Bolthole Index

Oakland County, Michigan

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Farmington, Michigan

Farmington, Michigan requires building permits for new construction, with the city’s Planning and Building Department issuing building permits and administering zoning.12 Oakland County Health Division handles septic permits for properties using onsite sewage disposal.3 Farmington prohibits using recreational vehicles for living purposes in residential districts, so an RV is not a permitted residential fallback while building.4

At a glance

Building permits
Required for new construction; apply to the city’s Planning and Building Department12
Zoning
City zoning applies; lot area, width, yards and height depend on the district56
Septic permits
Oakland County Health Division permits and inspects onsite systems3
RV living
Prohibited in residential districts; water and sanitary sewer hookups are also prohibited4
Minimum dwelling size
At least 90% of the average floor area of nearby single-family or two-family homes within 300 feet7
Owner-builder
Michigan’s own-use and own-occupancy licensing exemption does not waive building permits8

Who to call

Building permits

Farmington Planning and Building Department

City building and trade permits, inspections, zoning administration and zoning compliance permits

248-473-7250

[email protected]

33720 W. Nine Mile Road Farmington, MI 48335

Online permits →

Septic permits

Oakland County Health Division, Environmental Health Services

Onsite sewage disposal permits and construction and final inspections

248-858-1312

1200 N Telegraph Bldg. 34 East Pontiac, MI 48341

Online permits →

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Farmington means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Farmington, MI?

New building construction in Farmington requires a written building-permit application to the enforcing agency before construction, subject to the construction code’s exceptions.1 Farmington’s Building Department reviews and issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits and conducts inspections.2

Michigan’s owner-builder licensing exemption applies when a person builds on their own property for their own use and occupancy; the exemption does not remove building-permit, inspection, code or zoning requirements.8 For an owner-built home in Farmington, start with the city department to establish the required building and trade applications.2

Who handles building permits and zoning in Farmington?

Farmington’s Planning and Building Department administers land-use planning, zoning, building permits and inspections, and code enforcement.2 Contact the department at 248-473-7250 or [email protected] for the city’s building-permit and zoning-compliance work.2 The city office is at 33720 W. Nine Mile Road Farmington, MI 48335.2

For development subject to Farmington site-plan review, a zoning-compliance permit cannot issue until the plan is approved and necessary review, inspection and permit fees are fully paid.9 City building approval does not replace Oakland County Health Division’s septic permitting and inspections for an onsite system.3

Does Farmington have zoning, lot-size and setback rules?

Farmington has city zoning, and residential dwellings must meet the lot-area, lot-width, floor-area, yard and height requirements of their zoning district.56 Ask Farmington’s Planning and Building Department for the parcel’s district and applicable dimensional schedule before choosing a home footprint.210

Farmington also ties a proposed single-family or two-family home’s front setback to nearby homes: the setback must be between 90% and 135% of the average established front setback within 300 feet on the same side of the street, in addition to district minimums.11 A district’s minimum setback alone therefore does not settle where a proposed Farmington home can sit.11

How do septic permits work inside Farmington?

For a Farmington property using onsite sewage disposal, Oakland County Health Division handles septic permits and construction and final inspections.3 New residential systems require a new septic application; replacement, alteration or repair uses the repair application under the county’s stated conditions.12 Oakland County lists a new residential septic permit for vacant land at $325 and a residential repair permit at $221.13

First-time online applicants must register for Oakland County’s Citizen Access Portal; septic applications can also be submitted at county offices.14 Follow the inspections listed on the septic permit, including the final before-covering inspection when no special inspections are specified.15 Michigan requires public-sewer connection where available, or an approved private sewage-disposal system otherwise.16

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Farmington?

Farmington prohibits recreational vehicles and equipment from being used for living purposes in residential districts, and prohibits connecting them to water or sanitary sewer facilities.4 That prohibition also makes an RV unsuitable as temporary residential accommodation on a residentially zoned building lot.4

A proposed single-family or two-family dwelling in Farmington must have gross floor area of at least 90% of the average floor area of other such homes within 300 feet of the lot.7 We could not confirm a separate Farmington tiny-home or accessory-dwelling provision; ask the Planning and Building Department to review the proposed dwelling against city zoning before buying a small-home design.27 Moving a building into or within Farmington also requires a certificate of occupancy and compliance before occupation.17

Building a home in Farmington: what are the steps?

  1. Ask Farmington’s Planning and Building Department to identify the parcel’s zoning district and applicable lot, yard, height and floor-area requirements.26
  2. Establish the sewage-disposal route: Michigan requires public sewer where available, or an approved private system; arrange Oakland County septic approval if an onsite system is proposed.1612
  3. Complete any applicable Farmington site-plan approval and pay required fees before the zoning-compliance permit issues.9
  4. Submit the building-permit application with plans and a site plan before construction, and coordinate city building and trade permits and inspections.12
  5. Obtain the required certificate of occupancy before using a new or altered building.18

For land outside Farmington city limits, use the Oakland County guide for the county septic authority; Farmington’s zoning rules here apply inside the city.35

Watch-outs

  • Farmington’s nearby-home floor-area standard can prevent a very small dwelling even when the lot otherwise meets district requirements.7
  • We could not confirm Farmington’s sewer-connection distance rule or private-well requirements; ask the Planning and Building Department about city utility conditions and Oakland County Health Division about well approval before committing to an off-grid design.219
  • Michigan prohibits new residential construction in a floodway; ask Farmington’s Planning and Building Department about the parcel’s floodplain review before finalizing a home location.202

