Bolthole Index

Macomb County, Michigan

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan

The Village of Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan requires a building permit for new construction, additions, roofs, fences and driveways1, issued by the village Building Department. The village also runs its own zoning under Chapter 40 of its code2. Septic permits for Macomb County come from the Macomb County Health Department, not the village3.

At a glance

Building permit
Required for construction or alteration of any structure, plus roofs, fences and driveways1
Who issues it
Village of Grosse Pointe Shores Building Department4
Zoning
Village zoning (Chapter 40), with planning commission review of new principal structures21
Minimum lot, R-12
12,000 sq ft and 100 ft wide5
Septic
Macomb County Health Department (county-level authority)3
Owner-builder
Owners may apply, but a permit application is still required6

Who to call

Building permits

Village of Grosse Pointe Shores Building Department

Building permits and inspections inside the Village of Grosse Pointe Shores

(313) 881-6565

[email protected]

795 Lake Shore Road, Grosse Pointe Shores, MI, 48236

Septic permits

Macomb County Health Department, Environmental Health Services Division

Countywide onsite sewage (septic) permits, soil evaluations and inspections

586-469-5236

[email protected]

1 South Main St., Mount Clemens, MI 48043

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Village of Grosse Pointe Shores means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan have zoning?

Yes. The Village of Grosse Pointe Shores in Macomb County adopts and administers its own zoning in Chapter 40 of its code of ordinances2. Lot rules differ by district. In the R-12 Residence District, the minimum lot is 12,000 square feet and 100 feet wide5. In the Colonial Residence District, the minimum lot is 9,000 square feet and 100 feet wide7. In the Residence Lakefront District, the minimum lot is 20,000 square feet and 100 feet wide8.

Height is capped at 30 feet and two stories on R-12 lots 120 feet wide or less, and the cap rises to 33 feet on wider lots, subject to the village's neighborhood design standards9. The Colonial Residence District also caps height at 30 feet and two stories10. We reviewed only the residential districts, and we could not confirm yard setbacks, lot coverage, minimum house size, accessory dwellings, RV or tiny-home rules. Ask the Building Department before you rely on any of them11.

Do you need a building permit in Grosse Pointe Shores, and who issues it?

Yes. The Village of Grosse Pointe Shores requires a building permit to construct or alter any structure, build an addition, or demolish or move a structure. Electrical, mechanical and plumbing work, roof replacement or repair, fences and driveways need permits too1. The Grosse Pointe Shores Building Department issues them, not Macomb County4.

New principal structures, and accessory structures over 120 square feet, also go to the village planning commission for review1. Michigan lets an owner apply for a building permit, but the owner still has to submit a written application before construction6. We could not confirm whether the village offers any owner-builder exemption beyond that, so ask the Building Department.

How do you apply for a building permit in Grosse Pointe Shores?

Applications are emailed to the Building Department at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]). Once processed, the permit comes back by email with a link to pay online12. The village asks for two sets of signed, scaled construction plans, a site plan with lot coverage calculations, structural, mechanical and electrical detail, the application form and a copy of the builder's license4.

Buildings follow the Michigan Building Code and the Michigan Residential Code for one- and two-family homes13. A new or altered building cannot be occupied until the code official issues a certificate of occupancy14. We could not confirm the village's permit fee schedule; the Village Clerk's page lists one.

How do septic permits work in Grosse Pointe Shores?

Septic permits in Macomb County come from the Macomb County Health Department's Environmental Health Services Division, which runs soil evaluations, issues septic permits and inspects systems15. The county's 2026 fee schedule lists $489 for a new septic permit and $243 for a soil evaluation16. Applications go through the county's Accela Citizen Access portal17.

We could not confirm whether any particular Grosse Pointe Shores lot is on village sewer or would need a septic system at all. Ask the Building Department about sewer connection, and the county health department before planning a septic field. Countywide, USDA rates only about 2.9% of soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation18.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Grosse Pointe Shores?

We could not confirm what the village's zoning code says about living in an RV or a tiny home on a residential lot, so ask the Building Department before you buy. State rules do not fill the gap: Michigan's campground licence applies when five or more recreational units are used as temporary living quarters on a property19. That rule says nothing about a single RV on one lot. Michigan also says a tiny house cannot be treated as a recreational unit, even on wheels, and needs local zoning and building approval20.

Building a home in Grosse Pointe Shores: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the lot's zoning district and its minimum lot size with the Building Department11.
  2. Prepare signed, scaled plans and a site plan with lot coverage calculations4.
  3. Expect planning commission review of a new principal structure1.
  4. Email the application to the Building Department and pay online once the permit is issued12.
  5. Get separate permits for a driveway, fence, roof and electrical, mechanical or plumbing work21.
  6. Request a certificate of occupancy after the work is finished and fees are paid14.

What stays with Macomb County, and what to check before you buy

Inside the village limits, the village sets zoning and issues building permits. Macomb County keeps septic permits3 and, under Michigan's well rules, well permits through the local health department22. The county's rules for land outside the village are on the Macomb County page.

