Bolthole Index

Pennington County, Minnesota

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Goodridge Township, Minnesota

For Goodridge Township in Pennington County, Minnesota, we could not confirm which local office administers building permits or whether the township has its own zoning ordinance. Minnesota's building code is the statewide construction standard, but local administration matters before work begins.1 Pennington County requires a septic permit to install, replace or repair a septic system.2

At a glance

Building permit
Local requirement and issuing office not confirmed; ask the township and county before work1
Zoning
No official Goodridge Township zoning ordinance or no-zoning statement was confirmed3
Septic permit
Required by Pennington County for installation, replacement or repair2
RV living
Long-term occupancy rule not confirmed; ask the township before relying on an RV as a dwelling4
Tiny home
State construction standards apply, but local siting and zoning rules remain unconfirmed5
Owner-builder
A qualifying owner may be exempt from contractor licensing, not from permits or inspections6
Private well
Minnesota generally requires a well notification and filing fee before construction7

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

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

Roads & driveways

Pennington County Highway Department (County Engineer's Office)

Approval for construction, driveways and culverts within Pennington County road right-of-way; online right-of-way, utility and oversize or overweight permit portal

218-683-7017

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

Online permits →

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 Goodridge 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 Goodridge Township, Minnesota?

We could not confirm a Goodridge Township building-permit ordinance or the building official serving the township. Minnesota's State Building Code is the statewide construction standard, while a municipality that is not otherwise required to enforce it may adopt and administer it locally.8 Where the code is administered, regulated construction must receive the required building permit before work starts.9

Do not treat the missing local answer as a permit exemption. Ask Goodridge Township which building official has jurisdiction over the parcel, and use the Pennington County Auditor-Treasurer's Office as a county starting point if the township cannot identify that official.10 Qualifying agricultural buildings have a state-code exemption, but the structure and land must meet the statutory agricultural conditions.11

Who issues building permits in Goodridge Township?

No official page we could confirm identifies a Goodridge Township building department, contracted inspector or county building official for township land. The practical first call is the township clerk; if that does not settle jurisdiction, the Pennington County Auditor-Treasurer's Office serves as secretary to the county board and can route a county-government question.10

Once the responsible building official is identified, ask for the application, fee schedule, plan requirements, inspection sequence and certificate-of-occupancy rule. Minnesota requires permitted work to remain accessible for inspection until approval.12 A building governed by the certificate-of-occupancy rule may not be occupied until the building official issues that certificate.13 Local building fees vary because the administering municipality establishes them.14

Does Goodridge Township have zoning?

We could not confirm an official Goodridge Township zoning ordinance, zoning map or statement that the township has no zoning. Pennington County contains differing local arrangements, so another township's ordinance does not answer the zoning question for Goodridge Township.15 Before buying, ask the Goodridge Township clerk to identify the ordinance and zoning authority for the parcel, then request written answers on allowed use, setbacks, lot size, building height and the number of dwellings.

That local answer controls several common land-buying questions. Minnesota guidance says local zoning determines whether a tiny home or accessory dwelling unit is allowed on a property.16 Tiny houses used as dwellings must also meet applicable Minnesota residential construction standards.5

How do septic permits work inside Goodridge Township?

Pennington County requires a septic permit when a system is installed, replaced or repaired, and the Pennington Soil and Water Conservation District provides the application.2 Minnesota counties must administer septic programs that comply with state rules; a township may regulate septic systems only through requirements at least as stringent as the county's.17

New and replacement septic systems require inspection for compliance, with timing set by the applicable local ordinance.18 Contact the Pennington Soil and Water Conservation District before selecting a house site or finalizing a system design.19 Pennington County soils are rated as having no mapped share without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so a site evaluation is especially important.20

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

We could not confirm a Goodridge Township rule allowing or prohibiting long-term RV occupancy, temporary camping, tiny-home siting or accessory dwellings. Ask the township clerk for the land-use rule that applies to the parcel before buying an RV or tiny home for residential use. State licensing rules for recreational camping areas do not, by themselves, answer whether one household may live in an RV on private land.4

A tiny house is still subject to Minnesota construction standards and whatever local zoning applies to its use and placement.5 A new manufactured home installed for occupancy must receive the required installation inspection.21 Septic disposal also remains regulated; an off-grid label does not remove the county septic-permit requirement for a system being installed, replaced or repaired.2

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

  1. Ask the Goodridge Township clerk to identify the zoning authority, building official and all parcel-specific land-use standards; those local contacts could not be confirmed from an official page.
  2. Confirm access jurisdiction. Work within a Pennington County road right-of-way needs prior approval from the County Engineer's Office.22 A direct driveway connection to a state highway requires a MnDOT access permit before construction or modification.23
  3. Have the site evaluated and obtain the Pennington County septic permit before installing, replacing or repairing the system.2
  4. File the required well notification and fee before construction of a typical water-supply well.7
  5. Obtain any required building permit, keep regulated work exposed for inspection and secure the applicable occupancy approval before moving in.1213

What should you check before buying land in Goodridge Township?

