Bolthole Index

Oceana County, Michigan

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Hart, Michigan

The City of Hart, Michigan administers its own zoning ordinance1. Inside city limits, the Oceana County Building Department enforces the building codes rather than a city office2. Septic systems are allowed only where public sewer is not available, and must meet Oceana County Health Department requirements3.

At a glance

Zoning
Hart has its own zoning ordinance, with districts such as A, A-1 and B-214
Building permits
Oceana County Building Department enforces the codes inside Hart; when a permit is required is not confirmed in the city code2
Septic
Only where public sewer is unavailable; must meet county health department rules5
Sewer connection
Required within 18 months of the city's legal notice that sewer is available6
A-1 minimum home size
720 square feet for a one-story single-family dwelling7
A-1 minimum lot
12,000 square feet and 100 feet of width8
RV and tiny home living
Not confirmed; ask the city zoning administrator9

Who to call

Planning & zoning

City of Hart Planning and Zoning (Zoning Administrator)

Zoning permits, site plan review, variances and rezoning inside Hart city limits

231-873-2488

407 S State St Hart, MI 49420

Building permits

Oceana County Building Department

Building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits and inspections, including inside Hart city limits

(231) 873-5355

3986 N Oceana Dr. Hart, MI 49420

Online permits →

Septic permits

District Health Department #10, Environmental Health

Private well and septic permits, site evaluation, system design and final inspection

Online permits →

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

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Does Hart, Michigan have zoning, and what does it mean for lot size and setbacks?

Yes. The City of Hart administers its own zoning ordinance for land inside city limits1. The ordinance sets districts including A Residential, A-1 Residential, A-2 Apartment, A-3 Mobile Home Park, B-1 Central Business, B-2 General Business and others4. Rules differ by district, so find your parcel's district on the city zoning map before you plan anything.

In the A-1 Residential Zone, a single-family dwelling needs a lot of twelve thousand square feet and 100 feet of width8. The front setback is 25 feet and dwelling side yards total 30 feet, with no side setback under 10 feet10. Maximum building height is 35 feet11. A one-story home needs at least 720 square feet; a two-story home needs 600 square feet on the ground floor7.

Those dimensions cover the A-1 zone and nothing else10. We could not confirm the other districts' dimensions; ask the Hart zoning administrator12.

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

Oceana County, not the City of Hart, handles building code enforcement inside Hart city limits2. The Oceana County Building Department issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits13. Michigan law requires a building permit application before construction of a building or structure, subject to exceptions in the code14.

Building permit applications must be submitted in person or by US Mail, and the department will not process them if sent by email13.

Separately, the City of Hart requires zoning permits for such things as signs, fences, accessory buildings and any new structure or addition12. Plan on two stops: the city for zoning, the county for building permits. We could not confirm the city's exact trigger for a building permit, so ask the county department which work needs one.

How do septic permits work inside Hart?

Hart's sewer code makes it unlawful to build or maintain a privy, septic tank, cesspool or similar facility except as the chapter allows3. Where public sewer is not available, a private system must comply with the requirements of the Oceana County Health Department5. District Health Department #10 issues septic and well permits for Oceana County, evaluates the site and inspects the final work15.

Where sewer is available, the structure must connect within eighteen months after the city publishes its legal notice of availability6. New buildings needing new sewer service must have a building sewer permit from the city16.

Michigan homeowners may install their own septic system; all others must be licensed by DHD#1017.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Hart?

We could not confirm whether Hart allows living in an RV, camping or a tiny home on a city lot. The zoning administrator is the office to ask before you buy12.

Michigan's campground rules do not answer this question; they apply to campgrounds with five or more recreational units18. For tiny houses, the state points to local zoning, building and plumbing approvals9.

Hart does allow one accessory apartment inside an owner-occupied single-family dwelling, limited to 35 percent of the home's square footage19. Detached second dwellings are not accessory apartments19.

Building a home in Hart: the steps, in order

  1. Call the City of Hart zoning administrator to confirm your parcel's district and what the lot size, setback and dwelling-size rules allow12.
  2. Ask whether public sewer reaches the property; if not, contact District Health Department #10 about a site evaluation and septic permit15.
  3. Apply to the city for a zoning permit for the new structure12.
  4. Submit the building permit application to the Oceana County Building Department in person or by mail13.
  5. If you are connecting to sewer, obtain the city's building sewer permit16.
  6. Schedule inspections; the county cancels a permit when no inspection is conducted within 180 days of issuance or the previous inspection20.
  7. Get the Occupancy Letter before using or occupying the building21.

