Off-grid site report

Dickinson County, MI

45.8091, -88.0378 · 1,122 ft elevation

Read this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Dickinson County, MI, not legal advice and not a guarantee. Rules change, and the deciding facts on any specific parcel (setbacks, perc results, overlay districts, deed restrictions, road frontage) live at the county or town office, not in any database. Before you buy land or build, confirm the current rules directly with the local zoning and health offices - the sources on this page tell you exactly who to call.

The local rulesDickinson County, MI

Zoning & raw-land occupancy

Varies locallyDickinson County has no zoning ordinance of its own; the County Planning Commission is only a resource. Each township (Breen, Breitung, Felch, Norway, Sagola, Waucedah, West Branch) and each city (Norway, Iron Mountain, Kingsford) adopts and enforces its own zoning ordinance. source

Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs

RestrictedIn Felch Township, tiny homes must meet the Michigan Building Code and obtain a certificate of occupancy from the county building inspector, and tiny homes on wheels may be classed as RVs at the zoning administrator's discretion. This is a township-level rule; other townships and cities may set different standards, so confirm locally. source

Building permits & codes

RestrictedThe Dickinson County Construction Code Commission enforces state building codes and issues permits countywide, with required sign-offs from the health department (well/septic), road commission (driveway), and soil erosion control when near water or doing significant excavation. source

Septic & composting toilets

RestrictedThe Dickinson-Iron District Health Department's Environmental Health Division permits and inspects on-site wastewater systems for both Dickinson and Iron counties. Composting toilets specifically are not addressed in official sources, so that's a direct question for the health department. source

Greywater reuse

Unclear - verifyNo Dickinson County or Dickinson-Iron Health Department page specifically addresses greywater reuse; this likely defaults to the state plumbing code administered by LARA, but that isn't confirmed locally.

Rainwater harvesting

Unclear - verifyNo county or district health department guidance specific to rainwater harvesting was found; state baseline rules likely apply but this isn't confirmed at the local level.

Private wells & water rights

Generally allowedA permit for new private residential wells is required and issued by the Dickinson-Iron District Health Department, which also conducts final inspections and free bacteria sampling on every new well, beyond what the state itself mandates.

Living disconnected from utilities

Unclear - verifyNo official source explicitly bans full utility disconnection, but the county's building permit process ties occupancy to an approved well and septic system, even for rebuilds using an existing one, so full off-grid utility independence isn't clearly separately addressed.

Open the full county page with sources →

Sun30-year normals

Peak-sun hours, annual average: 4.5 hrs/day
Worst month (sizes an off-grid array): 2.4 hrs/day
Yearly output per 1 kW of panels: 1,279 kWh

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Weather1991-2020

Precipitation: 24 in/yr
Heating degree days: 8,851 (severe)
Frost-free season: May 28 to Sep 23

How far help isstraight-line

Hospital Marshfield Medical Center - Dickinson: 0.3 mi
Fire station Iron Mountain Fire Department: 1.6 mi
Hardware store The Home Depot: 0.3 mi
Grocery Walmart Supercenter: 0.1 mi

From OpenStreetMap. Road miles will be longer, often much longer in hill country.

Plan this spot

These open with this location's real numbers already filled in (ZIP 49801).

Size a solar system Heat loss & insulation Firewood per winter Rainwater harvest Garden size Panel tilt

Sources: US Census Bureau geocoder; NLR PVWatts v8 (solar); NOAA NCEI 1991-2020 climate normals (nearest station) or Open-Meteo (ZIP-centroid) for weather; Open-Elevation; OpenStreetMap contributors. Public data retrieved Aug 22, 2026; agencies update their layers on their own schedules. Planning data, not a survey or legal advice.