Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Ham Lake, Minnesota

Ham Lake’s own rules

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Construction inside Ham Lake city limits.

  • The city identifies the adopted code as the Minnesota 2020 Building Code.

  “The City of Ham Lake has adopted the Minnesota 2020 Building Code as its official building code.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Land uses commencing inside Ham Lake city limits.

  • Agricultural buildings and land uses that superseding Minnesota statutes exempt from building permits or Certificates of Occupancy are excepted.
  • Certificates allow a parcel to commence a particular use only after City Code requirements are met.

  “all land uses shall require the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Ham Lake city limits.

  • Land uses must be permitted in the applicable zoning category or receive a Conditional Use Permit.
  • Shoreland zoning districts are governed through Article 12 rather than Article 9.

  “The following provisions govern comprehensive zoning within the City of Ham Lake, and to the extent that any such regulations are permitted to be enforced beyond the corporate limits of the City of Ham Lake, then the following provisions shall extend to those areas as well.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  All land inside Ham Lake city limits.

  • The city classifies land into zoning categories defined in Article 9-200.
  • Shoreland zoning districts are separately governed in Article 12.
  • The official zoning map is available for public inspection and purchase in reduced form.

  “All land within the City shall be classified into specific zoning categories, which are more fully defined and described in Article 9-200. A land use within a given zoning category shall be a permitted use if the specific land use is listed under the table of permitted uses for that zoning category, or if the land use meets the narrative description of the desired permitted uses as found in the textual description of the zoning category, in the sole discretion of the City Council.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Single-family dwelling units inside Ham Lake city limits.

  • Subject to contrary state law.
  • For multi-level finished living space, 960 total square feet are required, including at least 720 square feet on the main level and 240 square feet on another non-adjacent level.
  • All other construction requires 960 square feet on the main level.

  minimum single-family dwelling size: >= 960 square feet (Subject to the stated multi-level distribution requirements or contrary state law.)

  “For all other types of construction, the minimum square footage shall be 960 square feet on the main level. The main level shall be that level which sits at or above the grade of the lot.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots in a Ham Lake subdivision plat.

  • Lots must also meet Table 10-1 dimensional, setback, and frontage requirements.
  • The one-acre density requirement is stated for plats.

  minimum plat density: >= 1 acre per lot (Lots must also meet applicable Table 10-1 standards.)

  “All lots shall meet the dimensional, setback and frontage requirements as found in Table 10-1, and shall have frontage upon and access to a paved public road, except those lots exempted from this access to paved road requirement by Article 10-103. For corner lots abutting two streets, both street lines shall be considered front lot lines for purposes of applying the setback requirements found in Table 10-1. No construction or grading shall take place on any portion of a lot where a gradient of 12 percent or more is found. Monumentation irons shall be placed at all lot corners. Density in a plat shall not be less than one acre per lot.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured homes in the R-M Residential–Manufactured Home district inside Ham Lake city limits.

  • R-M districts are privately owned manufactured-mobile-home communities.
  • The district requires central water, central sewer, a minimum manufactured-home size of 600 square feet, specified setbacks, and other listed required features.

  minimum manufactured home size: >= 600 square feet (R-M district)

  “R-M districts are intended for privately owned residential communities consisting of manufactured mobile homes, each of which is intended for occupancy by a single housekeeping unit, which communities are commonly known as “manufactured home parks”.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  SSTS inside Ham Lake city limits.

  • Compliance inspections are required for new or replacement systems, an alteration adding a bedroom, and development or subdivision of a parcel with an existing system.
  • Every SSTS must also be inspected at least once every three years.

  routine inspection frequency: per 3 years

  “An SSTS compliance inspection (meaning an inspection by a person or entity licensed by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency to determine compliance with minimum construction standards) shall be required in the following circumstances:”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  On-site sanitation inside Ham Lake city limits.

  • All city sewage must be treated in an MPCA-permitted facility or an SSTS meeting City Code.
  • SSTS construction, alteration, repair, and operation must comply with City Code.
  • A non-standard system may be used only when a standard system is infeasible and must comply with applicable rules and regulations.

  “All sewage generated in the City shall be treated either in a Minnesota Pollution Control Agency–permitted facility, or in an SSTS that meets the requirements of this code. No person shall install, alter, repair or operate an SSTS except in compliance with this code.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Certain agricultural buildings and land uses inside Ham Lake city limits.

  • The exemption applies only where superseding Minnesota statutes prevent the city from requiring building permits or Certificates of Occupancy.

  “Excepting certain agricultural buildings”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision of land inside Ham Lake city limits, including traditional platting and individual lot splits.

  • The City Council may grant reasonable variances after compliance with the code.
  • Minor plats of three lots or fewer may have an expedited plat-approval process.

  “The following regulations apply to the subdivision of lands, whether by the platting process or by individual lot splits. No lands shall be subdivided unless in conformance with this code, provided, that upon compliance with this Code, the City Council may grant reasonable variances to the strict application of this code.”

• Short-term rentalsLimited

  Short-term rental of dwelling units in Ham Lake residential districts.

  • A short-term rental is a rental or lease of all or part of a dwelling unit for 30 days or less.
  • The owner must obtain a city short-term-rental license.
  • The premises must be inspected by a City building official before the license is issued.
  • Licenses generally expire annually on December 31.

  short-term rental duration: <= 30 days

  “No owner shall undertake or allow the short-term rental of any dwelling unit”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  City building permits inside Ham Lake city limits.

  • The city webpage identifies the linked fee schedule as effective March 2, 2026.
  • Article 11 also provides for a municipal permit fee and a Minnesota Department of Administration surcharge.

  fee schedule effective date: 2026-03-02

  “Ham Lake Fee Schedule Effective 3/2/2026”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit application submission inside Ham Lake city limits.

  • The online portal is available for some, but not all, permits.
  • Projects not available in the portal must be submitted using a PDF application by email or in person.
  • New construction, additions, remodeling projects, and commercial septic-system applications cannot be submitted through the online portal.

  “We now have an application and payment portal for some (not all) permits.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Ham Lake or Anoka County directly.

• Building permit — Residential building construction inside Ham Lake city limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Ham Lake city limits.
• Inspections — Residential building construction inside Ham Lake city limits.
• Lot coverage — Land inside Ham Lake city limits.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Ham Lake city limits.

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.