Before you buy, check the lot's district, ask about sewer service, and look at flood exposure. A driveway onto a state trunkline highway also needs a state permit through MDOT's Construction Permit System23. Macomb County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%24.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm yard setbacks, lot coverage, minimum floor area, accessory dwellings, RV rules or the village's permit fees; ask the Grosse Pointe Shores Building Department at (313) 881-656512.
  • The village planning commission reviews new principal structures and larger accessory buildings in addition to the building permit1.
  • We could not confirm whether the village requires its own sewer connection or has septic rules beyond the county's; ask both offices before buying; the county health department handles septic3.

Sources

  1. Village of Grosse Pointe Shores - Building Department (Village of Grosse Pointe Shores), quoted and re-checked
  2. Code of Ordinances, Grosse Pointe Shores, MI - Chapter 40 Zoning (Municode) (Village of Grosse Pointe Shores), quoted and re-checked
  3. EH Services Portal (2026 county census)
  4. Village of Grosse Pointe Shores - Building Department (Village of Grosse Pointe Shores), quoted and re-checked
  5. Code of Ordinances, Grosse Pointe Shores, MI - Chapter 40 Zoning (Municode) (Village of Grosse Pointe Shores), quoted and re-checked
  6. Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
  7. Code of Ordinances, Grosse Pointe Shores, MI - Chapter 40 Zoning (Municode) (Village of Grosse Pointe Shores), quoted and re-checked
  8. Code of Ordinances, Grosse Pointe Shores, MI - Chapter 40 Zoning (Municode) (Village of Grosse Pointe Shores), quoted and re-checked
  9. Code of Ordinances, Grosse Pointe Shores, MI - Chapter 40 Zoning (Municode) (Village of Grosse Pointe Shores), quoted and re-checked
  10. Code of Ordinances, Grosse Pointe Shores, MI - Chapter 40 Zoning (Municode) (Village of Grosse Pointe Shores), quoted and re-checked
  11. Code of Ordinances, Grosse Pointe Shores, MI - Chapter 40 Zoning (Municode) (Village of Grosse Pointe Shores), quoted and re-checked
  12. Village of Grosse Pointe Shores Building Department (gpshoresmi.gov)
  13. Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
  14. Certificate of Occupancy Request (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Macomb County Health Department, Environmental Health Services Division (macombgov.org)
  16. Environmental Health fee schedule, quoted and re-checked
  17. EH services portal, quoted and re-checked
  18. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  19. Campgrounds and care facilities, quoted and re-checked
  20. michigan.gov (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. Village of Grosse Pointe Shores - Building Department (Village of Grosse Pointe Shores), quoted and re-checked
  22. Before you start a well drilling business (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. Infrastructure permits (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 24, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Village of Grosse Pointe Shores

Village of Grosse Pointe Shores’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction inside the Village of Grosse Pointe Shores

    • Also required for electrical, mechanical, plumbing work, roof replacement or repair, fences and driveways
    • Planning commission review required for new principal structures and accessory structures over 120 sq ft
    “permits are required for the following: construction or alteration of any structure construction of an addition demolition or moving of a structure”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside the Village of Grosse Pointe Shores

    • Chapter 40 is administered under the Michigan Zoning Enabling Act (PA 110 of 2006) since July 1, 2006
    “this chapter is enacted pursuant to public act 207 of 1921, as amended (being the city and village zoning act, mcl 125.581, et seq.).”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Residential districts in the Village (R-12 Residence, Colonial Residence, Residence Lakefront) per Chapter 40; other districts not reviewed

    • Only the residential districts were reviewed; commercial or other districts were not examined
    “area, height and placement requirements in the r-12 residence district shall be as follows: (1) minimum lot area: 12,000 square feet.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Colonial Residence District inside the Village of Grosse Pointe Shores

    • Minimum lot width 100 feet

    minimum lot area: >= 9000 sq ft · minimum lot width: >= 100 feet

    “area, height and placement requirements in the colonial residence district shall be as follows: (1) minimum lot area: 9,000 square feet. (2) minimum lot width: 100 feet.”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
  • Building heightSpecified

    R-12 Residence District inside the Village of Grosse Pointe Shores

    • 33 feet allowed on lots over 120 feet wide with at least 12,000 sq ft, with roof-above-30-feet limited to 30 percent of structure width
    • Also subject to Sec. 40-173 neighborhood design standards, which may mandate a lower height

    maximum height: <= 30 feet (not to exceed two stories; 33 feet on lots wider than 120 feet)

    “maximum height: 30 feet (not to exceed two stories) on all buildable lots of 120 feet or less in lot width.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Installing or replacing a driveway inside the Village of Grosse Pointe Shores

    • Permit requirement only; design standards not reviewed
    “installing or replacing a fence installing or replacing a driveway”
  • Permit processPublished

    Building permit applications inside the Village of Grosse Pointe Shores

    • Applications emailed to [email protected]; permit emailed with online payment link
    • Site plan, lot coverage calculations, structural/mechanical/electrical detail, application form and builder license copy required
    “requirements for application for building permit: two sets of construction plans, signed and scaled.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Village of Grosse Pointe Shores or Macomb County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside the Village
  • Building code adopted — Building code inside the Village
  • Inspections — Inspections inside the Village
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside the Village
  • Minimum dwelling size — Minimum floor area inside the Village
18 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • 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 Village of Grosse Pointe Shores publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Macomb County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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