Bolthole Index

Pennington County, Minnesota

Building permits, zoning and septic in Cloverleaf Township, Minnesota

Cloverleaf Township's local building-permit authority and zoning rules could not be confirmed, so ask the township and Pennington County before finalizing plans.12 Pennington County requires septic permits for systems installed, replaced or repaired, with the program administered through Pennington Soil and Water Conservation District.34

At a glance

Building permit
Local issuer and enforcement status not confirmed; ask before work starts15
Zoning
Cloverleaf Township rules not confirmed2
Septic permit
Required for installation, replacement or repair through Pennington SWCD34
Tiny home
Local land-use approval unconfirmed; state residential code applies to dwelling units6
Owner-builder
State contractor-license exemption may apply, but it does not waive permits7
Private well
State notification and fee generally apply before construction8

Who to call

Septic permits

Pennington Soil and Water Conservation District (SSTS Program)

Septic permits for installing, replacing or repairing a system in Pennington County

218-683-7075

201 Sherwood Ave S, Thief River Falls, MN 56701

Planning & zoning

Pennington Soil and Water Conservation District (Shoreland Program)

Shoreland permits and forms for buildings, additions, septic work, grading and filling

218-683-7075

201 Sherwood Ave S, Thief River Falls, MN 56701

Roads & driveways

Pennington County Highway Department (County Engineer's Office)

Approval for construction, driveways and culverts within Pennington County road right-of-way

218-683-7017

250 125th Avenue NE, Thief River Falls, MN 56701

Online permits →

Also useful

Pennington County Auditor-Treasurer's Office

General county administration and secretary to the county board; a starting point when the applicable building or zoning authority is unclear

218-683-7000

101 Main Ave N, Thief River Falls, MN 56701

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 9, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Cloverleaf Township means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Cloverleaf Township, Minnesota?

The Minnesota State Building Code is the statewide construction standard for covered buildings, but municipal enforcement depends on local adoption, and the available records do not identify Cloverleaf Township's building official or confirm local code enforcement.5 For work in a jurisdiction administering the code, covered construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, demolition and occupancy changes require an application to the building official before work begins.9 Ask Cloverleaf Township which official serves the parcel before ordering plans or starting construction. Agricultural buildings that meet the statutory definition are generally outside the State Building Code, subject to the stated exceptions, but that exemption does not answer separate zoning, septic, floodplain or road-access questions.10

Who issues building permits in Cloverleaf Township?

We could not confirm a Cloverleaf Township building department, a designated building official or a Pennington County office that issues residential building permits for the township.1 Start with the township and use the Pennington County Auditor-Treasurer's Office as a county contact because that office serves as secretary to the county board.11 If the project is in a code-enforcing jurisdiction, the building official reviews code requirements and issues the building permit, while zoning compliance can remain a separate decision.12 Building-permit fees are set by the administering local building department rather than by one statewide schedule.13 Confirm the issuer, required plan documents, inspections and fee schedule in writing before work begins.14

Does Cloverleaf Township have zoning?

We could not confirm a Cloverleaf Township zoning ordinance, zoning map or applicable district schedule.2 That leaves local answers about residential use, minimum lot size, setbacks, building height, manufactured homes and accessory dwellings unresolved; ask the township about the exact parcel rather than applying another Pennington County township's ordinance. Minnesota law allows local zoning to control whether a tiny home or accessory dwelling is allowed and to regulate features such as location, foundation type and building size.615 A parcel in a regulated floodplain can also need a floodplain permit for a house, fill, culvert or bridge, independently of ordinary zoning approval.16

How do septic permits work inside Cloverleaf Township?

Pennington County requires a septic permit when a system is installed, replaced or repaired, and Pennington Soil and Water Conservation District provides the county program's application and inspection administration.34 The application itself is not permission to start work; construction must wait for the permit and follow the approved design, county ordinance and applicable state codes.17 The listed septic application fee is $100, reduced to $25 when the applicant watches the website's SSTS video.18 New and replacement systems must be inspected for compliance under Minnesota law.19 Pennington County soils rate 0% without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so make soil evaluation and system design an early feasibility item rather than assuming a conventional layout will work.20

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Cloverleaf Township?

