Clarence Township, Calhoun County Michigan

Construction Forms and Instructions

Building Permits and Zoning - Carl K. Fowler Jr., Zoning Official - All permits are issued at the Township Hall. Carl K. Fowler,Jr's Email address: zoningemail@yahoo.com

Please Note! The $30 Building Permit Fee Must be Paid Up-Front, Before Submitting the Building Permit Application. Listed below are five instruction sheets/check lists outlining the process of zoning, obtaining a building permit, and other requirements.

1) ZONING AND CONSTRUCTION CHECK LIST,
2) CHECK LIST FOR OBTAINING A BUILDING PERMIT,
3) REQUIREMENTS FOR OBTAINING BUILDING, PERMITS,
4) CONSTRUCTION AND INSPECTION CHECK LIST,
5) PLAN EXAMINATION - INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

SITE PLAN EXAMPLE - Please click on the following link for an example showing how the dimensions need to be presented:SITE PLAN EXAMPLE

ZONING AND CONSTRUCTION CHECK LIST

1. Site plan zoning and building permit request applications must be filled out and returned.

a. The site plan must include a drawing of any existing building structures and the location of any new building or structures including the distance between the buildings, the building sizes and setbacks for all sides of the property. It is the responsibility of the permit applicant to know the requirements of the Township Zoning Ordinances and Building Codes. If unsure of these ordinances or codes, copies are available at the Township Office.

b. Only one resident per parcel.

2. A driveway permit from the County Road Commission.

3. A well and septic permit from the County Health Department.

4. A soil erosion permit if within 500' of a lake, pond, stream or river from the County Road Commission.

5. Two copies of the prints or a detailed drawing showing all four sides with elevations of the building or structure; also details on the type of approved fireproofing to be used between floors where required.

6. A building permit will be issued when the above documents have been submitted and approved by the Zoning Administrator and the building inspector; A building permit application will need to be filled out.

7. The Building Permit must be posted at all times during construction at road side using a minimum of 3" high letters of house numbers or name showing location, site.

8. There will be a minimum of three inspections: footing, rough and final.

9. Footing inspections must be done before they are back filled.

a. For a house - 42 inches deep.

b. Attached Garage-42 inches deep with continues footing.

c. Detached Garage exceeding 400 sg. ft- 4 inches floor with 42 inches deep footing. Unless in #1 soil condition (sand or gravel) Then it must be a 24 inch deep Ratwall.

10. Rough inspection will be done after all other trades' rough are completed.

11. Final inspections will be done when all other trades have had their final inspections and all finish work is done.

12. Requests for inspection must be made 24 hours in advance.

CHECK LIST FOR OBTAINING A BUILDING PERMIT

Before Clarence Township Can Issue Your Building Permit, The Following items Need to Be Furnished to the Building Permits Officer.


ZONING APPROVAL, this can be obtained from the zoning official of your township, city or village. This applies to all structures. Only work done inside of an existing building is exempt.

SITE PLAN. A site plan must include a drawing of all existing structures and the location of any new building or structures including the distance between buildings. the building dimensions and setbacks for all sides of the property. Only one residence per parcel.

PLAN AND SPECS, three (3) sets of plans must be submitted with application for plan review procedure. Plans must show the following: Foundation plan, floor plan, energy code compliance, typical wall section and exterior elevation drawings. All plans must contain substantial information concerning: dimensions, materials, span requirements, and construction methods used for the submitted project.

PROPERTY ADDRESS, may be obtained from your the Calhoun county road commission.

PROPERTY CODE OR TAX ED. NUMBER this can be obtained from your tax bill, your township/city/village offices or Equalization office at your County Courthouse.

SEPTIC AND/OR WELL PERMIT, this can be obtained from your county health department.

DRIVEWAY & ADDRESS PERMIT, this can be obtained from the road commission.

SOIL EROSION PERMIT, if applicable. A permit is required for all earth change activities which disturb ONE (1) or more acres of land OR if the earth change is within 500 feet of a lake, streams, swamp, marsh, pond, county drain or any standing water. This can obtained from your County Public Work Department.

DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, issues flood plain permit if the project is located in part or whole within 100 year regulatory flood plain of a river, creek, drain or a body of water, a DNRE permit is required. ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR PROCESSING

GOEMAERE-ANDERSON WETLAND PROTECTION ACT, if your project is located in or near wetland contact the DNR. They will determine whether or not a parcel of land is under the jurisdiction of this Wetland-Protection Act, 517-373-3328.

MISS DIG, must be contacted when any digging is done for the marking of all underground lines on proposed site, 800-482-7171, building must be thirty five feet (35) from all overhead power lines.

REQUIREMENTS FOR OBTAINING BUILDING PERMITS.

Residential Structures - -(One-and Two-Family Residential with less than 3,500 square feet of calculated floor area) -Building Permit Application - Minimum of three (3) sets of plans that include the following: - -Foundation and floor plans. Roof and wall section. Building Elevations. Site plan.

Commercial Structures (Including One-and Two-Family Residential with more than 3,500 square feet of calculated floor area) - Building Permit Application - Copy of plan review approval letter. Plan review must be approved prior to a building permit being issued.

Mobile and Pre-manufactured Homes - Building Permit Application - Minimum of three (3) sets of plans for the foundation and the method of anchoring the unit to the foundation. - Site plan. -For Michigan approved pre-manufactured units; Three (3) copies of the Building System Approval and the approved plans.

Instructions for Completing Application Page 1 of the application: Complete all applicable sections. If the homeowner is doing the construction, enter "Homeowner" in the contractor information space. Page 2 of the application: Enter the information as required. Page 3, Section VI of the application: Must be completed by the permit applicant and signed. Section VII. Must be completed by the local governmental agency (city/township) for zoning (environmental) approval. In certain jurisdictions, a land use permit may be substituted. Note (g) and (h). Indicate whether a well or septic approval is required. Well and septic permits are typically issued by the county health department.

Building Permit Fees - The building permit fee schedule may be obtained from the Township office or this web site. You will need to furnish the following information when calling - Total square footage of the structure homes, "U" use group for detached garages, pole barns, etc.). Type of construction ("5B" for wood frame construction). If you submit your building permit application and plans without money, your application will be put on hold and you will receive an invoice for the building permit fee.

Expiration of Permit - A permit remains valid as long as work is progressing and inspections are requested and conducted. A permit shall become invalid if the authorized work is not commenced within 180 days after issuance of the permit or if the authorized work is suspended or abandoned for a period of 180 days after the time of commencing the work. A PERMIT WILL BE CLOSED WHEN NO INSPECTIONS ARE REQUESTED AND CONDUCTED WITHIN 180 DAYS OF THE DATE OF ISSUANCE OR THE DATE OF A PREVIOUS INSPECTION. CLOSED PERMITS CANNOT BE REFUNDED. THE CHARGE TO RE-OPEN A CLOSED PERMIT IS $75.00.

CONSTRUCTION AND INSPECTION CHECK LIST

Inspection Requirements - Inspections must be requested, either by the permit holder, or an agent such as the contractor, architect, or engineer. The permit holder is ultimately responsible for all construction and inspections. The permit holder needs to confirm that all inspections have been called for and that the inspections have been completed. A Certificate of Occupancy cannot be issued for any project which has not been inspected or approved.

There is a minimum of five (5) inspections: 1) FOOTINGS: Are to be inspected before they are poured or placed. 2) FOUNDATION/BACKFILL: Before backfilling any basement or crawl space. This is to ensure that proper bracing; drainage and damp proofing have been completed. 3) ROUGH-IN/FRAMING: After the building is up, but before any dry wall or insulation is installed. 4) ENERGY CODE COMPLIANCE 5) FINAL: After all work has been completed on the project, but before occupying the structure. All Electrical, Mechanical, and Plumbing work must be completed prior to the final building inspection.

SECTION R110.1 USE AND OCCUPANCY OF THE MICHIGAN RESIDENTIAL CODE OF 2009 STATES: A building or structure shall not be used or occupied, and a change in the existing occupancy classification of a building or structure or portion thereof shall not be made until a certificate of occupancy has been issued in accordance with the act.

