Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Goodview, Minnesota

At a glance

Building permits

Required through the City of Goodview; most handled by Construction Management Services¹

Zoning

City zoning provisions apply inside Goodview²

Applications

Email completed applications to [email protected]; submit two sets of site plans when required⁵

Water and sewer

Goodview Public Works handles city water and sewer; ask about service to the specific lot³

Onsite septic

Confirm jurisdiction inside Goodview with City Hall and the county septic office⁴

Owner-builder

State contractor-license exemption for qualifying owners; building permits still apply⁶¹

Who to call

Contact details are copied from each office’s official page and were checked against it on October 12, 2026.

Do you need a building permit in Goodview, MN?

Goodview requires building permits from the city for building work, and the city says its examples are not an exhaustive list.¹ Goodview lists new homes, additions, remodeling, garages, decks, storage sheds, re-roofing, siding and plumbing among work needing a building permit.⁷ Goodview also lists fences and concrete, sidewalk and driveway work, so contact the city building-permit office before treating an outdoor project as exempt.⁷ Ask the office which application and supporting documents fit your project; the city warns that the forms on its website may not cover everything required.¹

Who issues building permits in Goodview, and where do you apply?

Goodview is the starting point for city building-permit applications, while Construction Management Services acts as the city’s State Building Inspector for most building permits.¹ Send completed Goodview applications to [email protected], and provide two sets of site plans when the application requires site plans.⁵ Contact the city building-permit office using the details below to confirm the correct form, plan-review requirements and inspection arrangements before scheduling construction.⁷ Minnesota building-permit fees are established locally, so request a project-specific fee estimate from Goodview rather than using a county development-certificate fee as a city building-permit price.⁸

Does Goodview have zoning, and can you live in an RV or tiny home?

Goodview maintains municipal zoning provisions for land inside city limits.² We could not confirm Goodview’s private-land RV occupancy, temporary camping or tiny-home occupancy rules; ask City Hall about the proposed use before buying a lot for that purpose.⁷ We also could not confirm Goodview’s district-specific minimum lot size, minimum dwelling size, setbacks or lot-coverage limits; request the parcel’s zoning district and applicable dimensional requirements from City Hall.⁷ For land outside Goodview, use the Winona County guide to understand the county zoning framework, which applies to unincorporated territory rather than city zoning districts.⁹

How do septic permits and sewer service work inside Goodview?

Goodview Public Works is responsible for city water and sewer, making that department the starting contact for service availability at a proposed home site.³ We could not confirm Goodview’s mandatory utility-connection rule or the onsite-septic permitting authority for a specific city address; ask City Hall and Winona County Planning & Environmental Services to resolve those questions before designing sanitation.³¹⁰ Winona County Planning & Environmental Services issues septic permits through its county program, but that program description does not establish the authority for every Goodview parcel.⁴ Minnesota requires inspection of new or replacement septic systems, with timing and procedure determined by the applicable local ordinance.¹¹

Building a home in Goodview: what are the steps in order?

1. Ask City Hall to confirm Goodview zoning requirements for the parcel and proposed home.²
2. Ask Goodview Public Works about water and sewer service; if onsite septic is proposed, confirm jurisdiction with the county septic office and City Hall.³¹⁰
3. Obtain the correct city building-permit application, supply required site plans and email the completed application to City Hall.⁵
4. Arrange required inspections with the building official and keep regulated work exposed and accessible until approved.¹²

Minnesota’s contractor-license exemption can cover owners who occupy or intend to occupy the home, or retain it for rental; resale or speculation does not qualify, and the exemption does not waive applicable building permits or inspections.⁶

What should you check before buying land in Goodview?

Ask Goodview Public Works about city street access and utility availability, and ask the city building-permit office about planned driveway, sidewalk or concrete work, which appears on Goodview’s building-permit list.³⁷ A direct driveway connection to a Minnesota state highway requires a MnDOT Access Driveway Permit before construction or modification.¹³ For regulated floodplain land in Goodview, Minnesota requires floodplain permits for projects such as houses, fill, culverts and bridges; ask City Hall how the community ordinance applies to the parcel.¹⁴ Minnesota prohibits dwellings, enclosed structures, fill and obstruction of flood flows in mapped floodways, so resolve that constraint before committing to a home site.¹⁵

Watch-outs

• Goodview’s building-permit forms may not cover every document required for an application; ask the city building-permit office for the complete project checklist.¹
• We could not confirm private-land RV or tiny-home occupancy in Goodview; obtain an answer from City Hall before relying on either as temporary housing.⁷
• Confirm onsite-septic jurisdiction inside Goodview with City Hall and Winona County Planning & Environmental Services before commissioning a system design.⁴

Sources

1. Building Permits - Goodview, Minnesota (Goodview), quoted and re-checked
2. Ordinances - Goodview, Minnesota (Goodview), quoted and re-checked
3. Goodview Public Works Department (goodview.govoffice.com)
4. Septic Systems, quoted and re-checked
5. Building Permits - Goodview, Minnesota (Goodview), quoted and re-checked
6. revisor.mn.gov (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
7. City of Goodview Building Permit Office (goodview.govoffice.com)
8. Minnesota Building Code Adoption Guide (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
9. Planning & Zoning, quoted and re-checked
10. Winona County Planning & Environmental Services (winonacounty.gov)
11. 2025 Minnesota Statutes, section 115.55: Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
12. 1300.0210 INSPECTIONS (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
13. MnDOT Access Management Manual, Chapter 4 (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
14. Floodplain Regulations (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
15. Floodplain Regulations (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked

Written October 12, 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.