Zoning, building permits and septic rules in North Branch Township, Michigan
North Branch Township is a township in Lapeer County, Michigan. North Branch Township adopts its own zoning, so inside its limits North Branch Township’s rules apply, not the county’s. 13 rules below are quoted from official sources and independently re-checked, most recently on October 30, 2026. Rules for unincorporated land are on the Lapeer County page.
Answers from the rulebook for North Branch Township
North Branch Township’s own rules
Building permitRequired
Construction work inside North Branch township, permits issued by the township building department at 6771 Elm Street
Permits are available online but must be submitted to the office with the appropriate fees; construction proceeds after the permit is issued.
The page states the department issues permits for the village and the township; village land is a separate municipality and is not separately verified here.
“permits are availabe online which then must be submitted to the office along with appropriate fees.”
Building code adoptedAdopted
Dwellings and other construction inside North Branch township
The ordinance refers to the building code adopted by the township without naming the code edition in the passages read.
The electrical code is separately described as adopted by the township board of trustees.
“in accordance with the building code adopted by north branch township.”
InspectionsRequired
Building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical work inside North Branch township
Inspectors are available by appointment only; schedule through the office at 810.688.3031.
The page states inspections are scheduled through the office; it does not separately state every inspection type, so scope is limited to permitted work.
“all inspections are scheduled through the office at 810.688.3031.”
Local zoningPresent
Land inside North Branch township limits, administered by the township under its own zoning ordinance
Ordinance is stated as adopted August 8, 2019 and amendments through September 26, 2021 were noted on the cover; later amendments were not checked.
Land inside the Village of North Branch is outside this claim.
“adopted: august 8, 2019 amendments thru september 26, 2021 north branch township zoning ordinance”
Zoning districtsPublished
Zoning districts for land inside North Branch township
Table 14-1 lists the agricultural residential (AR), single-family residential (R), multiple residential (RM), commercial (C) and industrial (I) districts.
The table of contents lists Article 5 'zoning districts' with section 5.01 'districts' and section 5.02 'map'; the zoning map is posted on the township forms page but was not opened.
Only the Article 14 table rows were read; district use tables were not read.
“table 14-1: table of area, setback, and height requirements zoning district minimum lot area”
Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)
Dwellings in the agricultural residential (AR) district inside North Branch township
Table 14-1 column header is 'minimum square footage – floor area per dwelling'.
General rule: each dwelling must contain the minimum square footage specified in Article 14.
Footnote (d) in the table was not read.
minimum floor area per dwelling: >= 1200 square feet (footnote (d) not read)
Occupying a camper, recreational vehicle or travel trailer on private land inside North Branch township
The ordinance caps occupancy of a camper within the township at 30 days in any calendar year unless approval is granted under the temporary dwellings provision (that provision was not read).
Campgrounds approved under the zoning ordinance are excluded from this limit.
Footnote and exception text in the campground provisions was not fully read.
maximum occupancy of a camper: <= 30 days (per calendar year; not applicable in approved campgrounds; temporary dwelling approval exception)
“f. no person shall occupy any camper within the township for more than thirty (30) days within any calendar year unless approval has been grante”
Camping on your landLimited
Tents, campers and recreational vehicles placed for camping on private land inside North Branch township
Parking of a camper, travel trailer, recreation vehicle or erection of a tent is limited to 30 days in the travel trailer park provisions.
A parcel with three or more recreational vehicles or tents is a campground under the ordinance definitions and falls under separate campground rules.
Temporary dwelling approval under the ordinance may extend occupancy; that provision was not read.
maximum camping duration: <= 30 days (per calendar year for campers outside approved campgrounds; campground-park provision stated separately)
“parking of a camper, travel trailer, recreation vehicle or erection of a tent shall be limited to not more than thirty (30) days.”
Tiny homesLimited
Small or tiny single-family homes used as a dwelling on private land inside North Branch township
Each dwelling must be at least 24 feet wide in all directions, which a typical tiny home may not meet.
Each dwelling must be on a permanent continuous foundation built on site under the township building code.
No tiny-home-specific definition or exception was located in the passages read.
minimum dwelling width: >= 24 feet (applies in all directions)
“each dwelling shall be at least twenty-four (24) feet wide in all directions.”
Manufactured homesLimited
Manufactured or mobile homes used as a dwelling on private land inside North Branch township
The ordinance dwelling definition includes a mobile home designed for or occupied by one family, so mobile homes are subject to the standards applicable to each dwelling.
Each dwelling must be on a permanent continuous foundation built on site and be at least 24 feet wide in all directions.
No separate manufactured-home article was read.
minimum dwelling width: >= 24 feet (applies in all directions)
“dwelling, single-family: an entire building, including a mobile home, designed for or occupied exclusively by one (1) family.”
Permit processPartial
Obtaining building and zoning permits from North Branch township
The office and building department are at 6771 Elm Street; permits are available online and must be submitted to the office with fees.
Inspections are by appointment; the forms list includes residential and commercial building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits and a zoning permit form, but the review and issuance steps are not described.
Fee amounts and the zoning compliance certificate steps were not located.
“permits are availabe online which then must be submitted to the office along with appropriate fees.”
Still unanswered
We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask North Branch Township or Lapeer County directly.
Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for homeowners building on their own land inside North Branch township
Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings inside North Branch township
Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage for buildings inside North Branch township
Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units on residential parcels inside North Branch township
Who permits septic — On-site wastewater (septic) system authority for land inside North Branch township
11 more unanswered
Septic permit
Septic inspection
Off-grid sanitation
Well permit
Mandatory utility hookup
Agricultural exemption
Subdividing land
Driveway access
Building in a floodplain
Short-term rentals
Permit fees
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.
Unanswered questions are usually a sign that North Branch Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Lapeer County’s page lists the county offices to call.
Off-grid gear
Going off-grid in North Branch Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:
