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

Deerfield Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Deerfield township's limits (Livingston County, Michigan), administered by the township under its own Zoning Ordinance 112

  • Ordinance 112 was adopted May 9, 2002 and amended through Ordinance 112-35, adopted January 11, 2024; the effective_at date is the 2024 amendment adoption date stated in the PDF.
  • Section 10.02 divides the township into the zoning districts listed in the zoning_districts claim.

  “for the purpose of this ordinance, the township is hereby divided into the following zoning districts, which shall be known by the following respective symbols and names, and shall have boundaries as delineated on the official zoning map.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Deerfield township's limits

  • Section 10.02 names the districts; boundaries are shown on the official zoning map referenced in section 10.02 (map not opened).

  “agricultural districts a-1: general agriculture district a-2: small farms/10 district a-3: small farms/5 district a-4: small farms/2 district residential districts r-1: low density residential district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Dwellings in the A-2 small farms/10 agricultural district of Deerfield township

  • Table 10-4 minimum dwelling floor area column reads 1,200 sq. ft. for A-2 (footnote 10 not opened).
  • Footnotes 2 through 10 of Table 10-4 were not opened.

  minimum dwelling floor area: >= 1200 sq ft (footnote 10 of Table 10-4 not opened)

  “a-2: small farms/10 10 acres 2 330 ft.3 2 1/2 35 ft.4 50 ft.5,8 20 ft.6,8 20 ft.7,8 10%9 1,200 sq. ft.10”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Single-family dwellings in the R-1 low density residential district of Deerfield township

    “r-1: low density residential 40,000 to 65,000 sq. ft.2 100 ft. to 250 ft.3 2 1/2 35 ft.4 40 ft.5,8 20 ft.6,8 20 ft.7,8 25%9 1,200 sq. ft.10”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lots in the R-1 low density residential district of Deerfield township

  • Lot area is 40,000 to 65,000 sq. ft.; footnote 2 configuration rules (article 18 small lot options) were not opened.
  • Lot width is 100 ft. to 250 ft. (footnote 3).

  minimum lot area: 40,000 to 65,000 sq ft (footnote 2 configuration requirements not opened)

  “r-1: low density residential 40,000 to 65,000 sq. ft.2 100 ft. to 250 ft.3 2 1/2 35 ft.4 40 ft.5,8 20 ft.6,8 20 ft.7,8 25%9 1,200 sq. ft.10”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Lots in the A-2 small farms/10 agricultural district of Deerfield township

    “a-2: small farms/10 10 acres 2 330 ft.3 2 1/2 35 ft.4 50 ft.5,8 20 ft.6,8 20 ft.7,8 10%9 1,200 sq. ft.10”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal buildings in the R-1 low density residential district of Deerfield township

  • Front yard 40 ft.; side yard 20 ft.; rear yard 20 ft. per the Table 10-4 columns; footnotes 5 to 8 (yard measurement rules) not opened.
  • Accessory buildings are governed by section 19.11 (not opened).

  front yard setback: >= 40 ft (footnotes 5 and 8 not opened) · side yard setback: >= 20 ft (footnotes 6 and 8 not opened) · rear yard setback: >= 20 ft (footnotes 7 and 8 not opened)

  “r-1: low density residential 40,000 to 65,000 sq. ft.2 100 ft. to 250 ft.3 2 1/2 35 ft.4 40 ft.5,8 20 ft.6,8 20 ft.7,8 25%9 1,200 sq. ft.10”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Principal buildings in the A-2 small farms/10 agricultural district of Deerfield township

    “a-2: small farms/10 10 acres 2 330 ft.3 2 1/2 35 ft.4 50 ft.5,8 20 ft.6,8 20 ft.7,8 10%9 1,200 sq. ft.10”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lots in the A-2 small farms/10 agricultural district of Deerfield township

  • Maximum lot coverage 10% per Table 10-4 (footnote 9 not opened).

  maximum lot coverage: <= 10 percent (footnote 9 not opened)

  “a-2: small farms/10 10 acres 2 330 ft.3 2 1/2 35 ft.4 50 ft.5,8 20 ft.6,8 20 ft.7,8 10%9 1,200 sq. ft.10”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Lots in the R-1 low density residential district of Deerfield township

    “r-1: low density residential 40,000 to 65,000 sq. ft.2 100 ft. to 250 ft.3 2 1/2 35 ft.4 40 ft.5,8 20 ft.6,8 20 ft.7,8 25%9 1,200 sq. ft.10”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal buildings in the A-2 small farms/10 agricultural district of Deerfield township

  • Maximum 2 1/2 stories and 35 ft. per Table 10-4 (footnote 4 not opened).

  maximum building height: <= 35 ft (footnote 4 not opened)

  “a-2: small farms/10 10 acres 2 330 ft.3 2 1/2 35 ft.4 50 ft.5,8 20 ft.6,8 20 ft.7,8 10%9 1,200 sq. ft.10”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Principal buildings in the R-1 low density residential district of Deerfield township

    “r-1: low density residential 40,000 to 65,000 sq. ft.2 100 ft. to 250 ft.3 2 1/2 35 ft.4 40 ft.5,8 20 ft.6,8 20 ft.7,8 25%9 1,200 sq. ft.10”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Overnight parking or storage of a recreational vehicle on a parcel in Deerfield township on which no permanent dwelling is located

  • Exception 1: when expressly authorized as part of an approved site plan where RV parking or storage is an integral component of the approved principal use (for example RV sales).
  • Exception 2: a lot may be used for outdoor parking or storage of RVs if conditions listed in section 19.22(a)(2) are met; those lot conditions were not captured in this research (the page text was cut off).

  “the overnight parking or storage of a recreational vehicle on a parcel on which a permanent dwelling is not located, irrespective of whether such vehicle is used for sleeping purposes, is prohibited except for the following:”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Placing a mobile home or recreational vehicle as a temporary dwelling on a lot in Deerfield township

  • Requires a temporary land use permit issued by the zoning administrator.
  • A performance guarantee is required from the owner before placement, to ensure removal at permit expiration.
  • The temporary dwelling must be removed (or demolished, in the case of section 19.12(a)(1)(a)) by the permit expiration date or within the period stated in the rest of section 19.12(a); subsections (1) to (3) and the time limit were not captured.

  “no temporary dwelling shall be erected or placed upon a lot or parcel except as authorized by a temporary land use permit issued by the zoning administrator.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on lots in Deerfield township

  • Health department approval is required before an ADU is constructed (per the ordinance amendment summary).
  • ADU garage provisions were added by the same amendment; the specific ADU standards (section and size limits) were not captured.
  • Accessory buildings and structures may not be used or occupied as a dwelling (section 19.11(h)), so an ADU must be a separate dwelling, not a garage, barn or basement.

  “no garage, barn, or accessory building, or basement, whether fixed or portable, shall be used or occupied as a dwelling.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new construction inside Deerfield township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction of a home in Deerfield township
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for construction inside Deerfield township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Deerfield township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new dwellings 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.