Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Mahtomedi, Minnesota

Mahtomedi’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Work subject to the Building Code inside Mahtomedi city.

  • The permit must be obtained from the City before performing work for which a permit is required.
  • Permit issuance is limited to required City- or State-licensed and registered persons, or an applicant doing work wholly within an owned and occupied residence.
  • The City of White Bear Lake Building Department handles Mahtomedi building permits under the City’s described arrangement.

  “without first obtaining the permit from the City.”

• Owner-builder exemptionConditional

  An applicant doing building-code work wholly within an owned and occupied Mahtomedi residence.

  • The permit remains required where the work is subject to the Building Code.
  • The residence must be owned and occupied by the applicant.
  • Permit fees adopted by City Council apply.

  “Building Permits shall be issued by the City only to persons licensed by the City of Mahtomedi or by the State of Minnesota as required and registered as such with the City or to persons making application to do any such work wholly within a residence owned and occupied by the applicant to whom the permit is to be issued and who shall be charged the permit fees as adopted by the City Council in the Fee Schedule.”

• Building code adoptedAdopted (with conditions)

  Buildings and work governed by the building code inside Mahtomedi city.

  • Optional Appendix Chapters do not apply unless specifically adopted.
  • The code incorporates the most current Minnesota State Building Code edition.

  “The Minnesota State Building Code (“Building Code”), as adopted by the Commissioner of Administration pursuant to Minnesota Statutes Sections 326B.101 through 326B.194, including all of the amendments and the related rules and regulations established, adopted and published from time to time by the Minnesota Commissioner of Administration, through the Building Codes and Standards Division, are hereby adopted by reference and incorporated in this Chapter as if fully set out herein.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  All land inside Mahtomedi city corporate limits.

  • The ordinance applies district-specific regulations to buildings, land uses, structures, alterations, relocations, enlargements, and additions.

  “A. Jurisdiction. This Ordinance shall apply to all the area inside the corporate limits of the City of Mahtomedi, Minnesota.”

• Septic inspectionLimited

  Accessory-dwelling-unit applications on Mahtomedi lots without municipal water and sewer.

  • The application must include a written report from a licensed Subsurface Sewage Treatment System Inspector.
  • The report must include a compliance inspection, sizing review, and conflict review.

  “On lots without municipal water and sewer, an application for an Accessory Dwelling Unit must be accompanied by a written report from a licensed Subsurface Sewage Treatment System Inspector that includes the following: 1) compliance inspection, 2) review of the on-site septic system to ensure that it is sized correctly for the additional dwelling unit and 3) review stating that there are no conflicts between the existing septic system and the location of the proposed Accessory Dwelling Unit.”

• Off-grid sanitationLimited

  Accessory-dwelling-unit applications on Mahtomedi lots without municipal water and sewer.

  • A licensed SSTS Inspector’s written report must accompany the application.
  • The report must include compliance inspection, septic-system sizing review, and conflict review.

  “licensed Subsurface Sewage Treatment System Inspector”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  City permit work inside Mahtomedi city.

  • The City’s displayed fee schedule was effective January 1, 2024.
  • A 3.25% convenience fee applies to electronic transactions; payments below $100 have an additional $0.50 charge.
  • The electronic-payment charges do not apply to utility billing payments or cash transactions.

  electronic transaction convenience fee: 3.25 percent (does not apply to Utility Billing Payments or Cash Transactions) · additional charge for electronic payment below $100: 0.5 USD (does not apply to Utility Billing Payments or Cash Transactions)

  “Effective January 1, 2024 A 3.25% convenience fee will be applied to all electronic transactions. If payment is less than $100, the customer will be charged an additional .50. This does NOT apply to Utility Billing Payments or Cash Transactions.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Mahtomedi city.

  • Allow five to seven business days after the Building Official receives the permit and all required information.
  • Separate permits are needed for mechanical, plumbing, and electrical work.
  • New construction requires two sets of plans, a certificate of survey, and energy calculations; other listed work requires two sets of plans.

  stated approval processing time: 5 to 7 business days (from receipt of the permit and all required information by the Building Official)

  “Allow at least five to seven business days”

Rules another office applies inside Mahtomedi

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

• Minimum dwelling sizeSpecified

  Dwelling units in Mahtomedi's R1-B Low Density Residential District.

  • District standards remain subject to the zoning ordinance and other applicable overlay rules.

  minimum floor area per unit: >= 864 square feet

  “e. Maximum Building Coverage of the Lot. Twenty-five percent (25%). f. Minimum Floor Area Per Unit. Eight hundred sixty – four (864) square feet.”

• Minimum lot sizeSpecified

  Lots in Mahtomedi's R1-B Low Density Residential District.

  • A ten-percent deviation may be permitted only where the plat or subdivision averages at least 15,000 square feet and 100 feet of lot width.
  • Other cited exceptions are Subdivision 10.2(G), Nonconforming Lots, and Subdivision 8.20, Variance.

  minimum lot area (net land): >= 15000 square feet (subject to stated deviation and average requirements) · minimum lot width: >= 100 feet (subject to stated deviation and average requirements) · minimum lot depth: >= 135 feet

  “Minimum Lot Area (Net Land). Fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet. A ten percent (10%) deviation in lot area may be permitted provided the average lot area for each plat or subdivision shall not be less than fifteen thousand (15,000) square feet and the average lot width not less than one hundred (100) feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Lots in Mahtomedi's RR Rural Residential District.

    “The minimum lot requirements in the RR – Rural Residential District shall be as follows, except as may be modified pursuant to Subdivision 10.2, G: Nonconforming Lots or Subdivision 8.20: Variance. a. Minimum lot area (net land). One (1) acre. b. Minimum lot width. One hundred – sixty (160) feet. c. Minimum lot depth. Two hundred (200) feet.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  Lots in Mahtomedi's R1-B Low Density Residential District.

  • District standards remain subject to the zoning ordinance and applicable overlays.

  maximum building coverage: <= 25 percent

  “e. Maximum Building Coverage of the Lot. Twenty-five percent (25%). f. Minimum Floor Area Per Unit. Eight hundred sixty – four (864) square feet.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Principal buildings in Mahtomedi's R1-B Low Density Residential District.

  • The maximum is reduced for property within the Shoreland Overlay District.

  maximum principal-building height: <= 30 feet (25 feet in the Shoreland Overlay District)

  “Maximum Height of Principal Building in the R1-B District. Thirty (30) feet, unless the property is within the Shoreland Overlay District, in which case the maximum height of the principal building shall be twenty – five (25) feet.”

• Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

  Manufactured homes complying with Minnesota Statutes sections 327.31 to 327.35 and all otherwise applicable zoning ordinances, including inside Mahtomedi city.

  • The manufactured home must conform to Minnesota Statutes sections 327.31 to 327.35.
  • It must comply with all other applicable zoning ordinances.

  “No regulation may prohibit [...] manufactured homes”

Still unanswered

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

• Inspections — Building work inside Mahtomedi city.
• Certificate of occupancy — Buildings inside Mahtomedi city.
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Mahtomedi city.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Mahtomedi city.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Mahtomedi 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.