Building permits, zoning and septic in New London Township, Minnesota

At a glance

Building permits

City building-permit coverage extends 2 miles beyond city limits; confirm your township parcel’s coverage¹

Land-use approval

Outside city limits, obtain county land-use approval alongside city building approval where applicable¹

Dwelling width

In county R-3 Rural Residential, minimum dwelling width is 14 feet across the narrowest main structure⁴

Septic permits

Kandiyohi County SSTS Office regulates septic design, permitting, installation and inspection²

Owner-builder

State contractor-licensing exemption for qualifying owners; applicable building permits and inspections still apply⁵

Private wells

State well notification and applicable filing fee generally required before construction⁶

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 New London Township, MN?

For a New London Township parcel near the city, start by asking the City of New London Building Permit Office whether the address falls within its building-permit jurisdiction: the city states that building permits are required within a 2-mile radius of city limits.¹ The city directs residents outside city limits to obtain a Kandiyohi County land-use permit as well.¹ Minnesota’s State Building Code applies statewide to structures governed by the code, but local administration depends on the applicable adoption and enforcement arrangements.⁷ Ask the city building office to identify the building official for your parcel before ordering plans.¹

Who handles building-permit applications in New London Township?

The City of New London accepts completed applications by mail or delivery to City Hall; use its building-permit office to confirm coverage for your New London Township address.¹ The city lists re-roofing, re-siding, decks and porches, windows and doors, mechanical change outs and remodels among work requiring a building permit.¹ Do not assume a county maintenance exception answers a project within the city-administered building area; ask the city office about the exact work proposed.¹ Qualifying Minnesota owners may personally build under a contractor-licensing exemption, but that exemption does not waive applicable building permits, inspections or certificates of occupancy.⁵

Does New London Township have zoning, lot-size or setback rules?

For New London Township dwellings in the county R-3 Rural Residential District, the main structure must be at least 14 feet wide across its narrowest portion; that is a width standard, not a minimum floor-area answer.⁴ Kandiyohi County Planning and Zoning provides parcel zoning through its GIS layer and township zoning maps.³ Setbacks depend on parcel zoning and the road, lake or water body the property fronts on, so ask County Planning and Zoning to identify the applicable setbacks before locating a house.³ We could not confirm whether New London Township administers a separate zoning ordinance; ask County Planning and Zoning to identify any additional township authority.³

How do septic permits work inside New London Township?

Kandiyohi County Environmental Services regulates septic-system design, permitting, installation and inspection for New London Township properties using an SSTS.² A county septic permit is required to design, install, construct, alter, extend or repair a system.² County rules require septic compliance inspections in shoreland zones when a land-use permit, building permit or variance is requested for an improvement or use; in other zones, bedroom additions and property sales or transfers trigger inspection.² Countywide, only 4.6% of soils receive the USDA “not limited” rating for conventional drain fields; a site evaluation or engineered system may be needed, and that rating does not mean septic is impossible.⁸ Properties served by a public sewer district should direct proposed-project questions to that district.²

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in New London Township?

We could not confirm a New London Township rule allowing long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy or an accessory dwelling; ask County Planning and Zoning to identify the applicable ordinance and decision-making office for your parcel.³ A tiny house proposed as a dwelling in county R-3 Rural Residential must account for the 14-foot minimum main-structure width.⁴ Before choosing a temporary living arrangement, ask the County SSTS Office how sewage from the proposed use must be handled, because septic design, installation and alterations fall under county regulation.² For structures subject to county building review, the stated occupancy conditions include approved building inspections, an installed and inspected septic system and final state electrical approval.⁹

What are the steps before building a home in New London Township?

1. Ask the City of New London building office whether the township parcel falls within its building-permit coverage, and obtain the required county land-use approval for property outside city limits.¹ 2. Ask County Planning and Zoning to identify the parcel’s zoning district, setbacks and any additional township requirements.³ 3. Arrange septic review with the County SSTS Office, or contact the public sewer district serving the property.² 4. Address private-water supply: Minnesota generally requires well notification and an applicable filing fee before construction.⁶ 5. Obtain road-access approval from the correct authority: township-road questions go to the township clerk, county-road questions to County Public Works and state-highway questions to MnDOT.³ 6. Review floodplain constraints before choosing the house site; a dwelling or enclosed structure is prohibited in a mapped Minnesota floodway.¹⁰ For county-administered land elsewhere, see the Kandiyohi County guide.³

Watch-outs

• Confirm building-permit jurisdiction before relying on a maintenance exemption: the City of New London lists re-roofing and re-siding as building-permit work within its coverage area.¹
• Ask the County SSTS Office about a septic compliance inspection before closing on New London Township land with an existing system; county rules include property-sale or transfer triggers.²
• A township-road driveway needs township-officer sign-off on the township approach form; a county-road approach uses the county process.¹¹

Sources

1. City of New London Building Permit Office (cityofnewlondonmn.gov)
2. Kandiyohi County SSTS Office (kcmn.us)
3. Kandiyohi County Planning and Zoning Department (kcmn.us)
4. Kandiyohi County Zoning Ordinance (New London Township), quoted and re-checked
5. revisor.mn.gov (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
6. 2025 Minnesota Statutes, section 103I.205: Well Construction (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. 2025 Minnesota Statutes, section 326B.121 (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
8. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
9. Kandiyohi County Building Permit Requirements (New London Township), quoted and re-checked
10. Floodplain Regulations (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Kandiyohi County Public Works (kcmn.us)

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.