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

Ash Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction inside Ash township that requires a building permit

  • Separate permit applications are required for plumbing, mechanical and electrical work.
  • Work started without required permits is assessed a double permit fee.
  • Permits expire if work is not commenced within six months or is abandoned for six months.

  “there will be a double permit fee assessed for all requested inspections prior to obtaining appropriate permits, and/or work done without the benefit of required permits.”

• Owner-builder exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Owner-occupant doing their own work on their home in Ash township

  • The owner must live in the home or be about to occupy it.
  • Permits, inspections and final approval still apply.
  • The form cites MCL 125.1523a, which bars conspiring to circumvent residential builder licensing.

  “i hereby certify that the work described on this permit application shall be installed by myself in my home in which i am living or about to occupy.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Construction inside Ash township, enforced by the Ash Township building department

  • The form names the 2015 Michigan Residential Code and 2015 Michigan Building Code; the current state code edition was not verified.

  “ash township enforces the michigan residential code 2015 and the michigan building code 2015”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Ash township

  • Work may not be enclosed, covered up or put into use until inspected and approved.
  • Only the permit applicant may request inspections.

  “shall not be enclosed, covered up or put into use until it has been inspected and approved by the inspector”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New or altered buildings in Ash township that are occupied after permitted work

  • The certificate of occupancy is a separate application from the building permit.
  • The owner must obtain final approval before occupying or using the installation.

  “certificate of occupancy is a separate application.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Ash township's limits, under the Ash Township Zoning Ordinance (Ord. No. 7C)

  • The township's copy of the ordinance is marked 'amended through april 2012'; later amendments may exist and were not verified.

  “zoning ordinance ord. no. 7c adopted by the ash township board on january 12, 1999”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Ash township's limits

  • Districts are listed in Article 3 of the ordinance copy (amended through april 2012); the zoning map is part of the ordinance but its current revision was not verified.

  “ag, agricultural district re, rural estates district r, residential single-family district rm, residential multi-family district mhp, manufactured home park district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family residential structures in Ash township; the schedule's floor-area notes, read with the R (single-family) district

  • Floor-area figures are by story: 1 story, 1-1/2 story and 2 story.
  • The extracted text does not show the column alignment of the figures unambiguously; verify against the printed Section 15.04 schedule.

  minimum floor area, 1 story: >= 1000 square feet · minimum floor area, 1-1/2 story: >= 1150 square feet · minimum floor area, 2 story: >= 1500 square feet

  “the minimum residential floor area for single-family residential structures shall be as follows: 1 story 1½ story 2 story 1,000 square feet 1,150 square feet 1,500 square feet”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R (residential single-family) district in Ash township, single-family detached and two-family dwellings

  • Lot area and width vary by utility availability: no utilities, public water only, public sewer only, or public sewer and water.
  • Excludes public road right-of-way and private road easements.
  • Averaging, cross-district averaging, cluster and PUD options under Sections 15.13-15.15 and Article 20 may change the figure.

  minimum lot area, no utility service: >= 20000 square feet (minimum lot width 100 ft) · minimum lot area, public water only: >= 12000 square feet (minimum lot width 80 ft) · minimum lot area, public sewer only: >= 10000 square feet (minimum lot width 80 ft) · minimum lot area, public sewer and water: >= 8750 square feet (minimum lot width 70 ft)

  “minimum lot area required minimum lot width required utility service available 20,000 100 none 12,000 80 public water only 10,000 square feet 80 public sewer only 8,750 square feet 70 public sewer and water”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — RE (rural estates) district in Ash township

    “if public sewer service is available, the minimum size per zoning lot (not including public road right-of-way or private road easement) shall be 32,670 square feet (3/4 acre).”

  • Specified — AG (agricultural) district in Ash township

    “this minimum shall be contingent on the issuance of required monroe county health department permits. if public sewer service is available, the minimum size per zoning lot (not including public road right-of-way or private road easement) shall be 1 acre.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Campers, motor homes or travel trailers owned by nonresidents, parked on a single-family lot in Ash township

  • Open parking of such vehicles not owned by a township resident is otherwise limited to 24 hours.
  • This is a parking rule, not an occupancy permit; it does not authorize living in the vehicle.
  • Requires a permit from the building official first.

  parking period: <= 4 weeks (rear yard of a single-family lot; permit required)

  “a camper, motor home, or travel trailer owned by a nonresident may be parked in the rear yard of a single-family lot for a period of up to four (4) weeks provided a permit has first been secured from the building official.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Campground use in Ash township (the zoning district that permits campgrounds was not identified)

  • Campgrounds must be at least 20 acres.
  • No year-round residency is permitted except in a dwelling unit.
  • Campgrounds must follow Act 368 of 1978 (public health code), per the ordinance.

  minimum campground area: >= 20 acres

  “no year-round residency shall be permitted, except within a dwelling unit as herein defined. the minimum area shall be twenty (20) acres.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Building permits issued by the Ash Township building department

  • Fee schedule as printed on the township's 2026 building permit application (last updated 02-4-2026).
  • Residential plan review on structures over 3,500 sq ft requires additional fees.
  • Outside consultant fees may apply.

  application fee: 50 USD (non-refundable; all permits) · inspection rate: 55 USD per hour (minimum one hour; outside business hours minimum two hours) · contractor registration: 35 USD per year

  “all permits require a $50.00 non-refundable application fee.”

Still unanswered

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

• Setbacks — Yard setbacks in the AG, RE and R districts of Ash township
• Lot coverage — Lot coverage in the AG, RE and R districts of Ash township
• Building height — Building height in the AG, RE and R districts of Ash township
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes used as dwellings inside Ash township
• Manufactured homes — Manufactured homes used as dwellings inside Ash 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.