Clinton Township, MI Building Setbacks & Zoning: Setback Rules (2026)

05, \"Height, Bulk, Area, Density and Setback Requirements,\" sets a dimensional table that applies to all lots and buildings in the R-1 through R-5 One-Family Residential Districts. R-1 lots require a minimum 30-foot front yard, 10-foot side yard, and 40-foot rear yard on a 15,000-square-foot lot with 100 feet of width; R-2 uses the same 30/10/40 setbacks on a 12,000-square-foot, 90-foot-wide lot. R-3, R-4, and R-5 share a 25-foot front yard, 8-foot side yard, and 35-foot rear yard, on lots ranging from 9,600 down to 7,800 square feet.

Maximum building height in every one of these districts is two stories or 35 feet. The footnotes to the table add real-world nuance: footnote (b) provides that where existing front yards on a block already fall below the required minimum, a new building need not exceed the average depth of the neighboring front yards, with all front setbacks measured from the Master Plan's designated right-of-way line rather than the existing curb. Footnote (c) sets the side yard abutting a thoroughfare at not less than ten feet, and grandfathers lots platted before July 9, 1979: those under 64 feet wide need only 12 total feet of side yard with a 3-foot minimum on the narrow side, while lots 65 to 74 feet wide need 15 total feet with a 5-foot minimum.

Footnote (a) raises the minimum lot area to 15,000 square feet on parcels without Township-approved public sewer or water, dropping to 12,000 square feet once either system is available. These setback and dimensional standards were most recently readopted by Ordinance 260-A-499, passed December 22, 2025. 99.