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

At a glance

Building permit

A county zoning certificate is required before construction; building-code permitting varies by township¹

Zoning

County-enforced in county-administered areas, with separate local administration in specified townships and cities²³

Septic

Winona County regulates onsite systems in county-administered areas; three townships use Construction Management Services⁴⁵

Owner-builder

A licensing exemption is available if the owner will occupy the home or retain it as a rental, but not for resale or speculation⁶

Driveway access

A county access permit is required before constructing, improving or changing an access on a road under county jurisdiction⁷

Floodplain work

A floodplain permit is required for covered work such as a house, fill, culvert or bridge in a floodplain⁸

RV or tiny home living

Countywide residential occupancy rules could not be confirmed; ask the office serving the parcel before placement³

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on September 29, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Winona County, Minnesota?

A county Development (Zoning) Certificate is required before construction in unincorporated Winona County, while building-code inspection is administered locally and some townships run their own permitting¹. The Minnesota State Building Code is the minimum construction standard throughout the state, including Winona County, but local code enforcement depends on adoption and administration by the applicable jurisdiction⁹. A zoning certificate and a building-code permit are different approvals, so receiving one does not establish that the other is unnecessary¹¹⁰. Identify the township before applying because Wilson Township follows its own zoning process, and Saratoga, St. Charles and Utica townships use Construction Management Services for zoning and septic permits³.

Who handles Winona County permits, and how do you reach them?

Winona County Planning & Environmental Services issues county zoning certificates and septic permits and handles county-administered land-use questions¹¹. The office is at 202 W Third Street, Winona, MN 55987, and its phone number is 507-457-6520¹¹. County-administered applications go through the online permitting system; fees are paid by e-check or credit card, and applicants receive email updates and can review status online¹². Construction Management Services administers zoning and septic permitting in Saratoga, St. Charles and Utica townships beginning in early 2026; contact that office at 507-282-8206 or [email protected]¹³. Wilson Township and incorporated municipalities have their own zoning administration, so owners in those jurisdictions should confirm the correct office before applying³.

Does Winona County have zoning?

Winona County enforces its zoning ordinance in county-administered unincorporated areas². The published county map includes Agriculture / Resource Conservation, Business & Recreational, Community Development, Community Development 2, General Industrial, Rural Residential and Urban Residential districts¹⁴. Municipalities and Wilson Township administer their own zoning, while Saratoga, St. Charles and Utica townships use a separate administrator for zoning and septic permitting³. We could not confirm a single countywide answer for minimum dwelling size, lot size, setbacks, building height or accessory dwellings, so ask the parcel's zoning administrator for the applicable district standards before relying on a site plan³.

How do septic permits work in Winona County?

Winona County Planning & Environmental Services regulates onsite-system design, permitting, installation and inspection under county zoning and authority from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency⁴. Saratoga, St. Charles and Utica townships use Construction Management Services for septic permitting beginning in early 2026, although project-specific county or state permits may still apply⁵. Minnesota local governments issue construction permits for most subsurface sewage treatment systems, while systems designed for more than 10,000 gallons per day require an MPCA permit¹⁵. Only about 8.5% of Winona County soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so make the soil evaluation an early feasibility check rather than assuming a standard system will fit¹⁶. Primitive sanitation is not automatically unregulated: owner disposal of septage must follow local ordinances, and state fallback rules restrict where and how material may be disposed¹⁷.

Can you live in an RV or tiny home on land in Winona County?

We could not confirm a countywide rule allowing long-term RV occupancy or tiny-home occupancy on private land in unincorporated Winona County. Because zoning administration varies, ask the office serving the parcel whether the proposed unit qualifies as a dwelling and whether its use, placement and sanitation plan are allowed³. Minnesota's recreational-camping-area license applies to areas accommodating five or more tents or recreational camping vehicles and does not settle local land-use approval for a single private homesite¹⁸. A new manufactured home is a separate category that requires an installation inspection under federal standards, but that inspection does not answer whether local zoning allows it on a particular parcel¹⁹³.

Building a home in Winona County: the steps, in order

1. Identify the parcel's township and zoning administrator because the county, specified townships and incorporated cities use different processes³.

1. Confirm the zoning district and obtain the required Development (Zoning) Certificate from the correct office before construction¹.

1. Ask the local building official whether the project needs a building-code permit and inspections under the Minnesota State Building Code⁹²⁰.

1. Apply to the correct local authority for the septic construction permit and complete site and soil work early⁴⁵.

1. Obtain a floodplain permit before covered construction or fill in a mapped floodplain⁸.

1. Obtain a Winona County Highway Department access permit before constructing, improving or changing an entrance on a road under county jurisdiction⁷.

1. An owner-builder licensing exemption may apply when the owner will occupy the home or retain it as a rental, but it does not waive permits or inspections⁶.

What should you check before buying land in Winona County?

Check the parcel's jurisdiction first because zoning and septic administration changes among the county, certain townships and incorporated cities³. Then verify zoning district, road access, floodplain status and septic feasibility with the offices that will review the project²⁷⁸⁴. A proposed land division also needs an early county conversation because the Planning Commission holds public hearings on subdivision plans, although the available county material does not supply the complete plat standards or municipal exceptions²¹. About 63.9% of county land has a slope of 15% or less, while about 41.4% is wooded, so parcel-level topography and clearing needs can differ sharply from county averages²²²³. Only about 8.5% of soils lack severe conventional drain-field limitations, making septic suitability a particularly important contingency¹⁶. The effective property-tax rate is about 0.9%, and the median annual property-tax bill is about $2,099²⁴²⁵.

Watch-outs

• Do not treat a county zoning certificate as proof that no building-code permit or inspection is needed; those approvals answer different questions¹¹⁰.
• Saratoga, St. Charles and Utica townships use Construction Management Services for zoning and septic permitting beginning in early 2026, while project-specific county or state permits may still apply⁵.
• Most Winona County soils have severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so secure a site evaluation before committing to a house location¹⁶.

Sources

1. Winona County Planning & Zoning (2026 county census)
2. Planning & Environmental Services, quoted and re-checked
3. Online Permitting, quoted and re-checked
4. Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
5. Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
6. Sec. 326B.805 MN Statutes (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. Winona County Highway Department (winonacounty.gov)
8. Floodplain Regulations (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Overview of the Minnesota State Building Code, quoted and re-checked
10. Minnesota State Building Code Adoption Guide (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
11. Winona County Planning & Environmental Services (winonacounty.gov)
12. Online Permitting, quoted and re-checked
13. Construction Management Services (winonacounty.gov)
14. Winona County Zoning 2023, quoted and re-checked
15. SSTS design (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
16. Share of soils without severe limits for a conventional septic drain field (USDA SSURGO): Bolthole Index county data
17. Minnesota Administrative Rules, part 7080.2450 Maintenance (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
18. 2025 Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 327 (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
19. Manufactured home information (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
20. 1300.0210 INSPECTIONS (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
21. Planning Commission, quoted and re-checked
22. Share of land at 15% slope or less: Bolthole Index county data
23. Wooded share of land: Bolthole Index county data
24. Effective property tax rate: Bolthole Index county data
25. Median property tax bill: Bolthole Index county data

Written September 29, 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.