Bolthole Index

Yellow Medicine County, Minnesota

Building permits, zoning and septic rules in Clarkfield, Minnesota

Clarkfield, Minnesota has city zoning, but we could not confirm the current building-permit requirement; ask Clarkfield City Administration before starting construction.12 Within Yellow Medicine County, the county Land and Resource Management Office administers septic rules for unsewered incorporated areas, including Clarkfield.3 City zoning districts have different lot-size and setback standards, so identify the parcel’s district before choosing a home site.45

At a glance

Building permits
Current city requirement unconfirmed; ask Clarkfield City Administration2
Zoning
City zoning includes residential, commercial, industrial and rural districts1
Septic permits
County SSTS rules apply to unsewered city lots; sewer permit required before system work36
Rural district lot size
Minimum 2.5 acres of upland area, with 200-foot width and 300-foot depth5
Manufactured homes
Allowed in the Rural Residential and Agricultural District subject to city standards7
Owner-builders
State contractor-licensing exemption can apply; construction approvals are still separate8

Who to call

Planning & zoning

Clarkfield City Administration

Starting contact for city code, parcel zoning, and confirmation of the current building-permit and inspection office.

320-669-4435

[email protected]

812 10th Ave, Suite 1 Clarkfield MN 56223

Septic permits

Yellow Medicine County Land and Resource Management Office

County SSTS administration and septic-system questions for unsewered land inside Clarkfield.

320-669-7524

1000 10th Ave. Suite #2 P.O. Box 675 Clarkfield MN 56223

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

Off-grid gear

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

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Do you need a building permit in Clarkfield, MN?

We could not confirm Clarkfield’s current building-permit requirement, building-code adoption provision or inspection arrangements; start with City Administration and request the current construction application and building official’s contact.2 Minnesota’s State Building Code applies statewide to the types of construction governed by the code, while local enforcement depends on adoption and statutory responsibilities.9 An owner who personally builds a home to occupy may qualify for Minnesota’s residential contractor-licensing exemption, but that exemption does not waive applicable building permits or inspections.8 Ask the city separately about building approval, zoning approval, inspection scheduling and authorization to occupy the finished home.2

Who handles building-permit and zoning questions in Clarkfield?

Clarkfield City Administration maintains city records, including the city code, and directs city departments; use the city office as the starting contact for construction and parcel-zoning questions.2 Call 320-669-4435 or visit the City Office at 812 10th Ave, Suite 1 Clarkfield MN 56223.2 Ask City Administration to identify the current building official and confirm which application, fee schedule and plan documents apply to your project.2 Septic administration for unsewered Clarkfield property stays with Yellow Medicine County’s Land and Resource Management Office; the city zoning contact does not replace that separate approval.310

Does Clarkfield have zoning, lot-size rules and setbacks?

Clarkfield has its own residential, commercial, industrial and Rural Residential and Agricultural zoning districts; ask City Administration for the parcel’s district assignment.12 In the Multiple Family Residential District, lots for single-family and two-family dwellings need 10,000 square feet; multiple-family dwellings require 3,000 square feet per dwelling unit, subject to chapter exceptions and modifications.4 That district specifies front and rear yards of 30 feet and side yards of 5 feet, with separate corner-lot rules.11 The Rural Residential and Agricultural District requires at least 2.5 acres of upland area, 200 feet of width and 300 feet of depth.5 Rural-district front, side and rear yards are at least 40, 10 and 30 feet respectively; corner lots and detached accessory buildings have additional rules.12

How do septic permits work inside Clarkfield?

Yellow Medicine County’s SSTS ordinance applies to unsewered incorporated and unincorporated areas, so a Clarkfield address does not by itself remove county septic oversight.3 A sewer permit is required before installing, replacing, modifying, repairing or expanding a sewage treatment system.6 The county lists a $200 sewer permit fee, or $175 when only installing a holding tank.13 Contact the Land and Resource Management Office at 320-669-7524 about the proposed system and parcel.10 For countywide context, only 3.1% of Yellow Medicine County soils are rated not limited for conventional drain fields; that rating calls for site evaluation and may mean an engineered system, rather than making septic impossible.14 Ask City Administration about public-sewer availability and connection requirements before committing to a private system.2

Can you live in an RV, tiny home or manufactured home in Clarkfield?

We could not confirm Clarkfield’s rules for living in an RV on private land, temporary camping, tiny-home occupancy or accessory dwellings; ask City Administration about the intended use and the parcel’s zoning district before buying a unit.2 Clarkfield permits manufactured homes in the Rural Residential and Agricultural District when the homes meet the city’s referenced manufactured-home standards; that permission does not establish permission in every district or answer the RV question.7 New manufactured homes installed for occupancy in Minnesota require inspection under federal installation standards.15 For any unsewered city lot, resolve sanitation with the county SSTS office as well as the city’s land-use office.32

What are the steps before building or buying land in Clarkfield?

  1. Ask Clarkfield City Administration to confirm city limits, the parcel’s zoning district, and the current building-permit and inspection contacts.2
  2. Compare the proposed home and accessory structures with the district’s lot-size and yard requirements, including corner-lot exceptions.451112
  3. Ask the city about water and sewer connections; for an unsewered parcel, consult the county SSTS office before system work.26
  4. Ask the city about mapped floodplain restrictions: Minnesota generally requires floodplain permits for houses, fill, culverts and bridges in regulated floodplain areas.216
  5. For land outside city limits, use the Yellow Medicine County guide: the county land-use ordinance regulates unincorporated land.17

Watch-outs

  • Clarkfield building-permit fees, inspection arrangements and occupancy approvals remain unconfirmed; request current requirements from City Administration before construction.2
  • A Clarkfield manufactured-home permission in the rural district does not establish that an RV or tiny home is permitted as a dwelling; ask City Administration about the specific proposal.72
  • Minnesota prohibits dwellings and other enclosed structures in mapped floodways, so resolve floodway status before choosing a home site.18

