Building permits, zoning and land rules in Leelanau County, Michigan

Yes. Leelanau County requires a written building-permit application before construction of a building or structure and when use or occupancy changes; ordinary repairs are exempt only within the state's stated limits⁹. The county will not process incomplete applications or drawings, and other required approvals must come first¹. Permitted construction receives periodic inspections, and a new or altered building cannot be used or occupied until the code official issues a Certificate of Occupancy^10,11.

Leelanau County residential construction follows the statewide 2015 Michigan Residential Code, effective February 8, 2016¹². County Building Safety administers Michigan construction codes and county ordinances².

The Leelanau County Department of Building Safety is the first stop for county building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing code administration². The office is at 8527 E Government Center Drive, Suite 109, Suttons Bay, MI 49682; call (231) 256-9806 or email buildingsafety@leelanau.gov². Its online permit portal accepts building-permit applications².

Building Safety is not the parcel's zoning office. The applicable township, village or city should confirm allowed use, setbacks and the required land-use approval³. County Planning analyzes local-government zoning ordinances; call 231-256-9812³.

Leelanau County has no countywide zoning ordinance; townships, villages and cities set local land-use rules for their jurisdictions³. The building-permit process described here applies to unincorporated Leelanau County, where the parcel’s township zoning approval is separate from County Building Safety’s construction approval^1,3. Traverse City, which lies mainly in Grand Traverse County and reaches into Leelanau County, administers its own zoning¹³. Onsite septic approval for Leelanau County land remains with the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department¹⁴.

Ask the parcel’s zoning administrator about allowed uses, setbacks, accessory buildings, RVs, tiny homes and minimum dwelling size before submitting construction plans³. Leelanau Township generally prohibits buildings or structures closer than 10 feet to a neighboring property line, except where specifically permitted; district and waterfront provisions may impose different requirements⁶.

The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department evaluates sites and issues onsite sewage construction permits in Leelanau County¹⁴. A permit is required for a new, replacement, added-to, modified or repaired septic system, and the Health Officer inspects new or modified installations and the premises⁴. A local government may not issue a building permit for premises needing septic until the Health Officer gives permission¹⁴.

Only about 1.8% of mapped county soils avoid a “very limited” rating for a conventional drain field, so complete the site evaluation early¹⁵. The FY 2026 health schedule lists $369 for residential onsite sewage, $600 for combined well/septic and $97 for an onsite-sewage reinspection¹⁶. These are environmental-health fees; ask Building Safety for the building-permit cost^2,16. Call Environmental Health at (231) 256-0201¹⁷.

RV rules depend on the parcel's township, village or city³. In Leelanau Township, no more than two RVs may be kept on a parcel without a land-use permit under stated conditions, and residential use of each RV is limited to 45 calendar days per year; an RV cannot serve as a permanent dwelling⁶. Elsewhere in the county, ask the local zoning administrator rather than carrying Leelanau Township's rule across jurisdiction lines³.

For a tiny home, Michigan guidance requires applicable local zoning, building, electrical and plumbing permits and final approvals; wheels do not automatically make a tiny house a recreational unit⁷. Residential wastewater must go to an available public sewer or an approved private sewage-disposal system¹⁸.

A practical approval order for a rural Leelanau County home is:

1. Confirm the proposed use, setbacks and land-use approval with the parcel's township, village or city³.
2. Secure the address and applicable health, land-use and driveway approvals; new construction requiring a driveway needs approval from the County Road Commission, or MDOT where applicable^1,19.
3. Obtain septic and well permits from the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department when the project uses private systems^4,5.
4. Submit recorded proof of ownership, address confirmation, complete plans and a scaled site plan to County Building Safety after prerequisite approvals are in hand; post the building permit and address before construction¹.
5. Schedule required inspections and request the Certificate of Occupancy after fees are paid and required permits are finaled, before using a new or altered building^10,11.

Michigan's owner-builder exception is limited to builder licensing for a person building on their own property for their own use and occupancy; it does not waive permits, inspections, codes, zoning or utility rules⁸.

Before buying Leelanau County land, confirm the zoning district and proposed use with the parcel’s township, village or city³. Evaluate septic feasibility early: only about 1.8% of mapped county soils avoid a “very limited” rating for a conventional drain field¹⁵. For a property with an existing onsite well or sewage system, ask Environmental Health about the required pre-transfer inspection or evaluation and applicable exemptions⁴.

A private well needs a Health Department permit before a registered driller installs it; final approval requires a well record, onsite component inspection and certified laboratory water-quality results⁵. Where an approved public water supply is available for connection, a private supply requires municipal approval, and public/private cross-connections are prohibited⁴. Confirm driveway approval with the Leelanau County Road Commission or MDOT for a state route¹⁹. We could not confirm the local floodplain development requirements; ask the parcel’s zoning administrator and Building Safety about review before committing to a building site^2,3.