Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Preston, Minnesota

At a glance

Building permits

Required for homes and many construction or renovation projects; contact City Hall¹

Zoning

City zoning applies inside Preston city limits²

Single-family lot size

R-1: 5 acres; R-2: 8,000 square feet⁵⁶

Water and sewer

Preston Public Utilities operates community water and wastewater systems; ask about parcel service³

Septic construction

New and replacement systems require construction permits; confirm the issuing office for the address⁷⁴

Manufactured homes

Permanent or indefinite occupancy generally requires a licensed manufactured home park⁸

Owner-builder

State contractor-licensing exemption for qualifying owners; building permits and inspections still apply⁹

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Preston, MN?

Preston requires building permits for a home or garage/utility shed, decks, fences/retaining walls, and commercial or residential construction and renovations, including roofs and siding.¹ Call Preston City Hall to establish which building permit your specific project needs.¹

Minnesota’s State Building Code applies statewide to buildings and structures governed by the code, although local enforcement depends on adoption and statutory requirements.¹⁰ We could not confirm Preston’s complete building-code adoption or inspection arrangements; ask City Hall who reviews plans, which inspections apply, and what approval is needed before occupancy.¹

Does Preston have zoning, and what lot size and setbacks apply?

Preston has its own city zoning ordinance and zoning map; residential standards depend on the district assigned to the parcel.²¹¹ For single-family lots, Preston’s R-1 Agriculture/Residential District requires 5 acres, while R-2 One- and Two-Family Residential requires 8,000 square feet.⁵⁶

Preston’s R-1 structure setbacks are 25 feet front, 20 feet side and 35 feet rear; R-2 structure setbacks are 20 feet front, 10 feet side and 20 feet rear.¹²¹³ Principal and accessory structures together have maximum lot coverage of 20% in R-1 and 35% in R-2.¹⁴¹⁵ Ask City Hall to confirm the district and applicable overlays before sizing a house, garage or addition.¹

How do sewer connections and septic permits work inside Preston?

Preston Public Utilities operates the community’s water and wastewater systems; contact the utility office about service availability and connection arrangements for the parcel.³ We could not confirm Preston’s mandatory connection rule or which office issues a septic construction permit for every address inside city limits; ask City Hall and Fillmore County Land Use before assuming a private system is an option.¹¹⁶

New and replacement septic systems require a construction permit before work begins, and a compliance inspection is required for new or replacement systems.⁷¹⁷ Fillmore County administers an SSTS program, but Minnesota allows cities and townships to regulate septic systems through ordinances at least as stringent as the county’s.⁴

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or manufactured home in Preston?

We could not confirm Preston’s rules for living in an RV, temporary camping on a residential lot, tiny-home occupancy or minimum dwelling floor area; ask City Hall about the proposed dwelling and parcel before buying either.¹ Minnesota guidance makes local zoning the deciding factor for whether a tiny home or accessory dwelling unit is allowed on a property.¹⁸

Preston generally requires a manufactured home used as a permanent dwelling or indefinite place of abode to be in a licensed manufactured home park.⁸ An existing manufactured home outside a licensed park when the chapter took effect may continue only while occupied by the present inhabitants, and replacement with another manufactured home is unlawful.⁸

What steps should you take before building a home in Preston?

Start with Preston City Hall: confirm the zoning district, proposed residential use and building permit for the project.¹¹¹ Next, ask Preston Public Utilities about water and wastewater service; if septic is proposed, establish the issuing authority with City Hall and Fillmore County Land Use before arranging construction.³⁴⁷

For a floodplain parcel, contact City Hall before starting any project; Preston’s floodplain ordinance regulates construction activities.¹ A new or modified direct driveway connection to a state highway requires MnDOT approval, including a temporary driveway.¹⁹ Qualifying owners who build for their own occupancy or retain a home for rental may have a state contractor-licensing exemption, but that exemption does not waive applicable building permits or inspections.⁹ For land outside Preston city limits, use the Fillmore County guide for the county’s land-use answer.²⁰

Watch-outs

• Preston’s R-1 single-family lot minimum is 5 acres; do not substitute the smaller R-2 minimum when evaluating an R-1 parcel.⁵⁶
• We could not confirm Preston’s RV occupancy or tiny-home floor-area rules; ask City Hall for the answer for the proposed use.¹
• Contact Preston City Hall before any project in the floodplain, including work planned alongside a home build.¹

Sources

1. Preston City Hall — Building and Zoning (prestonmn.gov)
2. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Preston), quoted and re-checked
3. Preston Public Utilities (prestonmn.gov)
4. Land Use, quoted and re-checked
5. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Preston), quoted and re-checked
6. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Preston), quoted and re-checked
7. Minnesota Rules 7082.0500: Permit Program for SSTS, quoted and re-checked
8. § 152.03 Manufactured homes to be located in manufactured home park (Preston), quoted and re-checked
9. revisor.mn.gov (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
10. 2025 Minnesota Statutes, section 326B.121 (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. § 155.020 Establishment of districts (Preston), quoted and re-checked
12. Appendix: Height, Area and Yard Regulations (Preston), quoted and re-checked
13. Appendix: Height, Area and Yard Regulations (Preston), quoted and re-checked
14. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Preston), quoted and re-checked
15. codelibrary.amlegal.com (Preston), quoted and re-checked
16. Fillmore County Land Use Department (co.fillmore.mn.us)
17. Minnesota Rules 7082.0700: Inspection Program for SSTS, quoted and re-checked
18. Storage Sheds and the Minnesota State Building Code (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. MnDOT Access Management Manual, Chapter 4 (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. Fillmore County Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 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.