Home design in Leelanau County.

Leelanau County has a lot of shoreline, dunes, and hills, and that shapes what you can build and where. One county office handles building permits; zoning is local.

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. We don't apply for or manage permits.

Who issues the building permit

The Leelanau County Department of Building Safety, 8527 E. Government Center Drive, Suite 109, Suttons Bay, 231-256-9806.

Zoning

There is no county zoning. Each of the eleven townships (Bingham, Centerville, Cleveland, Elmwood, Empire, Glen Arbor, Kasson, Leelanau, Leland, Solon, and Suttons Bay) and three villages (Empire, Northport, and Suttons Bay) runs its own. You need a land use permit from yours before the county will issue a building permit.

Township, city, and village zoning

All eleven townships and three villages run their own zoning. The link goes to its zoning page where one exists; most are hosted on the county website.

Well and septic

The Benzie-Leelanau District Health Department issues well and septic permits. Its Leelanau environmental health office is in the Government Center in Suttons Bay, 231-256-0201.

Soil erosion permit

The Leelanau Conservation District (231-256-9783) issues soil erosion permits. One is required for earthwork within 500 feet of a lake or stream, within 100 feet of a regulated wetland, when an acre or more is disturbed, for driveways with a slope of 10% or more, for any work in a subdivision, and for all projects in Leland and Solon townships.

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.

What the permit office asks for

The county application calls for two sets of construction documents (unless filed electronically) and a site plan showing the size and location of existing and proposed structures. Its checklist also includes:

• Land use permit from your township or village
• Health department permit, or village water and sewer approval
• Soil erosion permit and driveway permit
• Energy code compliance
• Truss details
• EGLE and floodplain approvals where they apply

Things to watch for

• Critical dunes. The state maps Critical Dune Areas in Centerville, Cleveland, Empire, Glen Arbor, Leelanau, and Leland townships. Building in one requires an EGLE permit and limits where and how you can disturb the site.
• Water and wetlands. Work below the ordinary high-water mark, in a stream, or in a wetland needs an EGLE permit.
• Access. Some rural parcels are reached by private easement rather than road frontage, which can change which setbacks apply.

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 · Antrim · Benzie · Kalkaska