What stays with Oceana County, and what to check before you buy in Hart

Outside Hart city limits, Oceana County does not do zoning; township or village rules apply instead22. The Oceana County page covers land outside the city. Septic and well permits for the county go through District Health Department #1015.

Soils matter countywide: only about 0.4 percent of Oceana County soils rate not limited for a conventional septic drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system if sewer is not available23. Oceana County's effective property tax rate is 1.1 percent24.

Michigan requires a floodplain permit from EGLE for alterations in the 100-year floodplain of rivers and streams with a drainage area of at least 2 square miles25.

Watch-outs

  • We could not confirm when the City of Hart or Oceana County requires a building permit for specific work inside the city; ask the Oceana County Building Department before starting2.
  • Hart's published zoning dimensions in this guide are for the A-1 Residential Zone only; other districts differ4.
  • The City of Hart's planning commission has a public hearing scheduled to consider rezoning a parcel on S. State Street; check the city's public notices for zoning changes before you buy12.
  • Fee amounts for sewer permits inside Hart were not published in the code we reviewed; ask city hall16.

Sources

  1. Hart, MI Code - Part Twelve Planning and Zoning Code, Title Four Zoning, Chapter 1246 A-1 Residential Zone (Hart), quoted and re-checked
  2. Hart, MI Code - Part Fourteen Chapter 1420 Enforcement of County Codes (Hart), quoted and re-checked
  3. Hart, MI Code - Part Ten Title Four Chapter 1040 Sewers Generally (Hart), quoted and re-checked
  4. Hart, MI Code - Part Twelve Planning and Zoning Code, Title Four Zoning, Chapter 1246 A-1 Residential Zone (Hart), quoted and re-checked
  5. Hart, MI Code - Part Ten Title Four Chapter 1040 Sewers Generally (Hart), quoted and re-checked
  6. Hart, MI Code - Part Ten Title Four Chapter 1040 Sewers Generally (Hart), quoted and re-checked
  7. Hart, MI Code - Part Twelve Planning and Zoning Code, Title Four Zoning, Chapter 1246 A-1 Residential Zone (Hart), quoted and re-checked
  8. Hart, MI Code - Part Twelve Planning and Zoning Code, Title Four Zoning, Chapter 1246 A-1 Residential Zone (Hart), quoted and re-checked
  9. michigan.gov (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Hart, MI Code - Part Twelve Planning and Zoning Code, Title Four Zoning, Chapter 1246 A-1 Residential Zone (Hart), quoted and re-checked
  11. Hart, MI Code - Part Twelve Planning and Zoning Code, Title Four Zoning, Chapter 1246 A-1 Residential Zone (Hart), quoted and re-checked
  12. City of Hart Planning and Zoning (Zoning Administrator) (cityofhart.org)
  13. Oceana County Building Department (oceana.mi.us)
  14. Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act, MCL 125.1510 (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Residential Well & Septic, quoted and re-checked
  16. Hart, MI Code - Part Ten Title Four Chapter 1040 Sewers Generally (Hart), quoted and re-checked
  17. District Health Department #10, Environmental Health (dhd10.org)
  18. Legislation governing campgrounds in Michigan (Michigan statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Hart, MI Code - Chapter 1243 General Provisions Relating to All Districts (section 1243.25 Accessory Apartments) (Hart), quoted and re-checked
  20. Building Department - Oceana County Michigan, quoted and re-checked
  21. SO YOU WANT TO BUILD OR REMODEL A HOME, quoted and re-checked
  22. Oceana County Master Plan, quoted and re-checked
  23. 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
  24. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  25. Floodplains (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 Hart

Hart’s own rules

  • Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

    Land inside Hart city limits: the City of Hart administers its own zoning ordinance (Code Title Four, Zoning, Part Twelve).

