Bolthole Index

Genesee County, Michigan

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Mundy Township, Michigan

Mundy Township, Michigan, in Genesee County, has its own zoning ordinance1 and requires a building permit from the Township Building Official before construction starts2. RVs may be occupied no more than 30 days in one year outside an approved RV park or campground3. Septic permits for every address, township or not, come from the Genesee County Health Department4.

At a glance

Building permit
Required before building, altering or moving a structure; issued by the Township Building Official2
Zoning
Mundy Township adopts and enforces its own zoning ordinance1
Septic
Genesee County Health Department permits and inspects on-site systems4
RV living
Limited to 30 days in one year outside an approved RV park or campground3
Certificate of occupancy
Required before a structure or lot is used or occupied5
Owner-builder
Michigan lets a person build their own home on their own property without a residential builder license6

Who to call

Building permits

Mundy Township Building Department

Building permits, inspections, zoning administration and development review inside Mundy Township; permits, payments and inspections can be handled online

810.655.4631

3478 Mundy Ave, Swartz Creek, MI 48473

Online permits →

Septic permits

Genesee County Health Department — Environmental Health Division (Septic Office)

Perc tests and septic permits for on-site sewage systems across Genesee County, including inside Mundy Township

(810) 257-3603

Genesee County Administration Building, 324 S Saginaw St, 6th Floor, Flint, MI 48502

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 24, 2026.

Off-grid gear

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

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Does Mundy Township, MI have zoning, and what does it mean for RVs and tiny homes?

Yes. Mundy Township, Michigan adopts and enforces its own zoning ordinance, so land use, setbacks and lot rules inside the township come from the township, not from Genesee County1. The ordinance divides the township into zoning districts, each with its own regulations, so always ask which district a parcel sits in before buying7.

For RVs, Mundy Township's ordinance allows occupancy of a recreational vehicle or motor home for no more than 30 days in one year, unless the vehicle is in an approved RV park or campground3. Living in an RV on your own lot while you build is therefore not something the ordinance appears to allow beyond that limit. We could not confirm any township rule on tiny homes, accessory dwellings or short-term rentals, so ask the Building Department before planning one.

Do you need a building permit in Mundy Township, and who issues it?

Yes. Mundy Township's ordinance requires a building permit from the Building Official before any structure is built, altered, added to or moved into the township2. A certificate of occupancy and a certificate of zoning compliance are also required before the structure or lot is used or occupied5.

The fee is set from the estimated construction value under a schedule the Township Board adopts, and is paid to the Township Treasurer before the permit issues8. Michigan's statewide construction code requires inspections of work done under a permit9. The township runs its own10 and takes applications online.

How do septic permits work in Mundy Township?

Septic is not a township decision. The Genesee County Health Department regulates on-site sewage disposal in Genesee County where municipal sanitary sewer is unavailable4. For vacant land the process has two steps: a perc test (soil evaluation), then the septic permit11. The12 says a perc test is valid for 5 years.

USDA rates only about 2.2% of Genesee County's soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system rather than a simple trench13. The county also issues a certificate of inspection before a new structure on a septic system can be occupied14. We could not confirm whether public sewer reaches a given parcel; ask the Building Department.

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

Only briefly for an RV. Mundy Township limits occupancy of an RV or motor home to 30 days in one year unless the vehicle sits in an approved RV park or campground3. Michigan's statewide campground rules do not change this for a private lot; they cover campgrounds with five or more recreational units15.

We could not confirm a township rule specific to tiny homes. Manufactured homes are addressed in the M-3 Mobile Home Park District, where a manufactured home may only be used as a single-family dwelling16. Call the10 before buying land for a tiny home.

Building a home in Mundy Township: the steps, in order

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district with the107.
  2. Book a perc test with the12 if the parcel has no public sewer11.
  3. Apply for the township building permit and pay the fee to the Township Treasurer8. Michigan lets a person build their own home on their own property without a residential builder license, if they will live in it6.
  4. Get the county septic permit and, for a private well, a county well permit17.
  5. Pass inspections during construction9.
  6. Obtain the certificate of occupancy and certificate of zoning compliance before moving in5.

What stays with Genesee County, and what should you check before you buy?

