Off-grid site report
Manistee County, MI
44.2477, -86.3237 · 630 ft elevationRead this before you act on anything below. This is my researched starting point for Manistee 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 rulesManistee County, MI
Zoning & raw-land occupancy
Varies locallyManistee County has no independent countywide zoning ordinance; the County Planning Department administers zoning under service contracts with each township and the City of Manistee, so occupancy of raw/vacant land depends on the specific township's own ordinance. source
Dwellings, tiny homes & RVs
RestrictedThe City of Manistee's zoning ordinance bars using a trailer or temporary dwelling as a principal or seasonal residence outside a licensed campground; townships each have separate ordinances that need individual checking, not confirmed for every township. source
Building permits & codes
RestrictedBuilding permitting runs through the county/township system, with the Manistee County Planning Department as a coordinating point of contact; the specific enforcing building official agency was not separately confirmed. source
Septic & composting toilets
RestrictedDistrict Health Department #10 permits, evaluates, designs, and inspects septic systems countywide; homeowners may self-install but others must be DHD#10-licensed, and Manistee County has a point-of-sale rule requiring an approved septic evaluation before a property with a system can be sold. source
Greywater reuse
Generally allowedNo Manistee County-specific greywater ordinance was found; this defaults to Michigan's state plumbing code baseline administered by LARA. Confirm with DHD#10 if in doubt.
Rainwater harvesting
Generally allowedNo county or DHD#10 restriction on rainwater harvesting was found; treated as governed by the state plumbing code baseline.
Private wells & water rights
RestrictedDistrict Health Department #10 issues well permits, locates the installation area, and inspects final work; a MISS Dig utility locate ticket must be filed before groundbreaking.
Living disconnected from utilities
Unclear - verifyNo explicit countywide ban on full utility disconnection was found, but the City of Manistee's restriction on trailers as permanent dwellings and DHD#10's point-of-sale septic/well evaluation rule both push against a simple off-grid setup; township-by-township variation elsewhere was not fully confirmed. source
Sun30-year normals
- Peak-sun hours, annual average
- 4.3 hrs/day
- Worst month (sizes an off-grid array)
- 1.6 hrs/day
- Yearly output per 1 kW of panels
- 1,277 kWh
JFMAMJJASOND
Weather1991-2020
- Precipitation
- 35 in/yr
- Heating degree days
- 6,915 (cold)
- Frost-free season
- May 17 to Oct 7
How far help isstraight-line
- Hospital
Munson Healthcare Manistee Hospital - 2.9 mi
- Fire station
Manistee Fire Department - 0.4 mi
- Hardware store
Wahr Hardware - 0.2 mi
- Grocery
Port City Organics - 0.2 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 49626).
Size a solar systemHeat loss & insulationFirewood per winterRainwater harvestGarden sizePanel tilt
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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.