Bolthole Index

Van Buren County, Michigan

Building permits, zoning and septic in Paw Paw Township, Michigan

Paw Paw Township, Michigan requires a building permit before construction of a building or structure, and for a change in use or occupancy.1 In Van Buren County, the township administers local zoning, with SAFEbuilt handling building and zoning questions.23 Septic regulation stays with the Van Buren/Cass District Health Department, whose jurisdiction includes townships.4

At a glance

Building permits
Required before building construction or a change in use or occupancy; contact SAFEbuilt13
Zoning
Township zoning; district-specific use and dimensional standards25
Septic permits
Van Buren/Cass District Health Department; written approval required for covered sewage-system work46
ARR lot size
2 acres; 300 feet road frontage, reduced to 200 feet for nonfarm single-family dwellings7
ARR dwelling size
1,000 square feet for a single-story dwelling; two-story dwellings need 800 square feet downstairs and 1,000 total8
Accessory dwellings
1 ADU per qualifying lot; owner occupancy and other conditions apply9
Private wells
Health district permit issuance and final inspection for new or replacement wells10

Who to call

Building permits

Paw Paw Township Zoning & Building Department — SAFEbuilt

General building, zoning and land-development questions; township building and zoning application resources.

269-729-9244

[email protected]

107 S. Capital Ave P.O. Box 190 Athens, MI 49011

Online permits →

Planning & zoning

Paw Paw Township Planning Department

Site-plan review, special land uses, rezoning, condominiums, subdivisions and Planned Unit Developments.

616-540-1794

[email protected]

Septic permits

Van Buren/Cass District Health Department — Environmental Health

Septic-system permits and inspections and private-well services in Van Buren County, including Paw Paw Township.

(269) 621-3143

[email protected]

260 South Street Lawrence, MI 49064

Online permits →

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Paw Paw Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Do you need a building permit in Paw Paw Township, MI?

Paw Paw Township requires a written building-permit application before construction of a building or structure, and a building permit when a structure’s use or occupancy changes.1 Ordinary repairs are exempt, but structural, egress, plumbing, electrical, mechanical and safety-related work can fall outside that exception; describe the project to SAFEbuilt before treating work as an ordinary repair.13

Michigan construction codes apply in Paw Paw Township, with residential dwellings covered by the Michigan Residential Code.11 Michigan’s enforcing agency periodically inspects construction undertaken under its building permit; ask SAFEbuilt for the project’s inspection stages and occupancy requirements.123

Who handles building permits and zoning in Paw Paw Township?

Paw Paw Township directs general building, zoning and land-development questions to SAFEbuilt at 269-729-9244 or [email protected].3 Building and zoning application resources are on the township permit page, and applications may be submitted to the Township Hall Treasurer’s office or the entrance drop box on Gremps Street.3

Paw Paw Township also accepts applications online through Community Core; request a login from SAFEbuilt by email with your company name, if applicable, and your name, address, phone number and email address.3 The Township Planning Department handles site-plan review, special land uses, rezoning, condominiums, subdivisions and Planned Unit Developments; contact that office for those reviews rather than assuming a building application covers them.13

Does Paw Paw Township have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

Paw Paw Township has its own zoning ordinance and publishes district standards, a table of allowed uses and a table of dimensions.25 Ask SAFEbuilt to identify the parcel’s district before applying the following ARR Agricultural—Rural Residential standards.37

In Paw Paw Township’s ARR district, minimum lot area is 2 acres, with 300 feet of road frontage or 200 feet for nonfarm single-family dwellings.7 ARR setbacks are 50 feet front, 40 feet for a side yard with 100 feet total across both sides, 60 feet rear and 50 feet waterfront; road and waterfront conditions can change the applicable yard requirement.14 Major-road setbacks are measured from the road center line, so have SAFEbuilt check the road classification before drawing the building footprint.143

How do septic permits and wells work in Paw Paw Township?

