Marion Township, Michigan Building Permit Guide

Marion Township (Livingston County) issues land use permits and the certificate of zoning compliance from its office at 2877 W Coon Lake Road, Howell (517-546-1588, open Monday to Thursday). Its Zoning Administrator inspects the staked site before a permit is issued, again after the basement is dug and at the end of the job. Building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing permits and their inspections come from the Livingston County Building Department in Howell (517-546-3240). A house costs $75 at the township and $150 in county plan review before the county building permit fee.

What requires a building permit in Marion Township?

Marion’s zoning ordinance says no land may be cleared, no excavation started and no building erected, altered or moved, including porches, decks and terraces, until the township has issued a land use permit. The Planning & Zoning page names the common cases: new structures such as decks, pools and accessory buildings, and additions.

The small-structure exemption comes with conditions in Section 6.07 of the ordinance: a shed under 200 square feet and no taller than 10 feet must still sit at least 5 feet from the side and rear lot lines, and anything larger or taller must meet the district’s full setbacks. No permitted accessory building may go up before both the land use permit and the county building permit are issued.

What Marion decides and what the state holds

Marion makes its own zoning decisions through the Zoning Administrator, Planning Commission, Zoning Board of Appeals and Township Board, and sets its own fees. Construction-code enforcement belongs to Livingston County: the state’s Statewide Jurisdiction List records the county as the agency for building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing work in Marion Township, and the ordinance itself says the county issues the certificate of occupancy.

Marion Township building department: who handles permitting

Start at the township, finish at the county. The Zoning Department takes land use applications and plot plans, does the zoning inspections and stamps the construction plans; the county’s Building Department, under Building Official Jim Rowell, reviews the plans against the state code, sells the building and trade permits and books inspectors. The county’s own list of township requirements confirms the pairing: for Marion it notes township zoning compliance inspections, township-stamped plans and a site plan.

Marion has a Howell mailing address but is a separate government from the City of Howell, which runs its own building department; check the parcel before you file.

Marion Township permit types

The township’s land use packet bundles the land use application, staking and inspection rules, the county’s requirement sheet, a plot plan checklist with sample drawings, ordinance excerpts and the county GIS address application. A separate land use waiver form, a ZBA application and special use, planned unit development and private road applications are posted under Planning Links.

Residential permits

• Land use application. Bring three sets of plans (one stays with the township, two go to the county), a plot plan with every setback dimension and the fee, after staking the property corners and the corners of everything proposed, decks and porches included. On a large parcel where the building is more than 50 feet from the rear line, the rear boundary need not be staked.
• After approval. The township wants two sets of construction plans (24 by 36 inches minimum for a house) and a PDF emailed to za@mariontownship.com or info@mariontownship.com; the PDF goes to the assessor and the two paper sets come back stamped for the county.
• County building permit. The approved land use permit and stamped plans, the county application, two site plans, soil erosion and well and septic permits or waivers, and identification; drawings for houses over 3,500 square feet or log homes must be sealed.
• Demolition. Marion charges $50 to raze a home; the county’s residential demolition permit lists a $225 base cost, a $75 non-refundable plan review and administrative fee and a $150 square-footage fee up to 5,000 square feet, and asks for a health department waiver showing the well and septic were abandoned, utility disconnection letters and two site plans.

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

Commercial permits

Commercial and industrial land use permits are $150 per unit; commercial and industrial site plan review costs $1,000 plus a $5,000 escrow for engineering, legal and other township costs, and a special use request $500 plus a $3,000 commercial escrow. The township holds a project when its escrow falls to a quarter of the deposit until it is topped up. At the county, commercial plans come from a licensed architect or engineer with structural calculations, a soil boring report and the trade designs, and trade permits are separate purchases.

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

• Road Commission driveway approach permit ($75 for a house), or a Road Commission waiver for a lot on a private road.
• Township land use permit after the first site inspection.
• County GIS address for a new home; the packet includes the address application.
• Drain Commissioner soil erosion permit within 500 feet of surface water or over an acre, or a waiver for other earth moving over 225 square feet; decks on posts and above-ground pools with no other digging need neither.
• Health Department well and septic permits, or sewer and water permits with proof of paid taps.

Marion Township permit costs and fees

Marion’s fee schedule (revised July 25, 2024) says every fee is non-refundable and that some permits need separate checks, so call before writing them. County plan review is due when the building application is filed.

Worked example of the county minimum: a $200,000 commercial alteration works out to 200,000 × 0.0015, or $300, so the $450 commercial plan review minimum applies. For a new house the township’s $75 land use fee and the county’s $150 plan review are fixed; the county building permit fee depends on the plans, and extra township inspections are billed at $75 each.

