Home design in Kalkaska County.

Here is who you will deal with, what they ask for, and the local conditions that affect design.

Permits are applied for by the owner or builder. Our drawings are ready for you or your builder to submit.

Who issues the building permit

The Kalkaska County Construction Codes Office, 605 N. Birch Street, Kalkaska, in the county administration building next to the courthouse, 231-258-3365. Every building permit goes through plan review, incomplete applications are returned, and the county asks you to allow up to 15 business days for a building permit to be processed. Plan for that in your schedule.

Zoning

Kalkaska County has a county zoning ordinance, administered by the Kalkaska County Planning & Zoning Department, 605 N. Birch Street, 231-258-3367. Townships not listed below, such as Coldsprings, fall under the county ordinance. The county's permitting guide says zoning, well, and septic permits must be issued before the building permit. It is a one-person office, so call ahead before you visit.

Townships and village with their own zoning

The county lists these as not under the county zoning ordinance. Start with the township or village instead.

Inside the Village of Kalkaska, the village handles zoning and site plan review first. Building, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical permits still come from the county.

Well and septic

District Health Department #10 issues well and septic permits from its Kalkaska office, 625 Courthouse Drive, 231-258-8669. Outside the Village of Kalkaska, most homes are on a private well and septic system, and the septic permit sets how many bedrooms the house can have. For an addition that adds a bedroom, check the septic permit before design starts.

Soil erosion permit

The county Planning & Zoning Department is the soil erosion and sedimentation control agency. Under state law (Part 91), a permit is required for earth changes within 500 feet of a lake or stream, or when one acre or more is disturbed. With the Boardman and Manistee rivers, Rapid River, and dozens of inland lakes, many Kalkaska lots fall inside that 500-foot line.

Building code

Michigan building departments are currently reviewing homes under the 2015 Michigan Residential Code and the 2015 residential energy code. A newer 2021 edition was adopted but is on hold under a court order, so check with the building department if your project is still months out.

Snow load and frost depth

Ground snow load in northern Michigan changes from county to county, and it drives roof framing, truss design, and header sizes. Verify the design snow load for your parcel with the Kalkaska County Construction Codes Office before trusses are ordered; we confirm it for every project before the drawings are finished. Footings are designed to a 42-inch frost depth.

What the permit office asks for

The county's building permit forms include an energy code compliance form, an insulation certification, a residential deck cross section, and frost protection guidance for accessory buildings. A typical residential submittal includes:

• Foundation plan and floor plans
• Building elevations, and wall and roof sections
• A site plan with setbacks to property lines and water
• Energy code compliance (REScheck or the prescriptive method)
• A deck cross section when the project includes a deck

You will also need your well and septic permits, a zoning permit, and a soil erosion permit if applicable. Ask the Construction Codes Office for its current checklist when you apply.

Things to watch for

• Natural rivers. The Boardman River rises in north-central Kalkaska County, and the Upper Manistee River is also a state-designated Natural River. Lots near either one can carry extra building setbacks and a vegetation strip along the bank. The county lists the Upper Manistee Natural River zoning area separately.
• Lakefront lots. Manistee Lake, Bear Lake, Starvation Lake, and Lake Skegemog all bring shoreline setbacks and the 500-foot soil erosion rule into play.
• Sandy, rolling ground. Kalkaska sand, Michigan's state soil, is named for this county. Much of the ground is sandy, wooded, and rolling. Slopes and walkout basements need careful grading on the site plan.
• Hunting cabins and seasonal homes. A cabin that becomes a year-round home still has to meet the residential code, including energy code and frost protection.

Do you need an architect here?

Under Michigan law (MCL 339.2012(1)(d)), a detached one- or two-family home of up to 3,500 square feet of calculated floor area can be designed by someone who isn't a licensed architect or engineer, without an architect's or engineer's seal (Michigan Attorney General Opinion No. 7208, 2007). Calculated floor area counts only habitable space; basements, garages, porches, decks, bathrooms, closets and hallways don't count. Most homes, additions, and remodels we draw fall under that exemption. More in our FAQ.

How we help

• Construction drawings formatted for the building department: floor plans, foundation plan, elevations, and sections from footing to roof peak
• A scaled site plan with dimensions to property lines, for zoning and for the building permit
• As-built drawings of the existing home for additions and remodels
• Early flags for anything that needs an engineer, a state permit, or a setback check, before you spend money on full drawings

Also serving: Grand Traverse · Leelanau · Antrim · Benzie