We could not confirm a Cloverleaf Township rule allowing residential RV occupancy, temporary private-land camping or a tiny home on a particular parcel. A Minnesota tiny house used as a dwelling must comply with the residential code, and local zoning determines whether the use is allowed and may regulate its location, foundation and size.6 New manufactured homes installed for occupancy in Minnesota must receive the required federal-installation inspection.21 State licensing rules for recreational camping areas begin when an area accommodates five or more tents or recreational camping vehicles, but that rule does not answer whether one RV may be occupied on a private Cloverleaf Township parcel.22 Ask the township separately about RV occupancy, camping duration and tiny-home land use.

Building a home in Cloverleaf Township: what are the steps?

  1. Ask Cloverleaf Township to identify the zoning rules and the building official, if any, for the parcel; those local authorities could not be confirmed.21
  1. Contact Pennington Soil and Water Conservation District for septic site review, design requirements and the county septic application before construction.317
  1. Determine the water source; Minnesota generally requires a well notification and filing fee before a water-supply well is built.8
  1. Check floodplain and shoreland status because floodplain construction can require a permit, while county shoreland rules require permits for specified construction and earthwork.1623
  1. Identify the road authority; work affecting a county right-of-way needs prior approval from the County Engineer's Office.24
  1. Obtain every applicable approval before work and arrange the inspections required for permitted building and septic work.2519

What should you check before buying land in Cloverleaf Township?

Get parcel-specific answers on zoning, setbacks, dwelling type, RV use and subdivision before treating the land as buildable because those Cloverleaf Township rules could not be confirmed.2 Verify septic feasibility early: countywide soil data rates 0% of soils as avoiding severe limits for conventional drain fields, while the county requires permits for installation, replacement and repair.203 Check whether the parcel lies in shoreland or a mapped floodplain, because those overlays can add permits and design limits.2316 Confirm legal road access and the responsible road authority; a direct state-highway driveway requires MnDOT approval, while construction affecting county right-of-way requires county engineer approval.2624 Pennington County's effective property-tax rate is about 1.2%, and its median annual property-tax bill is about $2,300.2728

Watch-outs

  • Do not assume another Pennington County township's zoning rules apply in Cloverleaf Township; ask the township for the ordinance and district map tied to the parcel.2
  • A septic application is not a septic permit, and work cannot begin until the permit is issued.17
  • A qualifying owner-builder exemption concerns contractor licensing and does not waive building, septic or zoning approvals.7

Sources

  1. Minnesota Administrative Rules, Part 1300.0120 — Permits (2026 county census)
  2. (2026 county census)
  3. Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (Cloverleaf Township), quoted and re-checked
  4. Septic System Programs (Cloverleaf Township), quoted and re-checked
  5. Overview of the Minnesota State Building Code (Cloverleaf Township), quoted and re-checked
  6. Tiny Houses and the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. revisor.mn.gov (Cloverleaf Township), quoted and re-checked
  8. 2025 Minnesota Statutes, section 103I.205: Well Construction (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Minnesota Administrative Rules, Part 1300.0120 — Permits (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Minnesota Statutes § 326B.121, State Building Code; application and enforcement (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  11. Pennington County Auditor-Treasurer's Office (co.pennington.mn.us)
  12. Minnesota State Building Code Adoption Guide (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Minnesota Building Code Adoption Guide (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Code Administration Manual (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Storage Sheds and the Minnesota State Building Code (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Floodplain Regulations (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Pennington County Septic System Permit Application (Cloverleaf Township), quoted and re-checked
  18. Pennington County Septic System Permit Application (Cloverleaf Township), quoted and re-checked
  19. revisor.mn.gov (Cloverleaf Township), quoted and re-checked
  20. 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
  21. Manufactured home information (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  22. 2025 Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 327 (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  23. Pennington Soil and Water Conservation District (Shoreland Program) (penningtonswcd.org)
  24. Pennington County Highway Department (County Engineer's Office) (co.pennington.mn.us)
  25. Minnesota Rules 1300.0210, Inspections (Cloverleaf Township), quoted and re-checked
  26. MnDOT Access Management Manual, Chapter 4 (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  27. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  28. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written October 9, 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Cloverleaf Township

