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

Rome Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction and alterations inside Rome township's limits, under the township building permit

  • Permit issued after plan review by the township building inspector; the township checklist lists the required attachments.
  • Mechanical and plumbing permits are separate and handled by the state.

  “complete both the zoning compliance form and building permit applications; (applications must be completely filled out) and return applications along with associated fee”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted building work inside Rome township's limits

  • At least 72 hours notice is required to schedule an inspection.
  • Inspection count depends on project type under the township fee schedule.

  notice before inspection: >= 72 hours

  “conducts building inspections. please give at least 72 hours notice to schedule an inspection.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Permitted building work inside Rome township's limits

  • A temporary occupancy permit may be allowed after review, posting of a bond and payment of the amount stated on the township fee schedule (60 days allowed, 30-day extension possible with justification).

  “a certificate of occupancy must be issued prior to moving into the permitted area.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Rome township's limits (Lenawee County, MI): the township's own Zoning Ordinance (Nov 2018) is listed on its official site with a zoning map, zoning permit application and variance request.

  • Use of land is conditional on the township Zoning Ordinance (Nov 2018), zoning permit and, where needed, variance or land-use approval through the Zoning Board of Appeals.
  • The ordinance PDF itself was listed but not opened for this record; its district standards are not transcribed here.

  “pdf zoning map pdf zoning ordinance (nov 2018) pdf zoning permit application pdf land use variance request”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land inside Rome township's limits: the township publishes a zoning map alongside its zoning ordinance.

  • District names and boundaries were not transcribed; the zoning map and ordinance PDF were listed but not opened.

  “pdf zoning map pdf zoning ordinance (nov 2018) pdf zoning permit application pdf land use variance request”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions inside Rome township

  • Land divisions go through the township land division application; the ordinance governing the process was not read.

  “pdf job application (pdf) pdf land division (pdf) pdf soil erosion & sedimentation pollution control — form a (pdf)”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Building permit applications for new construction inside Rome township

  • A copy of a driveway permit must accompany the building permit application; the agency issuing the driveway permit is not named on the township checklist.

  “d. ________ copy of driveway permit. e. ________ f. ________ copy of soil erosion and sedimentation permit or letter from lenawee county drain commission stating permit is not needed.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Building permit fees for work inside Rome township

  • Fees are based on inspections; additional inspections are charged above the initial permit fee.
  • Fee schedule adopted by the township board effective April 1, 2018; no later schedule was found on the pages opened.

  fee per inspection: 70 USD (additional inspections charged over and above the initial permit fee) · administrative fee added to all permits: 50 USD

  “permit fees are based on $70.00 per inspection.”

• Permit processPublished

  Building permit process inside Rome township

  • A temporary occupancy permit may be allowed after review, posting of a bond and payment of the amount stated on the fee schedule.
  • A permit lapses if work does not start within six (6) months of issue or is stopped for six (6) months.

  “the completed applications will be forwarded to the building inspector for plan review and approval and a permit will be returned in usually 5 to 7 days.”

Rules another office applies inside Rome Township

Rome 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 (with conditions)

  On-site sewage disposal systems on land inside Rome township, Lenawee County, handling up to 10,000 gallons per day

  • Systems that generate more wastewater than the county health department's jurisdiction are handled by the state (EGLE).
  • County health page is countywide; no Rome-specific septic page was found.

  wastewater flow threshold: <= 10000 gallons per day (larger systems 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 Rome township

  • A construction permit must be obtained before installation; the township building permit checklist also requires a copy of the well and septic permit.
  • Site evaluation (soil permeability, seasonal high water table, land area, isolation) precedes permit.

  “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 built on land inside Rome township

  • Approval is required before the system 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 Rome Township or Lenawee County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residence inside Rome township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area inside Rome township, by district
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size inside Rome township, by district (single-family residential and agricultural/rural districts)
• Setbacks — Yard setbacks inside Rome township, by district
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage inside Rome township, by district

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.