Grand Traverse County, MI zoning map, flood zone and property lines by address
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Towns in Grand Traverse County: Traverse City, Kingsley.
Flood zone by address
ParcelSheet reads FEMA's National Flood Hazard Layer at the lot: the zone, whether it is a high risk area where lenders ask for flood insurance, and the base flood elevation where FEMA lists one. FEMA's countywide study for Grand Traverse County has 64 FIRM panels, the newest effective April 2023; coastal V zones, where waves add to the flood, are mapped along its shore.
The official panel and any Letter of Map Amendment are at FEMA's Map Service Center. An elevation certificate for a Grand Traverse house comes from a licensed surveyor and is often on file with the county or city building office.
Property lines
The parcel outline, parcel number and mapped size come from the Michigan county parcel layers (each county publishes its own), so a Grand Traverse lot shows the same lines the township or city assessor draws. Grand Traverse County covers about 297,175 acres of land and 87,666 acres of water.
Mapped lines are approximate. The Grand Traverse County township or city assessor keeps the parcel record (Grand Traverse County website); a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
Zoning
In Michigan zoning is set by the county, the township, or the city or village, depending on where the lot is: in Grand Traverse County, Traverse City, Kingsley each zone the land inside their limits. ParcelSheet shows the use code on the lot's parcel record and the municipality it sits in; the township or city zoning office has the district, the uses it allows and the lot size it needs. The Grand Traverse County website lists the county's municipalities.
ADU and guest houses
Under Michigan Zoning Enabling Act (Public Act 110 of 2006, MCL 125.3101 and following), the county, the township, or the city or village, depending on where the lot is can allow an accessory dwelling unit on a lot with a house. Whether a Grand Traverse lot can add one depends on its district; the township or city zoning office has the rule. ParcelSheet shows the mapped lot size and the ground's slope, the first two things the question turns on.
Septic and soil
ParcelSheet reads the USDA soil survey at the lot: the soil's name, its septic absorption rating and whether it is prime farmland. Grand Traverse County is soil survey area MI055, Grand Traverse County, Michigan, last updated August 2026, on Web Soil Survey.
A new or changed septic system in Grand Traverse County needs a permit from the Grand Traverse County health department (local health department, under Michigan EGLE onsite wastewater rules).
Setbacks
Setbacks in Grand Traverse County come from the zoning district: the front, side and rear distances a house must keep. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines; the township or city zoning office gives them for the lot's district, and Traverse City and Kingsley for land inside their limits.
Hazards that apply
- Storm surge. Grand Traverse County has coastal V zones on its FEMA map, so storm surge reaches its shore. The county's evacuation zones are on its emergency management site; ParcelSheet shows the FEMA zone and the 3 ft sea level rise map at the lot.
- Wetlands and wildfire. ParcelSheet shows the National Wetlands Inventory near a Grand Traverse lot and the Forest Service wildfire hazard rating at it.
Questions
Is my house in a flood zone in Grand Traverse County?
Type the address in the box above and ParcelSheet reads FEMA's flood zone at the lot's center. FEMA's countywide flood map for Grand Traverse County has 64 panels, the newest effective April 2023. A lender or insurer uses the official FIRM panel; FEMA's Map Service Center has it.
How do I find property lines in Grand Traverse County?
Open the Michigan map, type the address, and the parcel outline from the Grand Traverse County township or city assessor shows on the map with its parcel number and mapped size. Mapped lines are approximate; only a licensed surveyor sets the true corners.
What is my property zoned in Grand Traverse County?
Zoning in Grand Traverse County is set by the county, the township, or the city or village, depending on where the lot is (such as Traverse City, Kingsley). ParcelSheet shows the use code on the parcel record and names the municipality; the township or city zoning office has the final word.
Can I build an ADU in Grand Traverse County?
Under Michigan Zoning Enabling Act (Public Act 110 of 2006, MCL 125.3101 and following), the county, the township, or the city or village, depending on where the lot is can allow an accessory dwelling unit, and each sets its own rules. In Grand Traverse County ask the township or city zoning office for the lot's district first; ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped so you can see the room you have.
Do I need a septic permit in Grand Traverse County?
Yes. A new or changed septic system in Grand Traverse County needs a permit from the Grand Traverse County health department (local health department, under Michigan EGLE onsite wastewater rules). ParcelSheet shows the USDA soil survey's septic rating at the lot, from survey area MI055 (Grand Traverse County, Michigan).
What can I build on 5 acres in Grand Traverse County?
Zoning in Grand Traverse County is set by the county, the township, or the city or village, depending on where the lot is (such as Traverse City, Kingsley). The zoning district decides the uses, how many homes and the smallest lot it allows on 5 acres. ParcelSheet shows the lot size as mapped and the use code on the parcel record; the township or city zoning office has the district and its rules. See the Grand Traverse County website.
What are the residential setbacks in Grand Traverse County (2026)?
Setbacks in Grand Traverse County come from the zoning code of the municipality the lot sits in: the front, side and rear distances depend on the lot's district. ParcelSheet does not draw setback lines or give a number it did not read; the township or city zoning office gives them for the district. See the Grand Traverse County website.
Next to Grand Traverse County: Antrim County, Benzie County, Kalkaska County, Leelanau County, Missaukee County, Wexford County.
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