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

Roscommon Township’s own rules

• Local zoningPresent

  Land inside Roscommon Township, Roscommon County, Michigan

  • Ordinance text is internally inconsistent about its number (header says No. 84/effective Nov 2024, cover says No. 86 revised July 2025; section 1.12 says adopted July 1, 2025).

  “the planning & zoning department is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the roscommon township zoning ordinance and land use plan.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Residential district, Roscommon Township, Section 4.4(d)

  • Nonconforming lots of record as of December 1, 1991 may be built on if at least 60 feet wide and 9,000 square feet.

  minimum lot area: >= 12000 square feet (9,000 sq ft for 1991 nonconforming lots of record) · minimum lot width: >= 80 feet (60 feet for 1991 nonconforming lots of record)

  “d. lot width and area - no lot shall be less than eighty (80) feet wide at the building line. no lot shall have an area of less than 12,000 square feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Residential district, Roscommon Township, Section 4.4

  • Front setback may equal the average of existing dwellings within 150 feet either side where those are lesser.
  • Variances through board of appeals.

  front yard: >= 30 feet (averaging with adjacent dwellings) · side yard: >= 8 feet (corner lots 25 feet on street side) · rear yard: >= 20 feet

  “a. front yard - there shall be a front setback of not less than thirty (30) feet. where there are existing adjacent dwellings with a lesser front yard, there shall be permitted a front yard equal to that of the average of all existing dwellings 150 feet on either side of the site.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Agriculture district, Roscommon Township, Section 11.4

    “a. front yard - there shall be a front setback of not less than forty (40) feet. b. side yard - there shall be a side yard of at least twenty (20) feet on each side of any building. corner lots shall have a side yard of at least thirty-five (35) feet on the street side. c. rear yard - there shall be a rear yard of not less than fifty (50) feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  All zoning districts in Roscommon Township, Section 14.10

  • Greater height requires a special use permit under Article XIX.
  • Applies except as otherwise expressly provided in the ordinance.

  maximum height: <= 35 feet or 2.5 stories, whichever is less (special use permit)

  “section 14.10 structure height regulations except as otherwise expressly provided in this ordinance, no structure in any district shall exceed thirty-five (35) feet, or two and one-half stories in height, whichever is less. any structure of greater height will require a special use permit as set forth in article xix.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Tents in Roscommon Township, Section 14.12

  • Tents only in agriculture-zoned areas and licensed campgrounds; children's play tent exception.

  “section 14.12 tents no tents shall be erected except in areas zoned a agriculture and in licensed campgrounds, except children may put up a play tent on the property of their parents' dwelling.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rentals in Roscommon Township

  • Licensing required under township short-term rental ordinance; ordinance text itself not opened.

  “this ordinance is intended to protect the public health, safety, and general welfare of persons and property by requiring the licensing of short-term rentals within the township.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Land-use permits in Roscommon Township

  • Land-use permit required before placing any shed; sheds over 200 sq ft also need a building permit.
  • Turnaround 5-7 business days as of June 4, 2024.
  • Application needs a sketch with lot dimensions, structures, setbacks and estimated cost.

  “you do need to obtain a land-use permit before placing any shed on your property. any shed greater than 200 sq/ft in size will also require a building permit.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Building permits for new homes inside Roscommon Township
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption inside Roscommon Township
• Building code adopted — Building code inside Roscommon Township
• Inspections — Building inspections inside Roscommon Township
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy inside Roscommon 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.