Canton Township, Michigan zoning

A plain-language summary of the Canton Township zoning ordinance, organized by district and topic. Source: the official ordinance on Municode (Code of Ordinances, Appendix A Zoning; Supplement 65, current through 2026-04-22), last reviewed July 3, 2026.

Zoning districts

• RAResidential

  Rural Agricultural District

  Rural Agricultural preserves farmland on 40 acre minimum lots; one house per lot plus general farming, farm buildings, and roadside stands.

• RRResidential

  Rural Residential District

  Rural Residential provides very low density living on 5 acre minimum lots, sharing the single-family use list with limited agricultural extras.

• REResidential

  Residential Estate District

  Residential Estate is the estate-lot district, 2 acre minimum lots with the standard single-family use list.

• R-1Residential

  Single-Family Residential District (R-1)

  R-1 is the largest-lot conventional single-family district, 1 acre minimum lots with 150 feet of width.

• R-2Residential

  Single-Family Residential District (R-2)

  R-2 allows detached homes on 20,000 square foot lots with 100 feet of width.

• R-3Residential

  Single-Family Residential District (R-3)

  R-3 allows detached homes on 12,750 square foot lots with 85 feet of width.

• R-4Residential

  Single-Family Residential District (R-4)

  R-4 allows detached homes on 8,400 square foot lots with 70 feet of width, sharing its dimensional row with R-5.

• R-5Residential

  Single-Family Residential District (R-5)

  R-5 is the smallest-lot detached-home district, 8,400 square foot lots shared dimensionally with R-4; it is also the one single-family district where a two-family dwelling needs no site plan.

• R-6Residential

  Single-Family Attached Housing District

  R-6 hosts townhouses and other attached single-family housing at up to 8 units per acre, the township's transitional housing district.

• MRResidential

  Multiple-Family Residential District

  MR is the apartment district; one- and two-story multiple-family housing with per-bedroom land area requirements.

• RMHResidential

  Mobile Home Park District

  RMH provides for licensed mobile home parks of at least 20 acres with 5,500 square foot average home sites.

• C-1Commercial

  Village Shopping District

  C-1 is the neighborhood-scale shopping district; residential-style buildings with retail uses capped at 5,000 square feet each unless approved as a special land use.

• C-2Commercial

  Community Commercial District

  C-2 is the general retail and service district for convenience and comparison shopping, including restaurants and planned centers under 40,000 square feet.

• C-3Commercial

  Regional Commercial District

  C-3 is the regional big-box and comparison shopping district along major corridors, absorbing every C-2 and O-1 use plus larger centers.

• C-4Commercial

  Interchange Service District

  C-4 serves freeway interchanges with offices, hotels, theaters, and restaurants; fast food only as an attached accessory use.

• MRDMixed use

  Mid-Rise Development District

  MRD is a mixed use district for buildings of 3 to 8 stories combining office, commercial, and, by special approval, residential uses.

• HRDMixed use

  High-Rise Development District

  HRD allows the township's tallest buildings, 3 to 20 stories of mixed office, commercial, and special-approval residential uses near the I-275 corridor.

• O-1Commercial

  Office District

  O-1 hosts administrative, professional, and medical offices as a buffer between commercial corridors and neighborhoods; retail is prohibited.

• LI-RIndustrial

  Light Industrial Research District

  LI-R is the research park district for applied technology, light manufacturing, and office campuses within unified developments of at least 10 acres.

• LIIndustrial

  Light Industrial District

  LI provides for light manufacturing, warehousing, and contractor facilities inside enclosed buildings, with screened outdoor storage as a conditioned exception.

• GIIndustrial

  General Industrial District

  GI is the heavy industrial district for automotive assembly, processing, truck terminals, and similar high-impact uses.

• OSPSpecial purpose

  Off-Street Parking District

  OSP exists solely for off-street parking lots serving abutting commercial, office, or industrial uses, mainly along Ford Road and Michigan Avenue.

• WCSpecial purpose

  Wetlands Conservation District

  WC protects mapped wetland areas; forestry and wildlife preserves by right, with single-family homes on 5 acres only as a special land use.

Rules by topic

• Permitted usesWhat you can do by right in each zoning district.
• Special land usesUses that need special approval before they are allowed.
• SetbacksHow far buildings must sit from property lines.
• Building heightHeight limits by district, and the exceptions.
• Lot coverageHow much of a lot buildings may cover.
• Lot size and widthMinimum lot area and width requirements.
• ParkingRequired spaces, driveway rules, and surfaces.
• Accessory dwelling unitsWhether a second dwelling unit is allowed.
• Garages, sheds, and accessory structuresSize caps, setbacks, and height limits for detached structures.
• FencesHeight limits, placement, and prohibited materials.
• SignsWhat signs are allowed and where.
• Home occupationsRunning a business from a residence.
• Variances and appealsWho decides, what standard applies, and the sequence.

Common questions

• Can I rent my house on Airbnb in Canton Township?
• Can I build a duplex in Canton Township?
• Can I build an accessory dwelling unit (ADU) or in-law suite in Canton Township?
• Can I keep chickens in Canton Township?
• Can I park an RV or boat at my house in Canton Township?
• Can I put a swimming pool in my yard in Canton Township?
• Can I run a business from my home in Canton Township?
• Do I need a permit to build a fence in Canton Township?
• Do I need site plan review for my project in Canton Township?
• Do I need special approval for a drive-thru in Canton Township?