East Bay Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

East Bay Charter Township does not run its own building department. The state’s jurisdiction list places the township under Grand Traverse County Construction Code (2650 LaFranier Road, Traverse City; 231-995-6044) for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits and inspections. What the township issues is the land use permit under its zoning ordinance, through its Planning & Zoning Department at 1965 N. Three Mile Road (231-947-8681, Monday to Thursday 7:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.). Both permits are filed in the county’s EPIC-GT portal; a land use permit for a new house costs $60 under the township’s 2025 fee schedule.

What requires a permit in East Bay Township?

Two layers apply to most projects. The township’s zoning ordinance, rewritten and in effect since December 9, 2024 (with amendments through November 30, 2025), decides whether a use, structure or earth change is allowed and where it may sit. The county then applies the state construction code to the building and its systems.

Starting before the township permit is issued doubles the land use fee. The fee table lists tree removal in the overlay district at no charge.

What the township decides and what the state holds

East Bay writes its own zoning ordinance, sets land use and planning fees by board resolution, enforces a stormwater ordinance and runs its Planning Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals. It has no say over the construction code, which is state law enforced here by the county, and no role in electrical, mechanical or plumbing inspections. The township does insist on the paperwork the code process needs: its land use checklist for a new house lists the county building permit, health department approvals, the driveway permit and any homeowners’ association approval.

East Bay Township building department: who handles permitting

Per the Bureau of Construction Codes’ Statewide Jurisdiction List (revised November 6, 2026), East Bay is one of the townships where Grand Traverse County enforces all four codes. The township’s Planning & Zoning Department handles land use permits and zoning enforcement.

The township is recruiting a full-time Director of Planning and Zoning; until one is hired, Beckett & Raeder provides interim planning services, and residential questions go to the zoning administrator. East Bay takes part in the National Flood Insurance Program on its own (community 260746B, flood maps effective April 19, 2023); ask Planning & Zoning about floodplain requirements before you design for a mapped flood zone.

East Bay Township permit types

The township moved its permits online and now takes land use and transient activity applications only through EPIC-GT, Grand Traverse County’s portal. After a system update on June 27, 2025, anyone with an older account has to create a new one. The township’s Development Review Guidebook walks through larger projects step by step.

Residential permits

• New house land use permit ($60). The checklist asks for a dimensioned site plan with lot lines, existing and proposed structures, the abutting road, a north arrow and the township setbacks; building plans with every room dimensioned and the building height; proof of ownership; and township taxes paid to date.
• Additions, garages and accessory buildings ($35 each). The accessory structure checklist asks for the same dimensioned site plan and building plans with the structure’s height, plus a driveway permit if one is needed and an EGLE wetland permit where the site is regulated wetland.
• ADUs, duplexes and home occupations. Duplexes and home occupations are $60; ADUs are filed as land use permits in EPIC-GT.
• Short-term rentals. A short-term rental license costs $450 and is valid for one year from issuance.

Building or remodeling a home here? Alliance handles residential permit filing, so the crew isn't waiting on the counter.

Commercial permits

The township’s development review page sets out the approval routes. Site plan review and special land uses need Planning Commission approval after a public hearing, with special land uses also meeting the ordinance’s specific standards; a planned unit development goes from the Planning Commission to the Township Board for decision, as do rezonings and text amendments after a Planning Commission hearing. The Zoning Board of Appeals hears appeals from decisions of the zoning administrator and other officials enforcing the ordinance, but not from Planning Commission or Board decisions.

Commercial, industrial and multifamily work starts with Planning & Zoning: a commercial land use permit is $230, site plan review for commercial or multifamily projects $460 (with a $2,000 initial review escrow), and a combined special land use and site plan review $920. Conceptual plan review is available by appointment to test feasibility first. The county then handles building plan review, and Metro Fire reviews the fire protection plans.

For tenant improvements and new commercial builds, Alliance handles commercial permit expediting through issuance. More on this: commercial building permits explained.

What comes before the building permit

• Soil erosion. The land use checklist asks for a soil erosion permit or waiver from the Grand Traverse County Health Department, the county’s soil erosion agency.
• Water and sewer, or well and septic. Public sewer and water fees must be paid before the permit issues; private wells and septic systems need Health Department permits.
• Driveway. A Road Commission permit for a driveway onto a county road.
• Stormwater. Under the township’s stormwater ordinance, a single-family home disturbing less than half an acre needs no stormwater permit; larger sites pay review fees.
• Wetlands. The accessory structure checklist names an EGLE wetland permit where the state regulates the wetland; EGLE’s regional contact on the checklist is 231-577-8112.
• Homeowners’ association. Where an association exists, its approval is on the township checklist.

East Bay Township permit costs and fees

The township’s posted Schedule of Fees is its 2025 schedule, adopted as Attachment A to Resolution 2024-35 and updated on December 9, 2024. It covers township permits only; county building and trade fees are separate.

