Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Village of Franklin, Michigan

Village of Franklin’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside the limits of Franklin village, Michigan (Oakland County). The village adopts and administers its own zoning code.

  • Zoning code is Part Twelve (Planning and Zoning Code), Title Four Zoning, Chapters 1240 through 1268, as posted through January 12, 2026.
  • Single-family district standards are in Chapter 1250; dimensional standards are in an Appendix B schedule that was not opened.

  “title four - zoning chapter 1240 general provisions and definitions chapter 1242 administration, enforcement and penalty”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Single-family residential zoning districts inside Franklin village: R-E, R-L, R-M, R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4.

  • Districts are established by Chapter 1250; the zoning map (Appendix B) and the district dimensional schedule were not opened, so the list is partial.
  • Other non-residential districts (for example RO-1 in Chapter 1254 and C-1 in Chapter 1256) were not reviewed.

  “the r-e, r-l, r-m, r-1, r-2, r-3 and r-4 single-family residential districts are hereby established as districts in which the principal use of land is for single-family dwellings”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Minimum lot area in single-family districts R-E, R-L, R-M, R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4 inside Franklin village.

  • Numeric lot-area values are in the Appendix B schedule of regulations, which was not opened; no numbers are recorded here.
  • Lot dimensions are also in section 1250.08 (lot dimensions), not opened.

  “area, height, bulk and placement requirements for single-family residential districts shall be as established in the schedule provided in appendix b following the text of this zoning code.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Yard setbacks (placement) in single-family districts R-E, R-L, R-M, R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4 inside Franklin village.

  • Numeric setbacks are in the Appendix B schedule, which was not opened; no numbers are recorded here.
  • Corner, interior and double-frontage lot rules are in Appendix A-5 and yard rules in Appendix A-8, not opened.

  “area, height, bulk and placement requirements for single-family residential districts shall be as established in the schedule provided in appendix b following the text of this zoning code.”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Maximum building height in single-family districts R-E, R-L, R-M, R-1, R-2, R-3 and R-4 inside Franklin village.

  • Numeric height limits are in the Appendix B schedule and Appendix A-3 (building height requirements), neither opened; no numbers are recorded here.

  “area, height, bulk and placement requirements for single-family residential districts shall be as established in the schedule provided in appendix b following the text of this zoning code.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  New homes inside Franklin village that connect to the village's municipal sewer (grinder-pump pressure sewer system).

  • The village maintains the municipal sewer lines and grinder pumps, at the user's expense.
  • A written connection permit is required from the village and Oakland County Department of Public Works before any building sewer connection; the county connection permit fee and inspection are set by the county.
  • No sewer connection is permitted unless downstream capacity is available.
  • Existing septic tanks, tile fields and sump pumps on the property must be physically and permanently disconnected from the building sewer before connection.
  • Section 1042.06 is titled 'mandatory connection to pressure sewer' but its text was not opened, so whether connection is mandatory (and any distance trigger) is not confirmed here. Water service was not researched.

  “without first obtaining a written permit from the village and the oakland county department of public works.”

• Short-term rentalsProhibited

  Short-term rental dwelling units inside the single-family residential districts of Franklin village (R-E, R-L, R-M, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4).

  • Prohibition applies in the listed single-family districts only; other districts were not reviewed here.
  • Section 1250.02(d) separately lists rental dwelling units as a permitted use in the same districts; the short-term rental ban is a distinct rule.
  • Code text is as posted through January 12, 2026.

  “in the r-e. r-l, r-m, r-l r-2, r-3 and r-4 districts, the following use is expressly prohibited: (a) short-term rental dwelling units.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permit requirement for new construction inside Franklin village.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption inside Franklin village.
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for construction inside Franklin village.
• Inspections — Building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical inspections for construction inside Franklin village.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Franklin village.

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.