Clinton Township, MI Accessory Structures: Shed & Carport Rules (2026)

Section 1496.05, part of the Property Maintenance Code chapter, is titled Construction and Permit Standards for Detached Garages, Sheds and Similar Structures. Subsection (d) is direct: any detached garages, sheds or similar structures over 32 square feet shall first apply for and obtain a permit through the Building Department upon forms issued by the Building Department prior to any construction activity occurring. A shed at or under 32 square feet falls outside that permit trigger, but anything larger needs sign-off before a shovel goes in the ground.

Once a permit is required, subsection (b) sets the foundation standard: the structure must be erected on a minimum four-inch-wide by twenty-four-inch-deep concrete rat wall with a four-inch concrete slab, unless the Building Official approves an alternative in writing, and all applicable State Building Code requirements apply on top of that. An addition built on a pier foundation less than eighteen inches above grade needs the same four-inch slab and rat wall treatment under subsection (c). Subsection (e) layers on the rest of the township's code: full compliance with zoning ordinance provisions, including setbacks, is required in addition to the construction standards in this section. Subsection (a) separately bars rodent and vermin harborage on any structure or property, requiring prompt extermination and precautions against reinfestation. The Building Department and its employees enforce this chapter as the designated administrative agency under Section 1496.03.