Worked example from the township schedules: a new single-family house whose construction disturbs three-quarters of an acre pays the township $60 for the land use permit and $200 for the stormwater permit, $260 in all; on a lot where less than half an acre is disturbed, only the $60 land use fee applies. County fees then apply to the building permit: the Grand Traverse County Construction Code fee schedule sets a $165 minimum building permit that includes one inspection, with $55 for each further inspection.

Trade permits and who may pull them

East Bay issues no electrical, mechanical or plumbing permits. Those come from Grand Traverse County Construction Code under the state list, are applied for in EPIC-GT or at the county office, and are inspected by county inspectors.

• Owners doing their own work. The county lets a homeowner who lives in the home and does the work pull the trade permit; for a rental home, a licensed contractor must apply.
• Licensed contractors. The county asks for the contractor’s state license number on every application and checks it against the state database, and has no separate contractor registration. Residential builders and maintenance and alteration contractors also carry state licenses.
• Plan review. Larger trade jobs, such as homes over 3,500 square feet, need a county trade plan review at $75 per trade before the permit is issued.

How to apply in East Bay Township

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The land use checklist ends with items people forget: township taxes paid to date, a soil erosion permit or waiver, and proof of ownership or the owner’s authorization to build. Commercial projects post initial escrow deposits for site plan, engineering and legal review, and Planning Commission items follow its monthly calendar. On the county side, plan review takes at least two weeks.

Inspections in East Bay Township

All building and trade inspections are county inspections: request them in EPIC-GT, or by leaving a detailed message on the county inspection line, with the permit number, site address, inspection type, requested date and a site contact. Electrical disconnect and reconnect work and sewer or water connections need prior approval from county office staff. County inspectors also handle the final inspection that clears a building for use.

• Township checks. Zoning enforcement issues, including setback questions, go to the zoning administrator.
• Stormwater. The township charges $100 a visit for special or violation site inspections under its stormwater ordinance.
• Occupancy. The county issues temporary occupancy permits ($55) and final approval.

Michigan building code

Michigan enforces one statewide construction code under the Stille-DeRossett-Hale Single State Construction Code Act (1972 PA 230); local units cannot amend it, and enforcement sits with the city, village or township, a county program or the state Bureau of Construction Codes, sometimes split by trade. Michigan rules

East Bay Township building permit FAQs

Does East Bay Township issue building permits?

No. Grand Traverse County Construction Code issues building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits here; the township issues the land use permit that comes first.

How much is a land use permit for a new house?

$60 under the township’s 2025 fee schedule; additions, garages and accessory structures are $35, and the fee doubles if you start before the permit is issued.

Where do I apply?

Online in EPIC-GT, the county portal, for both the township land use permit and the county building and trade permits.

Do I need a stormwater permit for a new home?

Not if the single-family project disturbs less than half an acre. From half an acre to one acre the fee is $200.

How do I appeal a zoning decision?

File a variance or appeal application with Planning & Zoning. The Zoning Board of Appeals meets on the fourth Monday at 6:30 p.m. at the Township Hall; the fee is $230 for a residential appeal and $1,150 for a commercial or multifamily one.

What does a short-term rental permit cost?

East Bay’s 2025 fee schedule charges $450 for a short-term rental, valid for one year from the date it is issued; ask Planning & Zoning which districts allow it.

Who reviews fire protection for a commercial building?

Grand Traverse Metro Fire, 897 Parsons Road (231-947-3000), as the county directs for projects in East Bay and Acme townships.

Does selling a home with a septic system near the bay need an inspection?

Since January 2026, Grand Traverse County requires an evaluation before the sale or transfer of a home whose well or septic system lies within 300 feet of surface water.

East Bay Township permit search and official resources

County building and trade permits issued since August 2020 can be searched in EPIC-GT; ask Grand Traverse County Construction Code for older files. Township agendas, minutes and packets for the Planning Commission (first Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.) and Zoning Board of Appeals (fourth Monday, 6:30 p.m.) are on the township’s Documents on Demand site, and land use records come from the Planning & Zoning Department.

• East Bay Planning & Zoning Department
• Permits, applications and fees
• Township document center (forms and checklists)
• 2025 township fee schedule (Resolution 2024-35)
• Residential dwelling land use permit checklist
• Stormwater permit and review fee schedule
• Zoning ordinance and map
• Development review process
• Accessory structure land use permit checklist
• Planning Commission
• Zoning Board of Appeals
• EPIC-GT self-service portal
• Grand Traverse County Construction Code
• County building permit process
• County construction code fee schedule
• County permit records search
• County soil erosion permits
• Road Commission permits
• Bureau of Construction Codes Statewide Jurisdiction List

Simplify East Bay Township permitting with Alliance Permitting

Alliance Permitting is a permit documentation and submission company in Michigan. We prepare your paperwork, file it correctly and coordinate with the permitting authority through issuance. We are not a contractor and we do not perform licensed plan review or inspections; that work stays with your licensed team and the jurisdiction.

This guide is provided by Alliance Permitting for general information about East Bay Township permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.