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

Weare Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Weare township, Oceana County, MI

  • Ordinance copy on the township site is titled Rev A 2018; later amendments (2022 amendments, solar ordinance) were not reviewed.

  “weare township zoning ordinance oceana county, michigan zoning ordinance - rev a 2018”

• Zoning districtsPublished

  Weare township zoning districts (AR, LDR, MHC, NC, HS, LI)

  • District chapters per the ordinance table of contents: AR, LDR, MHC, NC, HS, LI.

  “chapter 6 low density residential district - ldr section 6.01 description and purpose”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Low Density Residential (LDR) district, Weare township, single and two family dwellings

  • Multiple family: 800 sq ft usable floor area per unit plus 400 sq ft per bedroom over 2.

  minimum floor area: 960 sq ft GFA / 600 sq ft on ground floor sq ft

  “single and two family dwellings 960 square feet gfa/600 square feet gfa on ground floor multiple family dwellings 800 square feet ufa per unit plus 400 square feet per bedroom for each bedroom over 2”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Agricultural-Rural Residential (AR) district, Weare township

    “minimum dwelling unit floor area 960 square feet gfa/600 square feet gfa on ground floor”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  AR district, Weare township

  • Non-residential uses 2 acres.

  minimum lot area: 3 acres (non-residential 2 acres) · minimum lot width: 200 feet

  “3 acres minimum lot area non-residential uses - 2 acres minimum lot width 200 feet”

• SetbacksSpecified

  AR district, Weare township

  front yard: 30 feet · side yard: 30 feet · rear yard: 50 feet

  “front yard 30 feet side yard 30 feet minimum rear yard 50 feet”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  LDR district, Weare township

  • Table order jumbled; 15% read from the building height/lot coverage row.

  lot coverage: <= 15 percent

  “35 feet or 2½ stories 15% 1.0 acre rear yard building height lot coverage”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — AR district, Weare township

    “building height lot coverage 35 feet or 2½ stories 15%”

• Building heightSpecified

  AR district, Weare township

  • Section 3.02 height exceptions exist; not read.

  building height: 35 feet or 2.5 stories

  “building height lot coverage 35 feet or 2½ stories 15%”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — LDR district, Weare township

    “35 feet or 2½ stories 15% 1.0 acre rear yard building height lot coverage”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Travel trailers, tents and camper trailers in residential districts of Weare township

  • Temporary use permit required; issuer and duration not read.

  “travel trailers, tents, camper trailers, and other similar vehicles or equipment intended or adaptable for sleeping purposes shall require a temporary use permit”

Rules another office applies inside Weare Township

Weare 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 Weare township are issued by the Oceana County Building Department (Weare is not among the townships listed as using other departments: Newfield, Otto, Grant)

  • Codes listed are those enforced by the county building department.
  • Township does not appear in the list of townships that handle their own permits.

  building code: 2015 Michigan Residential; 2021 Michigan Building

  “2015 michigan residential building february 8, 2016 2021 michigan building april 9, 2025”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Buildings inside Weare township (county building department area; the guide's municipality table lists Weare Township)

  • Called an 'occupancy letter' in the county guide.

  “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 Weare township

  • Building department needs the actual permit, not the receipt, for the building permit.
  • A separate BPA from the health department is needed when adding a bedroom, changing use, or septic/well location is unknown.

  “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.”

• Well permitRequired

  New homes or buildings with a new well inside Weare township

  • Building department needs the actual permit.

  “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.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveways inside Weare township

  • Not needed when driveway is on a private road.

  “driveway permit - from the county road commission (231)873-4226 is needed when no other buildings already exist, when doing anything in road right-of-way and/or where culverts will have to be installed, except for when the driveway will be on a private road.”

• Building in a floodplainLimited

  Construction affecting lakes, streams, wetlands, dunes or floodplain inside Weare township (EGLE permit)

  • Only where activity impacts a regulated feature.

  “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 processPartial

  Building permit process inside Weare township via Oceana County Building Department

  • Zoning permit or waiver needed in zoned townships (Weare is zoned).
  • Applications must be submitted in person or by mail; not email.
  • Permits good for 6 months.

  “building permit application along with all required supporting documents must be submitted in person or sent via us mail. building permit applications will not be processed if sent through email.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits inside Weare township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder inside Weare township
• Inspections — Inspections inside Weare township
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes in Weare township
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwellings in Weare 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.