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

Brady Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Building construction in Brady township; the township building administrator issues building permits.

  • The township fee schedule states that no permits are required for siding, roof reshingling and storage sheds under 200 sq ft.
  • Separate building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permit applications are listed on the township page.

  “no permits required for the following: siding roof reshingle storage sheds (under 200 sq ft)”

• InspectionsRequired

  Building inspections on construction in Brady township.

  • Separate electrical and plumbing/mechanical inspectors are listed by the township; contacts are on the township building/zoning page.
  • Inspection cadence and the required inspection stages were not stated on the page read.

  “for building inspections please call terry j rose (989) 534-0051”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Brady township's limits (Saginaw County, Michigan): Brady township administers its own zoning ordinance.

  • The ordinance is the 'Brady Township Zoning Ordinance', final February 2010, with amendments dated August 4, 2010; the page stamp is not an effective date.
  • Zoning is administered by the township zoning administrator, not by the county.

  “the township board has adopted the zoning ordinance, making it the enforceable policy of township government.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Brady township's limits.

  • Section 3.2 lists A-1 agricultural/residential, B-1 commercial and M-1 industrial districts; the zoning district map is referenced as accompanying the ordinance but the map itself was not opened.
  • Section 3.4 heads the A-1 district as general agriculture/residential; the district name differs between sections 3.2 and 3.4.
  • The section 4.8 open-space clause refers to an 'a-2 agricultural/residential' district that is not in the section 3.2 list; no A-2 district was confirmed.

  “the following zoning districts: section 3.2 a-1 agricultural/residential b-1 commercial m-1 industrial”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Main buildings in the A-1 general agriculture/residential district inside Brady township.

  • Floor area for this minimum is measured per the ordinance definition of residential floor area, which excludes basements, unfinished attics, attached garages, carports, breezeways and enclosed or unenclosed porches (definition not quoted here).

  minimum main floor area for main buildings: >= 850 square feet

  “850 square feet (main floor area) for main buildings”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Main single-family residential and agricultural district A-1 (general agriculture/residential) inside Brady township.

  • A parcel may instead use 66 feet of continuous frontage that provides sole access to a lot with minimum dimensions of 150 feet by 290.4 feet.
  • The PDF text extraction interleaves the A-1 and B-1 dimensional blocks; the A-1 block was read from the end of section 3.4 before the section 3.5 heading.

  minimum lot area: >= 43560 square feet (one acre) · minimum lot width: >= 150 feet (66 feet of continuous frontage permitted where it is the sole access to a lot with minimum dimensions of 150 feet by 290.4 feet)

  “area: 43,560 square feet (one acre) front: 40 feet width: 150 feet continuous frontage at the front lot line or 66 feet continuous frontage that provides sole access to a lot with minimum dimensions of 150 feet by 290.4 feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Principal and accessory buildings in the A-1 general agriculture/residential district inside Brady township.

  • Permitted non-residential structures may increase maximum height if front, side, and rear setbacks are increased one foot for each foot of height increase (see building_height claim).

  front setback: 40 feet · side setback: 15 feet each side · rear setback, principal building: 40 feet · rear setback, accessory building: 5 feet

  “side: 15 feet each side rear: 40 feet for principal building, 5 feet for accessory building(s)”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Accessory structures in the A-1 general agriculture/residential district inside Brady township.

  • The extracted text reads 'maximum parcel coverage' and the 30% figure in the same run; the principal-building coverage limit is not legible in the extraction, so no principal-building limit is recorded.

  accessory structure coverage: <= 30 percent of yard area

  “maximum parcel coverage: maximum building height (see note below) 30% of yard area for accessory structures.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal and accessory buildings in the A-1 general agriculture/residential district inside Brady township.

  • Permitted non-residential structures may increase maximum height if front, side, and rear setbacks are increased one foot for each one foot increase in building height.
  • Agricultural operations: 150 feet is listed in the same block; the extraction does not state what the 150 feet measures.

  principal building maximum height: <= 35 feet · principal building maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories · accessory building maximum height: <= 25 feet

  “principal building: 2.5 stories, 35 feet minimum floor area: accessory building: 25 feet 850 square feet (main floor area) for main buildings agricultural operations: 150 feet”

• Accessory dwellingsLimited

  A temporary dwelling unit established for a family member on a lot in Brady township, as read from the zoning ordinance.

