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

Marilla Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New construction inside Marilla township that needs a construction code permit; the township zoning land use permit must be obtained first.

  • The construction code inspector obtains a copy of a township land use permit as part of the construction permit application.
  • Land use permit responses take 7-10 business days per township page.

  permit response time: 7-10 business days

  “applications important: please allow for 7-10 business days for a permit response”

• InspectionsLimited

  Mobile homes used as dwellings inside Marilla township (the only inspection step found in the ordinance text read).

  • Applies to mobile homes outside a licensed mobile home park.
  • General construction inspection by the state-enforced construction code inspector is not described in the township ordinance sections read.

  “compliance with the dwelling standards shall be shown prior to the issuance of a special use permit by a certificate or affidavit of inspection by a certified or licensed building inspector”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Marilla township's limits. The township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance; county zoning does not govern here.

  • Zoning land use permit required under the township ordinance before construction or use (see township permit claims).
  • Ordinance amended June 14, 2022 per the township zoning page; table of uses marked in maintenance mode, contact clerk for current version.
  • Township page lists 2026 zoning amendment hearing for childcare, accessory dwelling units, sound and cemetery ordinances (proposed, not yet adopted as of this record).

  “marilla township is a zoned community what does this mean to you?”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts within Marilla township's limits

  • Official zoning map effective May 2025 per township page.
  • Districts described in ordinance article 30 (RP-1, RR-1, R-1, CR-1 among others); full district list not verified.

  “marilla township zoning map – effective may 2025”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family and multi-family dwellings and duplexes in every district inside Marilla township

  • Structure must also be at least 20 by 20 feet.
  • Does not apply inside a designated mobile home park.

  minimum dwelling floor area: >= 600 sq ft (designated mobile home park)

  “no dwelling or duplex shall hereinafter be erected which shall have less than sixhundred (600 ft2) square feet and an area of the structure which is at least twenty (20) by twenty (20) feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Parcels in the R-1 residential district (table headed 'r-1 district requirements') inside Marilla township

  • Minimum parcel width 150 feet.
  • Minimum road frontage applies (section 30.04 e, not fully read).

  minimum parcel area: >= 40000 sq ft · minimum parcel width: >= 150 ft

  “no building, structure or use shall be established on any parcel less than fortythousand (40,000 ft2) square feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Parcels in the RR-1 rural residential district inside Marilla township

    “no building, structure or use shall be established on any parcel less than ten (10 ac.) acres. unless utilizing cluster development standards of section 10.111.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Structures on parcels in the R-1 residential district inside Marilla township

  • Front and road yard 50 ft; side and rear 20 ft each; water yard 100 ft.

  front and road yard setback: >= 50 ft · side yard setback: >= 20 ft · rear yard setback: >= 20 ft · water yard setback: >= 100 ft

  “front & road yard 50 ft setbacks side rear 20 ft 20 ft water yard 100 ft”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Structures on parcels in the RR-1 rural residential district inside Marilla township

    “front & road yard 50 ft setbacks side rear 20 ft 20 ft water yard 100 ft”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Parcels in the R-1 residential district inside Marilla township

  maximum building coverage: <= 30 % · maximum impervious coverage: <= 40 %

  “max. lot building coverage allowance 30% max. lot impervious coverage allowance 40%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Parcels in the RR-1 rural residential district inside Marilla township

    “max. lot building coverage allowance 2% max. lot impervious coverage allowance 5%”

• Building heightSpecified

  Structures in the R-1 residential district inside Marilla township

  maximum building height: <= 35 ft

  “min. parcel area min. parcel width max. height 40,000 ft2 150 ft 35 ft”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Structures in the RR-1 rural residential district inside Marilla township

    “max. height 35 ft building floor area min. 600 ft2”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Temporary camping units, tents and trailers used as temporary dwellings inside Marilla township

  • The ordinance definition of 'trailer' includes camping units and tents as temporary dwellings, so section 10.106 limits apply.
  • Camping in a campground or on a parcel is not separately regulated in the sections read; check table of land uses (article 18) for camping rules.

