Zoning, building permits and septic rules in White River Township, Michigan

White River Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Construction, moving, alteration or use of a building inside White River township, under the township's own zoning ordinance and building code.

  • The ordinance defines the building permit as issued by the township building inspector; construction may proceed only after the permit is issued.
  • The building permit definition ties permits to conformity with the ordinance and the township's building code; the building code's adoption was not verified (see the building_code_adoption claim).

  “building permits a building permit is the written authority as issued by the building inspector on behalf of the township permitting the construction, moving, alteration or use of a building in conformity with the provisions of this ordinance and the township’s building code.”

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside White River township's limits: the township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance.

  • The opened text is the township-hosted REV 2025 PDF of the 2019 ordinance, with December 26, 2025 revisions to sections 3.46 and 19.02.
  • Zoning-only topics are answered from this township ordinance, not from county zoning.

  “zoning districts and regulations in this ordinance each have a defined purpose and are based on the white river township master plan”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Zoning districts of White River township

  • The table of contents lists chapter 5 AR agricultural district and chapter 6 R residential district, and chapter 7 WR waterfront residential district; the district map is referenced at section 4.02.
  • Districts beyond AR, R, and WR were not opened and are not described here.

  “this district is intended to primarily conserve and protect lands determined suitable for farming operations and to foster the rural character of the township.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwelling in the AR agricultural district of White River township

  • Minimum is 960 square feet for a one-story dwelling; 600 square feet on the ground floor for a dwelling above one story.
  • Section 5.04 schedule of AR district regulations.

  minimum dwelling unit floor area, one story: >= 960 square feet · minimum dwelling unit floor area, above one story (ground floor): >= 600 square feet

  “one story - 960 square feet minimum dwelling unit floor area”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Lots and parcels in the AR agricultural district of White River township

  • Lot frontage of 150 feet and maximum lot depth-to-width ratio of 4:1 also apply.

  minimum lot area: >= 1 acre · minimum lot width and street frontage: >= 150 feet

  “minimum lot area 1 acre minimum lot width and street frontage 150 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Lots and parcels in the R residential district of White River township

    “minimum lot area 1 acre minimum lot width and street frontage 150 feet”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Principal buildings in the AR agricultural district of White River township

  • Setbacks are from the front, side, and rear lot lines per the schedule; accessory buildings are governed by section 3.8 and not reproduced here.

  front yard setback: 40 feet · side yard setback, each side: 15 feet · rear yard setback: 25 feet

  “ar district requirements front yard 40 feet side yard 15 feet each side rear yard 25 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • District specific (with conditions) — Principal buildings in the R residential district of White River township

    “r district requirements front yard 40 feet side yard [each side] 15 feet rear yard 25 feet”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lot coverage in the AR agricultural district of White River township

  maximum lot coverage: <= 20 percent

  “lot coverage 20% minimum lot area 1 acre minimum lot width and street frontage 150 feet”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Lot coverage in the R residential district of White River township

    “lot coverage 20% minimum lot area 1 acre minimum lot width and street frontage 150 feet”

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal buildings in the AR agricultural district of White River township

  • Except lawful nondwelling agricultural buildings, which have no height limit.

  maximum building height: <= 35 feet (lawful nondwelling agricultural buildings) · maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories

  “building height maximum 2-1/2 stories, not to exceed 35 feet (except lawful nondwelling agricultural buildings— no height limit)”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Buildings and structures in all zoning districts of White River township, unless a district schedule states otherwise

    “the maximum height limitations imposed on buildings and structures within the various zoning districts shall be 35 feet.”

  • Specified — Principal buildings in the R residential district of White River township

    “building height maximum 2-1/2 stories, not to exceed 35 feet lot coverage 20%”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rentals of dwelling units in the AR agricultural district of White River township

  • Permitted in AR only with the limits set in ordinance section 3.46, which was not opened; the 3.46 limits must be read before answering the numeric limits.
  • Short-term rental is defined as a rental for less than 30 consecutive days and nights.

  stay length defining short-term rental: < 30 days (section 3.46 limits apply)

  “g. short-term rentals (with limits as set forth elsewhere in this ordinance).”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction inside White River township
• Building code adopted — Building code used for construction inside White River township
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside White River township
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy certificate for new buildings inside White River township
• Living in an RV — Occupancy of a recreational vehicle as a dwelling inside White River 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.