CALL 24 TO 48 HOURS IN ADVANCE FOR ALL INSPECTIONS. THE INSPECTORS ARE ON YOUR PERMITS.

NOTICE TO HOMEOWNERS: MCL 3392401 et seq; MSA 18.245 (2401) st seq. (Michigan Public Act 299 of 1980) States the following: 1. The person or company who applies and obtains a building permit from this office ASSUMES SOLE RESPONSIBILITY for the work that is done pursuant to that permit and is SOLELY RESPONSIBLE for the compliance with the laws enforced by this office. 2. The total cost of labor and materials for any work conducted pursuant to a building permit issued by this office may not exceed six hundred dollars (600.00) unless a licensed residential builder or licensed maintenance alteration contractor is doing the work. For residential buildings, the homeowner may do the building him/herself, as long as this person owns and occupies the home. 3. Please verify that your builder is licensed. Ask your builder to show his/her State builders License, and check the expiration date to be sure that it is not expired. If you have any doubts, you may contact the Michigan Department of Licensing, phone number: 517-241-9254

Clarence Township – Plan Examination – Information and Instructions

Plan Examination
The purpose of a plan examination is to assure the construction project is designed in compliance with the code. If there are issues of noncompliance they may be addressed during the review process. This saves the applicant time and money as it is more economical to make revisions prior to the start of construction.

Who may submit?
Construction documents may be submitted by the owner or the owner's architect, engineer, contractor, or agent. The construction statutes or codes do not fix the responsibility for the submission of construction documents. However, the owner of the construction project has the responsibility to assure that it is done.

Is a plan review necessary?

Plans are required for all building types, except: 1)Building - When repair work is determined by the building official to be of a minor nature, or
2) When utility structures are 100 square feet or less relative to one-and two-family dwellings.

Electrical - When the electrical system rating does not exceed 400 amps and the building is not over 3,500 square feet in area.

Mechanical - One-and two-family dwellings when the total building heating/cooling system input rating is 375,000 Btu's or less.

Alterations and repair work determined by the mechanical official to be of a minor nature.

Business, mercantile, and storage buildings having HVAC equipment only, with one fire area and not more than 3,500 square feet.

Work completed by a governmental subdivision or state agency costing less than $15,000.00.

Plumbing - One-and two-family dwellings containing not more than 3,500 square feet of building area.

Alterations and repair work determined by the plumbing official to be of a minor nature.

Assembly, business, mercantile and storage buildings with a required plumbing fixture count less than 12.

Work completed by a governmental subdivision or state agency costing less than $15,000.00.

Description of Work.

The plan examination submission shall give a complete description of the work to be performed. This shall include the location, the occupancy of all parts of the buildings or structures, and the open space on the lot. Any special inspection requirements in accordance with section 1705 of the building code shall be identified.

Site Plan.

The site plan shall provide the location and size of all buildings on the lot. The roads and access points and open spaces shall be shown and dimensioned.

Construction Documents.

The construction documents shall indicate the size, shape, and height of all features of the buildings and structures of the project. Specific information shall be given to establish the quality and requirements of the construction for compliance with the code. The information may be submitted in any combination of written and graphic material. The codes shall not be cited, or the term "legal" or similar shall not be used in place of specific information. All construction documents shall be sealed and signed by an architect or professional engineer licensed in Michigan in accordance with P.A. 299 of 1980, as amended.

Exception:

A residence building not exceeding 3,500 square feet in calculated floor area. Public work for which the contemplated expenditure for the completed project is less than $15,000.00.

Engineering Detail.

Structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work shall include adequate detail including computation, stress diagrams and other essential technical data.

How to Submit.

Three (3) sets of construction documents and a completed Application for Plan Examination must be submitted to the Plan Review Division. The Fee is determined by the square footage of the project. When the plan examination is completed the total charges will be calculated and any amount due will be billed to the applicant. When the project is approved and all the fees paid, one set of approved construction documents will be returned to the applicant. These documents are to be placed on the project site and made available for examination by the code inspectors.

Questions regarding plan examinations should be directed to the Plan Review Division