Zoning question and permits

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Justin76

Justin76

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Dec 13, 2017
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497
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Hong Kong wishing I was in Michigan
Just a quick question that I think of on my commute to work.

In Michigan, the county we live in you need a permit for anything you are building over 100sq feet.
So chicken coops,goat barns, and pig shelters you keep it under that its good to go.

Now my wife wants a shed/ small cabin for her studio. She wants to buy/make one that is around 250sq feet. Permits I dont mind getting if I have to, I just dont like people I dont know charging me money so I can have "permission" to do something with my own land
If its on blocks do you need a permit as well?
Also,
This 100sq foot rule...does that only apply to the foundation? Could you technically make a 100sq foot 24' tall 3 floor tower?
Im trying to sort through the zoning code for our new township but its taking a while...
 
Every area is different. What one does another does completely different. Like in a couple of places I've lived permits were only needed to build, no permits were needed for anything else. Not the well, not the septic, not anything that went into building the house. Here? Permits would have to be pulled on most of the things I didn't need permits for when we built the house.
 
I understand the internet it must be true rule... Im not going by free info, just a random question that popped into my head on my morning commute is all.
I'm definitely going to go through the zoning code and get a 100% answer. I just wish they were written a little more understandable...


But a 3 story tower shed type of thing could be pretty cool to try and put up.
 
We don't actually own our land we just rent it from the county. Think not just stop paying taxes to them and see who owns it.
Maybe check on renting a shed or rent to buy or just buy a used one from shed builders maybe they will let you do that? They have some really cool looking sheds now to rent. Even have a front porch on some of them.
 
Im very happy for her, she works hard, school for her masters in counselling/therapy, looks after the house, 5year old, 2 dogs, laundry, cleaning. Her fathers company and business things in China. On top of being an artist painter musician type of thing as her other "job"

She deserves everthing she can get, she really does earn it.

I do want to build her something but she wants something that she paid for and to use as a guest house for when family visits. Jamaica cottage shop has some nice looking things but we can get something along those lines in our area for 1/4 of the price I'm sure.

Hence the zoning questions
 
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If a Contractor erects a building that requires a permit. And the Contractor builds without a permit, the Contractor could lose his "county construction authorization" and be banned from building anything within the country in the future.

If you live in the country without nosy neighbors and built without a permit...you could plead ignorance if caught. County could asked when you built it to collect back taxes with penalties. I understand Tax Assessors rely heavily on satellite imagery to spy on private property for enforcement.

As others have suggested, take your "proposed" dimension drawing/picture of what you would like to build to your local zoning/building Dept and ask.

Had a neighbor that wanted to build a greenhouse. County turned down the permit because he said his wife might sell the surplus and his property wasn't zoned business. He waited a few months and reapplied for a permit. This time he said the greenhouse was going to be a hobby for his retired wife (true). Permit was granted.

If you tell your County the building will be used as a guest house I'd guess they would deny your permit. On the other hand if you told them it was for storage for your wife's hobby?
 
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I wanted to put up a 15x20 barn to keep my tractor in.
Called the county and was told I needed a permit.
He then added that if I built it in 2 parts then I would stay within the rules, 150 Sq ft. no permit needed.
I didn't figure that would fly with a building inspector when they discovered the barn and it would cost me big.
Then I said I was going to demolish an old barn and he said I would have to get a demolition permit and that was going to be around $600.
I just park my tractor in the old barn.
This is the same county that charged my brother $1500 for a septic permit 10 years ago.
 
When I go back in April im going to have to go to the township office and have a sitdown.
I can see this could have the potential to turn into a headache if done wrong.

Another random question,
We have a HUGE pole barn. 30x40,
Has anyone ever put in a second floor loft apartment? It is plumbed for heat from our wood boiler so that is another option im trying to run by my wife. I assume its standard framing and wiring?
 
Justin76 said:
But a 3 story tower shed type of thing could be pretty cool to try and put up.
Click to expand...

If you do this make sure it's well anchored so it doesn't blow over,2cents :)

Justin76 said:
Has anyone ever put in a second floor loft apartment? It is plumbed for heat from our wood boiler so that is another option im trying to run by my wife. I assume its standard framing and wiring?
Click to expand...

If the barn is tall enough you could ;)
 
Every county has their owns rules and regs and they really vary. Many do not charge you anything if you build without a permit other than to just add the new building onto the tax roles when they find out about it. There is no way any of us can tell you what the scoop is in your particular county.

At one of my houses I went to the county to get a permit and they just made me angry so I just built the addition on my house anyway. It was several years later that the assessor came and saw the addition. At that time he only said that he would add the new addition onto house assessment so it might slightly increase my taxes. I never noticed the taxes going up any though after that.
 
I dug up the PDF of the new township zoning that was passed last year.
99% considered rural. Out buildings all of that permitted, but not one mention of size... Ill have to get a hold of the county zoning.
From what I read, whatever zoning rules are MORE restricted are the ones that apply!?!?

Apparently, there has been some controversy over windmill generators on someones farm and a bogus heliport on three adjoining properties,
So things were conveniently re zoned by the township board and manager.

Dont even live there full time and I can see that Im going to be a real nuisance at these township meetings...
 
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I wanted to build a three car garage with an additional area for a shop but the county said it was too big. I had to build two buildings to meet the code and that meant I used up more space and it cost a lot more than I had planned on. In the end it turned out that both the county and I were happy but it nearly doubled the cost. I almost had to move a utility pole but opted for a single garage door on the shop.
 
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