs-1.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Principal structure setbacks from lot lines under the county zoning ordinance, inside Houghton township

    “to determine setbacks (the minimum distance new construction or principal structure is to be from lot lines), minimum lot width, maximum lot coverage, maximum height of structures, see zoning ordinance article 5, table 5-1, 5-2 or 5-3.”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Maximum lot coverage under the county zoning ordinance, inside Houghton township

  • Varies by zoning district; the numeric maximum was not read (ordinance Article 5, Tables 5-1 to 5-3).

  “to determine setbacks (the minimum distance new construction or principal structure is to be from lot lines), minimum lot width, maximum lot coverage, maximum height of structures, see zoning ordinance article 5, table 5-1, 5-2 or 5-3.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Maximum structure height under the county zoning ordinance, inside Houghton township

  • Varies by zoning district; the numeric maximum was not read (ordinance Article 5, Tables 5-1 to 5-3).

  “to determine setbacks (the minimum distance new construction or principal structure is to be from lot lines), minimum lot width, maximum lot coverage, maximum height of structures, see zoning ordinance article 5, table 5-1, 5-2 or 5-3.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  On-site sewage systems for land inside Houghton township in Keweenaw County

  • The county zoning department page lists this district health department as the contact for on-site sewage and/or water supply systems; the health department's own service-area page was not opened.

  “on-site sewage and/or water supply systems western u.p. district health department wupdhd 540 depot street hancock, mi 49930 906 482-7382 [phone] www.westernuphealth.org”

• Septic permitRequired

  New construction on land inside Houghton township that needs a septic system

  • A valid well and septic permit, or an existing well and septic, is needed before the county grants a zoning permit.
  • Permit issuing and fee details were not located on the county page.

  “note: all new construction requires a valid well and septic permit or existing well and septic prior to granting a zoning permit.”

• Well permitRequired

  New construction on land inside Houghton township that needs a water well

  • A valid well and septic permit, or existing well and septic, is needed before the county grants a zoning permit.

  “note: all new construction requires a valid well and septic permit or existing well and septic prior to granting a zoning permit.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway or culvert work on Keweenaw County roads, which may include a driveway serving land inside Houghton township

  • Driveways and culverts on Michigan Department of Transportation roads (US-41 and M-26) go through MDOT instead.
  • The page lists the road commission as the contact; the permit terms were not opened.

  “driveway/culvert for keweenaw county roads keweenaw county road commission 120 shop street mohawk, mi 49950 906 337-1610 [phone]”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development in FEMA flood hazard areas in Houghton township, which has official flood insurance rate maps under the county ordinance

  • Applies only where land is in a mapped flood hazard area; the floodplain district rules in ordinance Section 6.2 were not read beyond the applicability sentence.
  • Watercourse alteration requires notification of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (per the ordinance's zoning administrator duties).

  “the provisions of section 6.2 apply in all flood hazard areas depicted on fiood insurance rate maps by fema. as of the effective date of this ordinance, the following townships had official flood insurance rate maps: 1. houghton township (available online at the fema map service center or from the zoning administrator),”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rental operation inside Houghton township, which is unincorporated county land under the county zoning ordinance

  • Short-term rental operation is a change of land use that requires a zoning permit.
  • District-level permissions and any short-term rental standards were not read.

  “any change of land use. examples: changing a house to an office or gift shop, short-term rental operation, operating a food service establishment recreational vehicles.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permit applications in Keweenaw County, including land inside Houghton township

  • Building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and other fees are not stated on the page read.

  zoning permit application fee: 50 USD (building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing and other fees not stated on the page)

  “step 1 - zoning permit application ($50 fee)”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning and building permit process administered by the Keweenaw County Zoning & Construction Codes Department, including land inside Houghton township

  • Step 1 is a zoning permit, step 2 a building permit after review by all disciplines, and step 3 inspections; an approved zoning permit must be issued before applying for a building permit.
  • Building permits expire after six months if work is not commenced.

  “after you complete and file your application, it must be reviewed by all of the relevant disciplines, who will approve- or put a hold on the application so you can make corrections in response to written comments.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a home inside Houghton township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area for a home inside Houghton township
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Houghton township
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Houghton township
• Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy on private land inside Houghton 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.