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

Rules another office applies inside Case Township

Case 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 residential construction, additions and alterations inside Case township, handled by the Presque Isle County Building and Zoning Department (no township building department was located)

  • Building permits are issued after zoning approval, soil erosion approval and health department approval (section 1.1a-1.1c).
  • Additional permits: electrical, plumbing, mechanical and special use permits (section 1.1.4.1); a zoning or special use permit is required before a building permit when a building footprint expands (section 1.1.4.2).
  • Construction within 500 feet of a lake, river, stream or wetland, or excavation of more than one acre, needs a soil and erosion permit (section 1.1.4.3).
  • The policy does not say whether the county building department acts for Case township by agreement; this was not verified.
  • Policy title states it is effective January 30, 2026.

  residential permit application plan sets: 2 sets

  “1.1.2.1 residential construction. permit applications for all new residential construction, additions, and alterations, including but not limited to, rearranging of walls, enlarging windows and door openings and decks shall be submitted with two (2) sets of plans or drawings.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted

  Building construction inside Case township, Presque Isle County, Michigan

  • The county building department policy says permits are issued in accordance with PA 230 and the Michigan Building Code; it does not restate the code's effective date.

  “no building permits shall be issued until all of the following items are submitted in accordance with pa 230, the michigan building code, and the presque isle county ordinances.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Case township, under the Presque Isle County Building and Zoning Department

  • Inspections are performed by state-licensed inspectors in their skilled trade (section 4.1).
  • The policy does not list which inspection stages are mandatory for a given project; not verified.
  • Inspectors enforce the code as written and approved by the State of Michigan (section 4.7).

  “4.1 all inspections will be conducted by inspectors licensed by the state of michigan in their skilled trade.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Septic systems for additions with bedrooms, new single-family homes and premanufactured units inside Case township; the county building department names District Health Department #4 as the septic/well authority

  • Health department approval and permit must be issued before a building permit (county policy section 1.1c).
  • The county policy names District Health Department #4 only for these project types; other septic work was not verified.
  • Policy title states it is effective January 30, 2026.

  “1.1.4.4 any additions that include bedrooms, new single-family homes, or premanufactured units will require well and/or septic field evaluations and permits from district health department #4 prior to any permit issuance.”

• Septic permitRequired

  Additions with bedrooms, new single-family homes and premanufactured units inside Case township

  • Septic field evaluation and permit from District Health Department #4 are needed before any building permit is issued.
  • Other septic work (repairs, replacements) was not covered by the county policy and is unknown.

  “1.1.4.4 any additions that include bedrooms, new single-family homes, or premanufactured units will require well and/or septic field evaluations and permits from district health department #4 prior to any permit issuance.”

• Well permitRequired

  Well evaluations and permits for additions with bedrooms, new single-family homes and premanufactured units inside Case township

  • Well field evaluation and permit from District Health Department #4 are needed before any building permit is issued.
  • Non-listed projects were not covered by the county policy.

  “1.1.4.4 any additions that include bedrooms, new single-family homes, or premanufactured units will require well and/or septic field evaluations and permits from district health department #4 prior to any permit issuance.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit application process for work inside Case township, through the county building department

  • Incomplete applications are returned by mail (section 1.4).
  • Permits are issued electronically by email, with hard copies picked up at the office (section 1.5).
  • Permits cannot be transferred to another party (section 1.7).
  • Zoning, soil erosion and health approvals must be issued first (section 1.1a-1.1c).
  • PA 230 allows 10 business days for review once documents and fees are paid, and 15 business days for complicated projects (section 1.3).

  typical plan review turnaround: <= 5 business days (typical, not a guarantee; see section 1.3 for statutory limits)

  “1.1.1 a complete application for permitting will be submitted to the building department for review.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work on owner-occupied homes inside Case township
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy approval for new homes inside Case township
• Local zoning — Land inside Case township limits: whether Case township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts applicable inside Case township
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling size, single-family residential district inside Case 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.