Building permits, zoning and land rules in Dickey County, North Dakota

Yes. Dickey County requires a building permit before construction, erection, alteration, repair, enlargement or movement of a building or structure subject to the county ordinance¹. The county has adopted the North Dakota State Building Code as its standard¹. Agricultural buildings tied to the normal incidents of agriculture are exempt from the state building code, but they remain subject to the county ordinance's other restrictions; buildings used for human habitation or public use do not qualify¹. Projects involving a variance, conditional use, zoning change or ordinance amendment may require added procedures and a public hearing¹. All required inspections and approvals must be complete before occupancy, although the ordinance passage does not list every inspection type¹.

The Dickey County Planning and Zoning Department handles building and zoning applications through the Land Use Administrator at the Dickey County Courthouse, 309 2nd St N, Ellendale, ND 58436; call 701-349-8408 or email amy.mittleider@nd.gov⁶. The county page publishes building-permit, conditional-use and variance applications⁶. The county application lists a $100 certificate fee for each named building category, including single-family residential, mobile homes, garages, commercial buildings and agricultural-exempt structures; variance and zoning-change fees are $200, and the application and fees are due before the proposed zoning meeting⁷. Correct deficient applications before they can be considered, and keep an issued permit posted onsite until the project and required inspections and approvals are complete¹. Spring Valley Township separately requires inspections for compliance with its township regulations and an inspection of the completed building before a certificate of occupancy⁸.

Yes. Dickey County's zoning ordinance took effect in 2026 and applies to property the county has legal authority to regulate; unorganized townships and organized townships without their own zoning are covered, while cities and independently zoned townships may use different rules¹. The ordinance identifies Agricultural, Commercial/Industrial, Rural Residential and Recreational districts; parcels without a specific designation are Agricultural, and the current map is available through Planning and Zoning, the County Auditor or the county GIS page¹. Under county jurisdiction, homes with septic need at least 43,560 square feet of lot area, at least 100 feet of width and at least 200 feet of depth¹. District-specific lot coverage and road, water and property-line setbacks also apply¹. A freestanding structure taller than 40 feet requires a conditional-use permit¹.

Central Valley Health District's Environmental Health Department serves Dickey County and handles onsite septic systems; call 701-252-8130, ext. 9, for an appointment². Septic permits are not part of the county building permit or of any city or township building permit; the county ordinance requires private water and sewer systems to be inspected by the health district and certified to State Health Department standards before final approval and hookup¹. A permit is required before installation, alteration, repair or extension of an onsite sewage system, and the owner must sign the application³. Notify the office at least two business days before installation; private water and sewer systems require inspection before final approval and hookup¹. If public sewer is available within 200 feet of the property line, an onsite permit must be refused unless the municipality denies hookup in writing³. About 53.8% of county soils are rated without severe limitations for a conventional drain field, so evaluate the specific homesite⁹.

We could not confirm a Dickey County rule specifically answering RV occupancy or tiny-home occupancy, so ask the Land Use Administrator how the parcel's district, dwelling definition and sanitation rules apply⁶. A mobile or manufactured home used as a permanent farm, non-farm or seasonal residence must be on a permanent foundation, have its wheels and hitch removed, and be permanently attached to water and sewer facilities; units without permanent foundations are limited to state-regulated, licensed mobile-home parks¹. New manufactured homes installed for residential use must also be installed and inspected by state-licensed professionals¹⁰. Accessory dwellings are permitted with no zoning permit requirement in the Agricultural District¹, while a second principal dwelling in the Recreational District requires conditional-use approval¹. We could not confirm a county minimum dwelling floor area; ask Planning and Zoning before assuming a small house qualifies⁶.

1. Confirm whether Dickey County, a city or an organized township controls the parcel¹.
2. Check the county zoning map, then confirm the district, setbacks, height and conditional-use requirements with the Land Use Administrator^1,6.
3. Submit the building-permit application with the required fee before starting work^1,7.
4. Obtain the onsite septic permit from Central Valley Health District before septic work begins, and arrange the required inspection^1,2,3.
5. Obtain the road-access approval that fits the site: the County Road Department or Township Board handles Agricultural District access permits, subdivision access needs written culvert approval, and state-highway access needs written state approval¹.
6. Post the building permit onsite and finish all required inspections and approvals before occupancy¹.

Start with jurisdiction: a city or organized township may apply different zoning from Dickey County, so identify the governing authority before relying on county standards¹. Verify legal access; Agricultural District access requires a County Road Department or Township Board permit, subdivision plats need written culvert approval, and state-highway access needs written state approval¹. For a tract split, subdivisions creating lots under 15 acres are regulated, and final county approval is required before sale contracts or building permits¹. Evaluate septic soils and public-sewer proximity before choosing the homesite^3,9. Private wells drawing more than 12.5 acre-feet annually need a state water-appropriation permit, while qualifying lower-volume uses must be reported⁵. An owner who builds a single-family home may qualify for a locally approved, discretionary property-tax exemption, but that is not an exemption from permits, inspections or code⁴.