Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Hermantown, Minnesota

Hermantown’s own rules

• Building permitLimited

  Buildings inside Hermantown city limits.

  • A building 200 square feet or smaller does not require a building permit.
  • The exempt building must meet required side, rear, and front yard zoning setbacks.

  building-area exemption threshold: <= 200 square feet (Building must meet required side, rear, and front yard zoning setbacks.)

  “Any building 200 square feet or smaller does not require a building permit.”

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  Homeowners performing their own construction work on their Hermantown property.

  • The homeowner still needs appropriate zoning and building permits.

  “Yes, however, you still need the appropriate zoning and building permits.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land within Hermantown city corporate limits.

  • Land annexed, merged, or otherwise added to the City is classified S-1 Suburban until City Council rezones it.

  “The geographic jurisdiction of this code includes the entire area within the corporate limits of the City.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Subdivision plats inside Hermantown city limits.

  • Final plats must comply with Minnesota Statutes chapter 505 and Chapter 10.
  • Final plats require City Council approval and must be in the form St. Louis County requires for recording.

  ““Plat, Final” means a drawing or map of a subdivision prepared in the manner required by MSA Ch. 505 and this Chapter, approved by the City Council and in such form as required by St. Louis County for the purpose of recording.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building permit applications inside Hermantown city limits.

  • Applications are submitted and issued through the City-linked Cloud Permit Portal.

  “Permit applications will continue to be submitted and issued through the Cloud Permit Portal”

Rules another office applies inside Hermantown

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

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Wetland District, unsewered portions inside Hermantown city limits.

  • The standards apply to all wetlands within the City; where underlying zoning is more restrictive, the more restrictive standards apply.

  minimum lot area: 80000 square feet (Unsewered Wetland District areas.) · minimum lot width at building line: 200 feet (Unsewered Wetland District areas.)

  “Unsewered Areas. Aspect | Requirement Lot area | 80,000 Lot width at bldg. line (linear feet) | 200”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Wetland District, unsewered portions inside Hermantown city limits.

  • The standards apply to all wetlands within the City; where underlying zoning is more restrictive, the more restrictive standards apply.

  maximum total lot area covered by impervious surface: <= 30 percent (Wetland District unsewered areas.)

  “Total lot area covered by impervious surface (%) 30”

• Building heightSpecified

  Wetland District, unsewered portions inside Hermantown city limits.

  • The standards apply to all wetlands within the City; where underlying zoning is more restrictive, the more restrictive standards apply.

  building height limitation: <= 35 feet (Wetland District unsewered areas.)

  “Building height limitation (linear feet) 35”

• Who permits septicCounty (with conditions)

  Construction in unsewered shoreland or wetland portions of Hermantown city limits.

  • The rule applies before issuance of a building permit in unsewered portions of shoreland or wetland.
  • The applicant must obtain a sewage disposal permit and a compliance certificate.

  “obtained from the St. Louis County Health Department”

• Septic permitRequired

  Building construction in unsewered shoreland or wetland portions of Hermantown city limits.

  • No building permit is issued unless the applicant has obtained the St. Louis County Health Department sewage disposal permit and compliance certificate.

  “a sewage disposal permit and a certificate”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Hermantown or St. Louis County directly.

• Certificate of occupancy — Residential construction and occupancy inside Hermantown city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Hermantown city limits.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private land inside Hermantown city limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Hermantown city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Hermantown 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.