Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Stockton, Minnesota

Stockton’s own rules

• InspectionsLimited

  Structures for which Stockton's zoning ordinance requires a certificate of occupancy.

  • The certificate is issued only after the Building Official finds the building or structure satisfactory and gives final inspection.

  “Said certificate shall be applied for coincident with the application for a building permit, conditional use permit, and/or variance and shall be issued after the Building Official has found the building or structure satisfactory and given final inspection.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Any building or structure erected or moved, or portion of an existing structure or building erected or moved, within Stockton city limits.

  • The certificate must state that the building or structure complies with all provisions of the zoning ordinance.
  • The application must be made coincident with the application for a building permit, conditional use permit, and/or variance, and is issued after satisfactory final inspection.
  • An application fee is established by City Council resolution.

  “No building or structure hereafter erected or moved, or that portion of an existing structure or building erected or moved, shall be occupied or used in whole or in part for any purpose whatsoever until a certificate of occupancy shall have been issued by the Building Inspector stating that the building or structure complies with all of the provisions of this Ordinance.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land within Stockton city limits, Minnesota.

  • Uses and structures must conform to the zoning ordinance; a use neither specifically permitted nor denied is considered prohibited.

  “No structure shall be erected, converted, enlarged, reconstructed, or altered, and no structure or land shall be used for any purpose, which is not in conformity with the provisions of this Ordinance.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts established for land within Stockton city limits.

  • The zoning map is incorporated as part of the ordinance and must be maintained and updated by the zoning administrator.

  districts: R-S, R-1, R-2, R-3, B-1, GI, PUD, FW/FF, BP (some districts are overlays)

  “For the purpose of this Ordinance, Stockton is hereby divided into the following zoning districts:”

• Permit processPartial

  Floodplain permit applications within Stockton city limits.

  • Application is made in duplicate to the Zoning Administrator on forms furnished by the administrator.
  • Where applicable, plans must show the nature, location, dimensions, and elevations of the lot and existing or proposed structures, fill, or material storage.
  • Necessary state and federal permits must be obtained before the permit is granted or a conditional-use or variance application is processed.

  “Application for a permit shall be made in duplicate to the Zoning Administrator on forms furnished by the Zoning Administrator and shall include the following, where applicable: plans in duplicate drawn to scale, showing the nature, location, dimensions, and elevations of the lot; existing or proposed structures, fill, or storage of materials; and the location of the foregoing in relation to the stream channel.”

Rules another office applies inside Stockton

Stockton 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

  Single-family dwellings in Stockton's R-1 Single Family Residential District.

  minimum house width: 22 feet (R-1 District)

  “(D) Minimum House Width: Twenty-two (22) feet”

• Minimum lot sizeDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Single-family dwellings in Stockton's R-1 Single Family Residential District.

  • Lots served by city sewer have a 12,000-square-foot minimum; without city sewer the minimum is 15,000 square feet.

  minimum lot area with City Sewer: 12000 square feet (single-family dwellings in R-1) · minimum lot area without City Sewer: 15000 square feet (single-family dwellings in R-1)

  “(A) Lot Area: 12,000 square feet for single-family dwellings with City Sewer, without City Sewer lot area must be 15,000 square feet.”

• SetbacksDistrict specific (with conditions)

  Development in Stockton's R-1 Single Family Residential District.

  • Corner lots require two front yards.

  front yard setback: >= 25 feet (R-1; corner lots require two front yards) · side yard setback: >= 10 feet (each side in R-1; or 25 feet from a public right-of-way) · rear yard setback: >= 25 feet (R-1)

  “(1) Front Yards: Not less than twenty-five (25) feet. In the case of corner lots, two front yards will be required. (2) Side yards: Not less than ten (10) feet on each side or twenty-five (25) feet from a public right-of-way. (3) Rear yards: Not less than twenty-five (25) feet.”

• Building in a floodplainRequired

  Erection, addition, alteration, use, change of use, nonconforming-use change or extension, fill, excavation, or material/equipment storage in Stockton's Floodway or Flood Fringe Districts.

  • The permit must be secured before the listed activity.
  • Required state and federal permits must be obtained before a permit is granted or an application for conditional use or variance is processed.

  “A permit issued by the Zoning Administrator in conformity with the provisions of this Ordinance shall be secured prior to erection, addition, or alteration of any building, structure, or portion thereof; prior to the use or change of use of a building, structure, or land; prior to the change or extension of nonconforming use; and prior to the placement of fill, excavation of materials, or the storage of materials or equipment within the flood plain.”

Still unanswered

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

• Building permit — Residential construction within Stockton city limits.
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction within Stockton city limits.
• Lot coverage — Lots within Stockton city limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land within Stockton city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy within Stockton city limits.

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.