Building permits, zoning and land rules in Barry County, Michigan

At a glance

Building permit

Required for construction; ordinary repairs are exempt within stated limits¹

Zoning

Yes; confirm the applicable county, township or municipal rules for the parcel³

Septic & well permits

Barry-Eaton District Health Department permits both systems⁷⁸

Minimum lot size (Rural Residential district)

1 acre without sewer service, 150-ft width⁹

Minimum home floor area

Where the county ordinance applies: 720 sq ft, with a 24x24-ft core living area⁹

RV as temporary residence while building

Where the county ordinance applies: construction-period use with a permit, up to 6 months, renewable⁹

Certificate of occupancy

Required statewide before you can move in¹⁰

Owner-builder licensing exemption

Available for an owner building for personal use and occupancy; permits and codes still apply¹¹

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 Barry County, Michigan?

Yes. Before constructing a building or structure in Barry County, the owner or the owner's representative must apply to the appropriate enforcing agency; a permit is also required for a change in use or occupancy¹. Ordinary repairs do not require a permit, but structural changes, egress changes and work affecting public health or general safety fall outside that exception¹. The Michigan Building Code and Michigan Residential Code govern applicable construction, including residential provisions for one- and two-family dwellings¹². Starting work without the required permit triggers a penalty fee¹³. Michigan’s owner-builder licensing exemption is available to a person building a residential structure on that person’s property for personal use and occupancy; the exemption does not waive building permits¹¹. The agricultural exemption confirmed here is narrow: it covers shade-cloth structures for nursery or agricultural purposes, excludes service systems and does not override other codes or ordinances¹⁴.

Who issues building permits in Barry County, and how do you reach them?

Barry County directs building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical permit questions to Professional Code Inspection (PCI) at 269-948-4088; ask PCI for project-specific forms, fees and inspection scheduling²¹⁵. For zoning approval, contact Barry County Planning & Zoning at 220 W. State St., Hastings, MI 49058, phone (269) 945-1290⁴. In Yankee Springs Township, township residential site-plan review applies to covered projects, and an exemption from that review does not remove a building-permit requirement¹⁶. Septic permitting stays with Barry-Eaton District Health Department throughout Barry County, including cities, villages and townships⁵. Barry-Eaton also evaluates well sites, issues well permits and inspects completed wells⁸.

Does Barry County have zoning?

Barry County maintains a zoning ordinance, but coverage varies by local government³. Middleville and Yankee Springs Township administer their own zoning¹⁷¹⁸. Septic and well permits remain with Barry-Eaton District Health Department⁵⁶. The Village of Nashville states that it has been under Barry County Planning & Zoning since March 1, 2024; the Hastings Area Overlay coordinates zoning among the county and participating local governments³. For unincorporated land, ask Planning & Zoning whether the county ordinance governs the parcel; we could not confirm every township’s arrangement⁴³. Where the county ordinance applies, Rural Residential allows a single-family dwelling, farm and farm operation, with a 1-acre lot and 150-foot width without sewer⁹. RR front and side setbacks are 50 and 20 feet respectively¹⁹. Minimum lot area varies by district: CR requires 20 acres, while RL lists 12,000 square feet without sewer²⁰. The ordinance states a 720-square-foot dwelling minimum and a 24-by-24-foot core living area⁹. Confirm operative standards with Planning & Zoning because a 2026 revision is posted as a draft²¹.

How do septic and well permits work in Barry County?

Barry-Eaton District Health Department evaluates a Barry County septic site first; after a suitable evaluation, submit the sewage-permit application and fee so a sanitarian can authorize construction⁷. Alternative septic systems have additional standards, and some require certified installers⁷. Only about 0.5% of Barry County soils rate free of severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, so obtain the evaluation before fixing the house location²². Barry-Eaton’s 2022 paperwork lists $283 for a vacant-land evaluation, $253 for an initial conventional sewage permit and $614 for an initial low-pressure dose mound permit; ask Environmental Health for current fees²³. Request inspection after tanks, sewers and distribution lines are placed, before covering or operating the distribution system; the code provides for inspection within 2 working days of notification²⁴. Backfill within 48 hours after approval unless the Health Officer approves otherwise²⁴. Public sewer available within 200 feet of the structure requires connection²⁵. Barry-Eaton well permits cover new systems and extensive changes, expire within 1 year and are not transferable; where public water is unavailable, well approval must precede the building permit and construction⁶.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on your land in Barry County?

