Building permits, zoning and land rules in Scott County, Minnesota

Scott County generally requires permits when a building or structure is built, enlarged, altered, repaired, moved, converted, demolished or changes use in the county's township permitting jurisdiction; gas, mechanical and plumbing work is covered too¹. Scott County has adopted the Minnesota State Building Code for buildings in its townships⁸. A homeowner building for personal use or rental is exempt from Minnesota's residential contractor license but still needs the building, zoning and septic permits; building or improving more than one property in 24 months is presumed to be for speculation unless the properties are kept as rentals⁵. A qualifying agricultural building can be exempt only when every answer on the county checklist is yes and the required certification and zoning or agricultural applications are submitted; electrical permits still apply, as do septic or sewer permits when plumbing is installed⁶. The published fee schedule includes a $7.50 technology fee on building, plumbing and mechanical permits, with other charges varying by permit type⁹. When a new single-family home replaces an existing dwelling on the same parcel, the old dwelling may remain until the new home's certificate of occupancy is issued; removal or conversion is then due within 60 days and requires a $50,000 or approved estimated-cost guarantee⁴.

Scott County Building Inspections issues building permits and manages Minnesota State Building Code administration within the townships; cities handle their own zoning, while septic permits come from the county as described below^2,10. The office is at 200 4th Avenue W in Shakopee, and its mainline is 952-496-8160¹⁰. All applications must be filed and processed online through the county's ePermit portal, where an applicant can upload required documents, pay and retrieve approved documents¹⁰. Staff are available in person by appointment, so call the mainline before visiting¹⁰. If land-disturbing work is in a shoreland or bluff overlay zone, contact the Natural Resources Department at 952-496-8881 about the separate grading permit¹. Permitted construction is subject to inspections selected by the building official, and the applicant must keep the work accessible and exposed until it is approved¹¹.

Scott County Planning & Zoning administers zoning in all ten townships, while each of the county's eight cities is responsible for its own planning and zoning². The county publishes a zoning map and district rules governing uses, minimum lot sizes, accessory-building sizes and other controls in the townships⁸. Setbacks and maximum building heights vary by district and structure type, and additional shoreland, wetland, bluff, lake or stream standards may affect a building site¹². Lot-coverage limits also depend on the district⁴. Ordinary residential dwellings must have at least 960 square feet of finished floor area, except mobile homes and accessory dwelling units⁴. The county approves subdivisions and plat-related planning actions within its county-administered jurisdiction¹³. Planning & Zoning is available by appointment only at 952-496-8653².

Scott County Environmental Services requires septic permits through its countywide program and coordinates enforcement and permitting with the larger cities³. Apply through the Building Inspections ePermit portal with the application, system design, site map, elevations, management plan and soil-observation logs³. The 2026 fee for a residential Type I, II or III system is $890 with an MPCA-licensed installer or $1,160 when the property owner installs it; other systems and modifications have separate fees³. A compliance inspection is required for a new system, before a bedroom-addition permit, when an existing system is altered by permit or variance, and when compliance is otherwise determined³. Only about 1.3% of Scott County soils avoid a severe USDA limitation rating for conventional drain fields, so establish site-specific feasibility early¹⁴. Ask Environmental Services at 952-496-8177 about any nonstandard sanitation plan³.

In unincorporated Scott County, a camper, travel trailer, motor home, park model trailer or recreational vehicle cannot be occupied as a dwelling unit for more than 14 days⁴. Private campgrounds cannot be used as year-round residences, and residential use of camping vehicles there is prohibited from November 1 through April 1 except for a campground owner or caretaker⁴. The county zoning ordinance does not use the term tiny home, so the structure’s classification decides the rule⁷. A tiny home classified as an ordinary dwelling must have at least 960 square feet of finished floor area unless it is a mobile home or accessory dwelling unit⁷. A tiny home classified as a park model trailer, travel trailer, motor home or recreational vehicle cannot be occupied as a dwelling unit for more than 14 days⁷. Ask Scott County Planning & Zoning how the proposed structure would be classified before relying on a tiny-home plan². A new manufactured home installed for occupancy in Minnesota must be inspected under federal installation standards¹⁵.

1. Confirm the parcel's zoning district, allowed use, setbacks, height and lot-coverage limits with Scott County Planning & Zoning; appointments are made at 952-496-8653^2,4,8,12.
2. Establish septic feasibility and submit the required design package through the ePermit portal for Environmental Services approval³.
3. Ask the Natural Resources Department whether land disturbance in a shoreland or bluff overlay zone needs a separate grading permit¹.
4. File the building-permit application online through the ePermit portal; Scott County Building Inspections processes all permit applications there¹⁰.
5. Obtain a road-authority permit for a new or additional driveway onto a public highway; the Scott County Highway Department handles county-highway permits^16,17.
6. Keep permitted work accessible and exposed for the inspections identified by the building official¹¹.

Start with wastewater: only about 1.3% of Scott County soils avoid a severe USDA limitation rating for a conventional septic drain field¹⁴. Then confirm zoning, lot coverage and the proposed use with Planning & Zoning, because district standards vary and ordinary dwellings generally must have at least 960 square feet of finished floor area⁴. About 93.7% of county land has a slope of 15% or less, while about 23.7% is wooded, but parcel-level soils, drainage and overlays still need review¹⁴. The nearest city of 100,000 or more is about 23 miles from the county center¹⁴. Farmland value averages about $9,547 per acre, the typical home value is about $450,087, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $4,195¹⁴. Confirm whether access is from a county, state, city or township road, because a new or additional public-highway access requires the relevant road authority's permit¹⁶.