ZoningVerdict

Garages, sheds, and accessory structures in Orion Township, MI

What the Orion Township zoning ordinance says about garages, sheds, and accessory structures, district by district. Section numbers link to the official ordinance.

All districts

Detached accessory buildings (garages, sheds, pole barns) follow Section 27.02.A township-wide:

  • A principal building must already exist on the parcel, with one narrow exception for certain historically platted lakefront lots meeting the Section 27.02.A.1 conditions (amended 10.20.25).
  • Placement: a detached accessory building meets the same front and side setbacks as the house, but the rear setback is only 10 feet (Section 27.02.A.4). Corner and multi-frontage lots follow the modified rules in the same subsection, and no detached accessory structure may extend past the leading edge of the house into the front yard.
  • Size is capped by lot size (Section 27.02.A.8, amended 10.20.25). Detached floor area and total accessory floor area, counting every story: up to 1/2 acre, 750 and 1,150 square feet; over 1/2 to 1 acre, 900 and 1,300; over 1 to 2.5 acres, 1,000 and 1,500; over 2.5 to 5 acres, 1,900 and 2,500; over 5 to 10 acres, 2,400 and 3,000; over 10 acres, 3,200 and 3,800. Attached accessory buildings are separately capped at 75 percent of the principal structure.
  • Larger buildings need a Zoning Board of Appeals variance, with combined coverage still capped at 20 percent of the lot in SF, SE, and SR or 25 percent in R-1, R-2, and R-3 (Section 27.02.A.9).
  • Height: a detached accessory building in a residential district may not exceed the height of the house, unless it sits at least 150 feet behind the house, and never above the district height cap (Section 27.02.A.5).
  • Accessory buildings count toward lot coverage, may not sit in a road easement, and may not host commercial operations other than a lawful home occupation (Section 27.02.A.4, 7, 11).

Farm buildings in the agricultural-friendly districts may reach 40 feet of height under the district footnotes (Section 5.02.J; Section 6.02.O).

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