Inside Mundy Township, the township handles building permits and zoning, while the county health department handles septic permits and private well permits417. The county charges $200 for a private residential well permit18. For land outside the township, see the Genesee County page.

Before you buy, check the floodplain: the ordinance bars structures in a natural watercourse floodplain that would reduce its runoff storage or impede flow19. Genesee County's effective property tax rate is 1.4%20. A driveway onto a state highway needs a Michigan Department of Transportation permit21.

Watch-outs

  • Mundy Township's website now lists a newer zoning ordinance than the one we reviewed, so confirm the 30-day RV limit and permit rules with the Building Department before relying on them3.
  • We could not confirm which building code edition the township enforces or any township rule on septic, wells or public sewer connection, so ask the Building Department and the Genesee County Health Department4.
  • A perc test is required before a septic permit, so a parcel without one carries unknown septic cost11.

Sources

  1. Mundy Township Zoning Ordinance No. 08-123-Z (Mundy Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Mundy Township Zoning Ordinance No. 08-123-Z (Mundy Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. Mundy Township Zoning Ordinance No. 08-123-Z (Mundy Township), quoted and re-checked
  4. Septic: GCHD Environmental Health Program, quoted and re-checked
  5. Mundy Township Zoning Ordinance No. 08-123-Z (Mundy Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Frequently Asked Questions – Residential Builder (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. Mundy Township Zoning Ordinance No. 08-123-Z (Mundy Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. Mundy Township Zoning Ordinance No. 08-123-Z (Mundy Township), quoted and re-checked
  9. courts.michigan.gov (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Mundy Township Building Department (mundytwp-mi.gov)
  11. Septic: GCHD Environmental Health Program, quoted and re-checked
  12. Genesee County Health Department — Environmental Health Division (Septic Office) (geneseecountymi.gov)
  13. 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
  14. Septic: GCHD Environmental Health Program, quoted and re-checked
  15. Legislation governing campgrounds in Michigan (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Mundy Township Zoning Ordinance No. 08-123-Z (Mundy Township), quoted and re-checked
  17. Wells: Planning, Permits, Bacteria Testing, quoted and re-checked
  18. Septic: GCHD Environmental Health Program, quoted and re-checked
  19. Mundy Township Zoning Ordinance No. 08-123-Z (Mundy Township), quoted and re-checked
  20. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  21. Infrastructure permits (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 24, 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 Mundy Township

Mundy Township’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Construction, alteration, addition, or relocation of a structure inside Mundy Township.

    • A fee must be paid before issuance.
    • The ordinance also requires a site plan showing compliance; Planning Commission approval is required for uses requiring that approval.
    • A permit may be issued for a variance duly granted by the Zoning Board of Appeals.
    “A building permit shall be obtained from the Building Official before any construction of a structure, or alteration or addition to any existing structure, may be undertaken, or before any structure is relocated into or within the Township; and a Certificate of occupancy shall be obtained and Certificate of Zoning Compliance shall be required before the structure or lot can be used or occupied.”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    A structure or lot to be used or occupied inside Mundy Township.

    • A Certificate of Zoning Compliance is also required before the structure or lot is used or occupied.
    “A building permit shall be obtained from the Building Official before any construction of a structure, or alteration or addition to any existing structure, may be undertaken, or before any structure is relocated into or within the Township; and a Certificate of occupancy shall be obtained and Certificate of Zoning Compliance shall be required before the structure or lot can be used or occupied.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Mundy Township, Michigan.

    • The ordinance was adopted by the Mundy Township Board on July 14, 2008 and states that it became effective August 3, 2008.
    “This Ordinance No. 08-123-Z was adopted by the Township Board of Mundy Township by authority of Act 110, of the Public Acts of Michigan, 2006, at a Regular Meeting thereof duly called and held on the 14th day of July, 2008, A.D.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Mundy Township.

    • Specific regulations and requirements apply within each district under the Township ordinance.
    “Zoning District (Zone): A portion of the Township within which specific regulations and requirements, or various combinations thereof, apply as provided in this Ordinance.”
  • Living in an RVLimited

    Occupancy of recreational vehicles or motor homes inside Mundy Township.

