Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Appleton, Minnesota

Appleton’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Erection, construction, enlargement, alteration, repair, moving, improvement, removal, conversion, or demolition of buildings, structures, and covered mechanical components inside Appleton city.

  • A separate building or mechanical permit is required for each building, structure, or mechanical component.
  • Permit issuance and fees are subject to Minnesota Statutes 16B.62, subdivision 1, City resolution, and Minnesota Rules parts 1305.0106 and 1305.0107.

  “without first obtaining a separate building or mechanical permit”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings and structures regulated within Appleton city.

  • Optional State Building Code chapters do not apply unless specifically adopted by the ordinance.

  “The Minnesota State Building Code, as adopted by the Commissioner of Administration pursuant to Minnesota Statutes chapter 16B.59 to 16B.75, including all of the amendments, rules and regulations established, adopted and published from time to time y the Minnesota Commissioner of Administration, through the Building Codes and Standards Division is hereby adopted by reference with the exception of the optional chapters, unless specifically adopted in this ordinance.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land within Appleton city limits.

  • The ordinance applies to all land now within the City and land incorporated in the future.

  “This ordinance shall be known as the “City of Appleton Zoning Ordinance,” except as referred to herein where it shall be known as “this Ordinance” or “this Chapter.””

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Single-family and multi-family structures in the R2 Residential, Traditional Neighborhood District inside Appleton city.

  • Lots below 6,000 square feet require a conditional use permit.

  minimum lot area: 6000 square feet (Conditional use permit required for all lots below this area.) · minimum lot width: 50 feet · minimum lot depth: 120 feet

  “Lot Width and Depth: There shall be a minimum lot width of fifty feet (50’) and a minimum lot depth of one-hundred and twenty feet (120’). vi. Lot Area: The minimum lot area shall be six-thousand square feet (6,000 sq. ft.) for all single- and multi-family structures. A conditional use permit is required for all lots less than six-thousand square feet (6,000).”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Farm or non-farm dwellings in the Open Space (O) District inside Appleton city.

    “Lot Area: A lot area of more than one acre is required for each farm or non-farm dwelling.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Development in the Open Space (O) District inside Appleton city.

  • All setbacks are set through the conditional-use-permit process.

  front yard: >= 35 feet · side yard: >= 30 feet (Two side yards required.) · rear yard: >= 20 feet

  “Setback requirements: All setbacks shall be set by the conditional use permit process. i. Front Yard: not less than 35 feet ii. Double Frontage Lot: Set by conditional use permitprocess iii. Side Yard: Two side yards are required, each having a width of not less than 30 feet iv. Rear Yard: No less than 20 feet”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Principal and accessory structures in the R1 Residential, Large Lot District inside Appleton city.

    “Front Yard: For the principal structure and all other accessory structures, there shall be a front yard of not less than thirty feet (30’).”

  • Specified — Principal and accessory structures in the R2 Residential, Traditional Neighborhood District inside Appleton city.

    “Front Yard: For the principal structure and all other accessory structures, there shall be a front yard of not less than twenty feet (20’).”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lots in the R1 Residential, Large Lot District inside Appleton city.

  • At least 50 percent of the lot must remain open space or yard.

  maximum building and structure coverage: <= 50 percent (Principal and accessory buildings and structures.)

  “There must be an open space or yard of at least fifty percent (50%) of the area of the lot. Therefore, all buildings and structures, principal and accessory, on any lot, shall not cover more than fifty percent (50%) of the area of the lot.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Lots in the R2 Residential, Traditional Neighborhood District inside Appleton city.

    “There must be an open space or yard of at least twenty percent (20%) of the area of the lot. Therefore, all buildings and structures, principal and accessory, on any lot, shall not cover more than eighty percent (80%) of the area of the lot.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Buildings and structures in the R1 Residential, Large Lot District inside Appleton city.

  • Principal and accessory buildings have different maximum heights.

  maximum principal-building height: <= 45 feet · maximum accessory-building height: <= 25 feet

  “Height requirements: The maximum height of all principal buildings and structures shall be forty-five feet (45’). The maximum of all accessory buildings and structures shall be twenty-five feet (25’).”

  2 more reviewed findings on this topic

  • Specified — Buildings in the Open Space (O) District inside Appleton city.

    “Lot Area: A lot area of more than one acre is required for each farm or non-farm dwelling. 2. Height Requirements: Building height shall not exceed 35 feet except for agricultural buildings.”

  • Specified — Buildings and structures in the R2 Residential, Traditional Neighborhood District inside Appleton city.

    “Height Requirements: The maximum height of all buildings and structures, principal and accessory, shall not exceed forty feet (40’).”

• Tiny homesLimited

  Tiny homes in the R1 Residential, Large Lot District inside Appleton city.

  • Tiny Homes are listed as a conditional use in R1.

  “Conditional Uses: i. Apartments within existing single-family dwellings/structures; ii. Condominiums, townhouses and other multi-family housing not exceeding three (3) units per structure; iii. Golf courses; iv. Home occupations that require a permit; v. Places of worship and other religious facilities; and vi. Mobile Homes; vii. Small Homes; and viii. Tiny Homes.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Limited — Tiny homes in the R2 Residential, Traditional Neighborhood District inside Appleton city.

    “Conditional Uses: i. Bed and breakfasts; ii. Daycare centers (not including in-home day care establishments); iii. Golf courses; iv. Home occupations that require a permit; v. Hospitals and clinics; vi. Multi-family housing units exceeding four (4) units per structure; vii. Nursing homes, assisted living, senior living or care centers; viii. Places of worship and other religious facilities; ix. Private garages on existing lots which contain no principal structure; x. Public swimming pools xi. Schools (public and private); xii. Mobile Homes; xiii. Small Homes; and xiv. Tiny Homes.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building-code permits inside Appleton city.

  • Fees follow City Council-adopted policies and fee schedules by resolution.
  • A state surcharge applies to all permits governed by the Code.
  • The fee resolution is kept in the City Administrative Office for public inspection.

  “Permit Fees shall be assessed for work governed by this Code in accordance with the City Policies and Fee Schedules as adopted by the City Council by Resolution. In addition, a State surcharge fee shall be collected on all permits issued for work governed by this Code in accordance with Minnesota Statutes 16B.70. A copy of the Resolution adopted by the Council setting fees shall be in the City Administrative Office, available for inspection by the public and shall be uniformly enforced.”

• Permit processPartial

  Building permits inside Appleton city.

  • The City publishes a Building Permit form.
  • The ordinance requires a separate building or mechanical permit before covered work.

  “Building Permit Demolition Permit Special Event Permit Application”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builders constructing inside Appleton city.
• Inspections — Building-code inspections for construction inside Appleton city.
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Appleton city.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings inside Appleton city.
• Living in an RV — Residential occupancy of recreational vehicles on private land inside Appleton 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.