Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Hills, Minnesota

Hills’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Buildings and structures inside Hills city.

  • Hills City Council consent is required before the listed construction, alteration, repair, moving, improvement, removal, conversion, or demolition work.
  • Failure to obtain a permit before construction carries a $500 fine.

  fine for building without permit: 500 USD (failure to obtain a building permit prior to construction)

  “No building or structure shall be erected, constructed, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, improved, removed, converted or demolished without the consent of the Hills City Council.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Incorporated area of Hills city.

  • Official zoning-map boundaries control the zoning status of land, water areas, buildings, and structures.

  “AG District - Agricultural District R-1 District - One Family Residential District R-2 District - Multiple Family Residential District”

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  All dwellings inside Hills city.

  • The ordinance also requires a permanent foundation, a pitched roof of no less than 4 x 12, approved exterior roofing, and eaves of at least six inches.

  minimum dwelling width: >= 24 feet

  “All dwellings shall be of a minimum width of twenty four (24’) feet.”

• Living in an RVTemporary only (with conditions)

  Travel and motor-home coach occupancy on any lot or parcel inside Hills city.

  • Travel and motor-home coaches may be used as a temporary dwelling no more than four weeks in a calendar year.
  • Occupied travel and camping trailers otherwise must be in an approved tourist or trailer campground.

  temporary dwelling use maximum: <= 4 weeks per calendar year (travel and motor home coaches)

  “for a period of not more than four (4) weeks out of a calendar year.”

• Camping on your landLimited

  Temporary dwelling occupancy on lots or parcels inside Hills city.

  • Travel and motor-home coach use as a temporary dwelling is limited to four weeks per calendar year.
  • Other temporary dwelling occupancy is unlawful unless an ordinance exception applies.

  travel or motor-home coach temporary dwelling maximum: <= 4 weeks per calendar year

  “It shall be unlawful for any person to erect or occupy a temporary dwelling on any lot or parcel of land in the City”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Residential dwelling structures for living purposes inside Hills city, except in manufactured-home or recreational-camping parks.

  • Outside a manufactured-home or recreational-camping park, residential dwelling structures must be at least 24 feet wide, 30 feet long, and on a permanent foundation.
  • All dwellings must have a minimum width of 24 feet.

  minimum dwelling width: >= 24 feet (unless located in a manufactured home park or recreational camping park) · minimum dwelling length: >= 30 feet (unless located in a manufactured home park or recreational camping park)

  “at least twenty-four (24) feet wide and at least thirty (30) feet long and placed on a permanent foundation.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Mobile-home or manufactured-home residential occupancy inside Hills city.

  • A mobile home occupied as a permanent or temporary residence must be in an approved mobile-home park or subdivision unless otherwise provided by the ordinance.
  • Mobile homes are conditional uses in R-1.
  • Manufactured-home parks require a City permit.

  “shall be located only in an approved mobile home park or mobile home subdivision unless otherwise provided in this Ordinance.”

• Accessory dwellingsProhibited

  Accessory buildings in Hills residential districts.

  • The prohibition applies to accessory buildings; attached additions must comply with principal-building height, yard, and area requirements.

  “No accessory building shall be used for dwelling purposes.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Individual sewage treatment systems inside Hills city.

  • The City Council or its authorized representative issues the system permit.
  • The code adopts Minnesota Rules 1988, Chapter 7080 as amended by reference.

  “from the council or its authorized representative”

• Septic permitRequired

  Installing, altering, repairing, or extending an individual sewage treatment system inside Hills city.

  • Permit must be obtained from the council or its authorized representative before the work.
  • The written application must include the legal description, plot plan, system plans, water-supply location and piping, installer name, and other information required by the council.

  “No person shall install, alter, repair, or extend any individual sewage treatment system in the city without first obtaining a permit”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Permitted individual sewage treatment systems inside Hills city.

  • No portion of the system may be covered before inspection and acceptance by a designated city employee.
  • Applicant must notify the designated employee when ready; the employee must inspect within 48 hours after notice.
  • A certificate of approval issues after satisfactory completion and final inspection.

  inspection response time after notice: <= 48 hours (after receiving notice that the job is ready)

  “No part of the system shall be covered until it has been inspected and accepted by a designated city employee.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Individual sewage treatment systems inside Hills city.

  • A permit is required before installing, altering, repairing, or extending a system.
  • Systems are subject to Minnesota Rules 1988, Chapter 7080 as amended, adopted by the City.
  • New occupied buildings must connect to city water and sewer where available.

  “without first obtaining a permit therefor from the council or its authorized representative”

• Well permitRequired

  Construction or reconstruction of a well involving drilling or casing insertion inside Hills city.

  • Permit is required before construction or reconstruction.
  • Application is written on a clerk-provided form and is accompanied by a $25 fee.
  • The council may deny based on health, safety, and welfare findings.

  well permit application fee: 25 USD

  “Before proceeding within the city with construction or reconstruction of any well, which involves drilling or casing insertion, the owners of the premises upon which the well is located or to be located shall obtain a permit from the council.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  New occupied buildings and existing dwellings or commercial establishments in Hills city where city water and sewer are available.

  • Each new occupied building must connect where city sewage disposal and water supply are available.
  • For property abutting a public street or alley with constructed water and sewer mains, connection is required within 90 days after written City notice.
  • The city may install and assess the connection if the owner or occupant fails to comply.

  connection deadline after official notice: <= 90 days (property abuts public street or alley along which water and sewer mains have been constructed)

  “Each new occupied building shall be required to connect to the city sewage disposal system and city water supply where it is available.”

• Driveway accessLimited

  Construction or reconstruction of a driveway in a Hills city street or other public property.

  • The permit requirement does not apply to improvements ordered installed by the Council.
  • Application must describe the improvement, start date, and duration; plans and specifications must accompany the application.
  • Construction must comply with City standards.

  “driveway, or roadway surfacing in any street or other public property in the City without a permit in writing form the City.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permits inside Hills city.

  • Council consent is required.
  • Applications are available at the City Office at no charge.

  “Permit applications are available at the City Office at no charge.”

Rules another office applies inside Hills

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

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  One-family dwellings in Hills R-1 One Family Residential District.

  • Corner lots require a 25-foot setback from each property line abutting and parallel to a street.

  front yard: >= 25 feet (one-family use in R-1) · least side yard: >= 6 feet (one-family use in R-1) · sum of side yards: >= 16 feet (one-family use in R-1) · rear yard: >= 25 feet (one-family use in R-1)

  “On any corner lot or lot fronting on more than one (1) street, no building or structure shall be placed or erected closer than twenty-five (25) feet to any property line abutting and paralleling a street.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Hills city.
• Building code adopted — Building construction inside Hills city.
• Inspections — General building construction inside Hills city.
• Certificate of occupancy — Occupancy of buildings inside Hills city.
• Lot coverage — Lots inside Hills 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.