Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Casselton, North Dakota

Casselton’s own rules

• InspectionsRequired

  Work performed under a Casselton building permit.

  • The permit identifies needed inspections.
  • No work may proceed or be covered until the requested inspection is signed off.

  “With your permit, the Building Department will provide information about which inspections are needed. Their inspectors will inspect your work several times during construction”

• Certificate of occupancyLimited

  Class B Daycare Facilities inside Casselton city limits.

  • The certificate is required before approval of the Class B Daycare Facility.
  • The permit and certificate are limited to the licensed operator and are non-transferable to another site or person.

  “The proposed daycare facility must also be issued a Certificate of Occupancy from the City of Casselton building inspector prior to approval.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Casselton city limits.

  • Ordinance jurisdiction also includes certain extraterritorial areas; this claim is limited to city limits.

  “This Ordinance shall be effective throughout the city’s land use jurisdiction. The city’s land use jurisdiction shall include all areas within its corporate boundaries”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Zoning districts inside Casselton city limits.

  • District requirements are established by Ordinance #344.

  “The following zoning districts and district requirements are hereby established: 1. RL - Large Lot Residential”

• Building heightSpecified

  Residential buildings inside Casselton city limits.

  • The limit includes apartments, sleeping rooms, and residences above commercial, service, and trade establishments.

  maximum residential building height: <= 35 feet (Includes apartments, sleeping rooms, and residences above commercial, service, and trade establishments)

  “No residential building shall exceed a height of 35 feet, including apartments, sleeping rooms and residences located above commercial, service, and trade establishments.”

• Manufactured homesLimited

  Manufactured or mobile homes moved into Casselton city limits.

  • Manufactured homes moved into the city must comply with the current HUD Code for safety and energy compliance standards.
  • Homes with a HUD-label manufacture date before June 15, 1976 may not be moved into the city.

  HUD-label manufacture date: >= 1976-06-15 (Home moved into the city)

  “Mobile home/manufactured homes shall be prohibited from being moved into the city if the HUD label manufacture date of the structure is prior to June 15, 1976.”

• Mandatory utility hookupWater and sewer (with conditions)

  All new developments within Casselton city limits.

  • The rule applies to new developments within the city.

  “all new developments within the city shall be connected to municipal sewer and water.”

• Subdividing landRegulated (with conditions)

  Divisions of land inside Casselton city limits.

  • Exemptions include certain simple lot splits, corrections of a prior plat that create no new buildable lots, and small utility-service areas.
  • A plat is also required for certain consolidations and before annexation.

  “Any division of land within the City’s planning jurisdiction shall be required to be platted unless one of the following exemptions apply:”

• Driveway accessRequired

  Sidewalks and driveways attaching to a street inside Casselton city limits.

  • The permit is obtained directly from the city office.

  “Sidewalks & Driveways that attach to the street – permits obtain directly from the city office.”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permits inside Casselton city limits.

  • Fees are based on project value and administration fees.

  “There is a charge for permits. Building department fees are based upon the value of the project and administration fees.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Casselton city limits.

  • Payment must be made and paperwork signed in the Casselton office before project work begins.
  • The building department may require professionally designed or engineered plans depending on scope.

  typical processing time: 3-5 business days (Most building-permit applications; longer if application or plans are incomplete or inaccurate)

  “Most other building permit applications may take 3-5 business days to process, however it may take longer if the application or building plans are not complete and accurate.”

Rules another office applies inside Casselton

Casselton 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

  Modular homes inside Casselton land-use jurisdiction, including city limits.

  • The listed criteria define a modular home under the land-use ordinance.

  minimum gross floor area: >= 960 square feet (Modular home)

  “(5) Has a minimum gross floor area of 960 square feet; and”

• SetbacksSpecified

  RL—Large Lot Residential district inside Casselton city limits.

  • Corner-lot side-yard setback differs from other side-yard setbacks.

  side yard setback: >= 8 feet (RL district; 10 feet on corner lots) · front and rear yard setback: >= 25 feet (RL district)

  “Standards - Side yard setbacks: 8′ - Side yard setbacks on corner lots: 10′ - Front and rear yard setback: 25′”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residential construction inside Casselton city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building-code adoption for land inside Casselton city limits.
• Living in an RV — RV occupancy on private land inside Casselton city limits.
• Camping on your land — Temporary camping on private land inside Casselton city limits.
• Tiny homes — Tiny-home occupancy inside Casselton 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.