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

Deerfield Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erection or structural alteration of buildings in Deerfield township (other than single-family dwellings, two-family dwellings, farm buildings or accessory buildings for the site plan rule), and moving of buildings or structures onto a premises in the township

  • Section 5.05 applies a site plan requirement to permit-triggering projects other than single-family dwellings, two-family dwellings, farm buildings or accessory buildings.
  • The ordinance does not state which agency issues the building permit. The township, a county construction code authority, or another body may issue it; this was not verified.
  • Section 13.03 requires a building permit before a building or structure is moved onto any premises in the township.

  “any building or structure shall not be moved upon any premises in the township until a building permit for such moving shall have been secured.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Commercial buildings converted to dwelling use inside Deerfield township (Lapeer County, Michigan)

  • The rule applies only where a commercial building is occupied for dwelling purposes; it is not a general inspection requirement for new houses.
  • The inspection is by the township, but the ordinance does not describe the procedure.

  “no commercial building shall be occupied for dwelling purposes unless the building contains a complete dwelling unit which has been constructed, inspected, and approved by the township for dwelling purposes.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Deerfield township's limits (Lapeer County, Michigan). The township administers its own zoning ordinance, Ordinance No. 101, under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act.

  • The only copy located is a 2022 PDF (file stamped 20220703) hosted on energyzoning.org, a third-party host, not a township domain. The township's own copy and any later amendments were not verified within the research budget.
  • The effective date of Ordinance No. 101 (section 25.02) was not read, so effective_at is null.
  • Use status conditional because use of land is controlled by district rules and special-approval uses.

  “zoning ordinance township of deerfield lapeer county, michigan ordinance no. 101 an ordinance to regulate the use of land and buildings”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts of Deerfield township (Lapeer County, Michigan), as listed in the ordinance table of contents

  • Only the table of contents was read. Districts named there include R-1 Residential-Agricultural (article 6), R-2 Single Family Residential (article 7), RM Multiple Family (article 8), RMH Mobile Home Park (article 9), office, commercial (article 11) and industrial (article 12).
  • District boundaries are shown on a map under section 5.02, which was not read.

  “article 7 - r-2 single family residential district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single family dwellings in the R-1 and R-2 districts inside Deerfield township (Lapeer County, Michigan)

  • Section 13.12(a) also requires the dwelling to be at least 24 feet wide for at least 60 percent of its length, before any alterations or additions.
  • Footnote (i) gives 720 square feet per dwelling unit for two-family dwellings.
  • Section 13.12 does not apply to temporary mobile homes under section 13.13 or replacement mobile homes under section 13.18.

  minimum floor area per dwelling: >= 720 sq ft (Two-family dwellings: 720 sq ft per dwelling unit (footnote i)) · minimum width for at least 60 percent of length: >= 24 feet

  “each dwelling shall contain the minimum number of square feet specified in section 17.01 and shall be at least twentyfour (24) feet in width for at least sixty (60) percent of its length, prior to any alterations or additions.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Residential-Agricultural district land inside Deerfield township (Lapeer County, Michigan)

  • Footnote (g) says that in the R-1 district a single family dwelling and permitted accessory structures may be erected only if width, setbacks and area are not less than the R-2 district minimums.
  • Footnote (h) makes the lot area subject to section 13.10 (ponds).
  • Column alignment was inferred from the table layout; the footnote markers were not all resolved.

  minimum lot area per dwelling unit: >= 4 acres (Footnote (g): R-2 minimums apply to single family dwellings in R-1) · minimum lot width: >= 330 feet

  “r-1 4 acres 330 100 15 25 720 25 (m) (g) (g) (g, c) (g, c) (g, c) (f, i)”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — R-2 Single Family Residential district land inside Deerfield township (Lapeer County, Michigan)

    “(l) in cluster housing developments in the r-2 district, the planning commission may reduce the minimum lot size to 20,000 square feet and the minimum lot width to 100 feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  R-1 Residential-Agricultural district land inside Deerfield township (Lapeer County, Michigan)

  • Setbacks are measured to the furthest protruding portion of the building (footnote n) and the front setback is measured at the front yard setback line (footnote a).
  • Section 5.06 applies the section 17.01 setbacks to all uses unless a special-approval condition sets different ones.

  minimum front yard setback: >= 100 feet · minimum side yard setback: >= 15 feet · minimum rear yard setback: >= 25 feet

  “(n) all setbacks are measured to the furthest protruding portion of the building.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-2 Single Family Residential district land inside Deerfield township (Lapeer County, Michigan)

  • Footnote (k) applies to the R-2 district only. The R-1 district footnotes do not state a lot coverage limit in the portion read.

  maximum percent of lot area covered: <= 35 percent

  “(k) within the r-2 zoning district, the maximum percent of lot area covered shall be thirty-five (35%) percent.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Temporary occupancy of a mobile home on a parcel in the R-1 or R-2 district inside Deerfield township (Lapeer County, Michigan)

  • Permission is granted by the planning commission, and only in the situations listed in section 13.13.
  • Before the mobile home is placed, the applicant must have installed an adequate well, septic system and electrical power source for the new dwelling and temporarily connect the mobile home to them.
  • All necessary building permits for the single family dwelling must have been acquired and the foundation completed.
  • Only the opening of section 13.13 was read; its remaining conditions, duration and renewal terms are not verified.

  “permission to place a temporary mobile home on parcels of land in the r-1 and r-2 zoning district may be granted by the planning commission in the following situations”

• Accessory dwellingsProhibited

  Accessory buildings (industrial buildings, basements, garages, barns and other accessory buildings) inside Deerfield township; this does not address other forms of accessory or additional dwelling

  • Section 13.14 (additional dwellings) and section 13.15 (accessory buildings) were not read, so a separately permitted additional dwelling may exist.
  • Applies to occupancy of accessory buildings as dwellings either temporarily or permanently.

  “industrial buildings, basements, garages, barns, and other accessory buildings shall not be occupied either temporarily or permanently as dwellings.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Every dwelling or other building on a parcel inside Deerfield township (Lapeer County, Michigan)

  • The parcel must front a public road, a private road, or a private driveway that complies with the township private road and driveway easement ordinance.
  • Where a public or private road is used, the minimum road frontage equals the R-district minimum lot width in section 17.01.
  • The township private road and driveway easement ordinance was not read.

  “in the case of public roads and private roads, the minimum road frontage shall be the same as the minimum lot width established in section 17.01 of this ordinance.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction exemption for a residence inside Deerfield township (Lapeer County, Michigan)
• Building code adopted — Building construction code applied to dwellings inside Deerfield township (Lapeer County, Michigan)
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside Deerfield township (Lapeer County, Michigan)
• Building height — R-2 Single Family Residential district land inside Deerfield township (Lapeer County, Michigan)
• Living in an RV — Occupancy of recreational vehicles or travel trailers on private land inside Deerfield 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.