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

Frontier’s own rules

• Building permitRequired

  Excavation for, construction of, or structural changes to a building or structure inside Frontier city limits.

  • No building permit may be issued for a building or structure including a potentially taxable mobile home as defined by N.D.C.C. § 57-55-01.
  • A permit expires 12 months after issuance.
  • The application must include the proposed location and purpose, plus duplicate approximate-scale plats showing lot dimensions, existing buildings, building dimensions, construction type, and other enforcement information.
  • If ordinance minimum requirements are not met, the administrator may counsel the applicant or the applicant may request a hearing for a variance, conditional use, or ordinance/map amendment.

  permit duration: 12 months (from date of issuance)

  “It shall be unlawful for any person to commence excavation for or construction of any building or structure, or structural changes in any existing building or structure without first obtaining a building permit.”

• Certificate of occupancyRequired

  Occupancy after new construction, alterations, or structural modifications to existing buildings inside Frontier city limits.

  • The certificate is termed a “certificate of compliance” and determines conformity with the ordinance and the specifications on which the building permit was issued.

  “Following all new construction, alterations, or structural modifications to existing buildings, no building or structure shall be occupied until a "certificate of compliance" shall have been issued for determining the conformity of said building, alterations or structural modifications with the requirements of this ordinance and for the specifications upon which the building permit was issued.”

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Frontier city limits, Cass County, North Dakota.

  • The ordinance is administered and enforced by the Frontier City Council, Zoning Commission, and Zoning Administrator.

  “The jurisdiction of this ordinance shall include all lands within the boundaries of the City of Frontier.”

• Zoning districtsPublished (with conditions)

  Land under Frontier city zoning jurisdiction.

  • The official zoning district map is on file in the Zoning Administrator's office and is to be updated for boundary amendments.

  zoning districts: Open Space and Conservation; Residential District; Commercial District; Industrial District

  “For the purposes of this ordinance, all lands under the jurisdiction of the City of Frontier is divided into the following zoning districts: O Open Space and Conservation R Residential District C Commercial District I Industrial District”

• Permit feesVariable (with conditions)

  Building permits inside Frontier city limits.

  • The fee amount is set by the City Council; the opened ordinance does not state a dollar amount.

  “The fee for a building permit shall be set by the City Council.”

• Permit processPublished (with conditions)

  Building-permit applications inside Frontier city limits.

  • Application materials include the proposed location and purpose and duplicate approximate-scale plats showing the recorded lot dimensions, existing buildings, proposed building size and dimensions, construction type, and necessary enforcement information.
  • The Zoning Administrator may request more information.
  • A permit will issue if ordinance minimum requirements are met; otherwise the applicant may seek counseling or a hearing for variance, conditional use, or amendment.

  “All applications for building permits shall be accompanied by a statement of the proposed location of construction or alteration, its purpose, and it shall be accompanied by a plat, in duplicate, drawn to approximate scale, showing the actual dimensions of the recorded lot to be built upon, all existing buildings upon said lot, the size of the building to be erected, its dimensions, type of construction, and such information as may be necessary to provide for the enforcement of this ordinance.”

Rules another office applies inside Frontier

Frontier 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

  Buildable lots in Frontier's Open Space and Conservation District.

  • Where public sewer is available, the minimum buildable area is 7,000 square feet and minimum width is 50 feet.
  • Where public sewer is not available, the minimum buildable area is 40,000 square feet and minimum width is 150 feet.

  minimum buildable lot area with public sewer: 7000 square feet (where public sewer is available) · minimum buildable lot area without public sewer: 40000 square feet (where public sewer is not available)

  “Where public sewer is available, the minimum lot buildable area shall be 7,000 square feet with a minimum width of 50 feet. Where public sewer is not available, the minimum buildable lot area shall be 40,000 square feet with a minimum width of 150 feet.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Buildable lots in Frontier's Residential District.

    “The minimum buildable lot area shall be 40,000 square feet with a minimum lot width of 100 feet.”

• SetbacksSpecified

  Structures in Frontier's Residential District.

  • The road or street right-of-way setback may instead be aligned with existing structures on that block.
  • No building line may be closer than 20 feet to another structure on an adjacent lot.

  road or street right-of-way setback: 75 feet (or in line with existing structures on that block) · minimum side and rear yard: 10 feet

  “The minimum setback from road or street right-of-way shall be 75 feet or in line with existing structures on that block. The minimum side and rear yard shall be 10 feet with no building line closer than 20 feet to another structure on an adjacent lot.”

  One more reviewed finding on this topic

  • Specified — Structures in Frontier's Open Space and Conservation District.

    “The minimum setback from road and highway rights-of-way shall be 75 feet. There shall be a minimum side and rear yard of 10 feet with no building line closer than 20 feet to another structure on an adjacent lot.”

• Lot coverageSpecified

  All buildings on a lot in Frontier's Residential District.

  • The maximum applies to all buildings and is limited by whichever ceiling is lower.

  maximum all-building area: <= 4200 square feet (or 10% of the lot area, whichever is less) · maximum lot coverage: <= 10 percent (or 4,200 square feet, whichever is less)

  “The maximum square footage of all buildings may not exceed 4,200 square feet or 10% of the lot area, whichever is less.”

• Building heightSpecified

  Structures erected or altered in Frontier's Residential District.

  maximum height: <= 35 feet (two and one-half stories)

  “Structures hereafter erected or altered shall not exceed two and one-half (2½) stories or 35 feet in height.”

Still unanswered

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

• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-built residences inside Frontier city limits.
• Building code adopted — Building work inside Frontier city limits.
• Inspections — Building work inside Frontier city limits.
• Minimum dwelling size — Dwellings in Frontier's Residential District.
• Living in an RV — Long-term RV occupancy on private property inside Frontier 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.