Sources

  1. § 151.20 Classification of zoning districts (Clarkfield), quoted and re-checked
  2. Clarkfield City Administration (clarkfield.org)
  3. Section XIV - Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems Ordinance, quoted and re-checked
  4. § 151.22 R-2 Multiple Family Residential District (Clarkfield), quoted and re-checked
  5. § 151.28 Rural Residential and Agricultural District (Clarkfield), quoted and re-checked
  6. Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (SSTS), quoted and re-checked
  7. § 151.28 Rural Residential and Agricultural District (Clarkfield), quoted and re-checked
  8. revisor.mn.gov (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  9. 2025 Minnesota Statutes, section 326B.121 (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  10. Yellow Medicine County Land and Resource Management Office (co.ym.mn.gov)
  11. § 151.22 R-2 Multiple Family Residential District (Clarkfield), quoted and re-checked
  12. § 151.28 Rural Residential and Agricultural District (Clarkfield), quoted and re-checked
  13. Subsurface Sewage Treatment Systems (SSTS), quoted and re-checked
  14. Share of soils USDA rates "not limited" for a conventional septic drain field (SSURGO). A strict rating: the median county is about 6% and a tenth of counties are 0%, so a low figure means most lots need a site evaluation or an engineered system, not that septic is impossible. Cite it only with that caveat: Bolthole Index county data
  15. Manufactured home information (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  16. Floodplain Regulations (Minnesota statewide rule), quoted and re-checked
  17. Planning and Zoning - Land and Resource Management Office, quoted and re-checked
  18. 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.

Answers from the rulebook for Clarkfield

Clarkfield’s own rules

  • Zoning districtsPublished

    Zoning districts inside Clarkfield city limits.

    • The published classification lists R-1, R-2, C-1, C-2, I, and Rural Residential and Agricultural districts.
    • The source does not provide the zoning map or parcel-specific district assignments.
    “(A) R-1 Single Family Residential District (B) R-2 Multi-Family Residential District (C) C-1 Central Business District (D) C-2 Central Business District (E) I Industrial (F) Rural Residential and Agricultural District”
  • Manufactured homesAllowed (with conditions)

    Manufactured homes in the Rural Residential and Agricultural District inside Clarkfield city limits.

    • The manufactured homes must meet the standards in § 151.24.
    • The source does not establish manufactured-home permission in every Clarkfield zoning district.
    “Manufactured homes which meet the standards set forth in § 151.24.”

Rules another office applies inside Clarkfield

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

  • Minimum lot sizeSpecified

    Rural Residential and Agricultural District inside Clarkfield city limits.

    • The minimum is measured as upland area.
    • Upland is defined in the source as land above the 100-year flood elevation or non-wetland.
    • The district requirements are subject to additional requirements, exceptions, and modifications in the chapter.

    minimum lot area: 2.5 acres of upland area · minimum lot width: 200 feet · minimum lot depth: 300 feet

    “Lot area. A minimum of two and one-half acres of upland area, upland being land above the 100-year flood elevation or non-wetland.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — R-2 Multiple Family Residential District inside Clarkfield city limits.
      “Lot area. 10,000 square feet for one and two-family dwellings and 3,000 square feet per dwelling unit for multiple-family dwellings.”
  • SetbacksSpecified

    Rural Residential and Agricultural District inside Clarkfield city limits.

    • Corner-lot rules apply.
    • Detached accessory-building setbacks and public-right-of-way access requirements also apply.
    • The district is subject to additional requirements, exceptions, and modifications in the chapter.

    front yard: >= 40 feet minimum · side yard: >= 10 feet minimum · corner-lot side yard adjacent to street: >= 30 feet minimum (but not less than the setback of an adjacent lot with its front yard on the same street) · rear yard: >= 30 feet minimum · corner-lot rear yard adjacent to street: >= 15 feet minimum (but not less than the setback of an adjacent lot with its rear yard on the same street)

    “Front yard. A minimum of 40 feet. Side yards. A minimum of 10 feet. Side yards, corner lots. A minimum of 30 feet on side adjacent to street, but in no case less than the setback of an adjacent lot which has its front yard on the same street. Rear yard. A minimum of 30 feet. Rear yard, corner lots. A minimum of 15 on side adjacent to street, but in no case less than the setback of an adjacent lot which has its rear yard on the same street.”
    One more reviewed finding on this topic
    • Specified — R-2 Multiple Family Residential District inside Clarkfield city limits.
      “Front yards. Not less than 30 feet. Side yards. 5 feet. Side yards, corner lots. 25 feet on side adjacent to street, but in no case less than the setback of an adjacent lot which has its front yard on the same street. Rear yards. 30 feet.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Clarkfield or Yellow Medicine County directly.

  • Building permit — Building permits for construction inside Clarkfield city limits.
  • Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemptions for construction inside Clarkfield city limits.
  • Building code adopted — Building-code adoption inside Clarkfield city limits.
  • Inspections — Building inspections inside Clarkfield city limits.
  • Certificate of occupancy — Certificates of occupancy for buildings inside Clarkfield city limits.
16 more unanswered
  • Minimum dwelling size
  • Lot coverage
  • Living in an RV
  • Camping on your land
  • Tiny homes
  • Accessory dwellings
  • Septic inspection
  • Off-grid sanitation
  • Well permit
  • Mandatory utility hookup
  • Agricultural exemption
  • Driveway access
  • Building in a floodplain
  • Short-term rentals
  • Permit fees
  • Permit process

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 Clarkfield publishes no rule on the point, not that none exists. Yellow Medicine County’s page lists the county offices to call.

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