  • The unit must be removed from the lot within six months after it is vacated by the family member for whom it was established.
  • Only the removal sentence was read; the full section, the districts where it applies and the approval steps were not located within the research budget.

  removal deadline after vacancy: <= 6 months

  “if the living quarters cease to be occupied by the family member for which the unit was established, it shall be removed from the lot within 6 months of the time it is vacated.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Plats and land divisions of land inside Brady township.

  • Proposed lots must equal or exceed the minimum lot area and dimensional requirements of the applicable zoning district.
  • The township board must act on a plat within ninety days of submission; the planning commission reviews first. A land split application and fee exist per the township's building and zoning page and 2024 fee schedule.

  “after the effective date of this ordinance, no proposed plat of a new or redesigned subdivision or any other land division shall be approved unless the proposed lots equal or exceed the minimum lot area and dimensional requirements' for the applicable zoning district.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Residential building and zoning permits issued by Brady township.

  • Fee amounts were read from page 1 of the 2024 fee schedule; the layout is jumbled, so the mapping of per-square-foot rates to categories follows printed order.
  • Page 2 of the schedule was not opened, so other zoning and permit fees are not captured here.
  • The ordinance says the township board sets fees by resolution, so the schedule may be amended.

  1st floor residential building valuation: 250 USD per square foot (includes unfinished basement or crawl space) · 2nd floor and finished basement valuation: 120 USD per square foot · attached garage valuation: 60 USD per square foot · residential accessory structures valuation: 40 USD per square foot

  “residential building valuation 1st floor including unfinished basement or crawl space 2nd floor and finished basement attached garage residential accessory structures $ $ $ $ 250.00 p/ft 120.00 p/ft 60.00 p/ft 40.00 p/ft”

• Permit processPartial

  Building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permit applications for Brady township.

  • The township page lists contacts and a mailing address for permit applications; it does not describe review steps, timelines or required documents.
  • The listed mailing address is in St. Johns, Michigan, not in Brady township.

  “mail permit applications to: tj rose 3393 w gratiot county line rd st johns, mi 48879”

Rules another office applies inside Brady Township

Brady Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Onsite septic systems on land inside Brady township (Saginaw County health department countywide environmental health code applies there).

  • The county health department page does not name Brady township; no Brady-specific agreement was found.
  • The county health department's authority is county-level, and the record uses the schema's countywide county scope for it.

  “onsite wastewater treatment and disposal (septic) systems and onsite water wells are covered under the saginaw county environmental health code.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New or replacement onsite septic systems at sites in Brady township not served by a public water supply and sewage disposal system.

  • The wastewater disposal permit is issued only if site conditions are acceptable after an onsite investigation and soil borings.
  • The permit is valid for two years and states minimum construction standards; changes must be approved before installation.
  • Septic system installers must be registered with the health department.
  • The owner may appeal for a variance from the environmental health code.

  permit validity: 2 years

  “you are required to obtain a well permit and/or a wastewater disposal permit from this office.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Completed onsite septic systems at sites in Brady township not served by public water and sewer.

  • The health department inspects the completed system before it is covered.
  • The page also states the department collects a well water sample and inspects the well installation.

  “make a complete inspection of the completed onsite wastewater treatment and disposal system prior to covering”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Onsite sewage disposal at sites in Brady township not served by a public water supply and sewage disposal system.

  • A permit is issued only if the site conditions are acceptable for an onsite system.
  • Where a regulated floodplain or wetland applies, a state permit is also needed first (see floodplain claim).

  “a permit will be issued to you if the conditions found on the site are acceptable for the installation of an onsite wastewater treatment and disposal system.”

• Well permitRequired

  New or replacement private wells at sites in Brady township not served by a public water supply and sewage disposal system.

  • The page says a well must be installed by a well driller licensed by the state (it names the former Michigan DEQ).
  • A well water sample and installation inspection are performed by the health department.

  “you are required to obtain a well permit and/or a wastewater disposal permit from this office.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Properties in Brady township that are wholly or partly within a regulated floodplain or wetland.

  • The state permit must be obtained before the county health department issues its septic or well permit.
  • The page names the former Michigan Department of Environmental Quality; the rule is applied by the state environmental agency.

  “if your property is located within or partially in a regulated floodplain or wetland, a permit must be obtained from the michigan department of environmental quality before a permit will be issued by this department.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption from licensing or permitting in Brady township.
• Building code adopted — Construction code adopted for building work in Brady township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes in Brady township.
• Living in an RV — Occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land in Brady township.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land in Brady 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.