Building permits, zoning and land rules in Faribault County, Minnesota

Unincorporated Faribault County requires a building permit to construct a building or alter a building’s height or area; the county also lists building movement as permit work¹. Examples include dwellings, detached garages, grain bins, additions and accessory structures¹. The county lists buildings over 150 square feet and separately includes accessory buildings below 150 square feet, so size alone does not establish an exemption¹. Nonstructural reroofing, residing, window replacement and interior remodeling do not need this county building permit¹.

Faribault County building-permit fees depend on the project and are collected when the permit is obtained; the county publishes no flat fee¹. Inside city limits the city's own rules apply: Winnebago issues its own building and use permits through its Building Official¹¹. The Minnesota State Building Code applies statewide to buildings governed by the code, while local enforcement depends on adoption and administration arrangements¹². Qualifying agricultural buildings are exempt from most State Building Code provisions, subject to statutory inspection and roof-panel exceptions; county permit requirements still list grain bins and accessory structures^1,12. Ask Planning & Zoning to distinguish the county building permit from construction-code review for the proposed farm building².

Faribault County Planning & Zoning is the first office for county building permits, zoning questions, conditional uses and variances². The office is at the Blue Earth Ag Center and can be reached at the phone number listed above². Authorized Planning & Zoning personnel must approve applications, and payment and applicable permit conditions must be resolved before construction begins¹. Applicants without a Certificate of Compliance and Pumping Form, or those unsure about setbacks or lot size, should make an appointment¹.

The State Building Code is the minimum construction standard statewide, but it is not enforceable by a municipality unless adopted by local ordinance, so enforcement varies by place¹³. We could not confirm Faribault County's building-inspection authority or inspection schedule. Ask Planning & Zoning who will inspect the work before choosing a contractor or construction timetable². Work covered by a Minnesota State Building Code permit must remain accessible and exposed until the required inspection is approved¹⁴.

The Faribault County Zoning Ordinance applies to all land outside the incorporated limits of municipalities and regulates structures and land uses through zoning districts^2,3. Like the counties around it in Minnesota, Faribault County has county zoning³.

Inside city limits the city decides. Winnebago adopts its own zoning ordinance⁵, and Wells divides its land into zoning districts under its own zoning code⁶. Septic stays with the county program unless a city or township administers a conforming SSTS ordinance; Wells issues its own private wastewater permits^7,15.

For an unincorporated parcel, ask Planning & Zoning to confirm the district, allowed use, setbacks and minimum lot size before relying on a listing description². County building permits must meet setback and minimum lot-size requirements, but we could not confirm the numeric dimensions for a particular district¹. Residential parcel splits must support Type I primary and secondary septic sites, and existing sites need a valid Certificate of Compliance^1,10. Splits of bare agricultural land are exempt from MPCA Rules 7080/7081, but not from the county's other land-division requirements¹⁰.

Faribault County administers its SSTS program except where a city or township operates a conforming local ordinance⁷. County septic systems must comply with the Faribault County Zoning Ordinance and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency rules¹⁶. Every county building-permit application must include a Certificate of Compliance and proof that the septic system was maintained, pumped or measured within the previous 3 years¹. Minnesota requires compliance inspections for new or replacement septic systems; the county building-application rule does not establish an inspection requirement for every property sale^1,17.

Minnesota counties, cities and townships issue construction permits for most SSTS, while systems designed above 10,000 gallons per day require an MPCA permit¹⁸. Only about 7.4% of county soils are rated without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field, so arrange a site-specific evaluation early¹⁹. We could not confirm the county’s specific septic construction-permit procedure; ask the county septic office which design, permit and compliance review applies before fixing the house site¹⁶.

We could not confirm whether unincorporated Faribault County allows long-term RV occupancy on an individual private parcel². Ask Planning & Zoning whether the parcel's district allows the proposed occupancy, what septic arrangement is acceptable and whether temporary-use approval is needed².

Tiny-home occupancy and a county minimum dwelling size are also unconfirmed; ask Planning & Zoning about the proposed dwelling². Tiny houses used as dwellings must meet Minnesota residential-code requirements, while local zoning controls whether the use is allowed on the property²⁰. Faribault County requires permits for new dwellings and accessory structures, with applicable setbacks and minimum lot size¹.

1. Confirm whether the parcel is outside city limits, then ask Faribault County Planning & Zoning for the zoning district, allowed residential use, setbacks and minimum lot size^1,10.
2. Have the septic site evaluated and obtain the Certificate of Compliance and maintenance documentation required for the building application⁸.
3. Confirm road access with the responsible road authority because new access or a change of use tied to a county land division requires approval¹⁰.
4. Submit the building-permit application to Planning & Zoning and pay the project-based fee before construction starts¹.
5. Ask which building official will inspect the work, keep permitted work exposed until inspection approval, and obtain the required certificate of occupancy before using a code-governed building^14,21.
6. If building personally, confirm the Minnesota owner-builder licensing exemption; the exemption does not waive permits, inspections or occupancy approval⁹.

Before buying unincorporated Faribault County land, ask Planning & Zoning to review a sketch showing the house, setbacks, septic areas, road access and any mapped floodplain^1,2. Minnesota floodplain rules require approval for houses, fill, culverts and bridges; a mapped floodway generally cannot accommodate a dwelling or enclosed structure²².

For a parcel split, resolve the county’s survey, tax, zoning, septic and access requirements before the qualifying conveyance is filed¹⁰. The nonrefundable split fee is $150 for one parcel into two, plus $50 per parcel for 3 or more parcels, and taxes must be paid in full first¹⁰. Public Works handles county-road right-of-way permits, while direct state-highway driveways require MnDOT approval^23,24.

Minnesota generally requires a well-construction notification and filing fee before a water-supply well is built, with limited exceptions; ask the state well authority about the filing and any delegated local administration²⁵.