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

Attica Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Attica township limits: the township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance (Attica Zoning Ordinance, 11-26-2024 version, listed on the township ordinances page).

  • Dimensional and use rules in the ordinance apply by zoning district; the ordinance text was read from the township-hosted 11-26-2024 PDF.
  • The township ordinances page also lists a 2026 zoning manual that was not opened in this run.

  “section 3.70 residential zoning district table of dimensional requirements the following are the dimensional requirements of residential zoning districts.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Attica township limits: residential zoning districts (R-1, R-2, R-3, RM-1, MHP) are set out in the township zoning ordinance.

  • Only the residential district dimensional table was read in full; non-residential districts (section 3.80 to 3.100) and the AG district table were not captured.

  “the following are the dimensional requirements of residential zoning districts. r-1 r-2 r-3 rm-1 mhp park lots”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Multiple-family and clustered development in Attica township where the ordinance allows detached tiny homes; section number not captured in this run.

  • Provision appears in the multiple-family use requirements of Article 4; the density is ten dwelling units per acre for the cluster.
  • Shown as a table of minimum floor area by bedroom count; only the efficiency (200 sq ft) figure is quoted here.

  minimum floor area, efficiency unit: >= 200 square feet (clustered/multiple-family development only)

  “the minimum dwelling unit size shall meet the requirements shown here: efficient 1-bedroom 2-bedroom 3-bedroom 4-bedroom minimum floor area (square feet) 200 500 700 900 1,100”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family R-1 one-family residential district inside Attica township limits.

    “2 2 2 2 2 2 25 25 25 30 25 25 900 900 900 - 600 600 setback (feet) building height (stories) (feet) min floor area dwelling unit (sqft)”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family R-1 one-family residential district inside Attica township limits.

  • Footnote a of section 3.70 requires a maximum lot width/depth ratio of 1:4.
  • The township FAQ states the minimum lot size is 2 ½ acres with 165 feet of road frontage.
  • Column alignment was read from the flattened PDF text; the R-1 column is the first value in each row.

  minimum lot area: >= 2.5 acres (R-1 district; R-2 is 1 acre and R-3 is 0.5 acre in the same table) · minimum lot width: >= 165 feet (R-1 district; footnote a ratio 1:4 also applies)

  “r-1 r-2 r-3 rm-1 mhp park lots min lot area (acres) a 2.5 1 0.5 9,600 sqft 10 5,500 sqft min lot width (feet) a 165 120 100 80 - -”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Single-family R-1 one-family residential district inside Attica township limits.

  • Setbacks are from section 3.70; accessory buildings on residential parcels are governed by the same table per Article 5.
  • Column alignment was read from the flattened PDF text; the R-1 column is the first value in each row.

  front setback: 30 feet (R-1 district) · side setback: 15 feet (R-1 district) · rear setback: 40 feet (R-1 district)

  “lot coverage 35% 35% 35% 30% - - front 30 30 25 40 25 25 side 15 10 10 20 10 10 rear 40 40 35 30 35 35”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Single-family R-1 one-family residential district inside Attica township limits.

  • Column alignment was read from the flattened PDF text; the R-1 column is the first value in the row.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 35 percent (R-1 district)

  “lot coverage 35% 35% 35% 30% - - front 30 30 25 40 25 25 side 15 10 10 20 10 10 rear 40 40 35 30 35 35”

• Building heightSpecified

  Single-family R-1 one-family residential district inside Attica township limits.

  • Height is shown in both stories and feet in the same table; the R-1 column is the first value in each row.
  • Column alignment was read from the flattened PDF text.

  maximum building height: <= 2 stories (R-1 district) · maximum building height: <= 25 feet (R-1 district)

  “2 2 2 2 2 2 25 25 25 30 25 25 900 900 900 - 600 600 setback (feet) building height (stories) (feet)”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Detached tiny homes only within a clustered development under the multiple-family provisions of Article 4 inside Attica township limits.

  • Density of ten dwelling units per acre for the cluster.
  • Setbacks between buildings are 25 feet; other setbacks follow section 3.70.
  • Minimum floor area per unit per the Article 4 table (efficiency 200 sq ft).

  “the density of dwelling units per acres shall be ten (10) dwelling units per acre. this would allow for detached tiny homes on a clustered development.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption in Attica township
• Building code adopted — Building code in Attica township
• Inspections — Building inspection in Attica township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy in Attica township
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land in Attica 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.