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

Fairplain Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, alterations and major improvements in Fairplain township

  • A zoning permit or special use permit must be issued before any building permit (section 4.11).
  • A zoning permit is valid for one year to obtain a building permit and is not transferable (section 6.1).

  “no buildin€ pernit shall be lssued untll a zonlng perdit or e special use perelt has been tssued.”

• InspectionsLimited

  Relocated or previously placed stick-built, modular or manufactured homes moved into Fairplain township

  • The inspection is an initial pre-move inspection by a township board member or county building inspector, within 14 days of request.
  • The Safe Housing ordinance applies to homes that are 10 years old or newer as of January 1 of the placement year.
  • Routine inspections for new construction are not stated in the opened text; the county building department lists inspections as a function.

  initial inspection response time: <= 14 days (from request)

  “the initial inspection will be made by fairplain township or montcalm county building inspectors within fourteen (14) days ofrequest.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land inside Fairplain township limits, under the township's own zoning ordinance (1984) adopted under the Township Rural Zoning Act (PA 184 of 1943)

  • The ordinance was adopted by the township board on June 4, 1984; the text says it takes effect 90 days after publication, and the OCR text of the publication date is unreadable, so no effective date beyond the adoption date is recorded.
  • The township page lists a zoning ordinance PDF and an amendment PDF; the amendment was not opened, so its changes to the dimensional and occupancy rules are not reflected here.
  • Zoning permits, special use permits and variances run through the township (see the related claims).

  “ordinances fairplains zoning ordinance (pdf) amendment to zoning ordinance (pdf)”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  New stick-built homes and modular or manufactured homes placed in Fairplain township as single-family residences

  • Applies from and after May 6, 2013.
  • Minimum width of 18 feet.
  • Floor area of additions may not be counted to meet the minimum (section 9).

  minimum floor area: >= 780 square feet · minimum width: >= 18 feet

  “a. from and after may 6,2013, all stick-built homes constructed and all modular and manufactured homes to be placed within fairplain township for singlefamily residences shall have a floor area ofnol less than 780 square feet and a width dimension of no less than l8 feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Agricultural district in Fairplain township

  • Section 4.21(a) of the 1984 ordinance sets the agricultural district minimum at 20,000 square feet lot area and 100 feet lot width.
  • Substandard lots of record with no contiguous lots under common ownership at the time of enactment are deemed to meet the lot size rules through a variance procedure (section 4.22).

  minimum lot area: >= 20000 square feet · minimum lot width: >= 100 feet

  “a) agricultural or reslde[tia1 dl6tricts. lot area of 20,000 square feet; lot uldeh of 100 feet; fron! yatd of 25 feet; stde yard of 10 feet; rear yard of 10 feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Residential district in Fairplain township

  • Front yard 25 feet, side yard 10 feet, rear yard 10 feet under zoning section 4.21(a).
  • The Safe Housing ordinance adds the roadway right-of-way to the front, side and rear yard figures for new construction (section 6).
  • Corner lots: each lot line abutting a street is a front lot line, and the owner designates the side and rear yards on the site plan (section 4.24).
  • Accessory buildings may not be erected in any required front yard (less than 25 feet from the road right-of-way), and must be 5 feet from other buildings and 10 feet from property lines (section 4.26).

  front yard: >= 25 feet (plus roadway right-of-way (Safe Housing section 6)) · side yard: >= 10 feet (plus roadway right-of-way (Safe Housing section 6)) · rear yard: >= 10 feet (plus roadway right-of-way (Safe Housing section 6))

  “side yard to be a minimum of l0 feet plus roadway right-of-way; rear yard to be a minimum of l0 feet plus roadway right-of-way.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Agricultural district in Fairplain township

    “a) agricultural or reslde[tia1 dl6tricts. lot area of 20,000 square feet; lot uldeh of 100 feet; fron! yatd of 25 feet; stde yard of 10 feet; rear yard of 10 feet.”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Living in a camper, recreational vehicle or other motor vehicle anywhere in Fairplain township

  • The Safe Housing ordinance bans residence in any camper, tent, car, bus or other motor vehicle not designed and intended for residential use.
  • Parked recreational equipment is separately barred from permanent living on a lot (see the related RV claim).

