Stacy, MN Zoning, Building Permits & Septic Rules

Stacy, Minnesota sets its own zoning under Chapter 153 of the city code¹, but building permits inside the city come from Chisago County, whose building office enforces the building code in Stacy². Septic permits come from Chisago County Environmental Services³. The city's permits page also lists a City of Stacy building permit application, so call City Hall at 651-462-4486 to confirm which office takes yours⁴.

At a glance

Building permit: Required; Chisago County enforces the building code inside Stacy²
Zoning: Stacy's own zoning code, Chapter 153¹
Septic permit: Chisago County Environmental Services; perc test and design required³⁵
Minimum home size: 860 square feet of ground floor for a single-family dwelling⁶
Minimum lot (R-1): 15,000 square feet with public sewer; two acres without⁷
RV living: Not confirmed; recreational camping areas are a conditional use in RR-I⁸
Owner-builder: Minnesota exempts owner-occupants from residential contractor licensing⁹
Wells: Chisago County does not issue well permits; ask the Minnesota Department of Health¹⁰

Who to call

Zoning

City of Stacy (City Hall)

Stacy zoning, land-use applications (conditional use, variance, rezoning) and the City of Stacy building permit application form

651-462-4486

30955 Forest Blvd Stacy, MN 55079

Building permits

Chisago County Environmental Services Department

Building and demolition permits and inspections in the county's townships and in Stacy and seven other cities

651-213-8370

313 N Main St Suite 240, Center City, MN 55012

Online permits →

Septic permits

Chisago County Environmental Services Department

Septic (SSTS) permits, perc tests and inspections

651-213-8370

313 N Main St Suite 240, Center City, MN 55012

Online permits →

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 23, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Stacy means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Does Stacy, MN have zoning, and what does it mean for lots and setbacks?

Yes. Stacy writes and applies its own zoning under Chapter 153 of the city code, and the zoning map covers all land inside city limits¹. Chisago County's zoning office does not zone inside the city; it lists specific townships as its zoning jurisdiction and sends city-limit questions to the city¹¹.

Lot size depends on the district. In R-1 single-family, the minimum is 15,000 square feet with public sewer and two acres without it⁷. In RR-A the minimum lot is 2.5 acres¹², and in RR-I it is 1 acre¹³.

Setbacks also vary. R-1 requires 25 feet in front, 35 feet in back and 10 feet on an interior side¹⁴. RR-I requires 20 feet on the side and 25 feet in the rear for a principal structure¹⁵. The general height limit is 35 feet for most structures¹⁶.

Do you need a building permit in Stacy, MN, and who issues it?

Yes. Chisago County requires building permits for all new construction and most remodeling, alteration and repair work, plus demolition permits². The county building office states that it enforces the building code in Stacy, so the Chisago County Environmental Services Department in Center City is the office that handles building permits and inspections for Stacy projects¹⁷.

The county accepts building permits only online through its permitting portal, with building plans and a site map uploaded into the application¹⁸. Fees follow the county fee schedule, and a state surcharge applies to permits under the code¹⁹.

Stacy's own permits page also carries a City of Stacy building permit application, so ask City Hall at 651-462-4486 whether the city needs its form in addition to the county permit⁴. On a residential-zoned parcel, the city's zoning code requires a building permit for any accessory building over 120 square feet²⁰.

A new single-family dwelling must have at least 860 square feet of ground floor, and a two-story house may use 75% of that figure⁶.

How do septic permits work in Stacy, MN?

Chisago County administers septic permits and inspections under its Subsurface Sewage Treatment Ordinance 10-1 and the state's Chapter 7080 standards³. A perc test, a design proposal and a septic permit are all required to install, repair, alter or add to a system⁵. The tank must sit 10 feet and the drain field 20 feet from an occupied building, and the system must be 10 feet from every property line⁵. Homeowners may install their own system²¹.

The city's zoning code ties lot size to sewer service: an R-1 lot without public sewer needs two acres and may need a soil test⁷. Only about 0.4% of Chisago County's soils rate as not limited for a conventional drain field, so expect a site evaluation and possibly an engineered system²².

We could not confirm whether septic permits for lots inside Stacy are handled any differently from the rest of the county, or whether city sewer reaches a given lot. Ask Chisago County Environmental Services at 651-213-8370²¹ and City Hall at 651-462-4486⁴ before you buy.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Stacy, MN?

We could not confirm that Stacy allows living in a recreational vehicle on a private lot. The zoning code lists recreational camping areas as a conditional use in the RR-I district, which requires a conditional use permit⁸. That is a rule for camping areas, not an answer for one RV on a residential lot, so ask City Hall before parking one and moving in. Chisago County's 30-day limit on RVs applies to unincorporated land under county zoning, not inside city limits²³.

For tiny homes, Minnesota says a tiny house must meet the State Building Code and the local zoning ordinance²⁴. Stacy's minimum of 860 square feet of ground floor for a single-family dwelling, or 75% of that for two stories, means a very small tiny house would appear to fall short⁶. Confirm with City Hall at 651-462-4486⁴.

Building a home in Stacy, MN: the steps, in order

Call Stacy City Hall to confirm the lot's zoning district, whether city sewer reaches it, and which permit forms the city wants⁴.
Check the lot against the district minimums, such as two acres without public sewer in R-1⁷.
If there is no public sewer, schedule a perc test, get a design, and apply to Chisago County for the septic permit⁵.
Plan access. A single-family lot in RR-I must front a public road unless access is approved as part of a conservation subdivision or planned unit development²⁵. A new driveway onto a Chisago County highway needs a county access permit²⁶.
Apply online to the county building office with plans and a site map¹⁸.
Contact the county when each stage is ready for inspection; a final inspection follows once the building is complete and ready for occupancy²⁷.

What stays with Chisago County, and what to check before you buy in Stacy

Chisago County, not the city, handles septic permits and, according to its building office, building permits in Stacy¹⁷. For land outside city limits, the county's and townships' rules differ; see the Chisago County page.

Wells: the county does not issue permits for or regulate wells except for the required separation from a septic system, and it points applicants to the Minnesota Department of Health¹⁰. Floodplain: Minnesota requires a permit to build a house or place fill in a regulated floodplain²⁸; we could not confirm how Stacy's floodplain district applies to a specific lot, so ask City Hall.

Taxes are set at the county level: Chisago County's effective property tax rate is 1.1%²⁹, and the median property tax bill is $3,668 per year³⁰.

Watch-outs

Stacy's permits page lists a City of Stacy building permit application, while Chisago County states that its building office enforces the building code in Stacy; confirm with both offices which form and fee apply before you submit⁴¹⁷.
We could not confirm Stacy's building permit fees, accessory dwelling rules, manufactured home rules or floodplain requirements; call City Hall at 651-462-4486 before you buy⁴.
Chisago County requires an annual Short-Term Rental Housing License in incorporated cities as well as townships, and city ordinances may restrict rentals further³¹.
Rules in the county's zoning ordinance, such as its five-acre agricultural minimum lot, apply outside city limits, not inside Stacy³².

Sources

Written October 23, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Stacy publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Chisago County’s page lists the county offices to call.

Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Stacy, Minnesota