Rules another office applies inside Cloverleaf Township

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

  • Owner-builder exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

    Owner-builders performing residential building or improvement work inside Cloverleaf Township.

    • The owner must occupy or intend to occupy the residential real estate for residential purposes, or retain ownership for rental purposes after completion.
    • The exemption does not apply to construction or improvement for resale or speculation.
    • An owner improving more than one property within any 24-month period is presumed to be acting for speculation unless the properties are retained for rental purposes.
    • This is a contractor-licensing exemption and does not establish exemption from building, septic, zoning, or other permits.
    “This exemption does not apply to an owner who constructs or improves residential real estate for purposes of resale or speculation.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Buildings and structures inside Cloverleaf township that are governed by the Minnesota State Building Code.

    • The rule states that the State Building Code is the statewide standard, subject to Minnesota Statutes section 326B.121.
    • The cited rule addresses construction, reconstruction, alteration, and repair of covered buildings and structures.
    “The State Building Code is the standard that applies statewide for the construction, reconstruction, alteration, and repair of buildings and other structures”
    2 more reviewed findings on this topic
    • Partial — Construction in Cloverleaf Township is subject to the Minnesota State Building Code as the statewide minimum construction standard; local enforceability or adoption by Cloverleaf Township was not established.
      “The Minnesota State Building Code is the minimum construction standard throughout all of Minnesota including all cities, townships and counties.”
    • Adopted (with conditions) — Buildings inside Cloverleaf Township that are of the type governed by the Minnesota State Building Code.
      “The State Building Code is the standard that applies statewide”
  • InspectionsRequired

    Work in Cloverleaf Township for which a Minnesota State Building Code permit is required.

    • The permit applicant must keep work accessible and exposed until approved.
    • The permit holder must post or make available an inspection record card before work begins and maintain it until final approval.
    • The applicant must request inspections and provide access.
    • Work may not proceed beyond successive inspection points without approval.
    • Required inspections include footing, foundation, slab/under-floor, rough-in, framing/masonry, energy efficiency, lath/gypsum board as applicable, manufactured-home installation, fireplace, final, and special inspections as required by the code.
    • A final inspection is required for all work for which a permit is issued.
    “Construction or work for which a permit is required is subject to inspection by the building official”
  • Certificate of occupancyRequired

    Buildings subject to the Minnesota State Building Code inside Cloverleaf Township.

    • No building or structure may be used or occupied, and no occupancy classification may be changed, until the building official issues a certificate of occupancy.
    • Municipalities may optionally require certificates for U occupancies, accessory structures under the International Residential Code, and used manufactured homes moved into or within a jurisdiction.
    • The specific local building official for Cloverleaf Township was not established.
    “No building or structure shall be used or occupied [...] until the building official has issued a certificate of occupancy for the building or structure under this part.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Required — Use or occupancy of buildings inside Cloverleaf Township governed by the Minnesota State Building Code.
      “No building or structure shall be used or occupied”
  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Subsurface sewage treatment systems inside Cloverleaf Township, which is within Pennington County.

    • Pennington SWCD provides the linked permit application and inspection administration for the county program; local requirements may be stricter than state minimums.
    “Pennington County Sewage and Wastewater Treatment Ordinance.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Mixed (with conditions) — Subsurface sewage treatment systems inside Cloverleaf Township.
      “All counties must adopt ordinances that comply with revisions to the subsurface sewage treatment system rules within two years of the final adoption by the agency unless all towns and cities in the county have adopted the ordinances. County ordinances must apply to all areas of the county other than cities or towns that have adopted ordinances that comply with this section and are as strict as the applicable county ordinances.”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Installation, replacement, or repair of septic systems inside Cloverleaf township.