    • Use and dimensional rules apply by zone district (A, A-1, A-2, A-3, B-1, B-2, C-2, D-1, D-2 and others listed in the index); the zoning map (Chapter 1244) was not opened.
    • Permitted, special and dimensional rules are set chapter by chapter; this claim only establishes that the city has a zoning ordinance.
    “chapter 1244 zone districts and zoning map chapter 1245 a, residential zone chapter 1246 a-1, residential zone”
  • Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

    Zone districts of the Hart city zoning ordinance inside city limits

    • Districts listed: A Residential (Ch. 1245), A-1 Residential (Ch. 1246), A-2 Apartment (Ch. 1247), A-3 Mobile Home Park (Ch. 1248), B-1 Central Business (Ch. 1249), B-2 General Business (Ch. 1250), C-2 Limited Commercial (Ch. 1251), D-1 Industrial (Ch. 1252), M-I Medical-Institutional (Ch. 1252a), D-2 Industrial Park (Ch. 1253), PUD (Ch. 1254), HD Historic (Ch. 1255).
    • The zoning map in Chapter 1244 was not opened.
    “chapter 1244 zone districts and zoning map chapter 1245 a, residential zone chapter 1246 a-1, residential zone chapter 1247 a-2, apartment zoning district chapter 1248 a-3, mobile home park residential district chapter 1249 b-1, central business district”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family dwellings in the A-1 Residential Zone (Chapter 1246) inside Hart city limits

    • Two-story dwellings: 600 square feet on the ground floor; split level, bi-level and raised ranch: 800 square feet total; two-family dwellings: 720 square feet per unit (section 1246.04(d)).
    • Ordinance history on the section lists ord. passed 10-28-25 (amendment date from the source).

    minimum floor area, one-story dwelling: >= 720 square feet (two-story 600 sq ft ground floor; split/bi-level/raised ranch 800 sq ft total; two-family 720 sq ft per unit)

    “(d) minimum floor area: (1) one story - seven hundred and twenty square feet. (2) two story - six hundred square feet on the ground floor. (3) split level, bi-level and raised ranch - eight hundred square feet total. (4) two-family dwellings - seven hundred and twenty square feet per dwelling unit.”
  • Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Single-family dwellings in the A-1 Residential Zone (Chapter 1246) inside Hart city limits

    • Non-residential uses in the A-1 zone require 15,000 square feet and 100 feet of lot width (section 1246.04(a)(2)).
    • The A-1 purpose statement says its lots are larger than those required in the A zone (Chapter 1245), which was not opened.
    • Ordinance history on the section lists ord. passed 10-28-25.

    minimum lot area, single-family dwelling: >= 12000 square feet · minimum lot width, single-family dwelling: >= 100 feet

    “(a) minimum lot area and width. (1) single family dwellings: twelve thousand square feet and one hundred feet of lot width. (2) non-residential uses: fifteen thousand square feet and one hundred feet of lot width.”
  • SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Principal buildings in the A-1 Residential Zone (Chapter 1246) inside Hart city limits

    • Corner lots: principal street setback 25 feet, secondary street setback at least 15 feet; zoning administrator decides which street is principal (section 1246.04(b)(3)).
    • Non-dwelling uses: 25 feet on each side yard (section 1246.04(b)(2)).
    • Decks over two feet high must meet main-structure setbacks (section 1243.23, not separately quoted).

    front yard setback: 25 feet · rear yard setback: 25 feet · side yard setback, dwelling units, combined: 30 feet (no side setback less than 10 feet)

    “(b) minimum required building setbacks. (1)front yard - twenty-five feet. (2) side yard. for dwelling units a total of thirty feet provided no side setback shall be less than ten feet.”
  • Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

    Principal buildings in the A-1 Residential Zone (Chapter 1246) inside Hart city limits

    • Height limits for antennas over 25 feet are regulated separately (section 1243.18, not opened).

    maximum building height: <= 35 feet

    “(c) maximum building height - thirty-five feet.”
  • Accessory dwellingsLimited

    Accessory apartments inside owner-occupied single-family dwellings in Hart city zoning districts that permit single-family dwellings (includes the A-1 Residential Zone)

