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

Fairfield Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration or land use inside Fairfield township's limits, administered by the township building inspector.

  • A building permit must be completed before contacting the township building inspector, who gives the next steps.
  • Land use or parcel division requires a separate application and also requires approval from the Lenawee County Drain Commission before starting any project.

  “you will need to complete a building permit prior to contacting kevin.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Fairfield township's limits, Lenawee County, Michigan. The township's own zoning ordinance is listed on its official ordinances page and its zoning compliance permit is issued at the township office.

  • Zoning compliance permit application and sketch are filed at the township office with a $35 fee before the township processes the request.
  • The township zoning enforcement officer makes an on-site visit to check compliance with the sketch.

  “zoning enforcement officer ordinance land division ordinance subdivision control ordinance fairfield township zoning ordinance”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land division and subdivision inside Fairfield township's limits

  • Land use and parcel division applications are filed with the township, and a land division or subdivision approval is needed before a parcel is divided.
  • Land division also requires approval from the Lenawee County Drain Commission before starting any project.

  “land use application land/parcel division application * hardship/temporary permit * also requires approval from lenawee county drain commission prior to starting any project”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning compliance and variance fees for land inside Fairfield township's limits

  • Zoning compliance permit fee is paid with the application and sketch.
  • Zoning variance fee applies if the zoning compliance permit is not approved; a rezoning is the alternative.

  zoning compliance permit fee: 35 USD · zoning variance fee: 350 USD

  “complete a zoning compliance permit application (they are available at the township office) along with sketch and $35.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning compliance and building permit process for land inside Fairfield township's limits

  • Zoning enforcement officer approves or does not approve the zoning compliance application after the on-site visit.
  • If approved, the owner contacts the township building inspector for further instructions, after a building permit is started.

  “tom will make an on-site visit to check for compliance based on the sketch.”

Rules another office applies inside Fairfield Township

Fairfield Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicCounty

  On-site sewage disposal systems on land inside Fairfield township's limits, handled by the Lenawee County Health Department (county authority, applying to the township as part of the county service area).

  • Systems that handle more than 10,000 gallons of wastewater per day are regulated by EGLE instead, depending on the type and amount of wastewater generated.

  daily wastewater threshold: <= 10000 gallons per day (Larger systems are handled by EGLE)

  “the lenawee county health department (lchd) has jurisdiction for public and private on-site sewage disposal systems in lenawee county that handle up to 10,000 gallons of wastewater per day.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New on-site sewage disposal systems on land inside Fairfield township's limits, permitted by the Lenawee County Health Department.

  • A construction permit must be obtained before the system is installed, from EGLE or the health department depending on the type and amount of wastewater.
  • Site evaluation is required; a construction permit application is submitted for each site evaluation before permit fees are paid.

  “prior to installing a sewage disposal system, a construction permit must be obtained from either egle or the lchd, depending on the type and amount of wastewater generated.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  On-site sewage disposal systems on land inside Fairfield township's limits, inspected by the Lenawee County Health Department.

  • Each system is inspected and must be approved by the department before it is placed into service.

  “each system is inspected and requires approval from the department before being placed into service.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside Fairfield township's limits
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Fairfield township's limits
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new buildings inside Fairfield township's limits
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts of Fairfield township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area in the single-family residential district of Fairfield 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.