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

Brownstown Township’s own rules

• InspectionsRequired

  Required building inspections for construction inside Brownstown charter township, coordinated by the township building department.

  • The township inspection schedule for new homes includes water/sewer installation, underground plumbing, rough and final plumbing, and final building including final grade (from a search snippet of the township FAQ, which could not be opened; not cited as evidence).
  • Septic installation inspections are made by Wayne County (see septic_inspection claims).

  “the department arranges and approves all construction permits and coordinates electrical, heating, plumbing and building permits and required inspections.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Brownstown charter township limits: the township adopts and administers its own zoning ordinance (Ordinance 141-45, as amended), not county zoning.

  • The township zoning ordinance is amended by numbered ordinances (for example 141-79 through 141-86 on the township document center).

  “ordinance no. 141-82 an ordinance to amend ordinance 141-45 of the township of brownstown to impose a temporary moratorium on the establishment”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Brownstown charter township, as shown on the township zoning ordinance document center.

  • The document center lists a zoning map (revised October 2016), a mapped-districts document, and separate district chapters (for example Single Family Residential Districts and Multiple Family Residential Districts) with the Business, Town Center, Industrial, Waterfront Marina, and Mining Extraction districts.
  • District-by-district contents were not opened in this research.

  “03 single family residential districts.pdf document header 03 single family residential districts.pdf 04 multiple family residential districts.pdf”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit and inspection application process for work inside Brownstown charter township.

  • Permits and inspections are requested through BS&A Online; homeowners and contractors each need an account linked to the township building department record using a PIN from the building department (734-675-0166).
  • Permits and inspections can be scheduled online.

  “we are excited to announce that the charter township of brownstown has implemented the ability to apply for permits and schedule inspections online!”

Rules another office applies inside Brownstown Township

Brownstown 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 sewage (septic) systems for residential and small commercial buildings inside Brownstown charter township, where Wayne County is the permitting agency.

  • Wayne County Health, Human and Veterans Services (Environmental Health) evaluates site suitability, issues permits, and inspects installations.
  • Scope recorded as county countywide because the county schema does not allow municipality-specific geography for a county authority; the rule applies inside Brownstown as it does throughout the county.

  “wayne county acts as the local permitting agency for all residential and small commercial onsite sewage treatment systems.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New construction inside Brownstown charter township where sanitary sewer is not available.

  • Wayne County requires a site/soil evaluation and then a sewage permit for installation of the septic system.
  • Permit application requires completed application form, parcel ID, certified survey and legal description for new construction, a plot plan, and the applicable fee.
  • Permits are valid for one year from issuance for construction to be completed; after that the permit must be rewritten and a fee assessed.

  permit validity: 1 year

  “a valid permit is required which is issued by this department.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Installed septic systems inside Brownstown charter township, inspected by Wayne County.

  • Excavation, sand backfill, drainfield placement, septic tank setting, pump tank (if required), and final earth cover inspections are made by the county environmentalist.
  • Deviations from the approved plans must be approved before construction.

  “all completed sewage systems must be inspected and approved by the wayne county department of health, human and veterans services.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Required — Existing onsite septic systems on a property sold inside Brownstown charter township (time-of-sale evaluation).

    “there is an ordinance in wayne county (outside of the city of detroit) in which homes with onsite septic systems are required to have them inspected for their function.”

• Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

  Building permits for homes inside Brownstown charter township: sewer connection proof or a sewage permit is needed before a building permit.

  • Where municipal sanitary sewer is available, proof of municipal sewer connection is required before building permits are issued; where it is not, a county sewage permit is required instead.
  • The township's own mandatory-connection rule (distance from sewer main) was not located in the code and is not stated here.

  “building inspection agencies in wayne county require either proof of municipal sewer connection or a sewage permit before building permits can be issued.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder permit exemption for homes inside Brownstown charter township.
• Building code adopted — Building code adopted for construction inside Brownstown charter township.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes inside Brownstown charter township.
• Minimum dwelling size — Minimum dwelling floor area for the single-family residential district inside Brownstown charter township.
• Minimum lot size — Minimum lot size for the single-family residential district inside Brownstown charter 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.

Off-grid gear

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

• Water Crystal Quest Filter any source — well, rain, or creek — to drinking-clean.
• Power Bluetti Solar generators and home battery backup for living off the grid.
• Septic Soil percolation test kit Run your own perc test before paying an engineer — the first thing a septic office asks about.
• Water Well water test kit Bacteria, nitrates, hardness — know what the well on a parcel is really pumping.

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