Off-Grid Living in Leelanau County, Michigan

I'll be straight with you up front: Leelanau County, Michigan is one of those places where "county rules" only get you halfway there, because Leelanau has no countywide zoning ordinance. Zoning is handled township-by-township and village-by-village (there are 3 incorporated villages and 11 zoned townships), so whatever I tell you here about land use has to be double-checked with the specific township you're looking at.

Zoning and raw land. Because there's no unified county zoning code, whether you can live on raw land, park an RV long-term, or build a small dwelling depends entirely on the township or village's own ordinance. The county's Government website links out to each township, and that's genuinely your starting point, not a county zoning office.

Dwellings, tiny homes, and RVs. Michigan's state residential code (2015 Michigan Residential Code, without the Appendix Q tiny-house allowances) sets the statewide floor, but minimum dwelling square footage and RV occupancy limits are set at the township level. I found some commercial sites claiming specific reduced minimums in certain townships, but I couldn't confirm those through an official township or county document, so treat any number you read elsewhere as a starting point only, not gospel. Call the township zoning administrator.

Building permits. This part IS handled at the county level: Leelanau County's Building Safety Department issues permits and requires proof of ownership paperwork and posted addresses on structures. You can act as your own general contractor in Michigan, but you're still on the hook for knowing the code and fixing any violations. Earth-disturbing work near water or wetlands may also need a soil erosion permit.

Septic and composting toilets. Michigan has no statewide sanitary code, so this is a district-level matter here: the Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department (BLDHD) administers its own District Sanitary Code, and no township can issue a building permit for a place needing sewage disposal until BLDHD signs off. BLDHD also runs a "Time of Transfer" inspection requirement for wells and septic systems whenever a property with either changes hands. Composting toilets aren't spelled out separately in what I found; my best guess is they'd fall under BLDHD's "alternative system" review, but that's not confirmed, so ask BLDHD directly.

Greywater and rainwater. I found nothing specific to Leelanau County or BLDHD on either. The default is Michigan's state plumbing code, administered by LARA.

Wells. BLDHD permits and inspects wells under the state Well Construction Code, including mandatory chlorination and bacterial/chemical testing before use. The same Time of Transfer rule applies here as with septic.

Full utility disconnection. No ordinance I found bans going off-grid on electricity, but the septic permitting chokepoint means any occupied dwelling still has to clear BLDHD's sewage review. Township zoning may separately affect occupancy permits for homes without utility hookups, so that's another local call.