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

Rules another office applies inside Belknap Township

Belknap 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 permitRequired

  New construction, alterations and remodeling inside Belknap township, issued by the Presque Isle County Building Department

  • Zoning approval is required before a building permit is issued.
  • Septic system approval is needed before a building permit can be issued for properties not on municipal water or sewer.
  • Plan review: building sketches or blueprints must be submitted before a building permit is issued.

  “presque isle county building department issues building permits for the entire county.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Belknap township, inspected by the Presque Isle County Building Department

  • Footing inspection before concrete is poured, then foundation, framing and rough electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspections before covering or backfilling.
  • Final inspection before occupying or using a new or remodeled building.
  • Inspectors must be licensed by the State of Michigan in their skilled trade.

  “inspections: permit holders must call for a footing inspection before pouring concrete as well as for foundation, framing, rough (electrical, mechanical, plumbing) inspections, as required by code, before covering or back filling any work, and a final inspection is required before occupying or using a new or remodeled building.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  New homes inside Belknap township that are served by a well, before a certificate of occupancy is issued

  • Well final is required before a certificate of occupancy can be issued.
  • A final inspection is also required before occupying a new building.

  “well finals are required before a certificate of occupancy can be issued.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Zoning for land inside Belknap township: Presque Isle County zoning ordinance applies, because the county lists Belknap among the townships under the PIC zoning ordinance

  • Zoning permits are issued through the Presque Isle County Building and Zoning Department before a building permit.
  • The county policy names townships not covered under the county ordinance (Allis, Krakow, Presque Isle, plus the villages and cities); Belknap is not on that list.
  • The ordinance copy located is hosted by energyzoning.org; confirm it against an official county copy.

  “zoning permits for townships under the pic zoning ordinance include: bearinger, belknap, bismarck, case, metz, moltke, north allis, ocqueoc, posen, pulawski and rogers.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Septic systems for new and replacement homes, bedroom additions and mobile homes on land inside Belknap township not served by municipal water or sewer

  • Septic system approval comes before a building permit is issued.
  • Sewer and water service in Belknap township, where available, were not confirmed.

  “septic system/well permits for new and/or replacement homes, bedroom additions, and mobile homes, in areas not serviced by municipal water and/or sewers, are secured through the district #4 health department”

• Septic permitRequired

  New and replacement homes, bedroom additions and mobile homes inside Belknap township in areas not serviced by municipal water or sewer

  • Permit is obtained from District Health Department #4 at the Presque Isle County Courthouse-Annex, Rogers City, (989) 734-4723.
  • Septic approval is needed before a county building permit is issued.

  “septic system approvals are needed before a building permit can be issued.”

• Well permitRequired

  Well permits for new and replacement homes inside Belknap township not served by municipal water

  • Well final is required before a certificate of occupancy.

  “well finals are required before a certificate of occupancy can be issued.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building and zoning permit process for construction inside Belknap township

  • Zoning permit comes first, then building permit.
  • Septic approval (DHD4) before building permit where applicable.
  • Permit holders must schedule footing, foundation, framing, rough and final inspections.
  • Permits are generally good for one year; expire if no work or inspections for six months.

  “zoning approval is required for new construction, residential and commercial, and before a building permit is issued.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for a home inside Belknap township
• Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwelling minimum ground floor area in the R-1 Low Density Residential district inside Belknap township
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot area for the R-1 Low Density Residential district inside Belknap township
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage for buildings inside Belknap township under county zoning
• Tiny homes — Tiny home occupancy inside Belknap 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.