    • Pennington County requires a permit for septic systems being installed, replaced, or repaired.
    • The official page directs applicants to a permit application.
    “Pennington County requires permits for septic systems being installed, replaced or repaired.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    New construction or replacement of subsurface sewage treatment systems serving land inside Cloverleaf township.

    • The inspection determines compliance with applicable requirements.
    • For bedroom additions, a local unit generally may not issue a building permit or variance unless the system has been inspected and supported by a certificate of compliance or notice of noncompliance.
    • A local unit may temporarily waive that bedroom-addition inspection for applications made November 1 through April 30 if inspection occurs by the following June 1 and the certificate or notice is submitted within 15 days.
    • The bedroom-addition paragraph does not apply if the local unit has no ordinance requiring a building permit to add a bedroom.
    • Existing-system certificates are valid for three years unless an imminent threat is found; new-system certificates are valid for five years unless an imminent threat is found.

    existing-system certificate validity: 3 years (unless the local unit finds evidence of an imminent threat to public health or safety) · new-system certificate validity: 5 years (unless the local unit finds evidence of an imminent threat to public health or safety) · seasonal waiver application period: November 1-April 30 (inspection by following June 1 and certificate or notice submitted within 15 days)

    “An inspection shall be required for all new construction or replacement of a system to determine compliance with applicable requirements.”
  • Well permitLimited

    Construction or sealing of wells and borings inside Cloverleaf Township.

    • Where a political subdivision has a delegated well and boring program, a notification or permit must be filed with or obtained from that delegated program before regulated work.
    • A community public water-supply well requires notification to the commissioner.
    • Notifications and permits require applicable fees.
    • Work regulated under a notification or permit must not be done without a valid notification or permit.
    “Work regulated under a notification or permit must not be done without a valid notification or permit.”
  • Mandatory utility hookupConditional

    Buildings with plumbing fixtures inside Cloverleaf Township where public or private sewer service is applicable.

    • A building with plumbing fixtures and premises with drainage piping must connect to a public or private sewer unless the cited exceptions apply.
    • Single-family and two-family dwellings connected to an approved private sewage disposal system before public sewer connection may avoid public sewer connection where gravity drainage is insufficient, provided there is no hazard, nuisance, or unsanitary condition, the private system is properly maintained, and written permission is obtained from the authority having jurisdiction.
    • This rule does not establish whether public sewer is available in Cloverleaf Township.
    “A building in which plumbing fixtures are installed and premises having drainage piping thereon shall have a connection to a public or private sewer”
  • Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

    Pennington County SSTS permits for land inside Cloverleaf Township.

    • The fee shown is for the septic permit application, not a verified general building-permit fee schedule.

    SSTS permit fee: 100 USD ($25 if the applicant watches the SSTS video on the website)

    “Permit Fee - $100 * $25 if you watch SSTS video on website”
  • Permit processPublished (with conditions)

    Pennington County SSTS permit process for land inside Cloverleaf Township.

    • The application is not itself a permit; work may not start without a permit; the work must follow the approved design, county ordinance, and applicable state codes.
    “this is not a permit, but only an application for a permit”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Partial — Certain permit processes affecting land inside Cloverleaf township, including work in Pennington County highway rights-of-way and septic permitting.
      “Application for work within County Highway Right-of-Way: Installation of Culvert and Ditching Requests”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Cloverleaf Township or Pennington County directly.

  • Building permit — New residential construction and other building work inside Cloverleaf Township.
  • Local zoning — Land inside Cloverleaf township's limits.
  • Zoning districts — Zoning districts applicable inside Cloverleaf township.
  • Minimum dwelling size — Single-family dwellings inside Cloverleaf township.
  • Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Cloverleaf township.
14 more unanswered
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Cloverleaf Township publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Pennington County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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