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

Covert Township’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Structural work in Covert township, including new construction, major renovations, remodeling, additions and demolition

  • Building permit is issued only after the zoning permit is approved.
  • Plumbing permits are issued by the state (LARA Bureau of Construction Codes), not the township.

  building permit admin/processing fee: 100 USD (permit fee and plan review fee are calculated by the building inspector)

  “apply for a building permit if you are doing any structural work to a building, like major renovations, remodeling, new construction, adding more space or demolishing an existing structure.”

• InspectionsRequired

  Building, electrical, mechanical work inside Covert township permitted through the township's contracted building department

  • Inspections are scheduled through SAFEBuilt, not the inspectors directly.
  • Plumbing inspection is performed by the state plumbing inspector.

  “all inspections must be scheduled by contacting safebuilt.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Covert township's limits (Van Buren County, MI). Covert township adopts and administers its own Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, which sets the districts (AG, RR, LD, MD, HD, VMU, LI, HI and others) and their rules.

  • The ordinance text reviewed is the 2017 compilation hosted at energyzoning.org, which lists amendments through Ordinance 93 (2017). The township's own site links its current ordinance; confirm the current version against the township's copy before relying on exact numbers.
  • Zoning permit must be approved before a building permit is issued (township building and zoning page).

  “view our master plan view our comprehensive zoning ordinance view our zoning map.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Multi-family dwelling units in Covert township's multi-family zoning district (HD and multi-family districts)

  • Minimum 980 sq ft per multi-family unit; the 1,200 sq ft single-family figure does not apply to multi-family units.

  minimum multi-family dwelling unit floor area: >= 980 sq ft (multi-family zoning district)

  “multi-family dwelling units located in a multi-family zoning district shall contain a minimum of 980 square feet.”

• Living in an RVProhibited

  Trailer coaches, motor homes and recreation vehicles that are parked or stored in Covert township (section 18.13 applies in the AG and RR districts); they may not be occupied

  • Parked or stored RVs may not be connected to sanitary facilities.
  • Outdoor storage of unoccupied RVs is prohibited in LD, MD, HD and VMU districts.
  • Emergency temporary housing is addressed separately in Article 13 (not opened in full).

  “all trailer coaches, motor homes, and/or recreation vehicles parked or stored shall not be connected to sanitary facilities and shall not be occupied.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured and mobile homes used as dwellings outside state-licensed mobile home parks inside Covert township

  • A mobile home is a dwelling only after manufactured to Michigan Mobile Home Commission requirements.
  • Outside mobile home parks, the home must meet HUD mobile home construction standards, the state construction code and the foundation, crawl space and anchoring requirements in section 18.24 (foundation at least 42 inches below grade).
  • Mobile homes in state-licensed parks are addressed in section 18.23 (HD district); single-family dwellings also must meet the 1,200 sq ft minimum and 24-foot minimum width.

  “a mobile home can be classified as a dwelling or dwelling unit for the purposes of this ordinance only after being manufactured pursuant to the requirements of the michigan mobile home commission”

• Mandatory utility hookupConditional

  Connecting a home inside Covert township to the township water system or municipal sewer

  • Connection requires a township permit and an escrow deposit; availability of water or sewer at a given parcel is not established.
  • A mandatory-connection distance rule was not found in the materials reviewed.
  • Township water is purchased from South Haven Area Water and Sewer Authority (SHAWSA); a City of South Haven application and fees are also required.

  water tap escrow for installation costs: 5000 USD (township portion; city of south haven water buy in is $4,000) · sewer tap in fee: 2000 USD (admin fee $50 additional)

  “a permit is required to connect to covert township’s water system.”

• Permit feesPublished

  Township zoning, building, water and sewer, and land-development permit fees for land inside Covert township

  • Fees on the township page are current as of the page reviewed; building, electrical, mechanical fees are calculated per project.

  zoning permit fee: 100 USD · land development application fee: 200 USD (plus escrow deposit by request type)

  “view comprehensive list of permits and fee schedule.”

• Permit processPublished

  Permit sequence for building work inside Covert township

  • Zoning permit comes first, then building permit; inspections scheduled through SAFEBuilt.
  • Land development and land division requests have their own reviewing bodies.

  “a zoning permit must be approved before a building permit will be issued.”

Rules another office applies inside Covert Township

Covert 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)

  Private septic systems inside Covert township, administered by the Van Buren/Cass County Health Department

  • Township operates a municipal sanitary sewer system; connection to it is handled by township permit (see utility_connection), not by the health department.

  “the county health department covers a variety of environmental health permitting. this includes water and septic systems, food inspections, hazardous waste, campground inspections, body art facilities and more.”

• Driveway accessRequired

  New and modified driveways connecting to county roads in Covert township, issued by the Van Buren County Road Commission

  • Permit is issued by the county road commission within the county's jurisdiction; township roads are not covered by this statement.

  “vbcrc issues permits for any driveway (new and modified), road right-of-way projects, events, signage or detour within the county’s jurisdiction.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for residential construction in Covert township
• Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage for principal buildings inside Covert township
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Covert township
• Tiny homes — Tiny homes used as dwellings inside Covert township
• Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units on lots inside Covert 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.