Bolthole Index

Wadena County, Minnesota

Building permits, zoning and land rules in Staples, Minnesota

Staples, Minnesota requires building permits for most building projects and administers its own zoning ordinance.12 Contact the city building official for building applications; ordinary septic permitting inside city limits remains unconfirmed, so ask City Hall to identify the responsible office before arranging a system.34

At a glance

Building permits
Required for most projects; city building official is the contact13
Zoning
Staples administers its own zoning ordinance2
Septic permits
Most Minnesota systems need local construction permits; confirm the authority for the city parcel5
Tiny homes
R-1 single-family homes need at least 800 square feet and 24 feet of width6
Minimum lot size
R-1: 9,000 square feet with public sewer and water; larger minima apply with fewer services7
Owner-builder
State contractor-license exemption available for qualifying owners; not a building-permit exemption81
Private wells
State notification and a filing fee generally precede construction; exceptions apply9

Who to call

Building permits

Staples Building Official

Building questions and help completing the city building-permit application

612-986-7644

[email protected]

Planning & zoning

Staples City Hall / Zoning Administrator

City zoning questions and routing to the Zoning Administrator

(218) 894-2550

122 6th Street NE Staples, MN 56479

Septic permits

Wadena County Planning & Zoning Department

Onsite sewage treatment in county jurisdiction; ask whether the county administers septic for the specific Staples address

218-631-7604

415 Jefferson Street S Room 234 Courthouse Wadena, MN 56482

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 11, 2026.

Off-grid gear

Going off-grid in Staples means bringing your own water and power. The kit we’d start with:

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Do you need a building permit in Staples, MN?

Staples requires a building permit for most building projects, including new construction, remodeling, re-shingling, re-siding and mechanical-unit replacements.1 Staples has adopted the Minnesota State Building Code, so the city building official is the starting point for a proposed home or alteration.103 Ask the building official to distinguish building-code approval from zoning approval for a fence or shed: the city fee resolution separately lists zoning permits for items outside the building code.11 A qualifying owner-builder can receive a state residential-contractor licensing exemption, but that exemption does not remove Staples building-permit requirements.81

Who handles building applications and zoning in Staples?

The Staples building official answers building questions and questions about completing the Building Permit Application at 612-986-7644 or [email protected].3 For zoning questions, contact Staples City Hall at (218) 894-2550 and ask for the Zoning Administrator.4 The Staples Planning and Zoning Commission assists with administration of the city ordinance and makes recommendations to the City Council on zoning amendments and conditional-use applications.4 Staples publishes a building, zoning and plan-review fee resolution adopted in 2015; ask the building official to confirm the current charge before budgeting from that schedule.113

Does Staples have zoning, minimum lot sizes and home-size rules?

Staples administers its own zoning ordinance; the zoning district matters when evaluating a particular lot or house design.212 In Staples’ R-1 Residential district, single-family dwelling units must have at least 800 square feet of floor area and a width of at least 24 feet.6 R-1 principal-structure lot minima are 9,000 square feet with public sewer and water, 11,000 square feet with public sewer or water, and 22,000 square feet with no public sewer.7 Ask the Staples Zoning Administrator to confirm the district, service category and applicable setbacks before choosing a building footprint.4

How do septic permits and private wells work inside Staples?

Most Minnesota subsurface sewage treatment systems require a construction permit from the applicable county, city or township.5 We could not confirm the ordinary septic-permitting authority inside Staples city limits; ask City Hall to identify the responsible office for the parcel.4 Wadena County Planning & Zoning administers onsite sewage treatment in county jurisdiction, but county septic authority inside municipalities depends on whether the municipality has adopted a compliant ordinance.1314 Ask the county department whether that condition applies to your address before submitting a septic application.14 Minnesota generally requires notification and a filing fee before water-supply well construction, with statutory exceptions; that is not a blanket local well-permit requirement.9

Can you live in an RV or tiny home in Staples?

We could not confirm permission to live in an RV on a private Staples lot, including during construction; ask the Staples Zoning Administrator about the proposed use and duration before buying or moving a camper onto the site.4 Minnesota tiny houses remain subject to the State Building Code and municipal zoning.15 Staples’ R-1 minimum of 800 square feet and 24 feet of width creates a direct obstacle for a smaller single-family dwelling in that district.6 We could not confirm a separate Staples tiny-home or accessory-dwelling approval route; ask the Zoning Administrator to review the design and district rather than assuming a small structure can be occupied.4

Building a home in Staples: what are the steps, in order?

