Northwest Michigan Shoreline Permitting Handled Start to Finish

If your property sits near Lake Michigan, a wetland, or critical dunes in Grand Traverse or Leelanau County, you already know the permitting process is not simple. There are multiple layers of approval required - and they have to happen in a specific order. Skip a step, or get the sequence wrong, and your entire job stalls.

Here's how it actually works. State and federal approvals through EGLE and the Army Corps of Engineers come first. That one joint application has to be cleared before anything else moves forward. Then comes the county soil and erosion permit - both Grand Traverse and Leelanau have their own triggers, and properties within 500 feet of a lake or stream almost always qualify. After that, you're dealing with township-level rules, which vary more than most people expect. Long Lake Township, Peninsula Township - each one has its own setbacks, surface reviews, and planting requirements.

We manage all three layers. From the initial EGLE filing to the township's final sign-off, the entire permitting process is handled before any work begins. That means no scrambling, no guessing which agency wants what, and no expensive surprises from unpermitted work discovered later.

The risks of skipping permits near Michigan's shoreline are real - fines, forced removal, environmental restoration costs, and complications when you eventually sell. Properties along Lake Michigan are under close scrutiny, and for good reason. The permitting requirements exist to protect the freshwater resources and dune ecosystems that make this part of northern Michigan worth building in at all. We take that seriously.

Whether you're working in Northport, along the Leelanau Peninsula, or anywhere in the Grand Traverse region, we know the permit requirements inside and out. Sign with us and this part is completely off your plate.