Bolthole Index

Monroe County, Michigan

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Bedford Township, Monroe County, Michigan

Bedford Township in Monroe County, Michigan has its own zoning ordinance, so zoning is decided by the township rather than the county1. Building permits are handled by the Bedford Township Building Department2, and septic permits for every address in the township come from the Monroe County Environmental Health Division3. Living in a camper or RV on residential or agricultural land is not allowed4.

At a glance

Zoning
Set by the township under its own zoning ordinance1
Building permits
Township Building Department; accessory buildings of 200 square feet or less need only an administrative application5
Septic
Monroe County Environmental Health Division3
Wells
Water-supply permit from the Monroe County Health Department6
RV living
Not allowed on residential or agricultural property4
Owner-builder septic
A homeowner can install their own system for a home they will occupy, after getting a license and passing an exam7

Who to call

Building permits

Bedford Township Building Department

Building permit applications, plan review, inspections and certificates of occupancy inside Bedford Township

734 224-7330

8100 Jackman Rd. Temperance, MI 48182

Zoning

Bedford Township Community Development and Planning Department

Rezoning applications, site plan approval, plat reviews and flood plain map questions in Bedford Township

734-224-7335

8100 Jackman Rd. Temperance, MI 48182

Septic permits

Monroe County Environmental Health Division

Septic (onsite sewage disposal) permits, site evaluations and inspections for Bedford Township addresses

734-240-7900

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 Bedford Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

These are affiliate links — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Bolthole Index earns from qualifying purchases.

Does Bedford Township, Michigan have zoning?

Yes. Bedford Township administers its own zoning ordinance, Ordinance No. 441. Monroe County does not zone land itself; rezonings go through the township planning commission and township board8. The township's Community Development and Planning Department processes rezoning, site plan and plat applications9. Districts include AG Agricultural, R-3 Single-Family Residential and RT Two-Family Residential10.

Setbacks and heights depend on the district, so check the parcel's district before you plan a building11. Accessory buildings may not sit in a minimum side-yard setback or in any front yard11, and total structures on a lot may not exceed 30 percent of the lot area for accessory-building purposes12. In the AG district, an accessory building must be at least 25 feet from the property line and at least 100 feet from an adjacent dwelling13.

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

Yes. Bedford Township accessory buildings require a building permit, except that an accessory building of 200 square feet or less needs an administrative application instead5. Michigan also applies its statewide building code, and local building departments enforce it14.

The Bedford Township Building Department takes applications with site plans and drawings, reviews them, collects fees, and inspects footings, foundations, and rough and final work. A certificate of occupancy or compliance is issued once all inspections pass2. Call 734 224-73302. We could not locate a published township fee schedule; ask the department for current fees15.

A building may only be erected on a lot with frontage on a road or authorized driveway on which permits may issue16.

How do septic permits work in Bedford Township?

Septic permits in Bedford Township come from the Monroe County Environmental Health Division, not from the township3. New construction without sanitary sewer must have an onsite sewage disposal system installed under Chapter 5 of the Monroe County Environmental Health Sanitary Code17, and an inspection by the local sanitarian is required18. For fees, call 734-240-790019.

A homeowner installing a system for a home they will live in can apply for a single installation license, after passing the Health Officer's written examination7. Conventional drain fields rate poorly across Monroe County: only about 0.3% of soils are rated not limited, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system20.

Wells need a water-supply permit from the Monroe County Health Department before work starts6.

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

Not in an RV. Bedford Township's ordinance allows no occupancy in any camper, motorhome, recreational vehicle or non-commercial trailer parked on residential or agricultural property4. Storage is allowed within the ordinance's location and temporary-parking limits4, so a camper can be parked but not lived in while you build.

For tiny homes, we could not confirm a township provision. Ask the Planning & Zoning Administrator before you buy, and treat any tiny home as a building that needs a building permit9.

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

  1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district with the township Planning & Zoning Administrator9.
  2. Confirm road or driveway frontage16.
  3. Get a septic evaluation and permit from the Monroe County Environmental Health Division, and a well permit if there is no public water36.
  4. Apply to the Bedford Township Building Department with site plans and drawings2.
  5. Pass inspections and receive the certificate of occupancy2.

What stays with Monroe County, and what to check before you buy

Septic and well permits stay with Monroe County, and driveways onto county roads go through the Monroe County Road Commission21. The county's own page covers land outside the township: Monroe County.

Before you buy, confirm the zoning district, septic soil evaluation, and any FEMA flood plain mapping; the township's building and planning departments help with flood plain map questions9. Monroe County's effective property tax rate is 1.2%22.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm which building code edition the township enforces or whether it has a tiny home, accessory dwelling or short-term rental rule; ask the Building Department at 734 224-73302.
  • Septic permits for Bedford Township addresses come from Monroe County, not the township3.
  • RV occupancy is prohibited on residential and agricultural land4.

