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

Rules another office applies inside Hart Township

Hart 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

  Building permits inside Hart township are issued by the Oceana County Building Department, which lists the Michigan codes it enforces

  • Hart township is not among the townships the county page lists as handling their own building permits (Newfield, Otto, Grant)
  • Code list: 2015 Michigan Residential (eff. Feb 8, 2016), 2021 Michigan Building (Apr 9, 2025), 2021 Michigan Plumbing and Mechanical and 2023 Michigan Electrical (Mar 12, 2024)

  “townships that handle their own building permits: newfield and otto contact duane cruzan at (231) 224-3960 for newfield and otto township permits.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy letter for buildings inside Hart township permitted through Oceana County

  • The county calls it an occupancy letter

  “an occupancy letter is required on all buildings before they can be used or occupied.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New homes or buildings with new septic inside Hart township

  • A BPA from DHD #10 is also required when changing use, adding a bedroom, septic or well location unknown, or reconnecting to an existing well and septic

  “the building department needs the actual permit, not the receipt. new homes or buildings with new well/septic.”

• Well permitRequired

  New homes or buildings with a new well inside Hart township

  • Permit comes from District Health Department #10

  “septic/well permit - district #10 health department (231) 873-2193. the building department needs the actual permit, not the receipt. new homes or buildings with new well/septic.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Construction that would impact a floodplain, including inside Hart township

  • EGLE Water Resources Division permit; also applies to lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, dunes and high risk erosion areas

  “egle permit - from the department of environment, great lakes, and energy (egle)'s water resources division is required for any construction activities that would impact a lake, river, stream, wetland, dune, high risk erosion, or floodplain.”

• Permit processPublished

  Permit steps for construction inside Hart township, issued by Oceana County

  • The guide lists site plan, EGLE or DNR permits, zoning permit or waiver, house number form, septic/well permit, driveway permit, soil erosion permit, then the building permit

  “start with step 1 and make your way down to ensure you have all documents when applying for a building permit.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Hart township
• Inspections — Inspections of construction inside Hart township
• Local zoning — Zoning inside Hart township, Oceana County
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Hart township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size inside Hart 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.