The Van Buren/Cass District Health Department regulates septic systems throughout its district, including Paw Paw Township.4 Covered construction, installation, alteration, repair or extension of a sewage-disposal system requires a written application and written permit confirmation, with specified line-replacement and tank-repair exceptions.6 The published 2026 fee for new-construction or replacement septic systems is $300; the septic permit is good for 1 year.1516

Van Buren County’s soil data show 0% rated “not limited” for conventional drain fields, a county-level screening result that calls for site evaluation and may mean an engineered system, rather than making septic impossible.17 Disposal fields cannot be placed in the 100-year floodplain.18 For a new or replacement private well, the health district describes site evaluation, system design, permit issuance and final inspection.10

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Paw Paw Township?

We could not confirm Paw Paw Township’s private-land RV occupancy or temporary-camping rules; ask SAFEbuilt about the proposed occupancy, duration and parcel before relying on an RV while building.3

Paw Paw Township’s ARR district requires a single-story dwelling to have at least 1,000 square feet, or a two-story dwelling to have 800 square feet on the first floor and 1,000 square feet total; those dimensions are a constraint on a small primary-home plan in ARR.8 Paw Paw Township allows 1 accessory dwelling unit on a qualifying lot already occupied by a lawful single-family dwelling, subject to approved water and sewer facilities, district setbacks and height, building and fire codes, and owner occupancy of either dwelling.9 An ADU needs a zoning-administrator determination before a building permit, cannot be sold separately, and cannot be rented for less than 30 days.9

What are the steps to building a home in Paw Paw Township?

  1. Start with SAFEbuilt: identify the Paw Paw Township zoning district and check the proposed dwelling, lot, frontage and setbacks against that district’s standards.35
  2. Discuss any site-plan review, special land use or rezoning with the Township Planning Department.13
  3. Arrange well and septic review with the Van Buren/Cass District Health Department, including the required project information, scaled drawing where requested and payment; contact MISS DIG before a ground-disturbing site evaluation.1916
  4. Submit the written building-permit application to the appropriate enforcing agency before construction; SAFEbuilt is the township’s contact for building questions and application access.203
  5. Obtain the required construction inspections and ask SAFEbuilt what approval is needed before occupancy.123

What should you check before buying land in Paw Paw Township?

For a Paw Paw Township parcel, check road access alongside the proposed building location: township access standards generally call for a single two-way driveway or paired ingress and egress driveways, with additional driveways subject to conditions.21 For a new Van Buren County address, county-road access goes through the Road Commission, state-road access through MDOT, and private-road access requires a site plan rather than a driveway permit.22

Ask the health district about septic feasibility and private-well approval before committing to a house footprint; those functions remain with the health district in Paw Paw Township.410 We could not confirm a township-wide public-water or sewer connection trigger or acceptance of a proposed off-grid sanitation system; ask SAFEbuilt and Environmental Health about the parcel and design.323 For land outside Paw Paw Township, consult the Van Buren County guide and identify the local zoning authority for that address.24

Watch-outs

  • Paw Paw Township’s ARR lot, dwelling-size and setback standards are district-specific; ask SAFEbuilt for the parcel’s district before using them.78143
  • Paw Paw Township’s ADU rental restriction prohibits stays shorter than 30 days; that provision does not establish the rule for every other short-term rental.9
  • Michigan’s owner-use and occupancy licensing exemption does not remove building-permit, code, inspection or zoning requirements in Paw Paw Township.25
  • The health district application states that soil disturbance within 500 feet of a water body needs a Soil Erosion & Sedimentation Permit; confirm that approval before excavation.16