    • Occupancy is limited to 30 days in one year unless the vehicle is in an approved recreational vehicle park or campground.

    maximum occupancy outside approved RV park or campground: <= 30 days per year (Does not apply in an approved recreational vehicle park or campground.)

    “Recreational vehicles or motor homes may be occupied for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days in one (1) year unless in an approved recreational vehicle park or campground.”
  • Building in a floodplainLimited

    Structure construction in a natural-watercourse floodplain inside Mundy Township.

    • The restriction concerns construction that would diminish the floodplain's runoff-storage capacity or impede free runoff flow.
    “No structure shall be constructed within a floodplain of any natural water course, such as to diminish the capacity of the floodplain to store runoff, or to impede the free flow of such runoff.”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Building permits inside Mundy Township.

    • The fee is determined from construction value by the Building Official under a Township Board fee schedule.
    • No building-permit fee is charged for repair of fire, windstorm, or other natural-act damage if all other ordinance requirements are met and the permit is only for replacing the damaged portion; the exception is subject to other ordinance provisions and a Zoning Board of Appeals variance may be granted.
    “No building permit shall be issued until the required fee has been paid to the Township Treasurer, based on an estimate of the construction value as determined by the Building Official and in accordance with a schedule of fees established by the Township Board.”

Rules another office applies inside Mundy Township

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

  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Manufactured-home sites in the M-3 Mobile Home Park District inside Mundy Township.

    • Porch, sun-deck, and other structure floor area cannot count toward the required manufactured-home floor area.

    minimum manufactured-home floor area: >= 720 square feet (Measured by outside dimensions; excludes porch, sun deck, and other structures.)

    “There shall be not less than seven hundred twenty (720) square feet of floor area as measured by its outside dimensions. The floor area of any porch, sun deck, or other structure shall not be used to meet the seven hundred twenty (720) square foot requirement.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Manufactured-home sites in the M-3 Mobile Home Park District inside Mundy Township.

    • The development must average 5,500 square feet per manufactured-home unit.

    minimum individual manufactured-home site: >= 5000 square feet · average site area per manufactured-home unit: >= 5500 square feet

    “The manufactured home development shall be developed with sites averaging 5,500 square feet per manufactured home unit, but no lot shall be less than 5,000 square feet.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Clubhouse, severe-weather-shelter, storage, and service buildings in the M-3 Mobile Home Park District inside Mundy Township.

    • A clubhouse building or severe-weather shelter may reach 50 feet if it contains a gymnasium, auditorium, or similar use area.

    maximum clubhouse or severe-weather-shelter height: <= 35 feet (May be 50 feet for a structure containing a gymnasium, auditorium, or similar use area.) · maximum storage or service-building height: <= 15 feet

    “The maximum height of any clubhouse building or severe weather shelter shall not exceed thirty-five (35) feet, or two (2) stories in height, except that structure containing a gymnasium, auditorium or similar use area may reach a height of not more than fifty (50) feet.”
  • Manufactured homesLimited

    Manufactured homes in the M-3 Mobile Home Park District inside Mundy Township.

    • The ordinance states that a manufactured home may only be used as a single-family dwelling.
    • The provision does not preclude siting model manufactured homes on licensed sites in a manufactured-home community.
    “A manufactured home shall only be used as a single-family dwelling. This provision shall not be construed to preclude the siting of model manufactured homes on licensed sites in a manufactured home community.”
  • Driveway accessRequired

    Access to a mobile-home park in the M-3 Mobile Home Park District inside Mundy Township.

    • Access must be from public thoroughfares.
    • Two access points are required, though the second can be an emergency crash gate if the Planning Commission is satisfied that restricted access will not negatively affect traffic flow.

    public-thoroughfare access points: >= 2 access points (Secondary access may be an emergency crash gate under the stated Planning Commission finding.)

    “All access to the park shall be from public thoroughfares. Two (2) access points shall be provided to the public thoroughfare to allow a secondary access for emergency vehicles.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built dwellings inside Mundy Township.
  • Building code adopted — Buildings inside Mundy Township, Michigan.
  • Lot coverage — Residential lots inside Mundy Township.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Mundy Township.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Mundy Township.
10 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Who permits septic
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • 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 Mundy Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Genesee County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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