Priority Home Mortgage · Crawford County new-homeowner guide · mypriorityhome.com · checked October 2026
Crawford County, Michigan: the new-homeowner guide
Crawford County is river and forest country in the middle of northern Lower Michigan: about 13,000 residents in six townships around Grayling, the county's only city, with the Au Sable and Manistee rivers running through it. By the county's own count, more than three quarters of the land is publicly owned, between state forest, national forest, and the Camp Grayling military training center. Outside the city, most homes are on a private well and septic system, electric service splits between a utility and a co-op, and around Grayling a buyer on a well has one extra question to ask about PFAS. This guide covers what actually needs doing after you get the keys.
Covers Grayling, Frederic, Lovells, Lake Margrethe, Grayling Charter Township, Beaver Creek Township, Frederic Township, Lovells Township, Maple Forest Township, South Branch Township. County seat: Grayling.
Local to this one: Michele Fulcher lives in Fife Lake and works this part of the state.
- County seat
- Grayling
- Schools
- Crawford AuSable Schools, Roscommon Area in the southeast, COOR ISD
- Electric
- Consumers in Grayling and the south, Great Lakes Energy north and east
- Well & septic at sale
- Not required at sale; near Camp Grayling, check the well's PFAS history
- Tax bills
- Summer mailed July 1, due September 14; winter due February 14
Questions about buying here? Priority Home Mortgage is a Grand Rapids direct lender with in-house underwriting, lending throughout Michigan. (616) 951-1561 · www.mypriorityhome.com
Setting up your utilities
Who serves a house can change from one road to the next, so check your exact address with the provider before you schedule anything.
Electric
Two electric providers split Crawford County. On the state's service-area map, Consumers Energy has the City of Grayling, the southwest of Grayling Charter Township, Beaver Creek Township, and most of the southern part of South Branch Township. Great Lakes Energy, a member-owned cooperative, has the north and east: Lovells, Maple Forest, and Frederic townships, the rest of Grayling Charter Township, and the north of South Branch Township. The two overlap in a north-south band that runs through Frederic down toward Grayling, and Lake Margrethe is divided, with the north shore on the co-op's side of the line and the south and east shores on Consumers', so start from the seller's last bill.
| Provider | Contact |
|---|---|
| Consumers EnergyThe City of Grayling, the southwest of Grayling Charter Township, Beaver Creek Township, and most of southern South Branch Township; confirm your address | (800) 477-5050 |
| Great Lakes EnergyLovells, Maple Forest, and Frederic townships, most of Grayling Charter Township, and northern South Branch Township; the co-op's nearest service center is in Waters, just north of the county line | (888) 485-2537 |
Natural gas & propane
DTE Gas is the only gas utility on the state's service-area map for Crawford County, and its territory covers every township except Lovells, which has no gas utility at all. A territory is not a gas main, though: mains follow the developed roads, so plenty of homes inside DTE's area still heat with propane, fuel oil, or wood. If the home has a propane tank, find out whether the seller owns it or leases it from a supplier, because that decides who can fill it.
| Provider | Contact |
|---|---|
| DTE Energy (DTE Gas)Grayling and the townships other than Lovells, on the roads where gas mains exist; confirm your address | (800) 477-4747 |
| Fick & SonsPropane, fuel oil, and heating oil delivery from its main office on Fig Street in Grayling | (989) 348-7647 |
| Ferrellgas (Grayling)Home propane delivery from its Grayling location on the I-75 Business Loop, which is not open to walk-ins, so call or sign up online | (989) 348-6241 |
Water & sewer
The City of Grayling runs its own water and sewer system. Outside the city, the Beaver Creek Grayling Township Utility Authority serves the Four Mile Road corridor, and Grayling Charter Township is extending that water system in phases to neighborhoods near Grayling Army Airfield and Lake Margrethe, a project driven by PFAS in private wells and still under construction. A separate sewer authority serves a small group of cottages near Higgins Lake in Beaver Creek Township. We found no public water or sewer system in Frederic or Lovells. Outside the areas named here, plan on a private well and septic system.
| Provider | Contact |
|---|---|
| City of Grayling Utility BillingCity of Grayling water, sewer, and trash on one quarterly bill; call City Hall to have water turned on or off | (989) 348-2131 |
| Grayling Charter Township (municipal water project)Township neighborhoods being connected to municipal water near Grayling Army Airfield and Lake Margrethe; ask whether an address is in a project area and whether it is hooked up yet | (989) 348-4361 |
| Beaver Creek Grayling Township Utility AuthorityWater and sewer along the Four Mile Road corridor, and the water supply for the Grayling Charter Township extensions | See website |
| Higgins Lake Utilities AuthoritySewer for a small group of cottages near Higgins Lake in Beaver Creek Township; most of its customers are across the line in Lyon Township, Roscommon County | (800) 989-7851 |
| District Health Department #10 (Crawford County office)Private well and septic permits, evaluations, and records countywide | (989) 348-7800 |
Trash & recycling
The City of Grayling contracts for weekly curbside pickup and bills it with water and sewer. There is no countywide curbside service: the townships run their own transfer stations, compactors, and recycling sites for residents, each with its own hours and permit rules. The county's recycling page lists the sites, including the two in Lovells Township. We could not confirm what Maple Forest Township offers, so call the township hall.