  “no person shall reside in any camper, tent, car, bus or other motor vehicle or any other strucnte, place or location not originally designed and intended for residential us”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Small homes (tiny homes) used as single-family residences in Fairplain township

  • Stick-built, modular and manufactured single-family homes must have at least 780 square feet of floor area and 18 feet of width (Safe Housing section 8).
  • Mobile homes must have at least 470 square feet of living area and a zoning permit (zoning section 4.12).
  • No one may reside in a structure not designed and built for residential use under Safe Housing section 5.

  minimum floor area, stick-built, modular or manufactured: >= 780 square feet

  “a. from and after may 6,2013, all stick-built homes constructed and all modular and manufactured homes to be placed within fairplain township for singlefamily residences shall have a floor area ofnol less than 780 square feet and a width dimension of no less than l8 feet.”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  Agricultural district in Fairplain township: additional single-family or two-family homes

  • Additional single or two-family homes are allowed only as a special use permit use in the agricultural district (section 5.03).
  • The Planning Commission reviews special use permits and the township board grants or denies them after a public hearing (sections 6.21 to 6.23).

  “5.03 uses alloved by special use peroit. a) public utility and servlce buildings. b) addieional single or tuo-fadlly hoee6.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Limited — A second dwelling on a lot in Fairplain township

    “there will be one single-family freestanding dwelling on each lot.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Township zoning, special use, variance and appeal fees in Fairplain township

  • The township board sets fees and fee schedules by resolution, and may change them by later resolution.
  • Fees are set to cover the township's cost of the proceeding.
  • An application that is not approved is refunded 50 percent of the fee paid; no refund if construction has begun (section 6.42).
  • Fee schedule is not published in the opened text.

  refund if application not approved: 50 percent (no refund if construction work has started)

  “the toenshlp board is hereby authorized !o establish by resolutlon such fees and fee schedules as are necessary”

Rules another office applies inside Fairplain Township

Fairplain 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

  Construction and alterations inside Fairplain township, under the State Construction Code Act as enforced by Montcalm County

  • The county page lists the 2015 Michigan Residential Code (effective February 8, 2016), the 2021 Michigan Building Code (effective April 9, 2025), and the 2021 Michigan Rehabilitation Code (effective April 9, 2025).
  • The county page says permits must comply with the code in effect at the time the permit is issued.
  • The state code is enforced locally by the county building department (see the county building permit claim), not by a Fairplain township building code.

  “we are responsible for enforcing the state construction code act of 1972, which mandates that a nationally recognized construction code shall be enforced throughout the state of michigan.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New stick-built, modular or manufactured homes and new construction in Fairplain township that need a sanitary system

  • The sanitary/well permit must be obtained before construction or before placement of the home.
  • A copy of the sanitary/well permit must be attached to the building permit application.
  • Zoning permits also require proof of county health department approval, or its status, where required (section 6.11(d)) and no zoning or special use permit is granted until health department approval is secured (section 4.16).

  “a copy of said permits must be attached to the building permit application.”

• Well permitRequired

  New construction and placement of homes in Fairplain township that use a private well

  • The sanitary/well permit is obtained from the county health department before construction or placement; a copy is attached to the building permit application.
  • Mobile homes also need a good potable water supply that meets Michigan state and Montcalm County health regulations (section 4.12).

  “prior to commencing construction or prior to a placement ofany stick-built, modular or manufachred home, there shall be obtained from the montcalm county health deparerent the necessary sanitary/well permits.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for owner-occupied home construction in Fairplain township
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage by buildings in Fairplain township districts
• Building height — Maximum building height in Fairplain township districts
• Septic inspection — Septic system inspection for new construction in Fairplain township
• Mandatory utility hookup — Whether a new home in Fairplain township must connect to public water or sewer when available

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.