ADU Pass
Clinton
ADU Pass helps homeowners in Clinton, Lenawee County, Michigan navigate the permit paperwork for building an accessory dwelling unit. This area covers 1 ZIP code.
Map
ADU details
ADU legality: allowed-with-restrictions
Michigan partially preempts local ADU restrictions; cities retain authority over design and setbacks. Clinton permits ADUs subject to local conditions per its zoning ordinance.
Cost scenarios
| Scenario | Sq ft | Permit | Build | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| minimum | 150 | $1,900 | $35,250 | $37,150 |
| 600 | 600 | $1,900 | $141,000 | $142,900 |
| midpoint | 575 | $1,900 | $135,125 | $137,025 |
| maximum | 1,000 | $1,900 | $235,000 | $236,900 |
Fee breakdown
Viability (permitted uses)
- Long-term rental: yes Long-term rental of ADU generally permitted; landlord-tenant law and any city rental-registration ordinance apply.
- Short-term rental: with-restrictions STR rules vary by city. Clinton regulates STRs separately from ADU permitting; check local STR ordinance and HOA covenants.
- Office rental: with-restrictions Detached office rental requires home occupation permit or rezoning.
- Home office: yes Home occupation permitted with restrictions on signage and customer traffic.
- Studio / workshop: yes Personal artist studio is a permitted accessory use.
- Agriculture: with-restrictions Limited urban agriculture permitted in residential zones; livestock varies by district.
- Relative support: yes Family-occupancy ADU explicitly permitted in single-family zones.
Utilities
- Water: Clinton Water Utility · 30d connect · $4,500
- Sewer: Clinton Sewer / Wastewater · 30d connect · $5,500
- Electric: Clinton Electric Utility · 21d connect · $1,800
- Gas: Clinton Gas Utility · 30d connect · $1,500
Property values & taxes
Construction timeline
Realistic total: best 7mo · typical 11mo · worst 16mo
Financing
State ADU loans:
Insurance impact
HOA prevalence & preemption
Michigan has no HOA-ADU preemption; HOA covenants restricting ADUs are enforceable.
Technical envelope (climate & building code)
Climate & energy code
Building code
Amendments:
- Amendment
- Amendment
Legal history (timeline)
Current ordinance: City of Clinton Municipal Code — Accessory Dwelling Units, adopted 2020-01-01, last amended 2024-04-01
- 2024-01-01 — City of Clinton ADU code refresh (city-ordinance)
Conforming local-code amendments aligning with current Michigan accessory-dwelling framework.
Effect: Codified permissive ADU standards consistent with state law and local zoning.
Michigan state — ADU law and programs
State financing programs
Michigan does not currently operate an ADU-specific statewide loan, grant, or forgivable-loan program. The Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), established 1966, administers the MI Home Loan and MI Home Loan Flex mortgage products, the MI 10K DPA Loan (up to $10,000 down-payment assistance as a 0% interest second mortgage due at sale or payoff), and the MI Neighborhood statewide housing grant program. MSHDA's housing-readiness initiatives explicitly mention streamlining site-plan review and approval for ADU and missing-middle projects, but no ADU-targeted construction loan exists yet. ADU costs may be financed through standard renovation or construction loans when the ADU is part of a qualifying primary-residence transaction.
State housing programs
Michigan's primary state-level ADU-related programs are MSHDA's Housing Ready Initiative (technical assistance to municipalities for streamlined ADU and missing-middle approval processes) and the MI Neighborhood statewide housing grant. There is no statewide pre-approved ADU plan catalog, no statewide ADU rebate, and no statewide ADU impact-fee waiver statute. The pending HB 5529-5531 / HB 5581-5585 zoning preemption package, if enacted, would establish a statewide ADU floor; until then, state-level intervention is technical-assistance-only.
- MSHDA Housing Ready Initiative — Technical assistance to Michigan municipalities to streamline ADU, missing-middle, and infill-housing approvals. Focuses on site-plan review, density-friendly zoning, and ministerial-permit pathways.
- MI Neighborhood Statewide Housing Grant — MSHDA grant program for housing-supply expansion. Can fund municipal ADU pilot programs and ADU-supportive infrastructure investments.
Federal (United States) — ADU-relevant rules and programs
Federal ADU law
The United States has no federal statute that directly regulates accessory dwelling unit entitlement or design. Land-use authority over ADUs resides with states and local governments under the traditional police power. Federal engagement is limited to financing (Fannie/Freddie/FHA/VA/USDA), flood insurance (FEMA/NFIP), and discretionary housing programs (HUD), which are recorded in sibling sections of this file.
Federal financing programs
Federal housing-finance agencies and GSEs set nationwide underwriting rules that govern whether an ADU can be financed, appraised, and counted toward mortgage qualifying income. The relevant actors are Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA (HUD), VA, and USDA Rural Development.
Federal tax credits
There is no ADU-specific federal tax credit. ADUs may incidentally qualify for existing federal energy-efficiency and clean-energy tax credits when the ADU construction includes qualifying measures.
Federal housing programs
HUD administers several discretionary programs that can fund ADU-related activity at the grantee's election, but none is an ADU-specific program.
ZIP Code
- 49236
Post Office
- 123 E Michigan Ave, 49236