| Provider | Contact |
|---|---|
| City of Grayling (GFL Environmental contract)Weekly Wednesday curbside pickup for city homes in a 96-gallon tote, billed quarterly with water and sewer | (989) 348-2131 |
| GFL Environmental (formerly American Waste)The city's contracted hauler; ask about subscription service outside the city | See website |
| Grayling Charter Township Compactor and Recycling CenterThe township's household trash compactor, recycling, and composting center; hours are posted on the township's page | (989) 348-4361 |
| Beaver Creek Township Transfer StationTrash and recycling drop-off on South Grayling Road, just north of the township hall | (989) 275-8878 |
| South Branch Township refuse sitesTwo residential transfer sites for township residents with a current permit, with a weekly bag limit | (989) 275-8232 |
| Frederic Township Recycle CenterRecycling drop-off in the north parking lot of the township hall | (989) 348-8778 |
| Crawford County recycling informationThe county's list of township recycling and transfer sites, hours, and accepted materials, including Lovells Township | (989) 348-2841 |
Internet & cable
Wired internet is strongest in and around Grayling. Out on township roads it changes from one driveway to the next: Great Lakes Energy's Truestream fiber is built and connecting homes in its Lovells areas, while other parts of the co-op's territory depend on the substation that serves the address. Run an address check with every provider before you count on working from home.
| Provider | Contact |
|---|---|
| SpectrumGrayling and nearby areas (cable); check your address | See website |
| Truestream Fiber (Great Lakes Energy)Great Lakes Energy members in its Waters service district; the Lovells areas are built and installing, so check the status map for your address | (888) 485-2537 |
| T-Mobile 5G Home InternetWhere cellular coverage allows (fixed wireless) | See website |
| StarlinkCountywide where wired service does not reach (satellite) | See website |
Your first-month checklist
Roughly the order they need doing in.
Get the well and septic records, and ask about PFAS
Request the well and septic permit records from District Health Department #10, have the well water tested, and if the home is near Grayling Army Airfield or Lake Margrethe, ask the seller for the well's PFAS test results too. Crawford County has no inspection requirement at sale, so nobody will hand you this paperwork unless you ask. The health department takes records requests online and will do a well and septic evaluation on request for a fee.
Figure out your electric and heating providers
Start from the seller's last bill to learn whether your electric service is Consumers Energy or Great Lakes Energy, then transfer it about a week before closing. If the house heats with propane rather than DTE natural gas, set up a delivery account before closing and confirm who owns the tank; a leased tank can usually only be filled by the company that owns it.
File your USPS change of address
File the change online at usps.com a week or two before the move so forwarding starts on day one. Not every Crawford County address says Grayling: Frederic has its own ZIP code, and South Branch Township's own hall carries a Roscommon mailing address, so confirm your delivery setup with the local post office.
Update your driver's license and vehicle registration
Update your address with the Secretary of State right after you move: Michigan law says immediately for a driver's license and within 10 days for a vehicle registration. The address change is free and takes minutes online at Michigan.gov/SOS, with no office visit needed.
Check your voter registration
Confirm your registration and polling place at Michigan.gov/Vote before the next election. In Michigan, updating your driver's license address with the Secretary of State updates your voter registration automatically, and in Crawford County your city or township clerk runs your precinct.
File your Principal Residence Exemption (PRE)
File Form 2368 with your city or township assessor by June 1 to get the exemption on that year's summer bill, or by November 1 for the winter bill. Michigan's PRE exempts your primary home from up to 18 mills of school operating tax. It only applies to the home you actually live in, so a river cabin or second home won't qualify. It's often handled at closing, but verify it was recorded.
Learn the local tax calendar
Summer tax bills are mailed July 1 and are due to your city or township treasurer by September 14; winter bills are mailed December 1 and are due by February 14. Taxes still unpaid on March 1 go to the Crawford County Treasurer as delinquent. The City of Grayling does not accept postmarks, so a payment has to be in the office by the due date. If you live or work inside the city limits, also know that Grayling has a city income tax with its own annual return.
Set up trash and recycling
In the City of Grayling, trash pickup comes with your water and sewer account; in the townships, ask your township hall how its transfer station or compactor site works. City pickup is on Wednesdays in the tote the hauler provides. Township sites have limited hours and some require a resident permit, so check before you load the truck.