Barry County's ordinance text generally bars an RV or trailer as a principal or seasonal dwelling where that ordinance applies, while allowing specified temporary exceptions⁹. One exception allows temporary quarters during construction under a permit lasting 6 months and renewable in 6-month terms with administrator approval⁹. The ordinance also describes temporary use of no more than 1 recreational unit per parcel and requires 7 feet of clear space around a temporary dwelling⁹. We could not confirm a single countywide RV or camping rule for every township and municipality, so ask Planning & Zoning which ordinance controls the parcel²⁶⁴. A tiny house is not automatically treated as an RV under Michigan guidance, and applicable local zoning, building, electrical and plumbing approvals still matter²⁷. Off-grid does not mean sanitation-free: an approved onsite system is required where municipal wastewater is unavailable, while public sewer must be used when available within 200 feet of the structure²⁸²⁵.

How do you build a home in Barry County, step by step?

1. Ask Barry County Planning & Zoning which authority, ordinance and district govern the parcel⁴³.
2. Have Barry-Eaton evaluate the septic site, then submit the sewage-permit application and fee for construction authorization⁷.
3. Obtain Barry-Eaton well-construction approval where public water is unavailable before the building permit or construction; obtain the well permit before installation⁶.
4. Call PCI at 269-948-4088 for building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical applications, fees and inspection scheduling²¹⁵.
5. Request Barry-Eaton’s septic inspection before covering or operating the distribution system, and arrange final inspection of the completed well²⁴⁸.
6. After permitted work is complete and finaled and applicable fees are paid, request the certificate of occupancy in writing before moving in²⁹.

What should you check before you buy land in Barry County?

About 89% of Barry County land sits at 15% slope or less, and just under half is wooded; these countywide figures do not establish the buildability of a particular parcel³⁰³¹. Soils are the main caveat: with only about 0.5% rated free of severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, budget for a site evaluation and the possibility of an engineered system²². Ask whether a larger development needs Drain Commissioner review: the county's stormwater standards cover plats and several other development types, including sites disturbing at least 1 acre, but exempt individual one- and two-family homes and modifications to them³². At about 115.4 people per square mile, Barry County is rural, and the county center is about 31 miles in a straight line from the nearest city of 100,000 or more people³³³⁴. Typical property tax runs about 1.1% effectively, with a median bill near $2,706 a year, while farmland has recently valued around $6,027 an acre³⁵³⁶³⁷.

Watch-outs

• Barry County has posted a 2026 draft rewrite of its zoning ordinance; confirm with Planning & Zoning whether it has been adopted before relying on the district standards in this guide for your parcel²¹.
• Where public water is unavailable in Barry County, obtain Barry-Eaton well-construction approval before the building permit or construction; the well permit is not transferable to a buyer⁶.
• With only about 0.5% of Barry County's soils rating free of severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field, most rural parcels should budget for a Barry-Eaton site evaluation and the possibility of an engineered system before assuming a standard drain field will work²².

Sources

1. Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
2. Zoning Ordinance & Amendments, quoted and re-checked
3. Barry County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
4. Barry County Planning & Zoning Department (barrycounty.org)
5. On-Site Sewage Systems, quoted and re-checked
6. Barry-Eaton District Health Department Sanitary Code — Water Supply, quoted and re-checked
7. On-Site Sewage Systems, quoted and re-checked
8. Onsite Drinking Water Wells, quoted and re-checked
9. Barry County Zoning Ordinance (adopted July 25, 2008, as amended) (barrycounty.org)
10. michigan.gov, quoted and re-checked
11. Frequently Asked Questions – Residential Builder, quoted and re-checked
12. Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
13. Barry County - Apply for a Building Permit (2026 county census)
14. R 408.30409 Permits. Work exempt from permit., quoted and re-checked
15. Professional Code Inspection (PCI) — Barry County's contracted building department (barrycounty.org)
16. Yankee Springs Township: Yankee Springs Township Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 5.6—Residential Site Plan Review (Barry County), quoted and re-checked
17. Village of Middleville: Middleville Code, Sec. 78-83—Uses and dimensional standards (Barry County), quoted and re-checked
18. Yankee Springs Township: Yankee Springs Township Zoning Ordinance, Sec. 1.2—Purpose (Barry County), quoted and re-checked
19. Barry County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
20. Barry County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
21. Barry County Zoning Ordinance & Amendments document center (barrycounty.org)
22. 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
23. Barry-Eaton District Health Department, Environmental Health Division (barryeatonhealth.org)
24. barryeatonhealth.org, quoted and re-checked
25. Condensed Final Code, quoted and re-checked
26. Michigan Zoning Enabling Act (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
27. michigan.gov (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
28. Barry-Eaton District Health Department Sanitary Code, quoted and re-checked
29. Certificate of Occupancy Request (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
30. Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
31. Wooded share of land: Bolthole Index county data
32. Barry County Drain Commissioner Rules, quoted and re-checked
33. Population density: Bolthole Index county data
34. Straight-line distance from the county center to the nearest city of 100,000+ people: Bolthole Index county data
35. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
36. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data
37. Farmland value per acre (USDA census): Bolthole Index county data

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.