Trade permits and who may pull them

Livingston County issues every electrical, mechanical and plumbing permit in Marion Township, each on its own form with a $30 application fee that is not refunded and a $50 final inspection. Some line items: a service over 200 and up to 400 amps is $30, each 240-volt outlet $8 (the county prices EV chargers on that line), a humidifier or bath fan $10, each gas opening $10, a residential boiler $50, a water softener $50, a lawn irrigation connection $25 and a water heater $35. Generators are priced by their kilowatt size on the electrical form.

The holder of the state trade license signs the application and registers the license with the county ($15 each for contractor and master licenses); the county follows the name on the state license and needs a notarized letter for any other signer. Owners may file their own residential building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing applications with identification; the trade forms include a homeowner affidavit that the work is for the owner’s use and occupancy, and the county’s homeowner policy lets an owner act as general contractor on a single-family home for their own use while carrying the full contractor responsibility.

How to apply for a building permit in Marion Township

Review, corrections and what causes delay

The township will not issue a land use permit until the site has passed the first inspection, so unstaked corners or a plot plan without setback dimensions stall the job at the start. A land use permit expires if work does not start within six months, stops for six months or is not finished within two years, and renewing it means reapplying and paying the fee again under the rules then in force. At the county, a missing township stamp, erosion waiver or septic approval keeps the building permit from being issued. County permits follow a 180-day rule of their own, with one 180-day extension available on a written request and a $75 fee.

Inspections and occupancy in Marion Township

A Marion job has two inspection tracks. The township’s Zoning Administrator does three zoning inspections: the staked site before the land use permit, the excavated basement before the foundation goes in, and a final inspection for the Certificate of Zoning Ordinance Compliance. Where a structure ends up within 5 feet of a required setback, a foundation survey must be submitted before that certificate is issued.

County inspectors handle the building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing inspections. Request them on BS&A Online or at (517) 546-3830 before midnight for the next open day and cancel by 5:00 a.m.; calling for work that is not ready can bring a re-inspection fee. The county issues the certificate of occupancy only after the code inspections pass, the township’s zoning compliance certificate is turned in, any blown-cellulose insulation certificate is filed, the health department has approved the well and septic and fees are paid; Marion’s ordinance adds that a certificate of occupancy has effect only if the zoning certificate has been issued.

Michigan building code in Marion Township

The state construction codes are applied in Marion by the county, not by the township, so there are no township amendments to look for. Marion’s land rules are in its zoning ordinance and its development standards. FEMA’s Community Status Book lists Marion Township in Livingston County (community 260846) as participating in the National Flood Insurance Program, with maps dated September 17, 2008.

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

Marion Township permit search and official resources

County permits and inspection results can be looked up by address on Livingston County’s BS&A Online, and older permit files are requested through the county FOIA portal. Land use permits and zoning compliance certificates are Marion’s records; ask the Zoning Department at za@mariontownship.com or (517) 546-1588.

• Marion Township Planning & Zoning
• Land use packet
• Land use waiver
• Marion fee schedule (rev. July 25, 2024)
• Marion zoning ordinance
• ZBA application
• Township forms and applications
• Livingston County Building Department
• County residential permit steps
• County list of township requirements
• County plan review fees
• County certificate of occupancy
• County inspection line
• BS&A Online, Livingston County
• Residential soil erosion permits
• Livingston County Environmental Health
• Road Commission permits
• County FOIA requests
• Michigan Statewide Jurisdiction List

Marion Township building permit FAQs

Does Marion Township issue building permits?

No. It issues land use permits and zoning compliance certificates; Livingston County issues the building and trade permits.

Do I need a permit for a small shed in Marion?

Not if it is under 200 square feet: no land use or building permit, but only two per parcel, behind the house, screened from the road and 5 feet from side and rear lines.

How much is a land use permit?

$75 for a house, $50 for an accessory structure or sign, and $150 per unit for commercial or industrial work; fees are non-refundable.

How long is a land use permit good for?

Work must start within six months and finish within two years, or the permit expires.

What inspections does the township do?

A site check before the permit, an excavation check before the foundation, and a final zoning inspection.

Can a homeowner get the permits?

Yes for their own home: the county accepts homeowner-signed residential building and trade applications with identification.

What does a variance cost?

$400 for a single-family home and $1,000 for anything else, plus any consultant costs.

Simplify Marion 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 Marion Township permitting. Requirements, fees, and procedures change; confirm details with the permitting authority before relying on them.