Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Barry, Minnesota

Rules another office applies inside Barry

Barry does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings inside Barry city limits that are governed by the Minnesota State Building Code.

  • The State Building Code does not apply to agricultural buildings, except for state inspections or rulemaking authorized by Minnesota Statutes sections 103F.141, 216C.19 subdivision 9, and 326B.36, and for certain translucent panels or skylights.

  “The State Building Code is the standard that applies statewide”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Subsurface sewage treatment systems inside Barry city limits.

  • If Barry has a conforming SSTS ordinance, the city must effectively administer and enforce it and it must be as strict as the county ordinance.
  • If Barry does not administer a conforming ordinance, Big Stone County must permit and inspect SSTS in the city.

  “All counties must adopt and implement SSTS ordinances”

• Septic permitRequired

  New construction or replacement of a subsurface sewage treatment system inside Barry city limits.

  • The relevant local unit of government administers the SSTS permitting program.
  • The local unit of government must review and approve or deny the application before issuing a construction permit.
  • Construction must not begin until a construction permit is granted.
  • The rule authorizes the local unit to require permits for all or certain SSTS repairs.

  “Permits must be required for all new construction and replacement. A local unit of government is authorized to require permits for all or certain types of SSTS repairs.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New construction or replacement of a subsurface sewage treatment system inside Barry city limits.

  • The inspection program is administered by the applicable local unit of government.
  • The compliance inspection must be conducted by an authorized qualified employee or licensed inspection business independent of the owner and installer.
  • Additional inspection requirements may apply to existing systems and operating permits.

  “A compliance inspection [...] must be conducted:”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Agricultural buildings inside Barry city limits under the Minnesota State Building Code.

  • The exception remains subject to state inspections required or rulemaking authorized by Minnesota Statutes sections 103F.141, 216C.19 subdivision 9, and 326B.36.
  • Translucent panels or other skylights without raised curbs must have equivalent load-bearing capacity as the surrounding roof.

  “The State Building Code does not apply to agricultural buildings except:”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Barry or Big Stone County directly.

• Building permit — Residential building construction inside Barry city limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Barry city limits.
• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Barry city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Residential occupancy inside Barry city limits.
• Local zoning — Land inside Barry 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.