Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Holland, Minnesota

Rules another office applies inside Holland

Holland 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 exemptionConditional

  An owner building or improving residential real estate inside Holland city limits.

  • 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 when the owner constructs or improves for resale or speculation.
  • More than one property constructed or improved within 24 months is presumed speculative unless retained for rental purposes.
  • This is an exemption from state residential-contractor licensure, not an exemption from building permits, code compliance, or local land-use controls.

  speculation presumption period: 24 months (Does not apply if the properties will be retained by the owner for rental purposes.)

  “an owner of residential real estate who builds or improves residential real estate if the owner occupies or will occupy the residential real estate for residential purposes, or will retain ownership for rental purposes upon completion of the building or improvement. This exemption does not apply to an owner who constructs or improves residential real estate for purposes of resale or speculation.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

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

  • The State Building Code does not apply to agricultural buildings except for the statutory exceptions.
  • A municipality may administer and enforce the code if it has adopted it by ordinance; no Holland-specific adoption record was located.

  “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.”

• Who permits septicMixed (with conditions)

  Subsurface sewage treatment systems serving land inside Holland city limits.

  • Pipestone County must administer and permit/inspect SSTS in Holland unless Holland administers an SSTS ordinance that complies with Minnesota Rules chapter 7082.
  • If Holland has a conforming SSTS ordinance, the city must effectively administer and enforce an ordinance at least as strict as the county ordinance.
  • No official Holland SSTS ordinance was located, so the current local administrator cannot be conclusively identified.

  “All counties must adopt and implement SSTS ordinances in compliance with chapters 7080 and 7081 that also comply with this chapter. Ordinances must apply to all land area within the county, except in towns and cities that have adopted ordinances that are in conformance with the county ordinance and this chapter. All counties with SSTS ordinances must permit and inspect SSTS within cities and townships that do not administer an SSTS ordinance that complies with these rules.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New construction or replacement of a subsurface sewage treatment system serving land inside Holland city limits.

  • The applicable local unit of government administers the permit program.
  • A local unit of government may require permits for all or certain types of SSTS repairs.
  • For a city without a conforming SSTS ordinance, the county must permit SSTS.

  “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 construction or replacement of a subsurface sewage treatment system serving land inside Holland city limits.

  • The local unit of government must adopt and implement a construction-inspection program.
  • The program must specify inspection frequency, times, requirements, and protocol.
  • The inspection must be conducted by a qualified employee or licensed inspection business authorized by the local unit of government and independent of the owner and installer.
  • The local unit of government administering the program is county unless Holland has a conforming city SSTS ordinance.

  “Local units of government must adopt and implement a construction inspection program for new construction and replacement SSTS to enforce requirements under this chapter.”

• Agricultural exemptionConditional

  Agricultural buildings inside Holland city limits that would otherwise be governed by the State Building Code.

  • The State Building Code does not apply to agricultural buildings except with respect to state inspections required or rulemaking authorized by Minnesota Statutes sections 103F.141, 216C.19 subdivision 9, and 326B.36.
  • Translucent panels or other skylights without raised curbs must be supported to have equivalent load-bearing capacity as the surrounding roof.

  “The State Building Code does not apply to agricultural buildings except: (1) with respect to state inspections required or rulemaking authorized by sections 103F.141; 216C.19, subdivision 9; and 326B.36; and (2) translucent panels or other skylights without raised curbs shall be supported to have equivalent load-bearing capacity as the surrounding roof.”

Still unanswered

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

• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Holland city limits.
• Local zoning — Land inside Holland city limits, Minnesota.
• Zoning districts — Zoning districts inside Holland city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Holland city limits.
• Minimum lot size — Residential lots inside Holland 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.