  “the time period (of occupancy) for any trailer or hunting cabin shall not exceed eight (8) weeks in a calendar year to qualify as a temporary dwelling.”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Small dwellings (tiny homes) used as a permanent dwelling inside Marilla township

  • A dwelling must have at least 600 square feet and an area at least 20 by 20 feet to be erected; smaller dwellings do not meet the ordinance dwelling standard.
  • Section 10.105 applies to every dwelling in every district except a designated mobile home park.

  minimum dwelling floor area: >= 600 sq ft (designated mobile home park)

  “no dwelling or duplex shall hereinafter be erected which shall have less than sixhundred (600 ft2) square feet and an area of the structure which is at least twenty (20) by twenty (20) feet.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile or manufactured homes used as a dwelling outside a licensed mobile home park inside Marilla township

  • Must be at least 20 feet wide across any front, side or rear elevation.
  • Compliance with dwelling standards shown before a special use permit is issued, by inspector certificate/affidavit or HUD seal.
  • Not applicable inside licensed mobile home parks except as state or federal law requires.

  minimum width across any front, side or rear elevation: >= 20 ft (licensed mobile home park)

  “no person shall use, occupy or permit the use or occupancy of a mobile home as a dwelling within any district within the township not designated as a mobile home park, unless such mobile home has a minimum width across any front, side or rear elevation of twenty (20’) feet”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Septic systems for new dwellings inside Marilla township

  • The applicant must notify the township zoning administrator once the inspector approves the system; the ordinance does not name the inspector, and the health department is the septic authority per the township page.

  “applicant shall notify the marilla township zoning administrator when septic/well system has been approved by the inspector.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision and parcel division of land inside Marilla township

  • Subdivision design standards are in article 12 of the township ordinance.
  • Township has a separate parcel division ordinance effective February 2025 per its zoning page; not opened.

  “parcel division ordinance – effective feb 2025”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Dwellings and accessory structures on parcels inside Marilla township

  • Parcel must border a county road that receives year-round maintenance.
  • Rear line of dwelling or accessory structure no more than 333 feet from centerline of that county road.
  • Section 10.81 driveway rules were not read.

  maximum distance from county road centerline: <= 333 ft

  “and the rear line of such dwelling, accessory building, use or structure shall not be more than three-hundred and thirty-three (333) feet from the centerline of such county road.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning permit and application fees for work inside Marilla township

  • Fee schedule adopted June 2026 supersedes the 2024 and 2023 schedules listed on the township page; amounts not read.

  “2026 fee schedule – adopted june 2026 2024 fee schedule – adopted june 2024”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning land use, special use and parcel division applications inside Marilla township

  • Application forms updated April 29, 2025 per township page; response time 7-10 business days.

  permit response time: 7-10 business days

  “applications important: please allow for 7-10 business days for a permit response”

Rules another office applies inside Marilla Township

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  All construction inside Marilla township, because the township ordinance requires compliance with the state construction code (Michigan Construction Code Act, 1972 PA 230).

  • Township ordinance section 10.02 requires construction in Marilla township to comply with the nationally recognized building code as specified in the state act, as amended.
  • Applied through the township ordinance; the statewide scope is used because the schema does not allow a township-specific state rule.

  “all construction in marilla township shall be done in compliance with the nationally recognized building code as specified in michigan act 230 of 1972”

• Septic permitRequired

  Septic systems for a new dwelling inside Marilla township

  • The township issues its land use permit only if the intended use complies, so that the septic or well permit may be issued by the health department.
  • The ordinance sentence continues onto the next page; the words 'issued by the manistee county health department' appear immediately after the page break in the source PDF.

  “the zoning administrator shall issue a land use permit to an applicant providing the intended use is in accordance with the provisions of this ordinance, so that a septic/well permit may be 20 marilla township zoning ordinance 2014 issued by the manistee county health department.”

• Well permitRequired

  Private wells for homes inside Marilla township

  • Issued as a combined septic/well permit by the health department; the ordinance sentence is split across a page break.

  “so that a septic/well permit may be 20 marilla township zoning ordinance 2014 issued by the manistee county health department.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for homeowners building on their own land inside Marilla township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Marilla township
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units on parcels inside Marilla township
• Mandatory utility hookup — Whether a new home inside Marilla township must connect to public water or sewer when available
• Agricultural exemption — Agricultural exemption from township rules inside Marilla 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.