  1. Ask Staples City Hall for the parcel’s zoning district and review the proposed use, dimensions and siting with the Zoning Administrator.412
  2. Resolve the water and wastewater plan; if proposing septic, ask City Hall to identify the local construction-permit authority.45
  3. Contact the Staples building official and prepare the building application, including the work description, property location, intended occupancy, construction documents and proposed valuation required by the state process.316
  4. Arrange required inspections with the building official and keep work exposed until approved; do not proceed past successive inspection points without approval.17
  5. Confirm final occupancy approval with the building official: Minnesota’s certificate-of-occupancy rule applies in jurisdictions administering the State Building Code, with specified optional categories and exceptions.18

What should you check before buying land in Staples?

For a Staples parcel associated with Wadena County, distinguish city building and zoning approval from county-administered septic services; Staples has its own building-code and zoning rules, while county septic jurisdiction inside municipalities is conditional.10214 For land outside Staples city limits, consult the Wadena County guide for the county building-permit requirement.19 Minnesota requires floodplain approval for such work as a house, fill or a culvert in regulated floodplain areas; ask the Staples Zoning Administrator about the parcel before committing to a layout.204 A direct driveway connection to a Minnesota state highway needs MnDOT approval before construction or modification; confirm local street-access requirements separately with City Hall.214

Watch-outs

  • Staples’ published fee resolution dates to 2015; confirm current building and zoning charges with the building official.113
  • We could not confirm a citywide RV-occupancy rule or a general agricultural building-permit exemption for Staples; ask the city Zoning Administrator and building official about the specific proposal.43
  • County septic jurisdiction does not automatically establish the septic-permitting authority for every address inside Staples city limits.14

Sources

  1. Building and Permit Information (Staples), quoted and re-checked
  2. Planning and Zoning Commission (Staples), quoted and re-checked
  3. Staples Building Official (staples.govoffice.com)
  4. Staples City Hall / Zoning Administrator (staples.govoffice.com)
  5. SSTS design (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  6. Code of Ordinances, section 109-72, R-1 Residential (Staples), quoted and re-checked
  7. Code of Ordinances, section 109-72, R-1 Residential (Staples), quoted and re-checked
  8. revisor.mn.gov (Staples), quoted and re-checked
  9. 2025 Minnesota Statutes, section 103I.205: Well Construction (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Building and Permit Information (Staples), quoted and re-checked
  11. Resolution No. 1641: Building Permit, Zoning Permit and Plan Review Fees (Staples), quoted and re-checked
  12. Code of Ordinances, section 109-72, R-1 Residential (Staples), quoted and re-checked
  13. Wadena County Planning & Zoning Department (wadenacounty.gov)
  14. Planning & Zoning, quoted and re-checked
  15. Tiny Houses and the 2020 Minnesota Residential Code (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Code Administration Manual (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. 1300.0210 INSPECTIONS (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  18. Minnesota Administrative Rules, Part 1300.0220 — Certificate of Occupancy (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  19. Before You Build, quoted and re-checked
  20. Floodplain Regulations (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  21. MnDOT Access Management Manual, Chapter 4 (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 11, 2026 from the rules quoted below, each taken from an official source and re-checked by an independent reviewer. This is research, not legal advice: rules change, so confirm with the office before you buy or build.

Answers from the rulebook for Staples

Staples’s own rules

  • Building permitRequired

    Most building projects inside Staples city limits.

    • The city page says the requirement covers the majority of projects, not every project.
    • Minnesota permit exemptions include one-story detached accessory structures used as sheds, playhouses, and similar uses not exceeding 200 square feet; fences not over seven feet; and other listed exemptions.
    “The City of Staples has adopted the Minnesota State Building Code, which requires a building permit for the majority of building projects including but not limited to: new construction, fencing, remodeling, re-shingling, re-siding, mechanical unit replacements, shed installs.”
  • Building code adoptedAdopted

    Building work inside Staples city limits.

    “The City of Staples has adopted the Minnesota State Building Code, which requires a building permit for the majority of building projects including but not limited to: new construction, fencing, remodeling, re-shingling, re-siding, mechanical unit replacements, shed installs.”
  • Local zoningPresent

    Land inside Staples city limits; the city administers its own zoning ordinance.

