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

At a glance

Building permit

Required before construction⁶

Permit office

Clare County Community Development⁷

Zoning

Varies by township or municipality³

Septic

CMDHD permit required before the building permit⁸

Private well

CMDHD permit required before the building permit⁵

RV living

Not confirmed countywide; ask the parcel's zoning authority³

Owner-builder

State licensing exemption available for a qualifying owner-builder⁹

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Clare County, Michigan?

Yes. Before constructing a building or structure in Clare County, the owner or the owner's representative must apply to the appropriate enforcing agency; a change in use or occupancy also requires a permit.⁶ Ordinary repairs are exempt only when they do not cross the stated structural, egress, utility, electrical, mechanical, public-health or safety limits.⁶ Separate soil-erosion, zoning, plumbing, mechanical or electrical applications may also be needed.⁶

Clare County Community Development handles county building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits and inspections, and administers the Michigan construction codes⁷². All construction phases covered by a county building permit must be inspected and approved before work proceeds, and concealed uninspected work will not be approved.¹⁰ A qualifying Michigan owner-builder has a residential-builder licensing exemption for a home built on the owner's property for the owner's own use and occupancy, but permits, inspections, codes, zoning and utility rules still apply.⁹

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

Start with Clare County Community Development at 225 W. Main St., Harrison, MI 48625, or call 989.539.2761.¹¹ The county publishes an application that may call for separate soil-erosion, zoning, plumbing, mechanical and electrical filings; completed building applications are emailed as directed on the form.¹² The permit holder schedules inspections with the permit number, holder name, site address, inspection type, jurisdiction and contact information, and most inspections are completed within three business days after the request.¹²

After completion, request a Certificate of Use and Occupancy with the building-permit information, applicable trade-approval dates and final septic approval.¹³ The request carries a non-refundable $5 fee, and a noncompliant project may need a temporary certificate or face enforcement.¹³ A new or altered building may not be occupied until the code official issues the certificate.¹⁴

Does Clare County have zoning, and who sets it?

Zoning in Clare County varies by township, city and village rather than following one uniform county rule, so zoning approval comes from the local authority, while building permits come from the county and septic and well permits from the health department¹⁵¹⁴. The county's township list identifies both zoned and unzoned townships, but each applicable township or municipal ordinance controls its own parcel rules.³ Where zoning applies, obtain the zoning permit before the building permit.¹⁵

We could not confirm one countywide minimum dwelling size, minimum lot size, setback, lot-coverage limit or building-height rule. Ask the parcel's township, city or village zoning authority for the zoning map, permitted uses, dimensional schedule and required approval before designing the project.¹⁵ A parcel described as unzoned still remains subject to building, septic, well and other applicable requirements.⁶⁸⁵

How do septic and well permits work in Clare County?

Central Michigan District Health Department permits on-site septic systems in Clare County.¹⁶ For a new system, obtain the septic permit before the building permit, mark the vacant property for the site visit and preserve a replacement drainfield area; construction before permit issuance violates the sanitary code.⁸ A sanitarian evaluates site suitability, and a final inspection is normally required.¹⁷

Soil-survey ratings put essentially none of Clare County's land in the not-severely-limited class for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and often an engineered or mound system, and make the evaluation an early purchase contingency¹⁸. In rare cases a contractor affidavit can replace the final Sanitarian inspection¹⁹. Existing septic and well systems require evaluation when a building permit is needed or when use changes from residential to non-residential.¹⁷ A private-well permit is also required before the building permit for a new-build site.⁵ New parcels smaller than one acre without public sewer or public water need local health-department approval before the municipality may issue a building permit.²⁰

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Clare County?

