Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Dundee, Minnesota

Rules another office applies inside Dundee

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

• Building permitRequired

  Code-regulated construction, alteration, repair, movement, demolition, occupancy change, and regulated systems inside Dundee city where the State Building Code is administered.

  • The cited rule contains permit exemptions, including one-story detached accessory structures not exceeding 200 square feet and fences not over seven feet high.
  • Ordinary repairs do not require application or notice subject to the limitations in Minnesota Rules 1300.0120.
  • The application must be made to the building official.

  “An owner or authorized agent who intends to construct, enlarge, alter, repair, move, demolish, or change the occupancy of a building or structure [...] shall first make application to the building official and obtain the required permit.”

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  An owner constructing an individual subsurface sewage treatment system (ISTS) serving the owner's dwelling inside Dundee city.

  • The owner must first obtain a signed site evaluation and design report from a licensed design business.
  • The dwelling must be owned by the individual and function solely as that individual's dwelling or seasonal dwelling.
  • Any construction assistance must be performed by a licensed installation business.
  • The exemption is from the state SSTS license requirement; applicable local, state, and federal requirements remain applicable.

  “an individual who, after obtaining a signed site evaluation and design report from a licensed design business, constructs an ISTS to serve a dwelling that is owned by the individual and functions solely as a dwelling or seasonal dwelling for that individual. Any assistance provided to the system owner in construction of a system under this item must be performed by a licensed installation business;”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings and structures governed by the State Building Code, including those inside Dundee city.

  • The State Building Code does not apply to agricultural buildings except for the statutory exceptions stated in Minnesota Statutes § 326B.121, subdivision 1(c).
  • The statute permits a municipality not otherwise required to administer and enforce the code to elect to do so by ordinance.

  “The State Building Code is the standard that applies statewide for the construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, and use of buildings and other structures of the type governed by the code.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New and replacement subsurface sewage treatment systems inside Dundee city, administered by the applicable local unit of government under Minnesota SSTS rules.

  • The rule authorizes the local unit of government to require permits for all or certain SSTS repairs.
  • The applicable local unit must review and approve or deny the application before issuing a construction permit, and construction may not begin until the permit is granted.

  “Permits must be required for all new construction and replacement. A local unit of government is authorized to require permits for all or certain types of SSTS repairs.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  New or replacement SSTS inside Dundee city that are subject to the local SSTS permitting program.

  • The infield verification must be conducted by a qualified employee with jurisdiction or licensed inspection business authorized by the local unit of government.
  • An advanced inspector is required for Type IV and Type V ISTS, ISTS design flow greater than 2,500 gallons per day, and MSTS.
  • The verification must occur before issuance of the certificate of compliance.

  “An infield verification of the periodically saturated soil or bedrock at the proposed soil treatment and dispersal sites must be conducted by a qualified employee with jurisdiction or licensed inspection business who is authorized by the local unit of government.”

• Agricultural exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

  Agricultural buildings inside Dundee city with respect to State Building Code applicability.

  • The exemption does not apply to state inspections required or rulemaking authorized by Minnesota Statutes §§ 103F.141, 216C.19, subdivision 9, and 326B.36.
  • Translucent panels or skylights without raised curbs must have equivalent load-bearing capacity as the surrounding roof.

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

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Applications for State Building Code permits inside Dundee city where the code is administered.

  • The application must be in writing on the form furnished by the Department of Building Safety.
  • The application must identify and describe the work, describe the land, indicate intended use and occupancy and construction type, include required construction documents and information, state valuation, and be signed by the applicant or authorized agent.
  • The building official may require other data and information.

  “To obtain a permit, the applicant shall file an application in writing on a form furnished by the Department of Building Safety for that purpose.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Dundee or Nobles County directly.

• Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Dundee city.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Dundee city.
• Local zoning — Land inside Dundee city, Minnesota.
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Dundee city.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Dundee city.

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.