    “The Planning and Zoning Commission shall provide assistance to the City Council and Zoning Administrator in the administration of the Staples Zoning Ordinance.”
  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Staples city zoning districts, including R-1 Residential, A-1 Agricultural, and R-4 Mobile/manufactured homes.

    • The cited district sections are selected examples and do not constitute the complete district schedule.
    “Sec. 109-72. - R-1 Residential. (a) Purpose. This district is established to maintain and promote residential development in designated areas.”
  • Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

    Single-family dwelling units in the R-1 Residential district.

    • The R-1 section also requires minimum width of 24 feet or more.

    minimum floor area: >= 800 square feet (R-1 single-family dwelling units)

    “Minimum dimensions of single-family dwelling units. (1) Width: 24 feet or more. (2) Minimum floor area of 800 square feet.”
  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Principal structures in the R-1 Residential district.

    • For more than two units, add 4,000 square feet for each additional unit.

    lot size with public sewer and water: >= 9000 square feet · lot size with public sewer or water: >= 11000 square feet · lot size with no public sewer: >= 22000 square feet

    “Lot size. a. With public sewer and water: 9,000 square feet. b. With public sewer or water: 11,000 square feet. c. No public sewer: 22,000 square feet. For more than two units, add 4,000 square feet for each additional unit.”
  • Lot coverageSpecified

    Mobile-home sites in the R-4 Mobile/manufactured homes district.

    maximum home coverage: <= 30 percent

    “Maximum lot coverage: The area occupied by a mobile/manufactured home shall not exceed 30 percent of the total area of the mobile home site.”
  • Building heightSpecified

    Structures in the A-1 Agricultural district.

    • The height limitation does not apply to grain elevators, silos, windmills, elevator lags, cooling towers, chimneys, smokestacks, church spires, antennas, and towers.

    maximum height: 2.5 stories or 35 feet (listed agricultural and utility structures)

    “Maximum height: 2½ stories or 35 feet. [...] This height limitation shall not apply to grain elevators, silos, windmills, elevator lags, cooling towers, chimneys, and smokestacks, church spires, antennas and towers.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
  • Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

    Staples building, zoning, and plan-review permits.

    • Resolution 1641 states an effective date of August 1, 2015.
    • Building permit fees are 85 percent of the listed fee plus the state surcharge.
    • Plan review fees are 50 percent of the building permit fee.
    • Demolition, re-shingling, and re-siding are $40; hot-water-heater and furnace change-outs are $40; items outside the State Building Code such as fences, utility sheds, and signs have a $5 zoning permit fee.
    • The resolution states that it was adopted July 28, 2015.

    plan review fee: 50 percent of building permit fee · demolition/re-shingling/re-siding fee: 40 USD (includes $1 state surcharge) · hot water heater/furnace change-out fee: 40 USD (includes $1 state surcharge) · zoning permit fee for listed items outside State Building Code: 5 USD (fences, utility sheds, signs, etc.)

    “That Plan Review Fees shall be 50% of the Building Permit Fee. That the permit fee for demolition, re-shingling or re-siding is $40.00. (Includes $1 State Surcharge Fee) That the permit fee for hot water heater and furnace change outs is $40.00. (Includes $1 State Surcharge Fee) That for items not covered by the State Building Code such as fences, utility sheds, signs, etc., the zoning permit fee is $5.00.”

Rules another office applies inside Staples

Staples 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 exemptionAvailable (with conditions)

    Owner-builders performing residential construction inside Staples city limits, as a state licensing exemption.

    • The owner must occupy or intend to occupy the property residentially, or retain ownership for rental after completion.
    • The exemption does not apply to construction or improvement for resale or speculation.
    • More than one property within 24 months is presumed speculation unless the properties are retained for rental.
    “(3) 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.”

Still unanswered

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

  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Staples city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Staples city limits.
  • Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Staples city limits.
  • Accessory dwellings — Accessory dwelling units inside Staples city limits.
  • Who permits septic — Septic regulation inside Staples city limits.
6 more unanswered
  • Septic inspection
  • Well permit
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Subdividing land
  • Driveway access
  • Short-term rentals

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.

Unanswered questions are usually a sign that Staples publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Wadena County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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