Sources

  1. Bedford Township Ordinance No. 44A-353 (Bedford Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Bedford Township Building Department (bedfordmi.org)
  3. Onsite Sewage Disposal | Monroe County, MI (Bedford Township), quoted and re-checked
  4. Bedford Township Compilation—Zoning Ordinance No. 44 (Bedford Township), quoted and re-checked
  5. Bedford Township Compilation—Zoning Ordinance No. 44 (Bedford Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Onsite Water Supply | Monroe County, MI (Bedford Township), quoted and re-checked
  7. Monroe County Environmental Health/Sanitary Code, Chapter 5 (2026 county census)
  8. Zoning | Monroe County, MI, quoted and re-checked
  9. Bedford Township Community Development and Planning Department (bedfordmi.org)
  10. Bedford Township Ordinance No. 44A-353 (Bedford Township), quoted and re-checked
  11. Bedford Township Compilation—Zoning Ordinance No. 44 (Bedford Township), quoted and re-checked
  12. Bedford Township Compilation—Zoning Ordinance No. 44 (Bedford Township), quoted and re-checked
  13. Bedford Township Compilation—Zoning Ordinance No. 44 (Bedford Township), quoted and re-checked
  14. City of Monroe Building Division (2026 county census)
  15. Bedford Township Compilation—Zoning Ordinance No. 44 (Bedford Township), quoted and re-checked
  16. Bedford Township Compilation—Zoning Ordinance No. 44 (Bedford Township), quoted and re-checked
  17. Onsite Sewage Disposal | Monroe County, MI (Bedford Township), quoted and re-checked
  18. Onsite Sewage Disposal | Monroe County, MI (Bedford Township), quoted and re-checked
  19. Monroe County Environmental Health Division (co.monroe.mi.us)
  20. 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
  21. Monroe County Developers Streamlining Guide, quoted and re-checked
  22. 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Bedford Township

Bedford Township’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Accessory buildings inside Bedford Township zoning districts.

    • An accessory building of 200 square feet or less instead requires an administrative application.

    accessory-building exemption threshold: <= 200 square feet (Administrative application required instead of building permit.)

    “Accessory buildings shall require a building permit, except where the accessory building is 200 square feet or less, in which case an administrative application shall be required.”
  • Certificate of occupancyLimited

    Developments requiring Township final site-plan review inside Bedford Township.

    • An as-built mylar plan must be filed with the Township Building Inspector and reviewed before an occupancy permit or release of performance guarantees.
    “prior to issuance of an occupancy permit or release of performance guarantees.”
  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Bedford Township, Monroe County, Michigan.

    • The cited amendment concerns a particular rezoning; parcel-specific zoning remains subject to the Township zoning map and ordinance.
    “Bedford Township Ordinance No. 44, the Zoning Ordinance of The Township of Bedford”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zoning districts inside Bedford Township.

    • The cited rezoning identifies R-3/LVOD Single-Family Residential and RT/LVOD Two-Family Residential zoning for the described parcel.
    “now zoned R-3/LVOD, Single-Family Residential located within the Lambertville Village Overlay District, is changed to RT/LVOD, Two-Family Residential”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Structures in Bedford Township zoning districts.

    • Accessory buildings may not be in a minimum side-yard setback or front yard; rear-yard placement follows the Accessory Building Table.
    “Accessory buildings shall not be erected in any minimum side yard setback nor in any front yard”
  • Lot coverageDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Lots in Bedford Township zoning districts.

    • For accessory buildings, total structures may not exceed 30 percent of the total lot/parcel area.

    maximum total lot coverage by structures: <= 30 percent (Applies to the cited accessory-building provision.)

    “the total of all structures shall not exceed 30 percent of the total lot/parcel area.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Accessory buildings in the AG Agricultural District inside Bedford Township.

    • The maximum applicable AG height is established by the Schedule of Regulations.
    • The cited placement conditions also apply.

    minimum distance to property line: >= 25 feet (AG accessory building.) · minimum distance to adjacent dwelling: >= 100 feet (AG accessory building.) · minimum distance to front line of parcel: >= 150 feet (AG accessory building.)

    “a height not to exceed the permitted maximum height for structures in an AG Agricultural District”
  • Living in an RVProhibited

    Campers, motorhomes, recreational vehicles, and non-commercial trailers parked on residential or agricultural property inside Bedford Township.

    • The ordinance separately permits storage subject to its location and temporary-parking limits.
    “no occupancy is allowed in any camper, motorhome, any type of recreational vehicle, or non-commercial trailer while parked on residential or agricultural property.”
  • Driveway accessLimited

    Buildings proposed on lots served by roads or private driveways inside Bedford Township.

    • A building requires frontage on a road or authorized driveway on which permits may issue.
    • Required frontage width is at least the applicable zoning-district minimum parcel/lot width.
    • The Township does not represent lawful access rights or maintenance agreements through permit issuance.
    “A building may only be erected or constructed on a parcel or lot in the Township which has frontage”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Township site-plan applications and related approvals.

    • Fees may be established by Township Board resolution or ordinance; no fee schedule was located.
    “The Township Board may by resolution or ordinance establish fees for applications, hearings, meetings, screening committee meetings, professional advice, and other phases of the site plan review process.”

Rules another office applies inside Bedford Township

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

  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Onsite sewage systems inside Bedford Township, as part of Monroe County.

    • The Monroe County Environmental Health Division enforces state and local onsite-sewage rules.
    “The Monroe County Environmental Health Division has the responsibility of enforcing state and local ordinances regarding onsite sewage treatment systems (OSTS)”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    Installed onsite sewage systems inside Bedford Township.

    • Required inspections include gravel bed and piping, tank(s), pumping equipment, alarms, effluent filter, and final inspection after sand cover and berms, if necessary.
    “an inspection is required to be completed by the local sanitarian.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    New construction inside Bedford Township without sanitary-sewer availability.

    • An onsite sewage disposal system is required and must be installed under Chapter 5 of the Monroe County Environmental Health Sanitary Code.
    “with sanitary sewer not available, an onsite sewage disposal system is required”
  • Well permitRequired

    Onsite water-supply wells inside Bedford Township.

    • Final approval requires a safe water sample and satisfactory construction inspection.
    “prior to commencing work on the well, contact the Monroe County Health Department to secure the proper water supply permits.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder work inside Bedford Township.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for construction inside Bedford Township.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Bedford Township.
  • Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Bedford Township.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Bedford Township.
5 more unanswered
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Building in a floodplain
  • 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 Bedford Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Monroe County’s page lists the county offices to call.

← All of Monroe County: county rules, score and offices