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

Clyde Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  New homes, manufactured homes, pole barns, garages and additions inside Clyde township

  • Building permit application must include a completed application, plot plan, blueprints, proof of ownership, well and septic permit copies where applicable, and culvert letter where a culvert exists; the building inspector will not issue a permit until all of the above information has been turned in.
  • Electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits are also required for new homes and manufactured homes.
  • Construction may proceed only after the permit is issued.

  “building, plumbing, mechanical & electrical permits are issued from the clyde township office”

• InspectionsRequired

  Permitted construction inside Clyde township, with final inspections before occupancy

  • Final inspections must be approved before the building is occupied, as stated in the occupancy condition of the permit information sheet.
  • Inspection types beyond final inspections are not itemized on the opened page.

  “if the building permit applicant moves into the house before all final inspections have been approved and a certificate of occupancy has been issued, the performance bond will be revoked unless they have a written temporary certificate of occupancy issued.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy of a new home built under a Clyde township building permit

  • A written temporary certificate of occupancy is the only exception stated for occupying before final approval.
  • Performance bond is refunded on completion of the job.

  performance bond: 1 percent of building evaluation (minimum $50, maximum $500 per the same sheet)

  “if the building permit applicant moves into the house before all final inspections have been approved and a certificate of occupancy has been issued, the performance bond will be revoked unless they have a written temporary certificate of occupancy issued.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Clyde township limits: the township administers its own zoning ordinance (Clyde Township Zoning Ordinance, posted as November 20, 2007 with later amendment stamps such as Jan 27, 2011 and Jan 27, 2013).

  • The township describes itself as a zoned community; the posted ordinance text is dated November 20, 2007, and the opened articles carry amendment stamps of 2011 and 2013. Currency of the posted text is not confirmed.
  • Zoning ordinance applies to land and buildings in all districts; article 15 general provisions apply.

  “we are a zoned community and permits are required.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning district articles for Clyde township, including Residential Agriculture

  • Districts are published as separate ordinance articles (articles 3 through 13); only the RA and R-1/R-2 articles were located, and their text was not fully read.
  • Posted ordinance is the November 20, 2007 text.

  “download article 05 - residential agriculture district”

• Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwellings in the RA (Residential Agriculture) district inside Clyde township; other districts not confirmed

  • Minimum floor area excludes basements, breezeways, porches or attached garages.
  • The table row is read from a text extraction; the 1,200 sq. ft. value is in the RA column ordering shown and should be verified against the printed schedule.

  minimum floor area: >= 1200 sq ft (excludes basements, breezeways, porches or attached garages)

  “ra 2 acres 200 (t) 2½ 35 60 20 40 50 1,200 10%”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  RA (Residential Agriculture) district inside Clyde township, base row (2 acres)

  • Lot area is measured excluding existing road right-of-way or easement area (footnote a).
  • A variant row reads 2 acres with water, 150 ft width; its treatment is unresolved.
  • Health department standards may require larger lots without public water and sewer.

  minimum lot area: >= 2 acres (variant with water listed separately; footnote (t) not resolved) · minimum lot width: >= 200 feet (variant with water shows 150 ft)

  “ra 2 acres 200 (t) 2½ 35 60 20 40 50 1,200 10%”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  RA (Residential Agriculture) district inside Clyde township, base row

  • Front yard setback is measured from the edge of the existing right-of-way, using St. Clair County Road Commission standards for public roads.
  • Yards abutting a public street are treated as front yards.
  • Setback values are read from a text extraction of the table and should be verified.

  front yard setback: >= 60 feet (measured from edge of right-of-way) · side yard setback (least one): >= 20 feet · total of two side yards: >= 40 feet · rear yard setback: >= 50 feet

  “ra 2 acres 200 (t) 2½ 35 60 20 40 50 1,200 10%”

• Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

  RA (Residential Agriculture) district inside Clyde township, base row

  • Maximum percentage of lot area covered by buildings.

  maximum lot coverage: <= 10 percent

  “ra 2 acres 200 (t) 2½ 35 60 20 40 50 1,200 10%”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  RA (Residential Agriculture) district inside Clyde township, base row

  • Farm buildings and structures are capped at 100 feet under footnote (g).

  maximum height: <= 35 feet · maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories

  “ra 2 acres 200 (t) 2½ 35 60 20 40 50 1,200 10%”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater (with conditions)

  New home built inside the Clyde township water district

  • Applies only inside the township water district; outside it, the well permit route applies.
  • A sewer connection requirement was not found in the opened pages.

  “please note: if you are building a home in the water district, you must hook up to the city water.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Division of unplatted land for building sites inside Clyde township

  • Division is subject to the Michigan Land Division Act (PA 288 of 1967) as well as the Clyde Township land division ordinance.
  • Each resulting zoning lot must conform with its district regulations unless section 14.01 v provides otherwise.

  “the division and consolidation of unplatted land for building sites shall be subject to the regulations of the land division act, public act 288 of 1967, as amended and the clyde township land division ordinance.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit applications filed with Clyde township

  • Fee sheet is revised 10/17/2007; current fee schedule not verified.
  • Water tap, connection and other water fees are set by the water department and listed on the same sheet.

  building permit application fee: 50 USD · performance bond: 1 percent of building evaluation (minimum $50, maximum $500)

  “all pertinent information along with an application fee of $50.00 must accompany the application.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permit process at the Clyde township office

  • Process is described as an application checklist plus about one week of issuance time; plan review steps and inspection scheduling are not described.
  • Address assignment occurs only after a building permit is issued.

  permit issuance time: >= 1 week

  “allow at least 1 week for all building permits to be issued after applications have been submitted to the office.”

Rules another office applies inside Clyde Township

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

• Septic permitRequired

  New homes and buildings needing a septic system inside Clyde township, permitted by the health department

  • Septic permit copy must be attached to the township building permit application.
  • Health department standards may require increased minimum lot sizes for parcels without public water and sewer service.

  “6. copy of septic permit – both well and septic permits have to be obtained from the health department.”

• Well permitRequired

  Homes outside the Clyde township water district that need a private well

  • Required only if the property is not in the water district; inside the water district, city water connection applies instead.
  • Permit is obtained from the health department.

  “5. copy of well permit – if not in the water district”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Driveway or access culvert work for a new home inside Clyde township where a culvert exists

  • Road commission letter needed only if a culvert exists; no general driveway permit rule was found in the opened pages.

  “7. copy of the culvert permit – if a culvert exists, we will need a letter from the road commission stating that the culvert is ok to use.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit eligibility in Clyde township
• Building code adopted — Building code in force for new homes inside Clyde township
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Clyde township
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Clyde township
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes used as dwellings inside Clyde 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.