We could not confirm one countywide rule for long-term RV living, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy on private land in Clare County. Because zoning varies by township and municipality, ask the parcel's local zoning authority whether the proposed use is allowed and what placement, duration and dwelling standards apply.¹⁵

Michigan's state campground rules put recreational units on licensed, numbered campsites and do not by themselves allow long-term RV living on ordinary private land²¹. State guidance also says a tiny house must be built as a resort rather than a campground, and even on wheels cannot be treated as a recreational unit²². A tiny home still needs applicable local zoning, building, electrical and plumbing permits and final approvals, along with required well and septic permits.²³ A building with plumbing must connect to a public sewer where available or to an approved private sewage-disposal system.²⁴ State-approved modular housing is treated as a conventional home for permit purposes; a homeowner may obtain the permit when supervising construction, but must submit proof of state approval.²⁵

Building a home in Clare County: what are the steps?

1. Identify the parcel's township or municipality and obtain any required zoning approval before the building permit.¹⁵
2. Obtain CMDHD septic and private-well permits before the building permit for a new-build site.⁸⁵
3. Ask the Clare County Road Commission whether the access needs a right-of-way permit; its transportation and right-of-way permits use the online system.²⁶
4. Submit the building application and any separate soil-erosion, plumbing, mechanical or electrical applications.¹²
5. Have each required construction phase inspected and approved before continuing or concealing work.¹⁰
6. Submit the occupancy request with applicable trade approvals and final septic approval, then wait for the certificate before occupying the building.¹³¹⁴

What should you check before buying land in Clare County?

Make septic feasibility an early contingency: mapped soils rate the surveyed land as severely limited for conventional drain fields, and CMDHD evaluates the site.¹⁸¹⁷ Confirm well siting and whether public sewer or water is available; a new parcel smaller than one acre without either utility needs health-department approval before a building permit may issue.²⁰

Check the local zoning authority for allowed use and dimensional rules because zoning varies across Clare County.³ Ask the Clare County Road Commission about access and its online right-of-way permit process.²⁶ For land in a qualifying river, stream or drain floodplain, Michigan requires a state permit when the drainage area is at least 2 square miles, and other approvals may still apply.²⁷ The median property-tax bill is about $1,387 per year, though an individual parcel's bill will differ.²⁸

Watch-outs

• Do not assume a Clare County parcel has the same zoning rules as the next township; confirm the governing local authority and ordinance before purchase.³
• New-build septic and well permits must come before the building permit, and construction before permit issuance violates the sanitary code.⁸⁵
• We could not confirm countywide rules for RV residence, temporary camping or minimum dwelling size; ask the parcel's zoning authority before planning any of these uses.¹⁵
• A permit holder must obtain approval at each required construction phase before continuing, and concealed uninspected work will not be approved.¹⁰
• Floodplain work may need a Michigan permit as well as county or local approval.²⁷

Sources

1. Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
2. Inspections & Permits | Clare County Community Development, quoted and re-checked
3. Clare County Township Contact Information, quoted and re-checked
4. Sewage Systems, quoted and re-checked
5. Water Wells and Water Quality | CMDHD, quoted and re-checked
6. Building Permit Information, quoted and re-checked
7. Clare County Community Development - Applications & Forms (2026 county census)
8. Sewage Systems | CMDHD, quoted and re-checked
9. Frequently Asked Questions – Residential Builder (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. Building Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
11. Clare County Community Development (clareco-buildingdev.net)
12. Building Permit Application, quoted and re-checked
13. Certificate of Use and Occupancy Request, quoted and re-checked
14. Certificate of Occupancy Request (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Townships Where Zoning Permits Are Required, quoted and re-checked
16. Environmental Health | Central Michigan District Health Department, quoted and re-checked
17. Sewage Systems | CMDHD, quoted and re-checked
18. 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
19. Sewage Systems, quoted and re-checked
20. Subdivisions of Land | CMDHD, quoted and re-checked
21. ARVC Michigan campground guidance, quoted and re-checked
22. ARVC Michigan campground guidance, quoted and re-checked
23. michigan.gov (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
24. Michigan Part 7 Plumbing Code Rules (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
25. clareco-buildingdev.net, quoted and re-checked
26. Clare County Road Commission permits (clarecrc.com)
27. FAQ: Floods and Floodplain Management, quoted and re-checked
28. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 9, 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.