Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Madison Heights, Michigan

Madison Heights’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Madison Heights city

  • Code text cited refers to 'the zoning ordinance' and zoning districts; the ordinance itself was not opened.

  “No occupancy certificate shall be issued or renewed under the provisions of the building code or the zoning ordinance”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Zoning districts inside Madison Heights city

  • Only business and light industrial district names appear in the sections reviewed; residential districts not confirmed.

  named districts: B-1, B-2, B-3, M-1, M-2

  “permitted only in the B-1, B-2 and B-3 Business Zoning Districts, and the M-1 and M-2 Light Industrial Districts”

• Living in an RVLimited

  RVs and camping equipment on single-family residential property inside Madison Heights city

  • Parking or storage only; no fixed utility connections.
  • Outside a garage, must be behind the front building line with side/rear setback of at least 2 feet.
  • Elsewhere than the front lawn, parking limited to 72 hours; front driveway needs a special permit from the construction board of appeals if side/rear parking is physically impossible.
  • Must be kept in good repair with current license or registration.

  side/rear setback for stored equipment: >= 2 feet · temporary parking period: <= 72 hours (not on front lawn)

  “Recreational equipment parked or stored shall not have fixed connections to electricity, water, gas or sanitary sewer facilities, and at no time shall this equipment be used for living or housekeeping purposes.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Privies, cesspools and other non-sewer sanitation inside Madison Heights city

  • Privies are permitted only more than 150 feet from a public sewer, with monthly disinfecting April through November.
  • Non-sewer treatment must be approved by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department director and the health department.

  distance from public sewer: > 150 feet (privy allowed only beyond this distance)

  “Nothing contained in this section shall prevent the construction of privies distant more than 150 feet from a public sewer.”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Sewage disposal for properties inside Madison Heights city

  • Sewage goes to public sewers unless treated in a manner approved by the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department director and the health department.
  • Cesspools and privies barred within 150 feet of a public sewer.
  • A general new-home water/sewer connection mandate was not located.

  distance to public sewer: <= 150 feet (cesspool/privy construction prohibited within this distance)

  “Such sewage or waste shall be discharged into public sewers having connection to the sewage works”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Driveway aprons and curb cuts on city streets inside Madison Heights city

  • Permit issued by the department of engineering.
  • A curb-cut applicant must agree to install a driveway apron within 90 days after the cut.

  apron installation deadline: <= 90 days (after completion of curb cut)

  “No person shall construct, alter or change any crosswalk, driveway apron or any opening in or through any curb in any street or public way without first procuring a permit from the department of engineering.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Permit fees (driveway apron, curb cut) inside Madison Heights city

  • Fee amounts are set by city council resolution, not in the code; the schedule was not opened.

  “The permit fee for constructing, altering, etc., a driveway apron shall be established by resolution of the city council.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Madison Heights city
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Madison Heights city
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy inside Madison Heights city
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size in residential districts inside Madison Heights city
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size in residential districts inside Madison Heights city

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.