Enroll the kids in school
Confirm your district before you register: Crawford AuSable Schools, based in Grayling, covers most of the county, and Roscommon Area Public Schools covers South Branch Township and part of Beaver Creek Township. Both belong to the C.O.O.R. Intermediate School District, based in Roscommon. Your address sets your default district.
License your dog
Michigan requires a license for every dog 4 months and older, and in Crawford County you buy it from the County Treasurer at 200 W. Michigan Avenue in Grayling with a current rabies certificate. Township offices that post it (Beaver Creek and South Branch) also sell licenses from November 1 through the end of February at $8 for a spayed or neutered dog and $15 otherwise; from March 1 the fee is $25 and licenses are sold only at the county offices. The county board sets the fees, so confirm the amount when you call.
Check before you burn brush
Check the DNR burn permit page (or call (866) 922-2876) on the day you plan to burn, because Crawford County is in the northern Michigan area where the DNR issues burn permits. If the page shows permits issued for the county that day, that serves as your permit. Check your township's rules too, and inside the City of Grayling ask City Hall before burning anything.
Every step above is written out in full in the online guide at www.mypriorityhome.com/local-resources/crawford-county-mi/
Places worth seeing
Hartwick Pines State Park
A 9,335-acre state park near Grayling, named for its 49 acres of old-growth pine, some of the last in the state. There is a visitor center, a logging museum, a paved 1.25-mile Old Growth Forest Trail, and 21 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and skiing.
Grayling Fish Hatchery
A historic hatchery on North Down River Road, now a nonprofit educational site about the trout of the Au Sable. It is open Friday through Sunday and holiday Mondays from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend: feed the trout, walk the self-guided tour, and let kids 16 and under fish the children's pond for free.
The Mason Tract
A 3,180-acre state natural area, listed by the DNR as the South Branch of the AuSable, 15 miles southeast of Grayling. Much of it was willed to the state in 1955 to protect the river, which leaves about nine miles of undeveloped banks for paddling, fishing, and walking.
Lake Margrethe State Forest Campground
A wooded, rustic state forest campground on Lake Margrethe west of Grayling, with a lakefront picnic area and 37 first-come sites, most with direct access to the water. The state posts a foam and fish advisory for the lake on the same page, so read it before you go.
North Higgins Lake State Park
A 449-acre park on the north shore of Higgins Lake, at the county's southern edge, with a swim beach, a campground, and trails for hiking and cross-country skiing. Inside it, the Higgins Lake Nursery and CCC Museum tells the story of Michigan's first tree nursery.
Crawford County Library
The Devereaux Memorial Library on Plum Street in Grayling is the main branch, with a second branch in Frederic. The library runs regular programs, and a library card is an easy first errand in a new town.
Things to do year-round
AuSable River Canoe Marathon
A nonstop 120-mile canoe race that starts at night in Grayling every July and finishes in Oscoda. Watching the start is a local tradition, and the race organizers call it the world's toughest spectator race.
AuSable River Festival
The week of events in downtown Grayling leading up to the marathon start: a craft show, food on Michigan Avenue, live entertainment, canoe racing, and a rubber duck race on the river.
Paddle and fish the Au Sable and Manistee
Two of Michigan's best-known trout rivers run within a short drive of Grayling. The Au Sable is a favorite for canoeing, kayaking, and fly fishing, and the Manistee is known for wild brown and brook trout. Pick up a Michigan fishing license and read the stream regulations first.
Hanson Hills Recreation Area
The community's hill since 1929, run on a nonprofit basis by the Grayling Recreation Authority: downhill skiing and snowboarding, tubing, cross-country and snowshoe trails in winter, then more than 20 miles of singletrack and two disc golf courses the rest of the year.
Forbush Corner Nordic
A cross-country ski center near Frederic with groomed trails and its own snowmaking, plus a growing network of mountain bike trails once the snow is gone.
ORV riding
Crawford County has its own ORV ordinance and publishes an ORV map for each township, with and without the DNR trails drawn in. Read the ordinance and download the map for your township before you ride.
Snowmobiling
Winter is long here, and Frederic Township counts hundreds of miles of trails that connect the village to Grayling, Gaylord, Kalkaska, and Lovells. Buy a Michigan snowmobile trail permit and check the DNR's trail maps before you ride.
Moving to Crawford County: common questions
Does Crawford County require a well and septic inspection when a home sells?
No. District Health Department #10 covers Crawford County, and its sanitary code requires a point-of-sale evaluation in Kalkaska and Manistee counties only. In Crawford there is no county time-of-sale requirement, and we found no township rule either. The health department will do a well and septic evaluation on request for a fee (its form calls it a mortgage evaluation), and a buyer or lender may ask for one. Since most homes outside the City of Grayling are on a private well and septic system, it is worth paying for during your inspection period, along with a records request to the health department and a water test.
