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

Milan Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alteration and accessory structures inside Milan Township, Monroe County, Michigan

  • Construction may proceed after the building permit is issued.
  • Sheds of 200 square feet and under do not require a building permit but must meet zoning setbacks; sheds of 201 square feet and over do require one (township FAQ).
  • Fence over 6 feet in height requires a permit through the zoning department (township FAQ).

  shed size exempt from building permit: <= 200 sq ft (must still meet zoning setback requirements)

  “any structure 200 sq. ft. and under - does not require a building permit, but must follow zoning setback requirements.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  New residential structures inside Milan Township, Monroe County, Michigan

  • The ordinance refers to 'the adopted building code of the township' without naming the code or edition in the quoted sentence.
  • The township FAQ says the building inspector checks compliance with township ordinances and state and federal codes.

  “the foundation shall be constructed in accordance with the adopted building code of the township.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Milan Township, Monroe County, Michigan

  • Inspections attach to permitted work; the FAQ does not list inspection types or counts.

  “provide inspections to ensure your construction is in compliance with township ordinances and state and federal codes”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Milan Township's own limits, Monroe County, Michigan

  • The building inspector serves as zoning administrator unless another official is appointed, per the ordinance.

  “the building inspector of the township of milan shall serve as the zoning administrator unless another official is appointed to fulfill the duties of the zoning administrator.”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts inside Milan Township, Monroe County, Michigan

  • Also lists rm, mhc, c-1, c-2, i-1, i-2, fp and pdd districts; the quoted excerpt covers the agricultural and residential districts only. District boundaries are on the official zoning map, which was not opened.

  “ag-1, primary agricultural district ag-2, secondary agricultural district r-1, single-family rural residential district r-2, single-family urban residential district”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured homes as single-family dwellings inside Milan Township outside the manufactured housing community district

  • The manufactured home must be certified as meeting the HUD mobile home construction and safety standards.
  • Any residential structure, including a manufactured home, shall be placed on a permanent foundation to form a complete enclosure under the exterior walls.
  • A separate manufactured housing community (mhc) district exists under article 7 of the ordinance; it was not opened.

  “if the dwelling unit is a manufactured home, the manufactured home must be certified by the manufacturer as meeting the mobile home construction and safety standards of the u.s. dept. of housing and urban development”

• Subdividing landLimited

  Land divisions and lot splits inside Milan Township

  • The land division provisions (sec. 6.03) allow lot splits only for parcels wholly in the AG-1 prime agricultural district and greater than 10 acres; the text was cut off in extraction and should be verified.
  • State land division law was not checked.

  “only parcels which are completely within the ag-1 prime agricultural district and greater than 10 acres are eligible for lot splits under this section.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Lot access to streets for new homes inside Milan Township

  • The rule requires lots to adjoin a public street or an approved private street; it does not set a driveway permit process.
  • A driveway permit through the Monroe County Road Commission was not located.

  “all lots shall adjoin a public street or shall adjoin a private street which has been approved as to design and construction by the milan township board and the monroe county road commission.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Development inside the flood plain overlay zone (FP) in Milan Township

  • Applies only inside the flood plain overlay zone, whose boundaries follow the 100-year flood limits on FIRM panels dated April 20, 2000, as adopted by the ordinance.
  • Other district rules still apply under the overlay.

  “compliance with the requirements of this section shall be necessary for all development occurring within the flood plain overlay zone.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permit fees inside Milan Township

  • The township building page lists a permit fee schedule document, which was not opened.
  • Fee questions are directed to the building inspector, Robert Grostick.

  “fees for permits are based upon the square footage of the structure and the scope of working being done.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit application process inside Milan Township

  • Applications need dimensions of structures, distance from property line, easements, a mortgage survey if possible, a completed application and working drawings (township FAQ).
  • Permit forms are linked on the building page as short form, building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits.

  typical permit processing time: <= 3 working days (typical, per township FAQ)

  “it will typically take up to 3 working days to have your building permit processed.”

Rules another office applies inside Milan Township

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

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Potable water and waste water disposal systems for a single-family dwelling on a nonconforming lot of record inside Milan Township; the Monroe County Health Department approves them (county authority applying inside Milan Township)

  • Stated in the nonconforming-lot provision; it applies where a dwelling is erected on a lot of record that does not meet the ordinance area or width requirements.

  “and further provided that a potable water supply and waste water disposal system is approved by the monroe county health department.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Milan Township
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy certificates for new homes inside Milan Township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum gross floor area of a single-family dwelling inside Milan Township
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot area for R-1 and AG-1 districts inside Milan Township
• Tiny homes — Tiny home used as a dwelling inside Milan 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.