Building permits, zoning and septic in the Village of Cass City, Michigan

At a glance

Building permit

Tuscola County building review follows a Cass City zoning permit¹

Zoning

Village zoning applies inside Cass City limits²

Septic

New or replacement sewage systems need Health Department approval⁵

Water and sewer

Public sewer connection where available; otherwise an approved private sewage system⁶

Owner-builder

Own-use licensing exemption does not waive building or zoning requirements⁷

Private wells

Health Department permit before new private-well construction⁸

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in the Village of Cass City, MI?

Cass City sends building reviews and building permits to the Tuscola County Building Department, but a project must first receive a Cass City zoning permit.¹ Michigan construction requirements apply inside Cass City, with dwelling provisions contained in the Michigan Residential Code.⁹ A Michigan building-permit application must include scaled plans and a site plan showing the dimensions and locations of existing and proposed structures.¹⁰ Ask the village Zoning Administrator about the proposed use before paying for detailed construction plans; the village encourages a free conceptual review before a formal application.¹¹

Who handles Village of Cass City building permits and zoning approval?

The Village of Cass City Zoning Administrator handles the village zoning review; reach the village at 989-872-2911.¹¹ The village charges fees for zoning and development services, including permits and reviews.¹¹ Cass City assigns building reviews and building permits to Tuscola County, whose building-services provider is SAFEbuilt.¹¹² Reach SAFEbuilt at 989-262-4546 or [email protected] for building applications, plan review and inspections.¹² Private sewage-system and well applications remain with Tuscola County Health Department Environmental Health, reachable at (989) 673-8119.¹³

Does the Village of Cass City have zoning, lot-size and setback rules?

The Village of Cass City has its own zoning ordinance for land inside village limits.² Cass City’s RA-1, RA-1B and RA-2 districts refer to a schedule of regulations controlling building height and bulk, minimum lot size, density and yard setbacks.¹⁴ Ask the village Zoning Administrator to identify the parcel’s district and applicable schedule before choosing a home footprint.¹⁴¹¹ The confirmed 350-square-foot dwelling-area minimum applies specifically to housing for the elderly in the RC multiple-family residential district and excludes kitchen and sanitary facilities; that figure is not a village-wide minimum for a detached home.¹⁵

How do septic permits and private wells work inside the Village of Cass City?

For a Cass City home, Michigan requires connection to public sewer where available, or otherwise an approved private sewage-disposal system.⁶ Tuscola County Health Department handles sewage-system and private-well permitting, including inside the village.³ New or replacement sewage systems require a permit before installation; submitting an application and paying the fee does not guarantee approval.⁵¹⁶ The listed sewage permit fee is $447 and the well permit fee is $301 under the schedule effective October 2025.¹⁷ Sewage applicants need a completed application, measured site plan and soil evaluation; arrange the test-hole inspection with Environmental Health before installation.¹⁸¹⁹ New private wells require a permit before construction and a final inspection and sampling afterward.⁸

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in the Village of Cass City?

We could not confirm a complete Cass City rule allowing residential RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy on a private lot; ask the village Zoning Administrator about the proposed use and parcel before buying.¹¹ Cass City zoning approval is required before building review, so a small dwelling proposal still needs the village’s land-use review.¹ Michigan’s owner-builder exemption concerns residential-builder licensing for an owner’s own use and occupancy on the owner’s property; the exemption does not remove applicable building-permit, zoning, inspection or utility requirements.⁷ Off-grid living also requires sanitary sewage from household fixtures to reach municipal sewer or an onsite septic system.²⁰

Building a home in the Village of Cass City: what comes first?

Start by asking Cass City’s Zoning Administrator for a conceptual review of the proposed home, use and site layout; the village offers these meetings without charge.¹¹ Obtain the Cass City zoning permit before beginning Tuscola County building review.¹ For a site using private water or sewage, coordinate Health Department well, sewage or usage approval before the building permit as applicable.⁴²¹ Submit construction plans to SAFEbuilt and arrange the required construction inspections with the enforcing agency.¹²²² Michigan requires a certificate of occupancy before the completed or altered building is used or occupied.²³ For land outside village limits, use the Tuscola County guide and identify the applicable local zoning administrator.²⁴

Watch-outs

• Cass City’s 350-square-foot minimum cited here is for elderly housing in the RC district, not a general tiny-home allowance.¹⁵
• A paid sewage application is not an installation permit; obtain Health Department approval before installing the system.¹⁶
• We could not confirm Cass City’s local driveway or floodplain approval requirements; ask the village Zoning Administrator which additional reviews apply to the parcel.¹¹

Sources

1. Village of Cass City - DEVELOPMENT (Village of Cass City), quoted and re-checked
2. Village of Cass City - DEVELOPMENT (Village of Cass City), quoted and re-checked
3. Wells and Septic, quoted and re-checked
4. Wells and Septic, quoted and re-checked
5. Application for Sewage Permit and Water Supply Permit, quoted and re-checked
6. Michigan Part 7 Plumbing Code Rules (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. Frequently Asked Questions – Residential Builder (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. tchd.us, quoted and re-checked
9. Building Permit Information (Village of Cass City), quoted and re-checked
10. Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act, MCL 125.1510 (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Village of Cass City Zoning Administrator (casscity.org)
12. SAFEbuilt (Tuscola County building department services) (tuscolacounty.org)
13. Tuscola County Health Department Environmental Health (tchd.us)
14. Village of Cass City - DEVELOPMENT (Village of Cass City), quoted and re-checked
15. Sec. 46-204. - Uses permitted subject to special conditions (Village of Cass City), quoted and re-checked
16. Application for Sewage Permit and Water Supply Permit, quoted and re-checked
17. tchd.us, quoted and re-checked
18. Helpful Hints for Preparing a Site Plan, quoted and re-checked
19. Directions When Applying for a Sewage Disposal Permit and/or Water Supply Permit, quoted and re-checked
20. Disposal of residential wastewater such as swimming pool water (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Wells and Septic, quoted and re-checked
22. courts.michigan.gov (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
23. Certificate of Occupancy Request (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
24. Building Codes - Tuscola County, quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.