Sources

  1. Building Permit Information (Paw Paw Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Chapter 42 Zoning - Township of Paw Paw, MI (Paw Paw Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. Paw Paw Township Zoning & Building Department — SAFEbuilt (pawpawtownshipmi.gov)
  4. Environmental Health Code - Van Buren/Cass District Public Health Department, quoted and re-checked
  5. Chapter 42 Zoning - Township of Paw Paw, MI (Paw Paw Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Environmental Health Code 2025, quoted and re-checked
  7. Township of Paw Paw Table of Dimensions (Paw Paw Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Township of Paw Paw Table of Dimensions (Paw Paw Township), quoted and re-checked
  9. Article 8.00 Use Standards - Township of Paw Paw, MI (Paw Paw Township), quoted and re-checked
  10. Well, Septic, and Short-Term Rental Services, quoted and re-checked
  11. Building Permit Information (Paw Paw Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. MCL 125.1512, Inspection of construction (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Paw Paw Township Planning Department (pawpawtownshipmi.gov)
  14. Township of Paw Paw Table of Dimensions (Paw Paw Township), quoted and re-checked
  15. Well, Septic, and Short-Term Rental Forms, quoted and re-checked
  16. Well, Septic, and Short-Term Rental Forms, quoted and re-checked
  17. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  18. Environmental Health Code 2025, quoted and re-checked
  19. Well, Septic, and Short-Term Rental Forms, quoted and re-checked
  20. Building Permit Information (Paw Paw Township), quoted and re-checked
  21. Article 9.00 Supplemental Regulations - Township of Paw Paw, MI (Paw Paw Township), quoted and re-checked
  22. How to Obtain an Address, quoted and re-checked
  23. Van Buren/Cass District Health Department — Environmental Health (vbcassdhd.org)
  24. PROPERTY: What is the zoning on my parcel?, quoted and re-checked
  25. Frequently Asked Questions – Residential Builder (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Paw Paw Township

Paw Paw Township’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Paw Paw Township, Michigan; the township adopts and administers Chapter 42 Zoning.

    • The code page states the chapter was adopted by the Township Board on 2019-09-09 by Ordinance 266.
    “[HISTORY: Adopted by the Township Board of the Township of Paw Paw 9-9-2019 by Ord. No. 266. Amendments noted where applicable.]”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Paw Paw Township.

    • The code publishes district standards and a Table of Uses Allowed by District and Table of Dimensions.
    “§ 42-5.01 CSV Conservation (Open Space) District. § 42-5.02 AGR Agricultural (Farmland Protection) District. § 42-5.03 ARR Agricultural — Rural Residential District. § 42-5.04 LDR Low Density Residential District. § 42-5.05 WFR Waterfront Area District. § 42-5.06 VE Village Edge Medium-High Density Mixed Use District. § 42-5.07 MHR - Mobile Home Residential District.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    ARR Agricultural—Rural Residential District single-family dwellings.

    • The table lists 1,000 square feet for a one-story dwelling, or 800 square feet on the first floor with 1,000 square feet total for a two-story dwelling.
    • The table also lists maximum height of 2 stories/35 feet for dwellings.

    minimum dwelling size, one-story: 1000 square feet · minimum first-floor size, two-story: 800 square feet · minimum total size, two-story: 1000 square feet

    “ARR (8) 2 acres 300 - road frontage 200 - road frontage for nonfarm SF dwellings 20 50(6) 40 - 1 side; 100 total for both side yards (2) 60(2) 50 1-story - 1,000; 2 story - 800 1st floor w/1,000 total”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    ARR Agricultural—Rural Residential District.

    • The table lists a 2-acre minimum lot area.
    • The table lists 300 feet road frontage, and 200 feet road frontage for nonfarm single-family dwellings.

    minimum lot area: 2 acres · minimum road frontage: 300 feet (200 feet for nonfarm single-family dwellings)

    “ARR (8) 2 acres 300 - road frontage 200 - road frontage for nonfarm SF dwellings”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    ARR Agricultural—Rural Residential District.

    • The table lists 50 feet front setback, 40 feet for one side, 100 feet total for both side yards, 60 feet rear setback, and 50 feet waterfront setback.
    • Major-road setbacks in the table notes are 120 feet from the center line for county primary roads, 160 feet for state highways, and 210 feet for I-94.
    • Where a side or rear yard abuts a road right-of-way or waterfront line, it must use the required front setback.

    front setback: 50 feet · side setback, one side: 40 feet (100 feet total for both side yards) · rear setback: 60 feet · waterfront setback: 50 feet

    “20 50(6) 40 - 1 side; 100 total for both side yards (2) 60(2) 50”
  • Building heightSpecified

    ARR Agricultural—Rural Residential District dwellings.

