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

At a glance

Zoning

Township zoning ordinance with seven districts, including R-1, R-2, R-3 and F (forestry)⁵

Zoning compliance permit

Required from the township zoning administrator before building or changing use²

Building permit

Marquette County Building Codes issues building permits countywide, after written township zoning approval³

Septic

Marquette County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health⁴

Minimum lot (R-1, R-2)

One acre (43,560 square feet) and 125 feet of width⁶⁷

Minimum house size

1,000 square feet in R-1; 850 square feet in R-2⁸⁹

Who to call

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

Does Negaunee Township, Michigan have zoning?

Yes. Negaunee Township, in Marquette County, adopted its own zoning ordinance under Michigan's Zoning Enabling Act¹. The township is divided into R-1 and R-2 one-family residential, R-3 lakeshore/river residential, restricted business, general business, industrial and forestry districts, with a wellhead protection district laid over the others⁵. Uses are allowed only if the district lists them; an unlisted use is prohibited unless the zoning board of appeals finds it similar¹. The City of Negaunee is a separate municipality with its own code, so these rules do not cover city lots. Marquette County itself has no zoning ordinance, which is why the township's rules are the ones that matter here¹⁰. The copy we reviewed is the February 2017 revision, and the township's planning page says it is updating the ordinance, so confirm current text with the zoning administrator¹¹.

What are the lot size, setback and house size rules in Negaunee Township?

In the R-1 and R-2 districts, a lot must be at least one acre (43,560 square feet) and 125 feet wide, measured at the front setback line⁶⁷. Principal buildings need a 25-foot front setback, 10-foot side setbacks and a 25-foot rear setback, and the front setback becomes 50 feet from the ordinary high water mark where a parcel touches water¹². An accessory building may sit 10 feet from the side or rear lot line¹². The height limit for a principal building is 30 feet¹³. The minimum floor area for a single-family dwelling is 1,000 square feet in R-1⁸ and 850 square feet in R-2⁹. We did not confirm the rules for the other districts.

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

Two approvals come into play. First, the township zoning administrator issues a zoning compliance permit before anyone builds a structure or changes the use of property inside the township². Second, Marquette County states that its Resource Management/Development Department issues building permits for all of Marquette County, and that written zoning approval from the township must come first³. Construction may not begin until the building permit is issued, and plumbing, mechanical and electrical permits are separate³. We could not find a township page that says who enforces the construction code inside Negaunee Township, so confirm with¹⁴ that the county permit applies to your parcel. The county also lists a final inspection and certificate of occupancy before a new building is used¹⁵.

Who do you call in Negaunee Township for zoning and building permits?

Start with the township. The Negaunee Township Planning & Zoning Department administers the zoning ordinance, issues land use permits and staffs the planning commission and zoning board of appeals¹¹. Its phone number is 906-475-7869 and it sits at 42 East State Hwy M-35 in Negaunee¹¹. For the building permit itself, call Marquette County Building Codes at (906) 225-8180 or write to buildingcodes@mqtco.org¹⁴. Do not confuse the township with the City of Negaunee; the city runs its own permit office, and its forms do not apply to township land.

How do septic permits work in Negaunee Township?

The Marquette County Health Department has jurisdiction over septic systems in every city, village and township in the county, including Negaunee Township⁴. For land with no available public sewer, the county's building permit for a habitable building cannot issue until the Health Department has issued a septic permit¹⁶. Installed systems get a final inspection before use, and the installer must give notice 72 hours before completion¹⁷. Soil matters: the USDA rates only about 4% of Marquette County's soils as not limited for a conventional drain field, so most lots will need a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system¹⁸. Call the Division of Environmental Health at (906) 475-4195¹⁹. Well permits also come from the Health Department²⁰.

