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

Summerfield Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Summerfield township limits, administered by the township under its own zoning ordinance

  • The ordinance is posted as amended through July 4, 2023; the township planning commission had proposed further amendments on its October 15, 2026 agenda, which were not reviewed here.

  “summerfield township is hereby divided into the following zoning districts to be known as, and have the following names and symbols”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  All land inside Summerfield township limits

  • Districts listed: AG-1 prime agricultural, AG-2 agricultural family, R-1 single-family rural residential, R-2 single-family residential, RM multiple-family residential, C-1 local commercial, C-2 general commercial, I-1 industrial, FP flood plain.
  • District boundaries are shown on an official zoning map referenced by section 3.20 and were not reviewed.

  “summerfield township is hereby divided into the following zoning districts to be known as, and have the following names and symbols”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwelling in the R-1 single-family rural residential district of Summerfield township

  • Floor area excludes basements, breezeways, unenclosed porches, terraces, attached garages, attached sheds or utility rooms (the ordinance's general floor-area rule in article 4).

  minimum floor area per dwelling unit: 1100 sq ft

  “minimum floor area(d) percent lot coverage per unit (sq. ft.) per unit maximum 1100 35”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwelling lot in the R-1 single-family rural residential district of Summerfield township

  • Lot must also satisfy the R-1 width requirement of 200 feet in the same table row.
  • Ordinance purpose statement contemplates on-site septic and wells on these lots.

  minimum lot area: >= 43560 sq ft (1 acre) · minimum lot width: >= 200 ft

  “side total of side two front smallest (min) rear 1 43,560 200 2 25 80 10 25 (g) 25”

  3 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Single-family dwelling lot in the R-2 single-family residential district of Summerfield township

    “side total of side two front smallest (min) rear.5 21,780 100 2 25 60 10 25 (g) 25”

  • Specified — Single-family dwelling lot in the AG-1 prime agricultural district of Summerfield township

    “side total of side two front smallest (min) rear 20 871,200 400 2 25 80 (e) 25 50 50”

  • Specified — Single-family dwelling lot in the AG-2 agricultural family district of Summerfield township

    “side total of side two front smallest (min) rear 2.5 108,910 250 2 25 80 (e) 25 50 50”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile home used as a temporary dwelling on a lot where a permanent dwelling is uninhabitable, inside Summerfield township

  • Permit from the building inspector required before the mobile home is moved onto the lot.
  • Must conform to the yard requirements of the district and connect to a private water supply and sewage disposal system approved by the county health department or to public systems.
  • Township board may set a removal date not exceeding one year from permit issuance; permit is not renewable.
  • Removal within thirty days after occupancy of the replacement or repaired dwelling; a $2,500 performance bond is required.

  performance bond: 2500 USD · maximum temporary occupancy period: <= 1 year (removal date set by township board)

  “a performance bond in the amount of $2,500 shall be provided to insure removal of the temporary dwelling.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  A second dwelling unit on a lot that already has one single-family dwelling, inside Summerfield township

  • Ordinance allows only one single-family dwelling unit per lot, with the exception for farms housing seasonal agricultural workers.
  • Accessory dwelling units attached to or inside the house are not separately addressed in the text reviewed.

  “not more than one single-family dwelling unit shall be located on a lot”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Creation of new building sites in the AG-1 prime agricultural district of Summerfield township

  • The ordinance requires new AG-1 building sites to meet the Land Division Act (a Michigan state statute).
  • Condominium and platted-subdivision requirements are cross-referenced but were not extracted.

  “*must meet the provisions of the land division act.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for a home inside Summerfield township
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside Summerfield township
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes inside Summerfield township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for a new home inside Summerfield township
• Living in an RV — Long-term recreational vehicle occupancy on private land inside Summerfield 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.