Get written confirmation of zoning, setbacks, minimum lot size, dwelling type, RV occupancy and building-permit jurisdiction from Goodridge Township before closing; none of those township-specific standards could be confirmed. For wastewater planning, treat the soil rating as an early warning: across Pennington County, no mapped soil share is rated without severe limitations for a conventional septic drain field.20

Check the road owner before designing the driveway, because county right-of-way work needs County Engineer approval and state-highway access needs a MnDOT permit.2223 Check flood maps as well: a house, fill, culvert or bridge in a regulated Minnesota floodplain requires a floodplain permit.24 Pennington County's effective property-tax rate is about 1.2%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $2,300.2526

Watch-outs

  • Do not assume that the absence of a published Goodridge Township zoning page means the land is unrestricted; ask the township for the parcel's governing ordinance and zoning authority.3
  • Pennington County requires a septic permit for installation, replacement or repair, and new or replacement systems must be inspected.218
  • County-road right-of-way work needs prior County Engineer approval, while a state-highway driveway uses the MnDOT permit process.2223

Sources

  1. Overview of the Minnesota State Building Code (Goodridge Township), quoted and re-checked
  2. Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (Goodridge Township), quoted and re-checked
  3. (2026 county census)
  4. 2025 Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 327 (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  5. Tiny Houses and the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. revisor.mn.gov (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  7. 2025 Minnesota Statutes, section 103I.205: Well Construction (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  8. Minnesota Statutes § 326B.121 — State Building Code; Application and Enforcement (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. Minnesota Administrative Rules, Part 1300.0120 — Permits (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Pennington County Auditor-Treasurer's Office (co.pennington.mn.us)
  11. Minnesota Statutes § 326B.121, State Building Code; application and enforcement (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  12. 1300.0210 INSPECTIONS (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  13. Minnesota Administrative Rules, Part 1300.0220 — Certificate of Occupancy (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  14. Minnesota Building Code Adoption Guide (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  15. Smiley Township Zoning Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  16. Storage Sheds and the Minnesota State Building Code (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Local septic system programs, quoted and re-checked
  18. 2025 Minnesota Statutes, section 115.55: Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Pennington Soil and Water Conservation District (SSTS Program) (penningtonswcd.org)
  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. Pennington County Highway Department (County Engineer's Office) (co.pennington.mn.us)
  23. MnDOT Access Management Manual, Chapter 4 (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  24. Floodplain Regulations (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  25. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
  26. 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 Goodridge Township

Rules another office applies inside Goodridge Township

Goodridge 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)

    An owner building or improving residential real estate in Goodridge township, to the extent the state residential-contractor licensing exemption applies.

    • The owner must occupy or intend to occupy the property for residential purposes, or retain ownership for rental purposes after completion.
    • The exemption does not apply to construction for resale or speculation.
    • An owner constructing or 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.
    “The license requirement does not apply to: [...] an owner of residential real estate who builds or improves residential real estate”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

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

    • The State Building Code does not apply to agricultural buildings except for the statutory state-inspection/rulemaking exceptions and specified skylight-support requirements.
    • Local municipalities may administer and enforce the code under the statutory conditions.
    “The State Building Code is the standard that applies statewide”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Partial — The Minnesota State Building Code construction standard applies inside Goodridge township, but this source does not establish that Goodridge township adopted a local ordinance to enforce it.
      “The Minnesota State Building Code is the minimum construction standard throughout all of Minnesota including all cities, townships and counties. Although it isn't enforceable by municipalities unless it is adopted by local ordinance, the State Building Code creates a level playing field for the construction industry by establishing the construction standard for all buildings in the state.”
  • Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

    Septic permitting for unincorporated land inside Goodridge township.

    • The official source states that Pennington County requires the permits; the source does not identify a separate township septic authority.
    “Pennington County requires permits for septic systems”
  • Septic permitRequired

    Septic systems installed, replaced, or repaired on unincorporated land inside Goodridge township.

    • The Pennington County requirement is stated for systems being installed, replaced, or repaired.
    • A permit application is obtained from the Pennington Soil and Water Conservation District office or its linked application process.
    “septic systems being installed, replaced or repaired.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Required — New construction and replacement SSTS inside Goodridge township, administered by the applicable local government under Minnesota rules.
      “Permits must be required for all new construction and replacement.”
  • Septic inspectionRequired

    New construction and replacement SSTS inside Goodridge township through the applicable local-unit inspection program.

    • The local unit of government must adopt and implement the inspection program.
    • A compliance inspection is required for new construction or replacement and must be conducted by a qualified employee or licensed inspection business authorized by the local unit.
    • The rule also addresses bedroom additions on property served by an SSTS when the local unit issues bedroom-addition permits.
    “A compliance inspection for all new construction or replacement must be conducted:”
  • Agricultural exemptionConditional

    Agricultural-building permit exemptions potentially applicable to agricultural land in Goodridge township under the Minnesota State Building Code.

    • The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry adoption guide states that agricultural buildings located on land defined as agricultural land are generally exempt; each case must be reviewed independently for correct application of the code.
    • This claim does not establish Goodridge Township building-code adoption or local zoning.
    “Agricultural buildings on agricultural land (as defined by state statute) are specifically exempt from the requirements of the SBC.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Building permit — Building permits for construction inside Goodridge township.
  • Inspections — Building inspections for construction inside Goodridge township.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Goodridge township.
  • Local zoning — Land inside Goodridge township, excluding incorporated municipalities.
  • Zoning districts — Zoning districts applicable to land inside Goodridge township.
19 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Minimum lot size
  • Setbacks
  • Lot coverage
  • Building height
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Manufactured homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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 Goodridge 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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