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

We could not confirm. The township ordinance defines recreational vehicles, but we did not find a rule on living in one on private land, and we found no township rule on tiny homes. Because the township zones, an answer exists in its ordinance; ask the Planning & Zoning Department before parking an RV or placing a tiny home¹¹. Michigan's campground rules apply once five or more recreational units are on one parcel, and they do not answer whether one RV can be a home²¹. Michigan also does not treat a tiny house as a recreational unit, even on wheels, and local zoning and building approvals still apply²².

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

1. Confirm the parcel's district, lot width and setbacks with the township Planning & Zoning Department¹¹.
2. Get written zoning approval and the township zoning compliance permit².
3. Apply for septic and well approval from the Marquette County Health Department²³¹⁹.
4. Apply to Marquette County Building Codes with plans and a plot plan; a soil erosion permit is also needed if you disturb more than one acre or land within 500 feet of a lake or stream³.
5. Check driveway permits: the county says the Marquette County Road Commission handles them, and a driveway onto a state trunkline also needs a state permit²⁴²⁵.
6. Do not start work until the permit is issued, then schedule inspections²⁶.

What to check before you buy land in Negaunee Township

Check the district first, since minimum lot size, width and house size differ by district⁶. Look for a wellhead protection overlay, which sits on top of the other districts⁵. Floodplain work along a river or stream with a drainage area of at least 2 square miles needs a state permit, and new houses are barred from a floodway²⁷. Marquette County's effective property tax rate is about 1%²⁸. For land outside township limits, see the Marquette County page.

Watch-outs

• The township ordinance copy we reviewed is the February 2017 revision, and the township says it is updating its zoning ordinance, so ask the zoning administrator for the current text¹.
• Marquette County's building permit requires written township zoning approval first, so a building permit application can stall without it³.
• We could not confirm township rules on RV occupancy, accessory dwellings, fees, driveways or floodplain; ask the Planning & Zoning Department¹¹.
• Subdivision covenants may limit size and placement, but no government agency enforces them¹⁰.

Sources

1. Negaunee Township Zoning Ordinance (revised February 2017) (Negaunee Township), quoted and re-checked
2. Negaunee Township Zoning Ordinance (revised February 2017) (Negaunee Township), quoted and re-checked
3. What You Need Before You Build, quoted and re-checked
4. The Upper Peninsula Environmental Health Code, quoted and re-checked
5. Negaunee Township Zoning Ordinance (revised February 2017) (Negaunee Township), quoted and re-checked
6. Negaunee Township Zoning Ordinance (revised February 2017) (Negaunee Township), quoted and re-checked
7. Negaunee Township Zoning Ordinance (revised February 2017) (Negaunee Township), quoted and re-checked
8. Negaunee Township Zoning Ordinance (revised February 2017) (Negaunee Township), quoted and re-checked
9. Negaunee Township Zoning Ordinance (revised February 2017) (Negaunee Township), quoted and re-checked
10. What You Need Before You Build, quoted and re-checked
11. Negaunee Township Planning & Zoning Department (negauneetownship.org)
12. Negaunee Township Zoning Ordinance (revised February 2017) (Negaunee Township), quoted and re-checked
13. Negaunee Township Zoning Ordinance (revised February 2017) (Negaunee Township), quoted and re-checked
14. Marquette County Building Codes (Resource Management/Development Department) (co.marquette.mi.us)
15. Certificate of Occupancy Request, quoted and re-checked
16. The Upper Peninsula Environmental Health Code, quoted and re-checked
17. The Upper Peninsula Environmental Health Code, 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. Marquette County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health (co.marquette.mi.us)
20. The Upper Peninsula Environmental Health Code, quoted and re-checked
21. Temporary campgrounds (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
22. michigan.gov (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
23. What You Need Before You Build, quoted and re-checked
24. What You Need Before You Build, quoted and re-checked
25. Infrastructure permits (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
26. Policies Regarding Inspections, quoted and re-checked
27. FAQ: Floods and Floodplain Management, quoted and re-checked
28. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data

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.