Zoning, building permits and septic rules in McBain, Michigan

McBain’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside McBain city limits.

  • The city identifies its Planning/Zoning Department as administering the City of McBain Zoning Ordinance.

  “This Department is responsible for administering the following Ordinances and Plans: 1. The City of McBain Zoning Ordinance”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater (with conditions)

  A house, building, or property used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes inside McBain city that is constructed after public water exists.

  • The property must abut a street, alley, or right-of-way containing, or that may in the future contain, a city watermain or local distribution line.
  • The watermain must be within 200 feet of the nearest property line.
  • Connection and plumbing facilities are at the owner's expense unless another source expressly provides the expense.

  watermain distance from nearest property line: <= 200 feet

  “The owner of each house, building, or property used for human occupancy, employment, recreation, or other purposes, constructed subsequent to the existence of public water, situated within the City, and abutting on any street, alley, or right-of-way in which there is located or may, in the future, be located a watermain or local distribution line of the system shall, provided said watermain is within 200 feet of the nearest property line of said premises, at owner's expense (unless such expense is expressly provided by other sources), install suitable plumbing facilities therein and connect such facilities directly to the water distribution system, provided said watermain is within 200 feet of the nearest property line of said premises.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Land divisions inside McBain city limits.

  • The city identifies its Land Division Ordinance and the Michigan Land Division Act as the applicable land-division framework.

  “This Department is responsible for administering the following Ordinances and Plans: 1. The City of McBain Zoning Ordinance 2. Land Division Ordinance and the Michigan Land Division Act (for land divisions)”

• Permit processPartial

  Construction permit routing inside McBain city limits.

  • McBain issues zoning permits for construction.
  • Building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits are issued by the Missaukee County Building Department.

  “While the City of McBain issues Zoning Permits for construction, construction permits (building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical permits) are issued the the Missaukee County Building Department, located at 105 S. Canal Street, Lake City, Michigan 49651.”

Rules another office applies inside McBain

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

• Building permitRequired

  Building construction and changes of use or occupancy inside McBain city.

  • The application must be submitted to the appropriate enforcing agency.
  • The City of McBain states that building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical construction permits are issued by the Missaukee County Building Department.

  “Before construction of a building or structure, an owner, or the owner's builder, architect, engineer, or agent, shall submit an application in writing to the appropriate enforcing agency for a building permit. A permit is also required when the use or occupancy of a structure or portion thereof is changed.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings and one- and two-family dwellings inside McBain city under Michigan's statewide construction-code framework.

  • One- and two-family dwellings are governed by the Michigan Residential Code.

  “The Michigan Building Code controls all matters concerning the construction, alteration, addition, repair, removal, demolition, use, location, occupancy, and maintenance of all buildings and structures and their service equipment. Presently, provisions for one- and two-family dwellings are included in the Michigan Residential Code.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask McBain or Missaukee County directly.

• Owner-builder exemption — Residential owner-builders inside McBain city.
• Inspections — Construction inside McBain city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — New or altered buildings inside McBain city limits.
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside McBain city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside McBain city limits.

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.