What should I know about PFAS and well water around Grayling?
The state's PFAS response team, MPART, lists several investigation sites tied to Camp Grayling, including Grayling Army Airfield northwest of downtown Grayling and the Cantonment area at the south end of Lake Margrethe, where firefighting foam containing PFAS was used and stored in the 1970s and 1980s. The state and the Army National Guard have sampled more than 1,100 private wells around the airfield and more than 800 around Lake Margrethe. Households with detections have been given point-of-use filters through the health department, and the state health department continues to offer free well testing nearby. The long-term answer chosen is municipal water, which Grayling Charter Township is extending to those neighborhoods in phases. Before you buy a home on a private well in the Grayling area, look at the maps on MPART's Camp Grayling pages at Michigan.gov/pfasresponse, ask the seller for the well's test results and whether the home is in a water project area, and call EGLE's Environmental Assistance Center at (800) 662-9278 with questions.
How do property taxes work in Crawford County?
You'll get two bills a year from your city or township treasurer: a summer bill mailed July 1 and due by September 14, and a winter bill mailed December 1 and due by February 14. Taxes unpaid on March 1 are turned over to the Crawford County Treasurer as delinquent. If the home is your primary residence, make sure the Principal Residence Exemption (Form 2368) is on file with your assessor, by June 1 for the summer bill or November 1 for the winter bill, because it exempts you from up to 18 mills of school operating tax. A second home or hunting cabin doesn't qualify. One thing many buyers don't expect: the City of Grayling levies a city income tax, 1.0% for residents and 0.5% for nonresidents who work in the city, filed with City Hall each spring.
What order should I set up utilities in?
Start by confirming your electric provider from the seller's last bill (Consumers Energy or Great Lakes Energy) and transfer service about a week before closing. Next, heating: DTE Gas if the home is on a gas main, otherwise open a propane account and schedule a fill, which matters most if you close in the fall or winter. In the city, call Grayling City Hall at (989) 348-2131 for water, sewer, and trash. In Grayling Charter Township, ask the township whether the address is on municipal water or still on a well. Book internet early, since rural installs and fiber hookups can take a while.
What should I know before buying a lake or river property here?
Start with the rivers: the Au Sable and the Upper Manistee are state-designated Natural Rivers, and the DNR says nearly all construction, earth moving, and placement of structures is regulated within 400 feet of a designated stream. Call the DNR's Natural Rivers Program before you plan a deck, an addition, or tree clearing. For the septic, the health department's code sets the drainfield at least 100 feet and the septic tank at least 50 feet from a lake or stream for new systems, so an older waterfront system deserves a close look. Shoreline work such as seawalls or filling can require a state permit from EGLE. On Lake Margrethe, the state advises avoiding foam on the water and has fish consumption guidelines. If you intend to rent the place out, Grayling Charter Township has a short-term rental ordinance and registration; elsewhere, check with the city or your township.
What are winters and spring roads like?
Plan for a real northern Michigan winter with snow on the ground for months. The Crawford County Road Commission, on Huron Street in Grayling at (989) 348-2281, maintains county roads, but private roads and long driveways are on you, so line up a plow service before the first storm. In spring, county road commissions post seasonal weight restrictions (frost laws) while the frost comes out of the ground, lowering the axle loads and speeds allowed for heavy trucks. That can delay heavy deliveries like gravel, lumber, or a septic replacement until the roads firm up, so plan spring projects with some slack. We did not find a sidewalk snow rule for the City of Grayling online, so ask City Hall.
Where do I go for county-level services?
The county building at 200 W. Michigan Avenue in Grayling is the main county office, (989) 348-2841, and crawfordco.org links to each department: the Treasurer for delinquent taxes and dog licenses ((989) 344-3231), plus the Register of Deeds, County Clerk, Equalization, and Building and Safety. District Health Department #10's Crawford County office at 501 Norway Street handles well and septic permits and records. For assessing, current-year taxes, zoning, and elections, go to your township hall, or to Grayling City Hall at 1020 City Boulevard inside the city. Grayling Charter Township runs its own building department, so ask your township first where a building permit is issued.
Nearby counties
Most buyers shop more than one county. Here are the guides next door.
Confirm before you count on it. Provider details checked October 2026. We check this page every quarter and every provider row was verified by hand, but phone numbers, service territories, fees, and local ordinances all change without notice, and which utility serves a house can change from one road to the next. Call the provider, the township, or the county before you rely on anything here, especially well and septic rules at sale. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.
Priority Home Mortgage is a dba of PFN Lending Group, Inc. NMLS #103098. Equal Housing Lender. This is not an offer to enter into an agreement; not all customers will qualify. Printed from https://www.mypriorityhome.com/local-resources/crawford-county-mi/