    • Only one accessory apartment, within or attached to the principal single-family dwelling, sharing a common wall, ceiling or floor (section 1243.25(b)(2)-(3)).
    • Owner must occupy one of the units (section 1243.25(b)(4)).
    • Apartment may be no more than 35% of the principal dwelling's total square footage and may not reduce the principal building below its district's requirements (section 1243.25(b)(5)).
    • Minimum three parking spaces on the premises (section 1243.25(b)(6)).
    • Minimum 300 square feet of floor area and compliance with the city building code (section 1243.25(c)(4)).
    • Subject to the city rental code (section 1243.25(b)(9)); the rental code applies to single-family dwellings rented by the owner for more than six months (Chapter 1440).
    • In the A-1 zone, accessory apartments are also listed as a special land use under chapter 1256 (section 1246.03(i)); the permit route and any special-use approval should be confirmed.
    • Detached second dwellings on the same lot are not accessory apartments (section 1243.25(c)(3)b).

    maximum apartment share of principal dwelling total square footage: <= 35 percent (may not reduce principal building below district requirements) · minimum off-street parking spaces on premises: >= 3 spaces · minimum accessory apartment floor area: >= 300 square feet

    “the zoning administrator shall only issue a permit for an accessory apartment in those zoning districts which permit single family dwelling units when the following development standards have been met:”
  • Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

    Sewage disposal for structures inside Hart city limits where a public sanitary sewer is not available under section 1040.05

    • City sewer code (Chapter 1040) requires connection where a public sanitary sewer is available (section 1040.05).
    • Where no public sewer is available, the private system must comply with all requirements of the Oceana County Health Department (section 1040.07(a)).
    • Michigan Department of Public Health or Department of Natural Resources requirements may apply in addition (section 1040.07(d)).
    “where a public sanitary sewer is not available under section 1040.05, the building sewer shall be connected to a private sewage disposal system complying with all requirements of the oceana county health department.”
  • Off-grid sanitationLimited

    Privies, septic tanks, cesspools and other on-site disposal facilities inside Hart city limits

    • Construction or maintenance of such facilities is unlawful except as provided elsewhere in the chapter (section 1040.04).
    • Allowed only where a public sanitary sewer is not available under section 1040.05, and then must connect to a private system complying with Oceana County Health Department requirements (section 1040.07(a)).
    • Owner must operate and maintain private facilities in a sanitary manner at owner expense (section 1040.07(c)).
    “except as hereinafter provided, it shall be unlawful to construct or maintain any privy, privy vault, septic tank, cesspool or other facility intended or used for disposal of sewage.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupSewer (with conditions)

    A structure in which sewage originates inside Hart city limits, when a public sanitary sewer is available to it

    • Availability is triggered by a City legal notice of availability published in a newspaper of general circulation in the city; the owner then has 18 months to connect.
    • If not connected in that period, the City requires connection under section 12754 of the Michigan Public Health Code.
    • Where no public sewer is available, a private system is allowed under section 1040.07(a).
    • Water connection rule (Chapter 1048 Water) was not opened; water is not established by this claim.

    distance from structure to sanitary sewer in right-of-way or easement: <= 200 feet (sewer must cross, adjoin or abut the property) · connection deadline after City legal notice of availability: 18 months

    “any structure in which sewage originates within the city shall be connected to any available sanitary sewer within eighteen months after publication by the city of a legal notice of availability of a sanitary sewer in a newspaper of general circulation in the city.”
  • Permit processPartial

    Sewer connection permits for new buildings inside Hart city limits (building sewer permit only)

    • Application is made on a special city form with supporting plans, specifications or information the city manager considers pertinent (section 1040.09).
    • Minimum permit and inspection fee is paid at filing (section 1040.09).
    • Building (construction) permit process under the county building department was not established.
    “all new buildings or buildings requiring new sanitary sewer service must have building sewer permits.”

Rules another office applies inside Hart

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

  • Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

    Inside Hart city limits: the applicable Oceana County building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing codes are enforced by the Oceana County Building Department (not a Hart city ordinance).

    • The Hart code does not name the edition of the county building code or the adopting county action; Chapter 1420 has no sections and only serves as a cross-reference placeholder.
    • Hart city code does not adopt its own building code in the chapters opened.
    “the oceana county building department enforces the applicable county building, mechanical, electrical, plumbing and other codes within the city of hart.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Hart or Oceana County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits for new construction inside Hart city limits
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder construction in Hart city limits
  • Inspections — Building inspections for new construction inside Hart city limits
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for new dwellings inside Hart city limits
  • Lot coverage — Maximum lot coverage in Hart city zoning districts
13 more unanswered
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Septic permit
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees

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 Hart publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Oceana County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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