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

Sunfish Lake’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Most building or site improvements inside Sunfish Lake city limits, including listed roofing, siding, fences, room or patio additions, and driveway repaving.

  • The city page says permits are required regardless of whether the work is done by a contractor or homeowner.
  • For building, mechanical, plumbing, and electrical permits and inspections, the city directs residents to the City of West St. Paul contact listed on its page.

  “The City of Sunfish Lake requires permits for most building or site improvements. Things like roofing, siding, fences, room or patio additions or repaving your driveway, all require a permit. Permits are required to ensure all construction is completed correctly and complies with the building and zoning codes. Permits are required regardless of whether a contractor or homeowner does the work.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Sunfish Lake city limits.

  • The City Code states that ordinances adopted after May 2, 1988 have been integrated into the code.

  “In order to classify, regulate and restrict the location of buildings designated for specific uses, to protect residential uses, to regulate and limit the height and bulk of buildings hereafter erected or altered, to regulate and limit the intensity of the use of lot areas, and to regulate and determine the areas of yards, recreation and open space within and surrounding such buildings, the City of Sunfish Lake is hereby divided into zoning districts.”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  One-story, one-and-one-half-story, and two-story dwellings inside Sunfish Lake city limits.

  • The cited floor-area figures exclude open porches, garages, and breezeways.

  minimum usable ground-floor area for one-story dwelling: >= 1500 square feet (exclusive of open porches, garages and breezeways) · minimum usable ground-floor area for one-and-one-half or two-story dwelling: >= 1000 square feet (exclusive of open porches, garages and breezeways)

  “A. A one story dwelling shall contain not less than one thousand five hundred (1,500) square feet of usable ground floor area exclusive of open porches, garages and breezeways. B. A story and one-half or two story dwelling shall contain not less than one thousand (1,000) square feet of usable ground floor area exclusive of open porches, garages and breezeways.”

• Living in an RVLimited

  Travel trailers and motor homes in required front yards inside Sunfish Lake city limits.

  • Travel trailers and motor homes are limited to parking only.
  • Parking may not exceed 72 hours within a 15-day period.

  maximum parking duration: <= 72 hours (within a fifteen-day period) · measurement period: per 15 days

  “Travel trailers or motor homes limited to parking only and for a period not exceeding seventy-two (72) hours within a fifteen (15) day period.”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Permanent single-family detached dwellings, including any dwelling proposed as a tiny home, inside Sunfish Lake city limits.

  • One-story dwellings require at least 1,500 square feet of usable ground-floor area, excluding open porches, garages, and breezeways.
  • One-and-one-half- or two-story dwellings require at least 1,000 square feet of usable ground-floor area, excluding open porches, garages, and breezeways.

  minimum usable ground-floor area for one-story dwelling: >= 1500 square feet (exclusive of open porches, garages and breezeways) · minimum usable ground-floor area for one-and-one-half or two-story dwelling: >= 1000 square feet (exclusive of open porches, garages and breezeways)

  “A. A one story dwelling shall contain not less than one thousand five hundred (1,500) square feet of usable ground floor area exclusive of open porches, garages and breezeways. B. A story and one-half or two story dwelling shall contain not less than one thousand (1,000) square feet of usable ground floor area exclusive of open porches, garages and breezeways.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Installation of onsite sewage treatment systems inside Sunfish Lake city limits.

  • Installation must comply with the State Uniform Building Code, PCA 70-80 as amended, and other applicable state and city codes.

  “The installation of on-site sewage treatment systems shall be in compliance with the provisions of the State Uniform Building Code, PCA 70-80 as may be amended, and other applicable state and city codes.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Proposed subdivisions inside Sunfish Lake city limits.

  • The city permit page publishes applications for lot splits, pre and final plats, and subdivision.
  • Zoning-ordinance provisions require resulting lots to meet the ordinance's minimum developable area.

  “The lots resulting after the proposed subdivision shall meet the minimum developable area as specified by this Ordinance.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building, planning, zoning, lot-split, plat, subdivision, and related permits inside Sunfish Lake city limits.

  • The page supplies permit contacts and links applications, but the opened material does not provide a complete procedural ordinance.

  “The safest procedure for all residents before commencing any project is call our friendly Sunfish Lake City Planner, Lori Johnson at 612-364-3029 or email her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. She will give you the necessary information and guide you through the steps.”

Rules another office applies inside Sunfish Lake

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

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  R-1 Single Family Residential District inside Sunfish Lake city limits.

  • Net area excludes wetlands, annually seasonally flooded land, drainage ways or surface water, land containing aquatic vegetation, and land in excess of 12 percent slope.
  • Additional requirements, exceptions, and modifications in the ordinance apply.

  minimum net lot area: >= 2.5 acres (net area as defined in Section 1202.02.L)

  “Lot Area: The minimum lot area shall be two and one-half (2½) acres of net area. For the purposes of this Ordinance and as defined in Section 1202.02.L, net area means two and one-half (2½) acres of land, not including wetlands, land seasonally flooded on an annual basis, land containing drainage ways and/or surface water or land containing aquatic vegetation, and land in excess of twelve (12) percent slope.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  R-1 Single Family Residential District inside Sunfish Lake city limits.

  maximum total building ground coverage: <= 10 percent

  “The total ground area of all buildings shall not exceed a lot coverage of ten (10) percent.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Building structures in the R-1 Single Family Residential District inside Sunfish Lake city limits.

  • The limit is subject to Section 1219.02 exceptions.
  • The applicable limit is the lesser of the stories and feet limits.

  maximum stories: <= 2.5 stories (whichever is lesser with the 30-foot existing-grade height limit) · maximum existing-grade height: <= 30 feet (whichever is lesser with the 2.5-story limit)

  “Building Height: No building structure shall exceed two and one-half (2½) stories or thirty (30) feet in existing grade height, whichever is the lesser in height, except as provided by Section 1219.02 of this Ordinance.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-performed residential construction inside Sunfish Lake city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building work inside Sunfish Lake city limits.
• Inspections — Building work inside Sunfish Lake city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — Completed construction inside Sunfish Lake city limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Sunfish 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.