Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Big Falls, Minnesota

Big Falls’s own rules

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Fees set by the City of Big Falls, including potentially applicable permit fees.

  • The official ordinance index identifies an adopted fee schedule but the opened PDF text was not extractable; individual fee amounts were not established.

  “Ordinance 227 Fee Schedule_Adopted 07082024”

• Permit processPartial

  City building-permit applications for construction inside Big Falls city limits.

  • The published form requests the permit-site address, legal description, construction type, classification, size, materials, intended use, estimated value, and a site sketch.
  • The form says permits are issued by the City Council if granted; it does not state the complete process or establish when a permit is required.

  “Permit Issued by City Council on ______________. By___________________________”

Rules another office applies inside Big Falls

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

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings and structures governed by the Minnesota State Building Code, including those inside Big Falls city.

  • The rule excepts matters provided in Minnesota Statutes section 326B.121.
  • The State Building Code does not apply to agricultural buildings except for the specified state inspections or rulemaking.

  “The State Building Code is the standard that applies statewide”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Big Falls Municipal Airport zoning areas, including any such area inside Big Falls city limits.

  • This is an airport-zoning district system, not evidence of a citywide general zoning ordinance.
  • The ordinance establishes zones and boundaries in the vicinity of the airport.

  “CREATING THE APPROPRIATE ZONES AND ESTABLISHING THE BOUNDARIES THEREOF;”

• Building heightDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Property inside Big Falls Municipal Airport zoning areas, including any such property inside Big Falls city limits.

  • The rule applies in the vicinity of the Big Falls Municipal Airport and within the ordinance's established airport zones and boundaries.
  • The ordinance is administered by the Big Falls-Koochiching County Joint Airport Zoning Board, not solely by the city.

  “REGULATING AND RESTRICTING THE HEIGHT OF STRUCTURES AND OBJECTS OF NATURAL GROWTH”

• Septic permitRequired

  New construction or replacement of an individual subsurface sewage treatment system serving land inside Big Falls city limits, where an SSTS is used and administered by the local unit of government.

  • The rule applies to new SSTS construction and replacement.
  • A local government may require permits for all or certain SSTS repairs.
  • The responsible local unit inside Big Falls was not established by the located sources.

  “Permits must be required for all new construction and replacement.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New construction or replacement of an individual subsurface sewage treatment system serving land inside Big Falls city limits, where an SSTS is used.

  • The requirement is for new construction or replacement SSTS.
  • The inspection must be by an authorized qualified employee or licensed inspection business independent of the owner and installer.
  • The responsible local unit inside Big Falls was not established by the located sources.

  “A compliance inspection for all new construction or replacement must be conducted:”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Agricultural buildings inside Big Falls city limits under the Minnesota State Building Code.

  • The exemption is only from the State Building Code.
  • It does not exempt agricultural buildings from state inspections required or rulemaking authorized by Minnesota Statutes sections 103F.141, 326B.36, and 326B.121, subdivision 1, paragraph (c), clause (2).

  “The State Building Code does not apply to agricultural buildings”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Big Falls or Koochiching County directly.

• Building permit — Residential construction inside Big Falls city limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Big Falls city limits.
• Inspections — Building work inside Big Falls city limits.
• Certificate of occupancy — New or altered residential buildings inside Big Falls city limits.
• Local zoning — Land inside Big Falls 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.