Sources

  1. Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act, MCL 125.1510 (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  2. Farmington Planning and Building Department (farmgov.com)
  3. Onsite Sewage Disposal System (Septic), quoted and re-checked
  4. Farmington Code, Sec. 35-38—Recreational Vehicle and Equipment Parking and Storage (Farmington), quoted and re-checked
  5. Farmington Code, Sec. 35-162—Uses Subject to Site Plan Review (Farmington), quoted and re-checked
  6. Farmington Code, Sec. 35-26—Regulations Applicable to Single-Family Dwellings Outside Manufactured Housing Communities (Farmington), quoted and re-checked
  7. Farmington Code, Sec. 35-24—Residential Development Regulations (Farmington), quoted and re-checked
  8. Frequently Asked Questions – Residential Builder (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Farmington Code, Sec. 35-162—Uses Subject to Site Plan Review (Farmington), quoted and re-checked
  10. Farmington Code, Sec. 35-26—Regulations Applicable to Single-Family Dwellings Outside Manufactured Housing Communities (Farmington), quoted and re-checked
  11. Farmington Code, Sec. 35-24—Residential Development Regulations (Farmington), quoted and re-checked
  12. Onsite Sewage Disposal System (Septic), quoted and re-checked
  13. Onsite Sewage Disposal System (Septic) — applications and fees, quoted and re-checked
  14. Onsite Sewage Disposal System (Septic) — applications and fees, quoted and re-checked
  15. Onsite Sewage Disposal System (Septic), quoted and re-checked
  16. Michigan Part 7 Plumbing Code Rules (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Farmington Code, Chapter 7—Buildings and Building Regulations (Farmington), quoted and re-checked
  18. Certificate of Occupancy Request (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Before you start a well drilling business (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  20. Floodplains (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Farmington

Farmington’s own rules

  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    A building or structure moved to or within Farmington city.

    • For moved buildings, occupancy is prohibited until the certificate of occupancy and compliance issues.
    “No such building or structure shall be occupied until a certificate of occupancy and compliance shall have been issued therefor.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land within Farmington city limits.

    • Development is subject to Chapter 35 zoning review and approvals where applicable.
    “The department administers all facets of Community Development activities which include: land use planning, zoning administration, building permits and inspections, code enforcement, and developing and updating on an annual basis the City’s Capital Improvements Program.”
  • Zoning districtsPartial

    Zoning districts and zoning-regulated development in Farmington city.

    • The Chapter 35 ordinance confirms district-specific requirements, but its complete zoning-district schedule was not retrieved.
    “The dwelling unit shall comply with all restrictions and requirements of this chapter, including, without limitation, the minimum lot area, minimum lot width, minimum residential floor area, required yard and maximum building height requirements of the zoning district in which it is located.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Proposed single-family or two-family dwelling units in Farmington city.

    • The comparison group is other single-family or two-family dwellings within 300 feet of the subject lot.

    minimum gross floor area: >= 90 percent of nearby-unit average (Average is for other single-family or two-family dwelling units within 300 feet.)

    “The gross floor area of any proposed single-family or two-family dwelling unit shall be no less than ninety (90) percent of the average floor area of other single-family or two-family dwelling units within three hundred (300) feet of the subject lot.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential dwellings in the zoning district in which they are located.

    • The detailed area-and-bulk district table was not retrieved; variances may be required.
    “The dwelling unit shall comply with all restrictions and requirements of this chapter, including, without limitation, the minimum lot area, minimum lot width, minimum residential floor area, required yard and maximum building height requirements of the zoning district in which it is located.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential dwellings in Farmington city.

    • In addition to district minimums, a proposed single-family or two-family home has a contextual front-setback standard under Sec. 35-24(F).

    front setback: 90% to 135% of established average (Measured against dwellings within 300 feet, on the same side of the street.)

    “In addition to the minimum setback requirements of the zoning district, the front yard setback of any proposed single family or two-family dwelling unit shall be no less than ninety (90) percent and no more one hundred thirty-five (135) percent of the average established front setback of other single-family or two-family dwelling units within three hundred (300) feet, on the same side of the street, of the subject lot.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Residential dwellings in the zoning district in which they are located.

    • The detailed district height limits require the unretrieved area-and-bulk schedule.
    “The dwelling unit shall comply with all restrictions and requirements of this chapter, including, without limitation, the minimum lot area, minimum lot width, minimum residential floor area, required yard and maximum building height requirements of the zoning district in which it is located.”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Recreational vehicles and equipment in Farmington residential districts.

    • The rule applies to recreational vehicles and equipment as defined in Sec. 35-38(A).
    “Recreational vehicles and equipment shall not be used for living purposes nor may they be connected to water or sanitary sewer facilities.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Zoning-compliance permits subject to Farmington site-plan review.

    • All necessary review, inspection, and permit fees must be fully paid before issuance; no fee amounts were established in the retrieved text.
    “A zoning compliance permit shall not be issued until a plan is approved in accordance with the procedures and standards set forth herein and all necessary review, inspection and permit fees have been fully paid.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Farmington zoning-compliance permits and site-plan review.

    • A plan must be approved under the Chapter 35 procedures and standards and applicable fees paid before zoning-compliance permit issuance.
    “A zoning compliance permit shall not be issued until a plan is approved in accordance with the procedures and standards set forth herein and all necessary review, inspection and permit fees have been fully paid.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Farmington or Oakland County directly.

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential work in Farmington city.
  • Inspections — Building work within Farmington city limits.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land in Farmington city.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny homes in Farmington city.
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units in Farmington city.
9 more unanswered
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Farmington publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Oakland County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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