    • The table lists a maximum principal-building height of 2 stories/35 feet for dwellings.
    • Agricultural buildings have a separate 45-foot notation.

    maximum principal building height: 2/35 stories/feet (45 feet for agricultural buildings)

    “2/35 - dwellings 45 - agricultural buildings”
  • Accessory dwellingsAllowed (with conditions)

    Accessory dwelling units inside Paw Paw Township.

    • Only one ADU per lot.
    • The lot must generally be lawful and conforming and occupied by a lawful single-family dwelling.
    • The ADU cannot be sold separately; must meet district height and setback rules; must use approved water and sewer facilities; must meet building and fire codes; either the principal dwelling or ADU must be owner-occupied; rental for less than 30 days is prohibited.
    • A zoning-administrator determination is required before issuance of a building permit.

    maximum ADUs per lot: 1 ADU · minimum short-term rental period: >= 30 days (Leasing or rental for less than 30 days is prohibited)

    “Except as otherwise provided in this section, an ADU is allowed only on a lawful conforming lot that is occupied by a lawful single-family dwelling.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Driveway access for individual lots and contiguous lots under common ownership inside Paw Paw Township.

    • Access must be a single two-way driveway or a paired ingress/egress driveway system.
    • Additional driveways may be allowed for frontage exceeding 300 feet, frontage on at least two streets, or qualifying traffic volumes, subject to spacing and traffic-analysis conditions.
    • Spacing is based on posted speed: 125 feet at 30 mph, 150 at 35, 185 at 40, 230 at 45, 275 at 50, and 350 at 55.

    minimum driveway offset: >= 150 feet (Measured center line to center line, unless aligned across the street)

    “Access for an individual lot or for contiguous lots under the same ownership shall consist of either a single two-way driveway or a paired driveway system wherein one driveway is designed, and appropriately marked, to accommodate ingress traffic and the other egress traffic.”

Rules another office applies inside Paw Paw Township

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

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction of a building or structure, and changes in use or occupancy, inside Paw Paw Township.

    • Ordinary repairs do not require a permit, but the state page lists structural, egress, plumbing, electrical, mechanical, and public-health/safety work that is excluded from the ordinary-repair exception.
    • The application is submitted to the appropriate enforcing agency.
    “Before construction of a building or structure, an owner, or the owner's builder, architect, engineer, or agent, shall submit an application in writing to the appropriate enforcing agency for a building permit. A permit is also required when the use or occupancy of a structure or portion thereof is changed.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Building construction, alteration, addition, repair, removal, use, location, occupancy, and maintenance inside Paw Paw Township.

    • The Michigan Building Code controls covered matters; one- and two-family dwellings are included in the Michigan Residential Code.
    • Local enforcing-agency procedures may apply.
    “The Michigan Building Code controls all matters concerning the construction, alteration, addition, repair, removal, demolition, use, location, occupancy, and maintenance of all buildings and structures and their service equipment. Presently, provisions for one- and two-family dwellings are included in the Michigan Residential Code.”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Building permit application process for construction inside Paw Paw Township.

    • The application must be submitted in writing to the appropriate enforcing agency before construction.
    • A permit is also required for a change in use or occupancy.
    • Ordinary repairs are excepted subject to the limitations described by the state page.
    “Before construction of a building or structure, an owner, or the owner's builder, architect, engineer, or agent, shall submit an application in writing to the appropriate enforcing agency for a building permit.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions from licensing or permit requirements inside Paw Paw Township.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Paw Paw Township.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Paw Paw Township.
  • Lot coverage — LDR Low Density Residential District inside Paw Paw Township.
  • Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Paw Paw Township.
12 more unanswered
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Paw Paw Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Van Buren County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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